12/28/2023 0 Comments Darkroom skateI’m not really trying to solve the world’s problems. Mostly I try to make it all a little bit tongue-in-cheek. So you’re speaking to them but you’re also using it to work through these feelings yourself. Not like a giant support group for people that are dysfunctional, but more like for people that recognize that in this day and age when people are trying to be super social-almost like it’s their job-there’s also a part of culture where people just want to stay hidden, and out of the way. I hope there are other people that can see it and connect to it on some level, too. It gives you some control over it to minimize it in some way. Whether it’s something that I think is just kind of entertaining, or something that has been almost crippling with anxiety, it’s easy to filter it through art and design. I think a lot of the things that I play around with are issues that I’ve dealt with. I’m really curious about some of the themes in the recent DARKROOM stuff, like the accessories that say “Dysphoria” and “Agoraphobia”: Is that stuff that you’ve dealt with personally? If something doesn’t look like it fits into what I’ve done with the rest of the company, I think that’s okay… it doesn’t bother me too much. And, with DARKROOM, building it from scratch just gives me a lot more freedom to just play around. So I was just kinda helping to build something that they already started. Because with Alien, they were in business for 8 years before I got they’d been around since 1990 and I got there in 1998. Like I said, I feel like I can play around a lot more without having to stick within the lines of an identity that’s already existed. I’m hoping that the way the average skateboard company looks now is so much different from DARKROOM that it makes DARKROOM stand out a little bit, you know?ĭo you have any different inspirations for your art now with DARKROOM? I think my approach is still the same but the rest of skateboarding culture and artwork has changed so much that it’s all in context and perspective with what else is around it. What are some elements of your art that have evolved since the Alien days? There’s a certain look that I wanted to keep when I was doing their stuff, and with DARKROOM I can play around and not worry about the identity too much. My style has developed a little bit and I think DARKROOM gives me the freedom to expand that a lot more than I could with Alien. But I don’t think the artwork is too similar compared to what I was doing-it’s been, like, 12 years since I’ve worked with them. I know people are gonna always have that connection with me and Alien. I definitely see how nostalgia is such a big part of skateboarding right now, but I think my art’s changed a little bit. Do you think it might be perfect timing for a nostalgia trip? Yeah, it’s pretty crazy that when most skaters look at your art the immediate recognition is Alien Workshop. I’ve worked for so many other companies, and I just want to build something that I can keep around this time. I think I got to a certain point where I wanted something for myself. This time around, I’ve put a lot more thought into building it up and working on the distribution and the business side of it. It was just for fun the last two times, kinda to keep me busy between freelance projects so I could keep one foot in skateboarding. What’s different about this third iteration of DARKROOM? We’ve got griptape, T-shirts, jackets, gloves, and watches… a little bit of everything. What types of accessories are coming out? This is the first time I’ve done DARKROOM with a real business structure, with distribution and all that. I started it again in 2012, and we were doing boards and accessories. I was just doing T-shirts and accessories and then I got busy with other projects, so I just let it go. It started out as a project when I was working for Alien Workshop, back in 2006. Working with Mike Sinclair and State Footwear’s Kevin Furtado, this newish venture is driven completely by Pendleton’s creativity. His brand officially launched in October 2018 and it has something for everybody, but is still 100% Pendleton. His distinctive work is highly sought after ( Pendleton lists dozens of brands, ranging from Heroin and Zero to the bands Phish and Pearl Jam, on his design resume) and, because it is so closely associated with Alien Workshop and Element, screams “skate culture” to the discerning consumer.Īfter accumulating such an extensive portfolio Pendleton is now set on a whole new adventure: his company DARKROOM. Don Pendleton has, over the course of 20 years, become one of skateboarding’s most accomplished artists.
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