REVOLUTION DAILY

Andrew Pommier is an artist from Toronto, Canada, and has been producing amazing work for a while now. He has done countless skateboard deck and wheel graphics, t-shirt graphics, and many other awesome things. Just check out some of the art is this interview to get an idea. He recently exhibited at the Public Domaine exhibition in Paris, and is an international RVCA artist.

When did you first know that you were going to be a professional artist? How did all this begin?

I started working as a full time artist about 7 years ago. At that time I had had enough exposure in skateboarding and the internet to have a presence where people began approaching me for a few larger projects, which came at a time when I was moving west with my (then) girlfriend. Moving to Vancouver from Toronto removed all my previous income streams. In Toronto, I had been working freelance as a set decorator on commercial shoots, which was easy money and didn’t take up too much of my time in a month so I managed to have a lot of time to paint. Moving was the push I needed to turn to art as a full time profession. After the move I had enough in the bank to sustain me for a about a year and if no other work or sales came my way then I would have to start looking for employment and that has yet to happen. I feel pretty lucky so far.

What do you say when people ask you what you do?

I usually tell them I’m an artist/graphic designer. Both terms are really ambiguous, but seem to work well together. In answering with both terms I, in vain, mitigate the inevitable question of what type of art do you do, which is always, always an impossible question to answer, as even when using the correct descriptive terms for my artistic practice, people will make up their own pictures in their heads and come to their own conclusions, which don’t likely meet up with my description.

You studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design, in Italy, and in Canada. How much of an impact do you think your formal art education has on your work?

It was very formative for me. It opened up a lot of doors creatively and exposed me to a lot of ways to make an artistic statement. Before entering art school I had no concept of what a modern art making practice entailed. I entered art school thinking I would be a commercial artist and I came out leaning towards fine art. Of course I still do commercial work, as I have always been drawn to it, but I truly enjoy wrestling with oils and traditional mediums in a modern context. The year in Italy helped me understand what a studio practice entailed as the program was an independent studio course so my time was my own with only two required classes weekly. Most of my fellow students used that freedom to spend more time traveling and being tourists than working. I was the opposite. I did travel (of course) but most days were spent going to the studio, if for nothing else just to be there and inevitably work would get done just by the mere fact of being there. I continue those habits that I formed in Italy with my studio today. I wake up these days planning on getting to the studio. Usually I’ll get there, other days something else will demand my time.

You have a couple tattoo posts on your blog. Do you have any tattoos? 

Yes, I do have tattoos. I got my first one when I was 21 and had a bunch of work done over those first few years, for better or for worse. I’ve recently started getting tattoos again after a few years away from it, which has been interesting because I have matured and now have a better idea of what I want to have on my body for the rest of my life and I’m also happy not to have gotten fully sleeved during one era. I like where tattooing is now, there is return to more traditional imagery. It’s timeless and classic, but also open to a personal take on the imagery.

Is there a meaning behind the general themes that you apply to a lot of your characters? For example, smoking and wearing masks?

There isn’t much meaning in my work at the origin of it. I like to mix symbols and iconography into my pieces and see how they bounce off of each other.  The masks started off being playful and comic but recently evolved into a more considered element to my work. The mask is a multifaceted element that is both a symbol of fear, when used by thieves and terrorists for example, or for protection when talking about the practical warmth it offers but also as I way to preserve ones identity and control how people perceive you. Smoking is an element I have used regularly for a while now. I like it as a way to corrupt characters and it plays off the cuteness that is a characteristic of my work that I can’t seem to shake, but also smoking brings the figure closer to the viewer by engaging in a daily ritual activity.

What do you do in your free time?

Procrastinate mostly, ride bicycles, read, draw, travel, go to the beach, hang out with friends – pretty regular stuff for the most part. I don’t have any strange hobbies or interests.

What music have you been listening to lately?

Lately I have been listing to The New Pornographers, Sebadoh, NoMeansNo, The Rural Alberta Advantage, a smattering of southern rap like UGK and Paul Wall, Wu-Tang of course. I really got into Jessica Lea Mayfield’s first album. That thing was on repeat for a few months. 

Skateboard art is obviously something that you enjoy doing. How did you get into doing art for the skateboard industry?

I got into it with a little help from my brother Scott, who was a really excellent skateboarder in his day. After getting hurt a few times he turned to photography and climbed the ranks pretty quickly. I was able to use some of the doors he opened. The other important thing I did was travel to California and meet a few key people. A lot of what’ve I’ve done in skateboarding has been because I was there at hand when someone needed a graphic or someone thought I would be a good fit for a company that they also worked for. That’s how I started doing graphics for RVCA. I roomed with Yogi Proctor in Munich when we where both there for a group art show connected to the ISPO trade show.

Best and worst trends in skateboarding?

It’s funny how everybody used to hate on Chris Cole because he was perceived as a pawn of Jamie’s but now he’s cool cause he rips, which he always has. Same kind of thing applies to Sheckler. So I guess hating is the worst if that can be considered a trend. The best is just fucking skating. I’m a big fan of just straight up ripping. The way the Anti Hero crew rolls. No nonsense. Just going for it. Busenitz is the best example of that type of skating.

What do you think of the internet?

I’m all for it. I think most, if not every creative professional, whether in fine art or commercial art, can talk about how  the internet has helped to advance their careers or at the very least increased their profile. I can’t say anything original about it. Communication is now pretty seamless. The internet allows me to promote my art to a large and vast audience. I can work from anywhere that has a half way decent internet connection. It’s a game changer for sure.

Andrew Pommier – FUEL TV Signature Series ID from FUEL TV on Vimeo.

Any links we should check out?

andrewpommier.com
scratching.tumblr.com
momentumskate.com
scottpommier.com
artobserved.com/
contemporaryartdaily.com/