I AM SNOWBOARDING started as a simple idea. This year would have marked Jeff’s 30^th birthday – and what better way to celebrate than to do it in the way Jeff would have – art, party, family, friends.

But Jeff wasn’t a simple man. He was a snowboarder, skateboarder, creative, loud mouth, drag you along, stand by your side, call-you-out on your bullshit, make you want to scream, make you want to catch your dreams kind of friend – who we now miss desperately and treasure as visionary, leader, inspiration. He was something special and unique to every person his life touched, and his reach of friendship spanned many different layers.

So the simple idea of an art show got a little more complicated. How to include everyone? How to do something new and fresh they way Jeff would have done it? What kind of art? How to curate? The idea came. Pair up one photographer with one artist. Double the power of a moment captured in time by throwing a little raw emotion right on top.

Why? Step back in art history just a little to one of Jeff’s favorite artists Jean-Michel Basquiat who spent several of his last years collaborating with Andy Warhol. Warhol and Basquiat merged their disparate approaches to painting into a dynamic group of collaborative works on canvas. The resulting paintings underscored each artist’s unique style and production method while at the same time giving rise to a vibrant and original body of work.

So it was decided to invite photographers who had captured Jeff on film – those who knew him intimately – to submit a photo of Jeff. A photo of their choice – Action, portrait, snapshot. Then enlarge it onto a medium sized canvas and send it off to a partnered artist to create in turn however they choose directly over the photograph. We made a list of people to invite, the list grew and then grew again and again, and with a click of the email send button it was out there. I knew we had something by the tail when almost immediately emails and phone calls of affirmation started coming back and partnerships just fell into place. No strategy, no cajoling, no questioning, just pure excitement to be doing something for Jeff. And from that point on, everything seemed to happen as if it was a sleeping machine suddenly set into motion – Like this was and is happening for a reason.

There are many special/uncanny things about the I AM SNOWBOARDING project that are unfolding daily as the project snowballs – you can catch up on those by checking out the curators blog – but one of the aspects that makes this show so special and unique is the way the photographs had to be brought back to the light of day. Jeff passed away before the age when digital photography really took hold. He lived in the time of negatives and slides, darkrooms and hand printing. Photographers involved with this show couldn’t just open up their computers and look through hard drives of logged images. They had to find keys to long locked storage units, find the boxes back in the back that hold the old archives and bring out their albums, bring out their loops once again. So the photos that are being used for this project are special. Works of art in their own right. From the eye of the photographer and the way the images were captured to the fact that the photographic materials used then have rapidly grown archaic. There was a pretty high chance that those photos would have stayed in their boxes as the world outside rolled right along by. But they didn’t.

And this was no easy task for the artists involved. Having to work over a photograph was like a puzzle – one where you only got one shot. The journey was emotional and took many different paths, but the finished pieces speak for themselves. They are one of a kind. The partnerships formed in this project are a tribute to the depth of the snowboarding, skateboarding and art communities.

The I am snowboarding art project is an embodiment of the love we feel for Jeff, a celebration of his life, and our way of continuing his ability to reach people through art, integrity, and friendship. Jeff was able to touch people by wearing his heart on his sleeve and by putting his emotions down on paper for the world to see. He opened doors for us in snowboarding and in art. He gave us a place to create by opening his own home and walls to our paint and pen, and he continues to give us positive energy and encouragement to keep on going and follow our dreams.

I AM SNOWBOARDING IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY VOLCOM, BURTON, VANS and countless friends around the globe.

Prints are available online through ASYMBOL. The originals are currently on tour to various locations around the globe. Check back for a showing in your area. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful project and journey.

For more information please contact: tcook@themachinedesign.com