Behind the Graphic: Erik Van Hauer on 09-10 Rome Addictive Collection Agent

Behind each snowboard graphic is someone’s ideas. A graphic can be born from a long car ride with friends, a silly design they walk by, in a dream they have…the list goes on. Each year there are thousands of graphics created, around an image, idea, story. Behind the Graphic is a series of interviews that I’ll be collecting over time with various artists/designers from companies who have designed graphics.

Shay: What snowboard is your artwork featured on?
Erik: For 09/10 boards I’ve designed 2 models; the women’s Blue and the Addictive Collection Agent 154, which is basically an artist series.

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Shay: Did you approach Rome with an idea or did they approach you with an idea for a graphic?
Erik: I did the start-to-finish work for both of these graphics. This includes research, ideation, and presenting a representation of your idea – all the way through to production details and specifications for the final product.

Shay: Describe yourself as an artist?
Erik: Some people may disagree, but as a designer, I don’t really see myself as an artist at all. Maybe more of a craftsman – but not even that. The design profession is something else completely.

Shay: What are your tools for creating art? What about this specific design, what did you use?
Erik: Tools include anything and everything – with the end filter being the trusty computer. For the Addictive Collection Agent, my main tool was a camera. I collected the My Little Ponys, made tiny Rome logo die-cut stickers to brand (pun intended) the Pony’s asses. I then configured them in a cow-pen like scenario that would also fit into the Agent 154 shape and photographed it from above. The base involved me configuring 3 lbs of raw ground beef into the words “ROME SDS”. I mixed in Pony hair, hooves, and glitter sparkles into the meat. I guess I pictured My Little Pony blood and guts to be sparkly and magical…

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Shay: What was the process like for turning a piece of art into a board graphic?
Erik: Honestly, as someone who has been designing for 5 or 6 years the process has become completely seamless. It’s just making what I see in my mind happen on a board – the steps from canvas to board are just part of the process, or often completely non-existent. For example, the Blue graphic was done 100% with Adobe Illustrator on the computer.

Shay: What was your inspiration for this graphic?
Erik: For the Addictive Collection Agent, I guess it was my own twisted imagination – the fact that the project was presented as completely open to anything without the constraints of sell-ability got my mind thinking towards the inappropriate.

Shay: What are you working on now?
Erik: I’m sort of in-between my biggest projects of the year, those being the website and catalog. Though, I’m just starting to conceive and review the page list for our 2010 Consumer Catalog. Putting up the 2010 Web Site won’t be too far behind that. In the meantime I’ve been producing the packaging for all of our 2010 product and making sure our branding package – which I also head up – is being provided to those who need it and being properly implemented. I’m also starting development on all of our AD designs for the upcoming season, and working on a few board ideas for 2011.

Shay: Huge thanks to Erik for taking the time to do this interview!