Short Interview with Jason Adams
Short Interview with Jason Adams
Words by Jonathan K. Slingluff, of the
Slingluff Gallery in Philadelphia.
Jonathan K. Slingluff: So, Jason, when did you get started with art, or is it something that has always been there for you?
Jason Adams: Ahhhh, no, well.... I always liked taking art classes in school, or any applied art classes whether it was wood shop or ceramics or whatever. Plus I always tried to draw when I was a kid, and I even tried to get into oil painting when I was like seven or eight. But I never showed any natural ability and would always end up frustrated. I guess I was always attracted to creative-minded things like making zines, trying to take skate photos. Nothing really clicked. Except for skateboarding. I was obsessed with skateboarding starting just before I turned 13. So fast forward bit. 1992 I turn pro for skateboarding. Find myself sponsored by Santa Monica Airlines. S.M.A. was owned by N.H.S. that does saSantarCruz skateboardrds and blah blah blah....Any ways.... They had a really cool art department. I would hang out with those dudes all the time and shoot the shit --- talk about graphic ideas and what not. I remember wanting to be one of those dudes more than wanting to be a pro skater. But I could barely draw a stick figure... Wasnt gonna happen ha ha ha.... So fast forward again. 2001 I hurt my ankle...I have no clothing sponsor. I decide I'm going to start making t-shirts and have a concept for a brand. It's called Six Gun. My influences are punk rock record imagery mixed with westerny-country-musicy-show poster thing...hatch showprint to be specific. I start cutting and pasting, Xeroxing and cutting stencils of western fonts to piece these ideas together. It was the Rancid logo with the skull dotting the i that got me into cutting stencils, and here I am now.... Oh yeah, I started attempting paintings about five to six years ago.
I know, a bit long-winded. Sorry.... I'm sure I forgot a bunch of shit, too --- uugh!
JKS: That's a lot of fast forwarding, but it seems that your art and your skateboarding go hand-in-hand these days. Its awesome that you have found a nice balance between the two. Do you feel that you would be able to do the one without the other?
JA: Umm ... Its good to have a balance of creative things to do. Keeps me from burning out. I always knew skateboarding was a creative activity. But now I realize it even more. When I started painting in my garage, I would trip out how much time I would be putting into it and not even craving going skating like I use to. Thats when I realized skateboarding was filling that creative void all those years.
JKS: Where do you pull your inspiration from with both?
JA: I think both activities share the same inspiration. But I think its more like medication. I started skating as a way to escape all the shit that drove me nuts as a kid. I felt freedom when I skated; I could actually focus on something. Then I ended up supporting a family from skateboarding, which brought on all new kinds of stresses. Art became my new escape. I now feel freedom in art. Its really the only thing that calms me down and that I can actually focus on for now. But skateboarding is coming back for me. Its all starting to balance out, which I'm really happy about. So its the search for a sense of freedom that motivates me to do anything.... Well, that and the bills need to get paid.
JKS: It seems that you have a lot going on with your art. That must feel great! I know that right now you have stuff going on in Colorado , Japan , and here in Philadelphia. What's next?
JA: Who knows? I wish was more of a planner. I just want to keep going. Keep climbing up the ladder. Get through this fucking economy bullshit. Figure out a way to keep paying the mortgage. Try not to fully turn into Al Bundy.
JKS: Well I hope not to see you in a ladies shoe store anytime soon, Jason.
Slingluff Gallery in Philadelphia.
Jonathan K. Slingluff: So, Jason, when did you get started with art, or is it something that has always been there for you?
Jason Adams: Ahhhh, no, well.... I always liked taking art classes in school, or any applied art classes whether it was wood shop or ceramics or whatever. Plus I always tried to draw when I was a kid, and I even tried to get into oil painting when I was like seven or eight. But I never showed any natural ability and would always end up frustrated. I guess I was always attracted to creative-minded things like making zines, trying to take skate photos. Nothing really clicked. Except for skateboarding. I was obsessed with skateboarding starting just before I turned 13. So fast forward bit. 1992 I turn pro for skateboarding. Find myself sponsored by Santa Monica Airlines. S.M.A. was owned by N.H.S. that does saSantarCruz skateboardrds and blah blah blah....Any ways.... They had a really cool art department. I would hang out with those dudes all the time and shoot the shit --- talk about graphic ideas and what not. I remember wanting to be one of those dudes more than wanting to be a pro skater. But I could barely draw a stick figure... Wasnt gonna happen ha ha ha.... So fast forward again. 2001 I hurt my ankle...I have no clothing sponsor. I decide I'm going to start making t-shirts and have a concept for a brand. It's called Six Gun. My influences are punk rock record imagery mixed with westerny-country-musicy-show poster thing...hatch showprint to be specific. I start cutting and pasting, Xeroxing and cutting stencils of western fonts to piece these ideas together. It was the Rancid logo with the skull dotting the i that got me into cutting stencils, and here I am now.... Oh yeah, I started attempting paintings about five to six years ago.
I know, a bit long-winded. Sorry.... I'm sure I forgot a bunch of shit, too --- uugh!
JKS: That's a lot of fast forwarding, but it seems that your art and your skateboarding go hand-in-hand these days. Its awesome that you have found a nice balance between the two. Do you feel that you would be able to do the one without the other?
JA: Umm ... Its good to have a balance of creative things to do. Keeps me from burning out. I always knew skateboarding was a creative activity. But now I realize it even more. When I started painting in my garage, I would trip out how much time I would be putting into it and not even craving going skating like I use to. Thats when I realized skateboarding was filling that creative void all those years.
JKS: Where do you pull your inspiration from with both?
JA: I think both activities share the same inspiration. But I think its more like medication. I started skating as a way to escape all the shit that drove me nuts as a kid. I felt freedom when I skated; I could actually focus on something. Then I ended up supporting a family from skateboarding, which brought on all new kinds of stresses. Art became my new escape. I now feel freedom in art. Its really the only thing that calms me down and that I can actually focus on for now. But skateboarding is coming back for me. Its all starting to balance out, which I'm really happy about. So its the search for a sense of freedom that motivates me to do anything.... Well, that and the bills need to get paid.
JKS: It seems that you have a lot going on with your art. That must feel great! I know that right now you have stuff going on in Colorado , Japan , and here in Philadelphia. What's next?
JA: Who knows? I wish was more of a planner. I just want to keep going. Keep climbing up the ladder. Get through this fucking economy bullshit. Figure out a way to keep paying the mortgage. Try not to fully turn into Al Bundy.
JKS: Well I hope not to see you in a ladies shoe store anytime soon, Jason.
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