THE ART DUMP

Andy Jenkins

If you've picked up the latest issue of Stranger, we know why you're here: to read the full length, unedited Q and A with The Art Dump, creative genii behind Girl skateboards, in all its glory. And if you haven't laid your mitts on a copy of the latest issue yet, what are you waiting for? Click here and order online to check out what you are missing!

Andy Jenkins Q&A
Greatest influences?
The things that influence me the most profoundly are mundane instances in everyday life. It sounds strange but something I happen to see or hear and that I feel lucky to have seen or heard, always makes me feel good. Could just be a glimpse of a man sneezing at a bus stop, or an especially beautiful or menacing cloud. Or a few inches of brick on some random wall - maybe there's some kind of mark there. Mark of time. Anyway, I feel lucky when I catch a glimpse of something this way. It's as though the moment belongs to me alone. Or something like that. I think some artists are able to capture this idea in their work and those are the ones that make a difference to me. It's a certain momentary clarity and more likely than not, it's a light-hearted moment. And being a father. I love growing older with my son, Emmet. Everything becomes more clear to me when I'm with him. Things come into perspective and any moves I make in life probably start with him and my wife, Kelley. They are a huge influence.
Oh, and the moon... I love looking at the moon.

Art in America cover

What's the best thing about working at Girl?
The crew of people here. Megan, Rick, Tony.... Aaron, Sam, Mueller, EA, Jeremy, Brian... every one of them here. Everyday employees and team riders alike. Everyone here contributes to the positive chemistry of this place. That's mostly what's kept me here for 14 years. The vibe here is pretty ego-less and more family-like. That and I also still get a huge charge from skateboarding.

Favourite medium?
Pen & ink probably. But I also really like collage work - making tons of layers, then peeling some apart, making something new with something old. It's sort of like sampling. Pocket camera images.... I guess this comes from the idea that I'm trying to capture that mostly illusive "moment" of randomness.

Shredshack

The future for The Art Dump?
I would love to see The Art Dump have more time as a fine-art collective. This is probably unrealistic, as we have our jobs here and everyone in The Dump also has their own work going as well. I'd love to experiment with different mediums more. There's been talk about delving into film. That sounds great. Keeping The Dump moving forward without stagnation and never taking it too seriously... when it comes down to it, we aren't fighting cancer or feeding the starving - we're just making art.

Anderson Interiors deck

Howard Interiors deck

Koston Interiors deck

Tony Larson Q&A
Greatest influences?
I used to divide my influences into different categories, but through the years I've realised they're all important to me for much of the same reasons. So, in no particular order, they would be: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jimi Hendrix, Hunter S.Thompson, Mike Patton, Julian Schnabel, Dennis Rodman, Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira, Bad Brains, Tom Friedman, Art Dumpers past and present, Von Dutch, SoCal surf and skate culture and Reid Miles. To start with...

What's the best thing about working at Girl?
The biggest thing is being surrounded by very talented people at every level. Because of this I'm allowed to pursue my own creative directions without strict parameters and yet I'm able to satisfy my requirements as a designer for Girl Skateboards. It's a great mix of commercial/graphic design and fine art. And we've got a killer lounge with a 42" flat screen HD TV...It makes lunch so nice...

Fine art

Favourite medium?
In terms of painting, it's oil on canvas hands down. I do venture into other paint mediums from time to time, but oil paint is the foundation. I love a blank piece of paper and a nice pen to draw with, as well. It's like therapy. As much as I use Adobe Illustrator, it starts with drawings 80% of the time.

The future for The Art Dump?
Man, it could be anything. And I really mean anything. We've already tried so many different things visually for our art shows and with the talent level of everyone here, I really believe any medium is at our mercy. I've been dabbling with film making lately and I'm always playing and recording music so I'd imagine that those two forms will creep in sooner than later. I really don't think we've even tapped into our potential yet. The future looks weird and bright.

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