swama07的部落格

名商品發表的第一天,

MARK WARD受滑板文化與美國文化很深,他的作品有些在訴說著美國夢,

但其實也有許多的作品可以讓人隱約感覺得出來帶有嘲諷美國的意味,

而擅長使用幽默圖像與繽紛色彩的他,這回可是帶給STUSSY一些驚喜,

首波放出的聯名商品當中包括了三組帶點詭異氣氛的DESIGN,

另外STUSSY也與其製作了合作訪談給大家參考,原文部分為英文,

想了解一下的人請往下捲軸瀏覽閱讀摟!

STUSSY: Name, Age, Location?
WARD: Mark Ward, 27, South London, UK. 

STUSSY: How did you start as a graphic designer?
WARD: I've always been drawing. That's what I did all the time as a kid- in school I got gold stars for my pictures but not for anything else. I got recognition for something that fortunately came naturally to me, so I focused more on it. Inventing my own cartoon characters and copying cereal box icons is what really interested me as a kid. I grew up wanting to work for Disney or Warner Bros. It's the same thing that keeps my hands moving now; just the desire to get better at something that I find fun.

STUSSY: What or who are some of your influences?
WARD: I'm influenced by a lot of different things. Jim Phillips and Sean Cliver are big influences on me. The raw yet slick execution and humorous ideas of their work are brilliant. Skate graphics in general have had a hold on me since I started skating- I'm sure that is the same for a million other people in the same age group as me. There are a number of artists and unsung heroes who created artwork on decks that had a big impact on me creatively and I'm only slowly finding out now who did what. Mike Hill is a great example of that. AWS has always been one of my favorite brands and it was only recently I found out that Mike Hill had created a large chunk of the artwork.

The 80's image of America has a strong influence on my work. Growing up in the suburbs of South London, the images in Thrasher and skate videos didn't correspond to the environment I was skating in. I had no palm trees or perfect concrete for mile long stretches by the beach. People don't play volleyball on Blackpool Beach and they don't create cop shows like Miami Vice in Eastbourne. The image the media created of America in the classic 80's Ray-Ban wearing era was a world I wanted to be part of. Not necessarily the beautiful people stereotype, but just be in a world where little details like varsity style type existed on our school gym kit rather than a quaint shield motif.

Americana also relates to my influence of pop culture. I love the work of Lichtenstein and Warhol. Not just the bright intense colors, but the ideas and thought process behind it. My head works in a very brand oriented way. I studied advertising at college which was a pretty intense course. It forced you to think in a different perspective; to be able to create ideas that were clever and worked commercially for the masses, rather than images for a niche market like skating. There are some great creative minds in the advertising world. Helmut Krone is inspiring. He pretty much invented the modern day approach to advertising with work for Volkswagen.

The actual print process itself is pretty amazing. There are so many ways of creating an image that playing with the process of printing or imitating techniques can help create new ideas.

STUSSY: Let's talk a little bit about the designs you did for Stussy. What are the ideas behind them? How did you pick those images?
WARD: The concept for the images I created was to make Stussy icons out of objects related to a Stussy phrase. I wanted to keep as true to the original Stussy vibe as possible but just my take on it. This way it feels like a true collaboration rather than choose an image I've already created before and slap it on a shirt. There is a spray can created from objects relating to the phrase "High Gloss," including mirror balls, Ray-Bans and greasy burgers. 

WARD: There's a crown made from rats and snakes for "Livin' Extra Large."

WARD: There's a skull made up of defunct audio equipment for the phrase "Since 1980- When Radios Were Dope." I can relate to the phrases I chose and they enabled me to create three distinctive artworks without repeating elements. They are a mix of popular and lesser known phrases to reignite some of the Stussy work that may have been overlooked for a while. 

STUSSY: What is your process like? Do you listen to music? If so, then what kind?
WARD: I have to have an idea or concept before I start making marks on paper. I do a lot of sitting and staring at the walls trying to think of a new twist of approach to something. The ideas normally come when I'm not thinking about work but I can't just start doodling on a pad and work from there. It doesn't satisfy me and I feel my output is soulless. I'm envious of those people who can work like that. The backbone of my work rests on its concept however small it might be.

When I've got my idea, I'll draw stuff out on paper with pencil and work it up until I'm happy to start inking it in. From there, I'll scan and color it up in illustrator. I've been working more with paint recently though, which is a similar process apart from there is no Z key if you mess up. The end result feels far more satisfying- to hold a tactile work in your hands rather than a computer file.

I listen to music all the time- I find silence doesn't help my thought process. I'm pretty open to everything and I try not to tie myself down to one genre. I like all the usual classic 80's hip-hop and more current Lupe Fiasco stuff. Then I like the Kinks, Motown, Reggae, pretty much anything that sounds good in my ears! If I'm drawing up something more thrashy in content, then some Buzzcocks helps me get in the zone, but if it's more commercial work I'd play some Northern Soul for some feel good vibes. I have more 80's hip-hop on my iPod than anything else though.

STUSSY: What is the scene like in the UK?
WARD: The scene in London is pretty hectic. Everybody seems to have an immense amount of talent and dedication. You can feel lazy pretty quickly if you don't stay on top of things. I love living here though. If I were to move anywhere, I'd live in America. Not sure where- possibly San Francisco or New York, just so I could satisfy my love for 80's Americana.

STUSSY: What other projects are you working on? Or what have you worked on recently that you are proud of?
WARD: I've managed to tick a box on the list of things to do before I die. That may sound dramatic to some but I've created artwork for a series of Burton snowboards this season coming. I've always wanted to do snowboard graphics so I'm pretty proud of that. I'm focusing on creating some more personal work as well. I enjoy commercial work but sometimes I get a backlog of ideas that I feel the need to create outside of that. I'm trying to find more time to do that, as when you do create personal work you feel a different sense of satisfaction.

STUSSY: Do you have a graphic style? How would you describe it? Where do you see it evolving?
WARD: It's hard to judge your own work but I'd say my style is dictated by my concepts. It's been described as 'punk rock psycho collage' which I find amusing- sometimes my work can be quite distressed and chaotic, and other times simple and clean. The quality of my lines and colors are consistent throughout all my current work and I'd like to think that the ideas also show as my own as well. I'm influenced by a lot of things so it's a melting pot in my head that takes elements and applies them to my images when and where it's suitable. I've been told that people recognize my work by the use of color and halftone. I'm happy to have a defining style but for me to describe it is impossible as it is 'just what I do.' I like getting my hands dirty to keep things moving forward. I'm relying less on my Mac and introducing more tactile mediums to give a less restrained approach to working and embrace accidental flaws.