Mossy Giant - Mascotte
‘The Experts’ is a group of creatives who distinguish themselves in various disciplines. Pieter van Tongeren (1987) is a highly respected artist and illustrator: 'Mossy Giant'. Under this alias, he makes 'beautiful things', 'ánd wants to remove the stigma surrounding cannabis and psychoactive fungi. We visited him in his studio in Ijmuiden.
MOSSY GIANT
‘My work is very detailed: it is not for people who are easily distracted. But I do not want to restrict myself to making cool shit that is fun to look at. My underlying thought and wish is that people learn something about the necessity of (cannabis) plants to survive. Before I made art, I was a professional sportsman. When I was 18 I went to the US to play basketball at a university. Basketball was my passion; it was my dream to play in the NBA. I did not get that far, but I was very successful. If you are doing sports at a university, you must also study. That is why I started studying graphic design, and through the years my interest in art grew. I found out that this was what I ought to be doing: art, graphic design and illustrating.'
"Still, I never really quit basketball – when I do something, I put my all into it. I only quit basketball when my heart was no longer in it. Top sport teaches you to maintain discipline, pure willpower and motivation to achieve your goals. In my current trade, making drawings and illustrations, this is equally necessary. Especially for kids, I have to get my work on paper in a limited amount of time."
"A former teammate handed me the book ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes’ by Jack Herer, which is about the many applications of the cannabis plant and what these can mean for our planet. I was flabbergasted: ‘Why do we not hear more about this?’. Then I realised that I wanted to use my creative drawing skills for the cannabis plant. Cannabis is usually stigmatised and related to crime. Everyone knows the aspect of smoking, getting high. But besides that, weed is also used successfully for medical purposes (including for Parkinson, muscle cramps and the like), and there is a wide range of industrial uses. In fact, you can fill every aspect of life with cannabis, including clothing and food."
"In addition, it is a renewable source of energy. Currently, our entire planet runs on fossil energy, which will eventually run out and also pollutes our planet terribly. Resources are extracted from the earth in a very destructive way."
"Compare this to a field of industrial hemp that you would use for energy generation. Such a field grows to maturity in 3 months and yields as much pulp and nutrients as a hectare of forest. And this energy comes from the sun instead of from the earth!"
"What I am most proud of? Of my children. I find it important to be there for them. I want to teach my children that you can do something in life that gives you pleasure. Something that is meaningful, that gives meaning to your life. Having children is really one of the most life-transforming events; it gave me a creative boost. It gets me on edge. However, being a father means that there is less time for designing."
"For this reason, I must be productive in the hours available in my studio and use my time efficiently. My tip for artists: make sure to manage your time. From 9 to 12 I am often engaged in highly creative work. What if I cannot find inspiration? Inspiration will find me, if I just start working anyway. Sit down, shut up, just do it. Then I take a lunch break and have time until 5 P.M. for e-mails, making parcels. Again: efficiency. Of course, it is hard work too, with pressure to create on a high level continuously."
"In the future I would like to do more murals. It is a lot of work, but it does give an ego boost to see your own work on such a large format. But: I do not need to go viral. It is nice if my success expands a little every year, that I can continue doing my work with the right intentions. And that I keep getting pleasure from it until I die."