DIY: The History of Creative Culture in Skateboarding at Subliminal Projects

DIY: The History of Creative Culture in Skateboarding is now open at Subliminal Projects. The exhibition features skateboards, clothing, zines, various ephemera and artifacts integral to the legacy of DIY culture in skateboarding.

This D.I.Y. skateboarding art show is very personal for me. I began drawing when I was little, but the real turning point in my life is when I started skateboarding and listening to Punk rock in 1984. At the time there was a very punk, D.I.Y. (Do-It-Yourself) mentality in the culture of skateboarding. Skateboarding provided a physical and creative outlet for my aggression and frustration. Early on I made my first stencil. I had decided that the factory graphics on my board were too slick so I painted my board fluorescent orange and spray-painted a black Thrasher stencil on the bottom of the board. I had cut the stencil with a kitchen knife and soon I realized that I could use paper cut stencils not only for spray-painting but also for screen-printing. Basically, D.I.Y. skateboarding led me to the art techniques and “question everything” mentality that have been the foundation of my work ever since.–Shepard Fairey