Interview: Chris Bourke
- 23 August 2021
It doesn’t seem 5 minutes since we did our first interview, but we have hit our 20th already. for this one I’m stoked to have one of my favourite skate related artists – Chris Bourke, to mark the event.
Chris has designed a bunch of outstanding graphics for Death Skateboards (amongst others) and also ran Spine Skateshop in Worcester for 11 years. Chris’ artistic style is one that is instantly recognisable and he has a real talent for putting the perfect wording to some really memorable art. Anyway, lets get this underway with some words from Chris….
Whats your current situation?
Hello. My name is Chris Bourke and I have been a full-time artist and printmaker for over a decade now and for eleven years before that I owned and ran Spine Skateshop in Worcester and during that time produced quite a few board graphics and a fair handful since. Skateboarding and Art have both been huge influences on my life.
What are you currently working on?
A few things which is usually the way, then one will kind of take the lead and i’ll pursue that until its finished and released and then its on to the next idea, my main love is making new work, but there is a ton of other stuff to get done every week, packing orders, editing photos, accounts, the actual printing of the work but honestly i can never wait to start the next new piece that’s where the fun and thrills are! In terms of the actual things I’m working on, I’ve just finished a print called There Is Only One Truth And Its Name Is Love which has a black and white and two hand coloured versions and so I’m getting that ready for release now and I’ve been working on small Playing card sized prints for release later this year.
Favourite skate related possession
Probably one of the first Zarosh boards that I did the graphic for, signed and drawn on by Zarosh. Everything about that board gets me stoked, I love Zaroshs skateboarding, Love Death Skateboards with all my heart, Nick who runs Death will always be one of my heroes and i’ll never forget what he did for me during many tough years of retail, the graphic is still running a decade later, the board has had so many different incarnations thanks to Zaroshs creativity and he screen prints runs of them himself, cmon! it dosen’t get any better than that. I’d also mention the A Third Foot Flaming heart board which was the first board graphic I ever did so that will always be a special board to me.
Something about you that is not related to skateboarding that people might not know?
What did you do yesterday?
Woke up and had a cup of tea and dragged myself out and cycled to a local park where the sit up bars of truth (i named them) were waiting for me, did a couple of hundred sit ups, a load of press ups and a few pull ups to a soundtrack of The Doors and Wu Tang and then cycled up a big hill home – I’ve been doing this at least three times a week for years now as much for my mental health as physical, I’ve now got to the stage where i almost enjoy it, almost. Then i showered (is this too much info?) had some lunch and then took some orders to my local post office. For the rest of the afternoon I worked on the little prints I mentioned earlier, sent a few emails, had my dinner and then went to the supermarket, did a little bit more work on the prints and then watched a movie about midnight.
Favourite period in skate history that isn’t right now?
Favourite skate spot of all time past or present
Easy. Droitwich Banks. RIP. I can’t tell you what those banks meant and mean to me, I actually learnt to skate transition on those banks and spent every minute I could down there. For those that don’t know the red brick banks were in a shopping precinct and ranged in size and transition with a grindable/slideable brick on top as well as a load of other skate able features, it really was too good to be true.
Favourite piece of skate related art that isn’t your own
What’s next in skateboarding?
Follow Chris on insta at www.instagram.com/chrisbourkeart
You can buy his art at http://chrisbourkeart.com/