words by Big O
So, you live in Austin, obviously, how long have you been living there?
I moved into the Prather Street Ramp Locals house in December of 1996
What brought you to Austin?
The University of Texas at Austin.
So, you have your degree, do you have your Masters as well?
No. When I finished my undergraduate degree I wasn't ready to jump back into more academia. I wanted to get to work and see what I could do.
What keeps you in now that you have completed school?
The ramp in my backyard, the gallery I run with my friends, swimming in the creek in the Spring, Alexandria ditch, all of my friends, my parents living in Seguin...there's a lot of reasons to stay. Basically I feel more comfortable in Texas than I do in other places I've travelled. I think it has to do with the combination of humidity and Lone Star.
What is the number one way people contact you regarding putting together a show for a particular venue?
Almost exclusively through my website. Occasionally through my myspace.
Tell us a little bit about the process you go through when conceptualizing that next big show? What comes in to play, the city, current works on hand, where does the cohesion come from?
I've only recently started thinking about shows as their own entity. Previously I was exhibiting in mostly group shows where I only had to think about four or five pieces holding together. Lately I've been trying to do more solo stuff where everything needs to relate. I guess I just think about what I'm most concerned with at the time. There's a recurring theme of smiling in the face of adversity that most of my work addresses.
Are you currently working on anything that you are really happy with right now? What size, imagery, media are you working with more often than not lately?
I'm working on stuff for a solo show at Upper Playground in SF this June. I'm going to be working on some new sculptural pieces which is exciting for me because it's really new to my work and there's a lot of uncertainty with the final product. When I'm working on paintings and drawings I usually have a fairly good idea how the finished piece is going to turn out. With the sculpture there's a leap of faith involved.
You seem to pull so many images from skateboarding so, as skateboarders we immediately can identify with the messages that are present in your pieces of art, you must see the world through a different set of eyes because it never ceases to amaze me what you come up with next. Can you tell us about maybe a few ideas that you might have had for columns in Thrasher or works of art that you didn't follow through with, and why you chose not to produce them?
Almost every ridiculous idea I have finds its way into my sketchbook even if it's just a really crappy crude drawing. I guess I usually don't execute ideas if I think they're going to bum people out too much. I don't mind my work being a little gross or weird, but it's never my intention to piss people off.
Any instance where some of the content may have been just a little much?
I have this recurring bad idea of writing an article called: "How to get fired from Thrasher." But I'm afraid that writing it would make it a self fulfilling prophecy.
Speaking of Thrasher, is working for them everything you hoped that it would be, do you have complete creative freedom?
Truthfully I never imagined I'd work for them. It was just a series of really amazing circumstances that led to me being offered a position with the magazine. I fell really lucky and thankful that I get to do stuff for Thrasher. Speaking of which, I read a lot of skateboarding sites and it's so funny to me that some people get so bummed on my articles and hate on them so much. It's only one page of ridiculousness a month. What would you rather have on that page? Another crooked grind? Another sunglasses ad? Lighten up dudes, if you don't like it, quit reading it. Won't hurt my feelings. Okay, got that off my chest.
Do you speak with Phleps much?
I've only talked to him a few times. Usually if he calls it means I'm in trouble. The few times we have spoken it's been really rad though. He told Michael Burnett that I look like one of my drawings...I'm not sure how to take that.
Does he help with direction or throw any ideas at you that he would like to see you turn into a reality and if so, do you have any examples we have seen or would know about?
Nope. They pretty much just let me hang out in Texas and get weird with it.
Everyone knew of your work here in the skateboarding scene, but once you started lending yourself to Bueno Skateboards I would say that everyone across the US and abroad began to recognize your work. I know that Bueno has been on a break but, do you foresee yourself getting something else going if things don't turn themselves around over at Giant?
Things with Giant went really sour. Stacy and I tried everything we could think of to keep the boat floating, but eventually we just had to throw in the towel and leave it as a rad thing that happened instead of trying to keep it going without proper funding or distribution and see it crumble. I've got some little projects in the works though, so if you want to ride a board with one of my graphics on it you'll still be able to pick one up.
I certainly hope so, because as a shop owner I definitely would like to have your stuff back on our racks, people were and still are definitely feeling what you were putting out there. Are you ever disappointed in some of the board graphics that get passed off by major companies that, I for one believe, should be putting more into the product that represents them?
I'd like to see more care and thought being put into the graphics, but I really think it's heading the opposite direction. Go into any skateshop and seventy five percent of the wall is logo treatments. But that's not to say that there isn't still some rad shit out there. Ben Horton is doing some really sick stuff right now. Since I am knocking out this interview at work, on someone else's dime, as I still retain my day job for a little while longer, I have to go.TexasAustin
I appreciate your responses to some of these questions and I appreciate everything you have been doing for skateboarding through your visual art. Thank you so much for you time.
Thank you caring enough to get a hold of me. Keep your chins up kids and talk more shit in person and less shit on the internet. Or just talk less shit in general. Increase the peace!