LIBERTÉ is a multi-disciplinary studio providing experiential and cultural communication through motion, new media, and industrial design. We also practice and peruse excellence in graphic design, strategy and brand building.
Here's a little something about me and my process. I was a Portland State adjunct faculty for a bit and got interviewed about my background. I felt like it applies. Original located here.
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Please tell us a little about your education.
I went to public school all around town (Portland). I'm a local around here and from my understanding that's a rarity. Yep. Oregon's own, homegrown. Just like Billy Jack Hayes. And if you don't know about Billy Jack Hayes, you don't know Portland Wrestling. Portland Wrestling = Portland, Oregon. Let's just say I watched it during my burgeoning days. A lot.
I went to Sunnyside Elementary School, Mt Tabor Middle School and Benson Tech. I took art classes through public school. Remedial stuff like finger painting and crayons in kindergarten. I really took an interest in it and I loved it. I learned a lot by going to the library myself and checking out all the drawing and art books. I looked through them over and over and over again. Photography books and science books were chosen a lot when I would go on my weekly treks to the library.
Also, just playing around the schoolyard and thrashing around on a skateboard. Taking photos. Going to the local comic book stores. All of it added to my formal education. Reading Heavy Metal magazine. I later found out that messing around on a sunny day was just as important as learning at a desk in school.
The high school that I went to was really cool. It was a technical high school. Vocational Clubs of America and Health Occupations, that type of thing. It seemed like any other high school in the area but it was a nerd high school under the surface. They had facilities for Communication Arts, Drafting, Engineering, Radio, Mechanics, Construction and Architecture. You could be a gear-head or a person who could swing a hammer and build a house. At the time you could get college credit when you took specialized senior level classes. I loved all the photography, silk-screening and built my first electronic bulletin board. I majored in Engineering Drafting when I was there. In reality, it was mostly drawing on drafting boards, CAD and CAM. I was on track to become an engineer.
I went to Oregon State with that in mind. Entering my third year of engineering school was difficult. I didn't want to sit behind a computer all the time designing circuits. I wasn't really into it and I would have seen myself as a mediocre engineer. I had a friend who was going to Portland State and we majored in the same stuff in high school. He went into the graphic design program at Portland State and he seemed like he was having a good time. I just remember having a conversation with him about graphic design while sitting on a cardboard couch that he made for art class.
So I switched majors and loaded up on photography and design classes. There were many times where I wished I could just study and take a test, rather than do all the studio classes. I ended up having enough credits for a photography major and a graphic design major. I didn't have any other time other than art. I slept for about 4-6 hours everyday. I think I almost died.
How did you break into the field?
Going to school and doing a few couple of internships. I pretty much got a design job right out of school. I started working two days after graduating. I really should have taken a few days to rest and enjoy graduating.
Please tell us a little about your design work history.
I work at Wieden Kennedy as a Senior Designer. There are a few co-workers that were my former students. I'm molding them into my image. I was at Nike for a short stint working in Nike Brand Design in Beaverton. It was the Sport Culture/Active Life group. Before that I was an art director for Bonfire Snowboarding for about 4+ years. I was at a small PR firm before working at Bonfire. My first job out of school was at a small ad agency doing graphic design.
There were really talented group of people at the time but the place started to go down the tubes real quick after they laid me off. I'd like to think I was the glue that held the whole place together, but they had their own problems before I arrived.
I've also been freelancing on the side and working on some personal projects. Ultimately, I've gotten my schooling through experience. School of hard knocks.
Who/what inspires you?
Projects. I need a task or a situation to build towards. That's how I work. Sometimes I create my own projects so I can come up with solutions. Always building upon my old ideas. I have a few black books that I write and throw in ideas. I spend a week churning out stuff that I like and put it away. For example I wanted to come up with as many fabric prints that could be used on New Era hats. I've put those away and will bring them up later for projects. I revisit them months later and pick 1 or 2 gems in the dross.
It's almost like reworking an oil painting. Sometimes oil paintings are slow to dry, so you can work and work and work the paint. Sort of like a Jasper John painting; adding more layers to the paint and build a texture.
Faith based work is also amazing to me. There is so much craftsmanship that goes into the name of religion. All the major religions have monuments that melt the mind. There is so much art that has been created. Just the sheer volume of it done in the name of a god is stupefying. Notre Dame, The Great Buddha, The Taj Mahal (not the Trump one), Byzantine artwork, the list goes on and on.
My childhood. Dreams and childhood memories are a deep interest to me as well. All the feelings that I've felt when I was 2 till 10. Every person has been a kid. So we can connect each other with those mutual memories.
Here's a little something about me and my process. I was a Portland State adjunct faculty for a bit and got interviewed about my background. I felt like it applies. Original located here.
.
Please tell us a little about your education.
I went to public school all around town (Portland). I'm a local around here and from my understanding that's a rarity. Yep. Oregon's own, homegrown. Just like Billy Jack Hayes. And if you don't know about Billy Jack Hayes, you don't know Portland Wrestling. Portland Wrestling = Portland, Oregon. Let's just say I watched it during my burgeoning days. A lot.
I went to Sunnyside Elementary School, Mt Tabor Middle School and Benson Tech. I took art classes through public school. Remedial stuff like finger painting and crayons in kindergarten. I really took an interest in it and I loved it. I learned a lot by going to the library myself and checking out all the drawing and art books. I looked through them over and over and over again. Photography books and science books were chosen a lot when I would go on my weekly treks to the library.
Also, just playing around the schoolyard and thrashing around on a skateboard. Taking photos. Going to the local comic book stores. All of it added to my formal education. Reading Heavy Metal magazine. I later found out that messing around on a sunny day was just as important as learning at a desk in school.
The high school that I went to was really cool. It was a technical high school. Vocational Clubs of America and Health Occupations, that type of thing. It seemed like any other high school in the area but it was a nerd high school under the surface. They had facilities for Communication Arts, Drafting, Engineering, Radio, Mechanics, Construction and Architecture. You could be a gear-head or a person who could swing a hammer and build a house. At the time you could get college credit when you took specialized senior level classes. I loved all the photography, silk-screening and built my first electronic bulletin board. I majored in Engineering Drafting when I was there. In reality, it was mostly drawing on drafting boards, CAD and CAM. I was on track to become an engineer.
I went to Oregon State with that in mind. Entering my third year of engineering school was difficult. I didn't want to sit behind a computer all the time designing circuits. I wasn't really into it and I would have seen myself as a mediocre engineer. I had a friend who was going to Portland State and we majored in the same stuff in high school. He went into the graphic design program at Portland State and he seemed like he was having a good time. I just remember having a conversation with him about graphic design while sitting on a cardboard couch that he made for art class.
So I switched majors and loaded up on photography and design classes. There were many times where I wished I could just study and take a test, rather than do all the studio classes. I ended up having enough credits for a photography major and a graphic design major. I didn't have any other time other than art. I slept for about 4-6 hours everyday. I think I almost died.
How did you break into the field?
Going to school and doing a few couple of internships. I pretty much got a design job right out of school. I started working two days after graduating. I really should have taken a few days to rest and enjoy graduating.
Please tell us a little about your design work history.
I work at Wieden Kennedy as a Senior Designer. There are a few co-workers that were my former students. I'm molding them into my image. I was at Nike for a short stint working in Nike Brand Design in Beaverton. It was the Sport Culture/Active Life group. Before that I was an art director for Bonfire Snowboarding for about 4+ years. I was at a small PR firm before working at Bonfire. My first job out of school was at a small ad agency doing graphic design.
There were really talented group of people at the time but the place started to go down the tubes real quick after they laid me off. I'd like to think I was the glue that held the whole place together, but they had their own problems before I arrived.
I've also been freelancing on the side and working on some personal projects. Ultimately, I've gotten my schooling through experience. School of hard knocks.
Who/what inspires you?
Projects. I need a task or a situation to build towards. That's how I work. Sometimes I create my own projects so I can come up with solutions. Always building upon my old ideas. I have a few black books that I write and throw in ideas. I spend a week churning out stuff that I like and put it away. For example I wanted to come up with as many fabric prints that could be used on New Era hats. I've put those away and will bring them up later for projects. I revisit them months later and pick 1 or 2 gems in the dross.
It's almost like reworking an oil painting. Sometimes oil paintings are slow to dry, so you can work and work and work the paint. Sort of like a Jasper John painting; adding more layers to the paint and build a texture.
Faith based work is also amazing to me. There is so much craftsmanship that goes into the name of religion. All the major religions have monuments that melt the mind. There is so much art that has been created. Just the sheer volume of it done in the name of a god is stupefying. Notre Dame, The Great Buddha, The Taj Mahal (not the Trump one), Byzantine artwork, the list goes on and on.
My childhood. Dreams and childhood memories are a deep interest to me as well. All the feelings that I've felt when I was 2 till 10. Every person has been a kid. So we can connect each other with those mutual memories.
LIBERTÉ: act. believe. express.