artist Don Pendleton
has been involved in skate culture since 1985, when, as a teenager in
Ravenswood, West Virginia, he found himself drawn to the sport via the pages of Thrasher magazine. After high school,
he enrolled at Marshall University and soon after launched a career as one of the dominant forces in skateboarding
art—first with Alien Workshop and then Element, and since then as a freelance artist. His cubist-inspired work has
appeared in collaboration with companies like Vans, Stance, Nike, and in an upcoming clothing venture with Volcom
this spring. In 2015, he won a Grammy for his design work with Pearl Jam for the group’s album Lightning Bolt. Here,
Pendleton speaks to FLOOD about his origins, influences, and refusal to be part of any scene.