How the Freedom and Fun of Skateboarding Planted a Mental Seed
Nick Zaremba grew up in the town next to my hometown and through our mutual friend Tom, we became friends who bonded over skateboarding and music. And like Tom, Nick also ended up working at Goodwin Graphics, the screen printing shop that has been printing my shirts since 1998. After college, we ventured off in separate ways, but with both of us finding the value and fun in reusing, we reconnected in the late 2000s. We ended up collaborating on the STAY VOCAL "Castle Guard" T-Shirt, for anyone who remembers that. I was honored, as Nick has collaborated with the likes of Converse, Pepsi, and Vans! I've always admired his work and the smiles they bring to so many faces; certainly including my own. And after this interview, I realized we had a more similar back story and appreciation for reuse than I thought.
1. Over the years, you have dabbled in so many mediums, but one thing that has always been evident to me is fun. Why is that a core component of your art?
Fun, whimsy, playfulness, connection, sweetness - these are all words viewers describe my art's vibe as for which I reply - exactly. It is a component of my art because my art is how I process my feelings and what bubbles to the top is the pureness of my essence. I want to look at things that are sweet and feel playful and make me, as the maker, smile. If others can see that come through then I'm happy to hear it. We have enough non-happy/fun/sweet things adnoseum saturating our psyches everyday and everywhere we look and I don't want to focus on that at all.
2. Like me, you grew up in the skateboard scene on the South Shore in Massachusetts. How do you think our small group (and skateboarding in general) inspired you?
Now at 44 years old and as a father as well, I find myself really reflecting on the past chapters of my life and what ingredients really stand out. Skateboarding is one such ingredient. I skated from about 9 to 21. At 21, I severely broke my right leg and had to have pins and plates in for me to resume walking. It took months and months of healing and physical therapy and quickly realized at 22 I couldn't even roll anymore because the vibrations and lack of fluidity in my lower leg joints were immediately triggered. So all that being said, skateboarding was freedom, no phone, no wallet, no keys clogging up my pockets. My shoes, tee, jeans, and board was all I needed to just be away, mentally and physically. I learned my basic trick portfolio and after that just approached it in a jazzy free form way. I loved it. My friends who I skated with are still my friends today and I am grateful for that. A lot of my personal ethos came from the culture of it as well. It was intertwined with my music and subsequent discovery of new types of it. As an artist, it also taught me a new visual perspective on texture, detail, field of vision as well as the obvious sticker, board, print ad, and video properties of it.
3. Some of your pieces are made on found materials. What's your favorite used item to find and incorporate into art?
Honestly, my main ingredient is paint. I would say about 95% of the paint I have ever used, since I was in my teens and still to this day is "oops paint": mistake paints from the paint department of any place that sells paint. It is mistake paint that the customers did not like so they returned it due to the color being off and then the store puts it out on a rack for a super, super low price. Every store that sells paint that I go into - I go straight to this section. The colors are always very interesting and I always score! The best part of this is that it's all by chance and since chance is random, I really love the base line of that to them be mixed up with intuition and spontaneity to create works.
4. So, while I'm certainly a solutions guy, we do have to address the problems. Where do you see the most waste in your daily life?
The most waste I see would have to be from the food industry. The food packaging even for take out food is ridiculous. The amount of napkins given out for a donut is ridiculous, for example, a sheet, bag, and 5 napkins. Of course there is also single use plastic water bottles is up there as well. Also one thing that really bothers me, is the use of styrofoam, how is this still being produced?
5. In your personal experience, how do you think recycling has worked and NOT worked as a solution to waste?
I am still concerned about the topic of recycling; sometimes skeptical. I say this because my trash pick up shows up with one truck and you separate out your garbage from recyclables and put them in separate containers. I watch them pick it up and both bags get thrown in the same truck and squished together. How is it that recycling takes place? I asked the guy once and he told me they separate it all at the plant. Well, I know business and there is no way they employ people just to separate it out. The man hours to do that would be way too much. Also, when I lived in NYC, I noticed one time, trash bins in public that had two holes in the top -one for recycling and one for garbage- and they both led to the same hole underneath?
6. How do you think the U.S. could step up the solutions to our waste problem? Have you seen or heard of anything anywhere else?
I was reading recently that scientists discovered some sort of insects that feed and eat on plastics and this seemed like the future to me. I do think that incentivizing recycling is key to help. Where I live, alcohol nips are a huge source of refuse everywhere in nature. I saw recently that package stores were now offering incentives if you bring in found nips to recycle which I thought was a really great idea.
7. It's funny. I always tell people that reusing is nothing new. It’s been going on long before we were here. Do you have any memories of your parents or grandparents reusing in unique ways?
Funny you bring this up. When I lived in the city when I was younger, my mother started a city wide recycling program at the local transfer station. It was highly successful and she was even given recognition by the mayor at the time. I remember going with her and helping people transfer their recyclables to certain bins, etc, on my days off helping her. I also remember doing initiatives similarly when I was in Boy Scouts.
8. Do you have any notable stories about saving money on something because you bought it used instead of new?
Yes, I do. One of my best buys was the time I bought my best skateboard off an older skater in my school at the time. I didn't have much money and his board was just very scratched up. He offered it to me for a low price and when I bought it I was so happy. That board is the one I learned the most tricks on at the time and lasted a while.
9. Have you ever taken anything out of the recycling bin or trash to reuse somehow or maybe found something on the side of the road?
In my own house, when I have plastic waste, it barely ever reaches my bin because I always come up with a way to reuse plastics. They are reused as paint trays and paint holders. Also, I am the green thumb and plant daddy of my house, so a lot of seed starters are made from small containers and such. My wife and I are big thrifters and so we are always buying up old cotton wares people discard due to stains and such and she upcycles them for her natural dye clothing company NortheastDyeworks.com.
10. And lastly, what’s the best thing that you ever got used why? Got a photo?
Oh man, this is a really tough one to answer as a person who has always hunted at flea markets and thrift stores throughout my life. I have so many great valued items in my possession that are treasured but are totally used. I guess maybe my first used car. It was from a neighbor up the street when I was 16. It was such a big deal to me and the owners really made me feel good about it going to me after all they used it for and after they treated it so well in their possession. That car got me very far in life at the time, from finishing high school to commuting to college to being my refuge when I was feeling low to enjoying trips with friends. I miss that car!
To learn more about Nick, his art, and maybe even hire him for a custom mural,
To order a One of a Kind REUSE! T-Shirts like Nick is wearing in his profile photo, head over to the STAY VOCAL One of a Kind Gallery.
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