DESCRIPTION: VECTOR ILLUSTRATION
YEAR: 2008
If I had to point a definite finger at where in my life the source of my creative river sprung from it would have to be skateboarding. My one and only passion growing up, it taught me to see the world from a completely new perspective. It taught me to destruct my surroundings and construct my own ideas of what was possible. I was never the best, but it was not really about that. If someone landed the easiest trick after trying all day or some one stuck the most technical trick first time the shouts of 'Yeah!' from your buddies were always at the same volume and intensity. A true form of expressionism with an absolutely level playing field, the reason for this was simple; It was never about anyone else.
Skateboarding led me down some interesting paths and to some far off destinations. But the journey that it took me through a little low-brow side of the creative world is the one that I am truly grateful for. It encompassed music, art, graffiti, customization, silk screening, vinyl toys, limited edition items, artist series, punk rock, OG Hip-hop, graphic design, sneaker pimpin', videography and more. I am a little too old and lazy to skate these days, but I watch Andrew Reynolds part in The End on VHS and think about how those 4 wheels made me who I am today...
It was an honour to have my artwork featured on three decks for [R]evolution.
100 of each deck was printed and sold.
Below is the concept pitch I submitted.
CONCEPT:
Skating to me was never about malls or super skate parks. Skating was looking forward to going into the city on weekends. Cruising among the sites and smells of Durban. Pushing through traffic, avoiding pedestrians and popping off curb cuts. Stopping to buy 99c soft serves at the workshop after a session at Town Hall. Hitting the beachfront mid-curb on a Sunday and eating pineapple dipped in curry powder. Getting offered readymades by the car guard as we all piled into someone’s mom’s borrowed hatchback, on our way to the Harbour, the Waterworks, The Island Style mini by the wheel. I want my decks to be all about these adventures. I know it was the same thing when I moved to Cape Town, just mates missioning through the somewhat subdued city. I want to convey the sights and sounds of the city that as a skateboarder, provided me with endless possibilities. The city I love.
METHOD:
I did this by creating three decks, one for each of the major cities. Cape Town, Durban and Joburg. Each one features a background with numerous icons that make the particular cities different from one another. Whether it’s types of food (Bunnies for Durban, fish and chips for Cape Town etc.), Road Names (Florida Road, Long Street etc) or even iconic places (Taco Zulu, Royale, Tokyo Star etc). By showing the contrast between the cities it creates a feeling of unity in the buyer. I am from Durban, so naturally I would be inclined to buy the board with things that I can relate to and in-turn would be representing for my city.
Below are images from the BigWood II exhibition where the decks were featured. Courtesy of [R]evolution.
METHOD:
I did this by creating three decks, one for each of the major cities. Cape Town, Durban and Joburg. Each one features a background with numerous icons that make the particular cities different from one another. Whether it’s types of food (Bunnies for Durban, fish and chips for Cape Town etc.), Road Names (Florida Road, Long Street etc) or even iconic places (Taco Zulu, Royale, Tokyo Star etc). By showing the contrast between the cities it creates a feeling of unity in the buyer. I am from Durban, so naturally I would be inclined to buy the board with things that I can relate to and in-turn would be representing for my city.
Below are images from the BigWood II exhibition where the decks were featured. Courtesy of [R]evolution.
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