Work in Skateboarding, an interview with Mike Kershnar

Pa Ph ris ot M o: irr Ze or ph yr in e

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An Interview with

MIKE KERSHNAR ARTIST, PHILANTHROPIST, AND CO-FOUNDED OF THE ELEMENTAL AWARENESS FOUNDATION

By Suziie Wang

Mike Kershnar has exhibited his art worldwide, he has experienced the life and culture of living in cities such as Paris and Vienna through participating in artist residency programs.

A philanthropist, he co-founded the elemental awareness foundation, which runs skateboard related programs, which also focus on wilderness survival skills. They also do yearly skate tours to Indian reservations to support & nurture their growing skateboard communities.

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SUZIIE WANG: When did you start skating and at what point did you realize you couldn’t stop?

MIKE KERSHNAR: I started skateboarding as a little kid in the neon 80’s. I won my first set up in a raff le and never looked back. It’s been a lifelong love affair and is always in refinement.

I AM INSPIRED

BY OUR ANIMAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AS WELL AS ANCIENT AND CURRENT MYTHOLOGIES/ PATHWAYS TO THE SACRED. SW: What artistic formats do you work with and what is your favourite?

MK: I like to experiment with any artistic medium that comes my way but I think some of my strongest work is in the minutia of pen and ink, and I love to go fast and big with spray paint.

SW: What, aside from skateboarding do you draw inspiration from?

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MK: I am inspired by our animal brothers and sisters, as well as ancient and current mythologies/ pathways to the sacred.

SW: How has skateboarding inf luenced your artistic career?

MK: I gleaned much of who and what I aspired to do and be, by observing the lives of Ed Templeton, Mark Gonzalez, and Dave Metty since the early days.

SW: What’s the Elemental Awareness foundation?

MK: Elemental Awareness is a charitable organization I co-founded with Todd Larson that works with youth through the avenues of skateboarding, nature skills, and art. It has been actively doing programming since 2002 with the support of Element Skateboards and other sponsors. I am very proud of how well Todd has steered the ship of the organization and how many lives it has touched. It’s inf luenced by a culture of mentorship and positive, creative vibes.

SW: How did the opportunity come about to start the foundation?

MK: We met Johnny Schillereff and Marc Falkenstien at Skate Camp. We knew we wanted to work together and do something to positively impact the world around us and the skateboard - 5 -

community in particular. I had majored in Community Studies at UC Santa Cruz which focused on social change and non-profit organizations so it was a very natural thing we all nourished with our good will and desire to leave a positive and meaningful legacy.

SW: What’s your involvement with it these days?

MK: I participate in the programming whenever I can as a guest artist or wilderness instructor. The wilderness survival program at Skate Camp is very close to my heart. Todd and I taught it for years and it is always a magical moment to watch someone create their first bowdrill fire, or successfully stalk and touch a wild animal. The program offers a timeless mystical experience surrounded by the daily practice of skateboarding in the mountains. Elemental Awareness also does annual Rez Tours, where the crew piles into the van, and we visit Tribal Communities around the US and nurture and support their local skate scenes with events and crosscultural experiences.

We also do holiday arts programming in South Central Los Angeles where youth paint on skateboards and in turn get to keep them. I think it is important for Elemental Awareness to work with inner city youth as well as the kids on the Rez because they have been historically marginalized. Together with local elders, we work a little bit of

medicine on these wounds and shine some warm light and healthy clean energy.

SW: Do you visit any other skate camps to do art workshops?

MK: Each year I participate in programs at Element Skate Camp, Art and Science in the Woods, Winter Count, and Montecito Sequoia. It feels great to share my thoughts and experiences with engaging and active people. Sometimes I spend a lot of solo time abroad or in the studio so these times out there in the community are particularly enriching.

Space. The Artist of the Week Program at Montecito Sequoia is a residency of sorts as well. Each of these presented great opportunities and challenges.

SW: What were some of the projects you completed while on these residencies?

MK: In Vienna and Paris I was able to have solo shows in lovely spaces. In addition the people who ran these spaces introduced me to valuable contacts, such as curators and clients and helped me establish myself in these cities. I am very thankful for what they were able to do for me and the abundance created.

SW: What is an artist residency and what does it involve?

SW: How did you find out about them and what did you have to do to apply?

MK: An artist residency program typically involves a place where an artist is invited to stay, and then in turn has an art show or a workshop there of some sort. There are all kinds of these programs all over the globe. It’s a perk of being an artist; sometimes you can get blessed with a rent-free lifestyle in some very inspiring locations.

MK: For me it has always been a personal connection or linking. I had an art show at the Element store in Paris and some French girls Sephora and Zephyrine came and they introduced me to Anne who runs the Break Art Mix. That’s also where I met Olivia and Elie who do Modern Collective. Kiki McGowan from Element Europe really helped me establish myself out there and she introduced

SW: Can you tell us about the artist residencies that you’ve done?

MK: I have been fortunate enough to stay numerous times at the Adhoc Residency in Vienna, and in Paris I have stayed at The Break Art Mix and Modern Collective - 6 -

Hummingbird on Nazi Bunker Photo: Brecht Cuppens - 7 -

me to Lilo and Kathi of Adhoc in Vienna.

Samira’s Place in Amsterdam is sort of an unofficial artist residency as well. I am very grateful to all the wonderful people who have put me up and for the friends I’ve made and the experiences I have had.

SW: As an artist, what are the benefits of doing a residency?

MK: Naturally they are spending time in a new and exciting place gratis, and learning to grow and create and navigate challenges while seeking inspiration and exploring the environment.

SW: Why is it important to initiate projects yourself?

MK: I think it is important to create the life we want to live. We all have our inspirations we aspire to be like, but so many of the people we admire are people who create their own models for life. I saw heroes like Gonz go to Paris, and then Scott Bourne went to Paris, so I thought I too would figure out a way to get to Paris and fall in love with that sparkling city of light. I think it valuable to emulate heroes, and then blaze your own trail.

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Front Nose, Paris Republic Photo: Luidgi Gaydu

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ANYTIME I AM TRAVELLING AROUND WITH A BUNCH OF TALENTED SKATEBOARDERS ON THE OPEN ROAD I CONSIDER MYSELF LIVING THE TRANSCENDENTAL DREAM.

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SW: In the beginning of your artistic career how did you build up your portfolio?

MK: Create work passionately every day builds a portfolio.

Sometimes I hear younger colleagues saying things like it is hard for them to create without a show on their

CREATE WORK PASSIONATELY EVERY DAY BUILDS A PORTFOLIO. calendars but I think it is actually quite the opposite. Do the work, and the show will appear. Finished work has an exponential effect and one never knows where it will lead. I painted next to Ed Templeton at Goofy Versus Regular in 2006. I worked very hard but didn’t talk too much to Ed because it didn’t feel appropriate when he was working.

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But in the long run he ended up blessing me with a board series from Toy Machine after that day, so I think it is a balance of speaking your philosophical and artistic truth with your words, and at the same time stepping back and letting the finished works speak for themselves.

SW: As a freelance artist, how do you get work?

MK: In the best situations it occurs naturally. For instance in the Rock Poster world, I did a poster pro-bono for Groundation just by talking to their merch dude at a gig because I really respected the band and what they stood for. That led to a paid gig for Midnite, which snowballed into poster work for The Beastie Boys, Wilco, Morrissey, Phil Lesh, and Ratdog, thanks to Moss Jacobs.

I think it is helpful to be open to meeting people with a smile on your face and it doesn’t hurt to have a sticker in your back pocket when you meet them. It’s a little more artful than a business card in my opinion.

SW: How did you meet the contacts that gave you the most work?

MK: Attending Visalia Skate Camp every year since 1994. That’s where I connected with many of the OGS in Skateboarding. Over the years there is where I formed relationships with people like Joe Brooke, Salman Agah, Dan - 16 -

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Rogers, Mike V, Paul Schmitt, Johnny Schillereff, Donny Barley, Jim Thiebaud, and Lowcard Rob. I even met Jake Phelps there when I was a little kid and he was super nice to Todd and I. Also the old Huntington Beach Skatepark was magical in that era as well with lots of Ed Templeton and Tom Penny medicine. Just by following my passion and love for skateboarding and art has lead me to a great places, even though I was never the best skateboarder or the best artist.

So it is almost like if you follow your bliss, and dedicate yourself to something positive… then when the student is ready, the teacher will appear, and grace will follow.

really thankful for Ed, because artistic talent can be a difficult thing to digest for the general public unless someone reputable puts you in the game. For example how many people in the early 80’s would have known that Basquiat or Haring were supremely talented unless someone credible told them?

IT WAS A HUGE HONOR TO GET MY ARTISTIC START IN SKATEBOARDING DOING THAT NEO-FOLK SERIES FOR TOY MACHINE. I AM REALLY THANKFUL FOR ED, BECAUSE ARTISTIC TALENT CAN BE A DIFFICULT THING TO DIGEST FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC UNLESS SOMEONE REPUTABLE PUTS YOU IN THE GAME.

SW: What have been some of your favourite projects that you’ve worked on in Skateboarding?

MK: It was a huge honor to get my artistic start in skateboarding doing that Neo-Folk series for Toy Machine. I am

The Field Notes video project was also an incredible journey. Element Europe got 40 day Euro-Rail passes for myself and my filmmaking friend Brandon Moore and turned us loose on the continent with complete freedom other than an art show once a week in Paris, London, Madrid, and Milan. It was one of the most exciting and magical times of my life and I am so thankful to have gotten to experience it.

Anytime I am travelling around with a bunch of talented skateboarders on the open road I consider myself living the transcendental dream.

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SW: Any advice that you wish you’d known to pass on to aspiring artists?

MK: I don’t know Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator but I bet all the designers I’ve had to bother to get my black and white drawings scanned, colored, and print ready over the last ten years wish I did.

I also think it is really valuable to have mentors and muses and be generous with your time and energy.

GET IN TOUCH www.mikekershnar.co m Instagram: @huskyroun dup

Portrait of Mike Photo: Tom McElroy Illustrative Treatment: WIS - 19 -