When your work sells out ahead of a show next to Banksy, it's a massive sign of respect. Schoph has stayed true to his roots throughout, fiercely proud of his art, friends and work, he tells us how he's developed a lifestyle doing things that he loves and inspire him on a daily basis all of which reflect a little bit, or a whole lot of who he is...
An Idea Isn't Responsible for the People That Believe In It...
The man himself...
Never is Forever
What is your first memory of art?
I guess my first memory of art/being creative/drawing was as far back as I can remember. I didnt speak till a late age compared to other kids, and a way of communication was drawing - doodles, sketching, crayons whatever I could use for a creative outlet. Maybe I was a lazy kid, or just couldn’t be arsed to talk but at that point art became the most natural thing for me.
How did you learn to paint?
I’ve had no official training as such, to learn how to paint. It’s something that just comes naturally to me. When you’re young you ‘create’ from an early age as all kids do. Getting into snowboarding made me able to keep that creatitve streak and get more inspired on art. Everything I’ve learnt through art and to where I’m at now has all been a natural progression just as most things are in life.
I don’t know if I could handle being told what to do with art ....I think art and being creative knows no boundaries. At school I was thrown out of art class for expressing myself and not painting fruit bowls or sketching the shades on an apple ...I just wanted to do my thing; just paint what I wanted and what I was feeling. The art teacher was a nobber anyhow.
Can you describe your current style...
I don’t really know what it’s called yet; I don’t know a great deal about art styles and so on I just paint and do what I love to do. You know, throw paint around - get messy, take inspiration from how I see life, I guess I’m always learning. I don’t want the same style all my life - I want to evolve with my art, some painters say art comes from inside you ....I’m not saying this is wrong but I think if you only work from inside, you'll end up repeating yourself.
Free to Wander
Have you experimented with a lot of styles?
I have over the years - that’s the joy of it. If I was to look at my work, say 12 years back, it’s so so different from the present day. You get influenced by a lot of people, experiences, memories, day to day life - there’s so many aspects of growing up to who you are today that can effect you. so I wouldn’t say ‘experimented’ more like a natural progression.
Alone In My Mind
What is it about this particular style that speaks to you?
I try to let my style speak to others as well not just myself. My paintings do not have a centre as such, but depend on the same amount of interest throughout. Colour in my work is super important. As is simplicity and being able to pull an emotion from someone...whether it’s 'that’s fucking awesome' y'know get someone stoked on it, or on the other hand .....'Schoph that’s dog shit' .......I’ve done what I wanted which was to make people look at things in a different light and maybe make them think out of their box.
Do you incorporate events and happenings in your own life into your work?
For sure, creating is like self-discovery and I think every good artist paints what he/she is or what is inspiring to them. I think anyone that knows me well enough can look at a piece of my work and know what’s been going on in my life. I think everything influences you.
Let's talk about Dalikfodda - How did it all come about?
Dalikfodda happened about six years ago. I was on a shred trip to New Zealand for Whitelines and capita. Basically when I was doing back to back winters over the past 10 years (I've shredded for many different companies) it got to the point where I wanted to put something back into the industry that I’ve been involved in for so long. So I decided to make something that’s my own; that I could involve mates and like minded people with the same ideas that they’d want to see in a true UK brand. The Dalikfodda movement was born on the ethos of good mates, rock n roll, good times, partying, boozy adventures, music and most importantly, snowboarding.
Sex or Die
Do you manage this by yourself or do you have a team?
I ran Dalikfodda on my own for a year off my own back, basically trying to make it happen. The brand spread like wild fire that winter and into the summer. I'm no business man but I realised I needed help and had to branch out to make it grow so after a morning shred in Les Deux Alps the following summer I sat down with fellow northerner Thrashmore over a Guinness and sealed the deal. Apart from myself and Thrasher, the cool thing about Dalikfodda is the whole team put their input into it making it theirs as well and I have to say thank you to everyone who supports, shreds or buys Dalikfodda. You all rock and have made Dalikfodda what it is today.
Has it helped you progress with your art?
I guess not at all, even though myself and Thrashmore work together to come up with a design or I design a tee of my own like last year’s ‘Dead Schoph t’. I try to distance my art from the company; I’ve constantly got new thoughts and ideas for my art and for Dalikfodda but it’s a total split and the two in my mind are different. I like it that way, distancing the two. Although running and owning Dalikfodda and being an artist for a living has helped me to understand stuff I generally didn’t know about design and maybe it’s opened up more avenues in the future for my paintings, we'll have to see...
Can we see a sneak peak of next winter's designs?
You’ve got two hopes, Bob Hope and no hope flower haha... But saying that we have got a whole bunch of new garments in the pure Dalikfodda style everyone knows, as well as big moves going on in the Dalifodda HQ. Myself and Thrashmore are super stoked and looking forward to where the company’s heading. Watch this space...
Your art shows great freedom and confidence to express yourself - is this a reflection on you or the way that you would like to be?
I think that’s what art’s about - to have that freedom to express yourself and I suppose it is a reflection on me in time, as your confidence grows, then so does the painting. I try to be as spontaneous as I can with my work and let it do its thing. I generally start a piece and keep pushing myself to make it right, but then you find the ritual of destroying the piece is the best way to start over and get the idea you were waiting for. I find this process helps me a lot with my work as I've had the highs and lows in everyone of my pieces.
When I met you, you came across as someone who sets themselves a goal and then works around the odds to reach it - what has made you this way?
I suppose I’m just doing things my way to get where I need to go rather than seeing a lot of people going along to get along. I'm just generally passionate about everything I do in life and that’s what drives me. Within my art, Dalikfodda, snowboarding, music and any other fingers I have in pies. I think for instance the snowboard industry alone shows this of many people; A handful of what I'd call good friends, are all passionate for what their doing and some push themselves to the top of their game, which to me, is what it’s about. If you’re not passionate about something in life why do it.? You don’t want to get to 80 and tell your grandkids that you wished you’d tried harder. Why have regrets?
Sharkin
Who are your mentors?
If snowboarding, art or Dalikfodda's given me one thing, that is a close group of life long friends. Each one of my mates gives something to what I do or my general outlook on life. I wouldn’t call them mentors by no means! Hell no...just the biggest bunch of dirt bag shit tossed drunks I know!
Handplant
Where do you get your inspiration for your pieces?
Music is probably the biggest, song lyrics, other artists, life experiences, travel, what’s going on in my life at the time, boozing, beautiful women, friends, simplicity, how I see the world....there’s heaps but I’m tweaking out on turps at the mo so it’s hard to think..
You've burst onto the scene and already been shown next to some world renowned artists - that's a massive compliment. How did it make you feel?
It was an awesome experience for me, I have to say for my first ever show to exhibit alongside Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Blek le Rat, was a true privilege. I never expected that show to happen with those guys and to sell my work before the show opened was a bonus. It made me sit back and think more about what I was doing and where I was going after snowboarding. It made being an artist more of a reality that I could sell my work alongside the heavy hitters of the industry. I think the terminology I’m looking for is ‘proper buzzin!’
In a world where people copy one another how do you stay strong to the roots of what you're about?
It takes a certain type of person to be original. As much as it’s hard to just do what you want to do, to get where you wanna be. I ask: “What would Lemmy do?" That usually works for me.........keep rockin’ in the free world.
Brew round at Hippy's
Who or what organisations and collectives have helped you on the way?
As well as help from Dragon, libtech, Quiksilver and other brands I’m affiliated with, I'm part of two awesome collectives: www.subism.co.uk a group of talented street artists that have opened up avenues for myself in art. Already with those guys I’ve had a collab show with Redbull in London last December, and a trip out to Madrid in February - thanks Stu and Andy! The other: www.wearemadeup.co.uk a group of good friends made up of designers, writers, photographers and artists who are all on the same page. It’s hard as an artist to make shows happen, where as wearemadeup brings that platform of art/music/board sports together. Back in March I had a show with those guys in the Alps and we’ve got bigger and better things planned for next year. Thanks Owen and John!
Whose art do you really enjoy?
There’s heaps of great artists out there so it’s hard to say. As artists/snowboarders/surfers/skaters go, I really respect the likes of Mike Parillo, Ben Brough, Jaybo Monk, Blaise Rosenthal, Jamie Lynn, Thomas Campbell, Margret Killgallen, Chris Johansen. I get stoked on what people are about and why they do it;it brings more aspects to the pot.
The Meat Market
Night painting...
Dawn of the Age of Reason
What are your plans for the next upcoming months - what projects are you getting involved with or are pioneering?
Over the summer months a fair bit, moving into a bigger studio, the next two months I’ll be working on my first show in the States alongside the talented Taylor Reeve with Dragon and Quiksilver for the whole of July in Laguna. There's also a rumour of LA and San Diego. She'll also be heading over to these shores for a collab show in London at some point. After that, a collab show in September in Harrogate, working with the madeup guys to produce and exhibit a show over the Quik pro in Hossegor in Oct. Apart from that, as much time as I can get in my studio, film extras work, spending more time getting on the motorbike, skating with the GSC crew and having a good time, all the time.
