Dropping In On Trevor Gordon
Mythical Creatures, Farm Animals— No Surf
Story and Photos by Michael Kew
Trevor Gordon on a FCD 5’ 7” Fark quad, made with extruded polystyrene foam and epoxy resin.
Gordon and his other love.
“ A-Chicken” by Gordon.
DEEP: How would you describe your art? Trevor Gordon: A bit folksy, colorful, textured, simple. I try to paint or draw people in ordinary moments and natural situations, like a man sitting on a porch playing guitar, or a lady stoking a campfire.
DEEP: What’ s your process? TG: I usually start painting spontaneously. Sometimes I’ ll wake up in the night and have to start a painting just so I don’ t forget by morning. Other times I will be listening to a song and something will pop into my head, and if I can, I’ ll start painting something right then. More often than not, I’ ll end up painting over the original idea, but it’ s the initial moment of starting the painting that’ s hardest. My style is very quick— I can’ t stand waiting for the paint to dry or washing the brushes— so I end up painting with my fingers on top of wet paint. I guess that can add to it sometimes, but it can also screw it up.
DEEP: What has influenced and inspired your new work? TG: I was in Canada last October, and I went crazy filling up notebooks with drawings of mythical creatures, pictures of people, and objects I saw. Someone said the drawings reminded them of Inuit art. When I got home, I bought a few books on the subject and got really inspired from them. They seemed to just focus on simple objects of everyday Inuit life, with a unique, exaggerated style. I prefer to draw things that aren’ t necessarily going on around me— rather just spontaneous ideas, subjects, or themes. However, while traveling, I usually draw what’ s on my mind or things I’ ve seen.
DEEP: Farm animals seem to play a theme in your newest work. Why? TG: I’ ve always been fascinated with farm life and that whole way of living. Although Santa Barbara is ocean-based, there are a lot of ranches and farms surrounding it, so it’ s easy to get inspired. Lately I’ ve had a lot of fun with drawing portraits of animals. I can’ t say exactly why— it’ s just what is coming out.
DEEP: Tell me about your upbringing and artistic background and how you have developed in style and technique. TG: My parents both share an artistic eye. My dad went to Brooks for filmmaking and my mom used to design, sew and sell a line of children clothes. I guess some of that appreciation for design and attention to detail has rubbed off on me, so much so that I sometimes have to step back from tending to the details in order to care less, to get to where I want a painting to be. I grew
up doodling in sketchbooks during school, like most kids. I didn’ t start really taking art seriously until high school, when I mainly focused on detailed abstract drawings. Pens and pencil, mostly. It wasn’ t until a few years ago when I starting to do bigger scale paintings. I spent a lot of time experimenting with techniques and making tons of art and appreciating all types of art. My style has evolved basically through little breakthroughs in technique that I follow for a while until I grow bored and start experimenting again. But I think they all share a common theme.
DEEP: How has the world seen your work? TG: I’ ve been in a few art shows and have had some of my own, over the last year or two, that were really successful. Patagonia will be having some of my art on several T-shirts in the near future, and I’ ve also made a few hand-painted shirts, which I hope to expand on.
DEEP: Talk about your relationship with Santa Barbara. TG: I love Santa Barbara and its variety. It’ s so close to amazing backcountry, perfect waves, and the Channel Islands. Sometimes the amount of people can become overwhelming, so I try and travel as much as possible. It’ s the best feeling coming home to a place like Santa Barbara because it’ s a really comforting place. It feels nestled into California’ s coast.
DEEP: What is the connection between surfing and art? TG: Not a whole lot, honestly. Not sure why that is. I just have never gotten into surf art. I appreciate it, but I’ ve always found it a bit cheesy to actually perform. Maybe the fact that I surf so much is why my art focuses on more of a land lifestyle theme.
DEEP: If you decided, or were forced by circumstances to stop making art tomorrow, where would you focus your creative energy? TG: I would focus all energy on music. I try to play music as much as possible as it is, but if I were forced into exiling my art I would have the energy to get over that lazy lump of actually learning to play well.
DEEP: Where would you like to take your art in the future? TG: I hope to have the ability to get to a stage where I can have a proper studio and paint as much as possible. To learn more about Gordon visit www. trevorgordonarts. com.
24 DEEP SURF MAGAZINE March / April 2012