For the new decks I’m really excited to involve my friend artist and skateboarder Arran Gregory. Arran’s talent on and off a skateboard is truly something to witness. Arran’s a rad bloke and rather than bore you by telling you, I’ve asked him some hopefully interesting questions so you can see where we’re coming from…

CP – Firstly Arran, thanks so much for making these graphics for Descent. We’ve been talking about it for a while and finally got it together.

AG – You’re welcome man- I’ve enjoyed it.

CP – We had a lightning-bolt moment a while back when you came up with the ‘Tools of Expression’ idea. What does that mean to you?

AG – Yeah, we were going through a few ideas but this one seemed to click properly from both our perspectives. I wanted to do something that related to my practice as a sculptor but that also nodded towards skateboarding and the whole idea of creatively expressing yourself. It’s the age old idea of skateboarding as the artistic outlet and the skateboard as the tool. 

CP – It would have been really easy and obvious to use your sculptures as artwork for these decks but I think this means so much more. I’m hyped that we ran with this idea… You?

AG – For sure.  Nick Jensen and Isle Skateboards have done such a good job experimenting with sculptures within board graphics and I didn’t want to step on toes so I thought this might be a more unique angle for us to focus on.

CP – Yeah, the Isle graphics are rad. Can’t wait to see the vid!!! I’ve worked in skateshops over the years and noticed a real decrease in the interest of kids in tools. I mean, even being able to take a skateboard apart and put it together takes some teaching on occasion. As a kid, I was fascinated by tools and taking things apart and putting them back together. Your tools are of a more creative nature. Do any of them have a special meaning to you or work better for certain tasks?

AG – I mean, I guess there are two ways of looking at it- on one level I think the focus would be on the act of creating rather than the actual tool itself. It’s a means to an end; like when you are trying a trick over and over on rough ground and your board gets smashed to pieces but it doesn’t really matter once you’ve nail the trick. But then on the other hand- we do develop an attachment to our skateboards once they become scratched up in a way that uniquely reflects your personal way of skating (I’ve heard you talking about that before with regards to smith grinds leaving the signature Pulman stamp).

The saw was my Dad’s and I’ve used it to create loads of my sculptures so that’s got sentimental value.  Also the Hunting Knife was hand carved for me by my friend Barney.  That’s made of ebony wood and is a super beautiful object IRL.

CP – I often say that people are lucky to find even one passion in their life yet you have two and you excel at both. Is there a balance of skate versus artwork?

AG – I’m really lucky to do what I do. Artwork is my career and as I’m getting older it’s obviously taking more focus these days because skateboarding doesn’t pay the rent and I’m only getting worse.  I recently had a bad bail and had to have surgery on my foot.  The doctors told me I won’t be able to skate again but we’ll see.  I think skateboarding is always a part of you though.

CP – Ah man. I’m sure you’ll be fine eventually. You don’t seem like the kind of fella that would accept that… Skateboarding and art; do they feed off each other at all or do you keep them completely separate in your mind?

AG – They do in certain ways. I don’t like the term ‘skate-artist’ – I wouldn’t refer to the link in that sense but there is definitely a ‘skater’s eye/vision’ that affects my work as an artist.  That’s where a lot of the geometric obsession comes into it.  I recently released a couple of prints in collaboration with Long Live Southbank campaign which are based on this way of seeing where as skateboarders we’re always mathematically weighing up architecture by eye to see if we can re-appropriate it for play. The series is called ‘Ways of seeing’.

CP – Tell us a little about your recent work? What kind of places does your inspiration come from?

AG – I’m fascinated in our connection to nature. Like how we a part of it but then at the same time so detached. This forms most of the subject of my work. My ideas come from a pretty playful place where I’m visually deconstructing and messing about with form, shape and colour etc I’m always very inspired but I don’t really know where it comes from I just enjoy creating and then work it out after.

CP – We’re going to post up your Suburban Blues section here just to show that you know what you’re doing on a skateboard haha! You have good memories of making that? You got the last section eh?

AG – Oh man! I hope you’re ready for the most ground-breaking section of the year LOL. Had the best times filming this with everyone it was really good to revisit all the old spots we grew up skating but with a fresh perspective. I do love a bit of street skating I must admit. Go buy the DVD though it’s only a fiver.