IN CONVERSATION //
IN CONVERSATION //
ORIGINS
Let's start with who you are and where you're from <BR>
I go by the nom de plume Andrew Knives. It's an anagram of the letters in my legal name, and I do all my animation and art under that name.
I live and work in the Hill Country of Texas, about 40 minutes southwest of Austin. Rolling plains, big ranches, everything is spread out. My day-to-day life is very peaceful. I find myself in this solitude where I can just focus on creating and not get sidetracked by any sort of rat race to be somewhere. Everything is at my own pace.
I do art full time, I listen to a shitload of music, and I travel out west to surf when I can. That's me.
Take me back before this project. What got you into art, and how did you end up doing it full time?
I was always shit in school. Ever since elementary school I'd rather be drawing on my folder than paying attention to the teacher. From an early age I was into drawing weird comic strips, redrawing skate brand logos, and band logos. That's what kickstarted it. My parents were into eclectic music, and my dad grew up surfing in the 70s. I loved flipping through his 70s surf magazines, seeing all the ads and imagery. That really sparked something.
I took some art classes in college, finished, and started doing graphic work on the side while I worked at a surf shop in Newport Beach. That segued into designing the merch for the shop. I loved it. I was still obsessed with music, so I started linking up with some smaller local bands who wanted album and t-shirt artwork. Those same bands started asking if the graphics could move so they could use them on stage as visuals.
The minute I dabbled in the motion side, it blew the door open. I fell in love with taking the artwork a step further and seeing it actually move instead of sitting still on a t-shirt. I ran full-speed in that direction and I've been so blessed to do it as a job ever since.
Is there a natural transition between making static art and animating it, or are they two separate worlds you've been able to connect?
If you do it long enough, it's a natural progression. It's like learning guitar, you learn two chords, you practice them, then you get sick of hearing the same two chords and it forces you to learn something else. When I was starting out, I'd make a static design, be stoked with…. but then feel like, okay, now what? I wanted to see it move. Getting hooked on taking ideas from static to animation, that's been a natural progression for me.
“Timo is a really cool kid with a lot of talent. I think in the next couple of years will be important for him and his surfing. I see so much potential in him.
And Gabe...Gabe is kinda one of my favourite surfers that I didn’t really know existed until fairly recently. He has a really unique style and technique. It’s probably a bit of a dumb cliche but you never really know what to expect when he stands up on a wave. "
— Dane Reynolds
DEFECTIVE UNITS
DEFECTIVE UNITS
FORMER presents the second instalment in the DEFECTIVE UNITS series ; “B-Team”.
Featuring FORMER founder Dane Reynolds, Jake Kelley and Dillon Perillo on another semi-skunked surf trip to Puerto Rico.
Where volume #01 documented Craig and Benny surviving a month of cold water, wetsuits and a mechanical left pointbreak, Vol #2 sits at the other end of the spectrum. Warm water, cold beers, trunks, and a variety of novelty waves.
The surfing is relatable and the waves are imperfect. But that is the truth, and that is DEFECTIVE UNITS. This is a series that documents the process, not just the outcome.
“B-Team” is three good friends on a surf trip together grinding through whatever it takes and making the best of it. Hope you enjoy.
Credits //
- Surfers - Dane Reynolds, Jake Kelley, Dillion Perillo
- Footage - Hunter Martinez
- Edit - Dane Reynolds + Hunter Martinez
- Colour - Hunter Martinez
- Artwork - Campbell Milligan
Music //
- Operation Ivy - Stein Out (Live)
- Martin Mandingo Williams - Afrikan History
- Obscura Primavera - CAN
- Live with the Moon - The Chayns
- Scratch to Win - Ticklah
