Artist Feature: Son Duong

Son Duong is an artist, designer and graduate from the Art Institute of Seattle. He's also been the artistic force behind some of wakeboarding's most memorable boards and biggest brands. Working for H.O. Sports, the parent brand of Hyperlite and Byerly Wakeboards, he's also done work for Reef, O'Neill, Never Summer snowboards and Morrow snowboards. His 10+ years of experience can also be seen on the traditional canvas where he works with acrylics and watercolors.

Painting and illustrating, his work encompasses a variety of styles. There are elements of graffiti and hip-hop with much of his type and logo work. His board work is largely comprised of maximalism with skulls, wings and other gothic elements. His acrylic work has also featured on Hyperlite decks from time to time. His strong logo work has recently been used for the special 2009 Byerly edition Nautique wakeboard boat.

For more on his work check out his personal portfolio or pretty much any Hyperlite or Byerly wakeboard.

Artist Feature: Scott Hansen

Well, I know this will ruffle a few feathers in the snowboard purist camps but today's artist feature is San Francisco native Scott Hansen, the man behind the Armada AR6 skis as well as the Forum Devun Walsh R.O.O.S.T. snowboard. So yes, we'll be including ski design, and why not when it's as good as this.

Scott is better known as ISO50 or ambient, electro genius Tycho. When touring as Tycho has held talks/tutorials going through his techniques for creating his largely Photoshop-based work. He's been working as a freelance designer in order to focus on his music and design, but has with collaborated with several agencies, including the software giant Adobe.

With a strong sense of type, coupled with his very own distinct and very intricate style, the AR6 skis are pretty sweet sticks (click the image for a closer look). Scott's designs were tweaked and finalised by Mackel Vaugn prior to production. Interestingly, they employ the same, split canvas approach we saw on the wakeboards just the other day, and they'd look almost as good on the wall as the mountain.

The Forum board is just as sweet (see below). It's a little more subtle, but with the same, distinctive ISO50 flair. You can win one of these too, just make a purchase at the ISO50 shop and you'll be entered. Move quick because you have until the 31st of January.


To learn more about Scott check out his blog here.
For some excellent music to ride to, check out Tycho on iTunes.

Connect-a-deck

The board 'series' is an underlying principle in the product line-up for all board brands. Different sizes of the same shape share either the same graphic or the same graphic style. However, some lines are made up of one large piece of artwork spread across several boards. It's pretty sweet. The Anthem wakeskate series from Liquid Force (above), the Hyperlite Motive series (below) and the classic Liquid Force Trip series (bottom).

Anyone know of any others in different boardsports, drop a comment and get in touch. Thanks to Jeremy for these. Images courtesy of Wakeworld.

Artist Feature: Don Pendleton

I bookmarked Elephont a few years back and still enjoy browsing the deck archive. It's all the work of D.H. Pendleton, the artist behind many of the Alien Workshop board graphics. Striking, playful, highly graphic illustration is his defining style. A few nods to more traditional fine artists such as Mondrian also slip in there. Excellent stuff. He's also just released a new book on his work entitled 'Little Giants'.

See his work here.


The deck archive.

Check out 'Little Giants'.

The Liquid Force Subjekt 141

I thought I'd get the ball rolling with one of my own boards. I'm a wake rider, and started back in the late ninety's using whatever board was available. I picked Shane Bonifay's first pro model in 2005 (it was close-out stock), I just had to. The aggressive shape along with washed, abstract graphics really stood out from everything else at the time.

Image courtesy of Wakeworld.

Welcome

Well hello there. Welcome to Deckxhibit.

For the longest time, boardsports have constituted a method of personal expression. Not just the big slash at the wake, or that stylish floater at your favorite break, the board itself is a canvas that artists, designers and riders have used to great effect.

This blog aims to showcase the best in board art from all boardsports and we're open for submissions and admins. Send us concept art, photos of your board, the board you covet, your partners board, even steezy action shots at your local spot, it's all good.

Feel free to feedback on our posts and make any suggestions/ideas you have for the blog. Above all, enjoy Deckxhibit.