Early on in this interview, Shawna X, the New York based artist behind the Counterbalance graphic, told me she recently found two voices: one professional and one personal. Both voices though were important to her art. I called her at work, she was in the middle of painting a mural and took time to chat about the snowboard. That was her professional voice. And yes, the work she did on this year’s Counterbalance would certainly be categorized as professional, though the inspiration came from an undeniably personal place, a series she did on birthing, and that was both expanded and contracted in the board. It’s the micro and the macro, zooming out and zooming in. But it came from her voice, and that stayed with the board all the way through.
"I think amoeba in this context is the microbiology, the microcosm of this. The amoeba is such a small, tiny world that we can't see with the visible eye, but then once you zoom in, I feel like there's just this really magical, creative space."
Norm: Could I get a quick introduction from you? Just your name, what you do, what kind of art you create, if you're able to classify that, and then what your connection is to Burton.
Shawna X: I'm Shawna X. I'm a visual artist. The kind of art I create is all over the place. I think right now I'm really inspired by the metaphysical experience of human emotions, especially as a mother. So I try to evoke that in terms of color or composition, and I'm trying to do a bunch of different experiments, anything from technology, projection, painting. I feel like being an artist is just kind of going throughout life and trying different mediums, trying out different types of things that make you tick. So that's what I'm doing right now. I'm actually painting a mural right now for the office behind me [laughs]. I think recently I found two voices. I have a voice that I have for my work, professional self, then there's another voice that I'm curating for myself slowly and just trying to exercise more in because I think I'm realizing that it's so important and precious to have one thing that you just have for yourself, and one thing you have for the world. So, when it comes to what kind of art I make, right now I'm trying to make my personal voice for me.
In doing that, do you think there are certain themes and ideas you keep returning to over and over again? Like things you’re trying to figure out, and if so, what do you think those are?
Yeah: ethereal, universe, spirituality. This snowboard I designed actually came from that. It's called the Amoeba, but it came from a series of drawings I did that related to birthing. And in some ways I can see it exploding outwards, kind of like the Big Boom—birthing—but then when you zoom in, it looks like a little microbiology. So I think I always come back to zooming out and zooming in, that lens, and trying to take that voice into a visual product.
"I think right now I'm really inspired by the metaphysical experience of human emotions, especially as a mother. So I try to evoke that in terms of color or composition, and I'm trying to do a bunch of different experiments, anything from technology, projection, painting."
Yeah, I was gonna ask—actually, can you first just describe the board for maybe someone who hasn't seen it or just tell us what you did with it?
So, I was playing a lot with blending shapes and colors together, trying to create, almost like a centric explosion. I was actually trying to create some banners for myself. I want to see work that's long-formed rather than square. I create a lot of square works, obviously for social media, but also just that's something I really enjoy. And during this time actually, I did a show at this little shop in New York in which I was collaging a lot of various elements of printed gouache and also just blending everything together. So that was where the white image with the top vertical up and down came from, just experimenting with blending and experimenting with collaging. And then what I did with the other side was very similar. I think what I love about creating is you make one thing and it evolves into something else and that evolves to something else, but there's always an evolution. This was an evolution from the other side. This piece was something about—I did a lot of work on birthing and contractions and a lot of work on the exiting. So it was inspired in that capacity. But then, you know, taking a lot of the elements, like blurred elements and spreading it outwards and then finding dots that feel good and try drawing around it and collaging.
Why amoeba? What does the amoeba mean in this context?
I think amoeba in this context is the microbiology, the microcosm of this. The amoeba is such a small, tiny world that we can't see with the visible eye, but then once you zoom in, I feel like there's just this rally magical, creative space.
Maybe I’m diving too deep, but I feel like you could also say it's like—you're talking about how art evolves from one thing to something else, and I feel like the amoeba's the simplest form of life and then it’s all evolution.
Exactly, yeah. And with this one it was an expansion outwards and zooming in.
Do you have a favorite detail or maybe something that like someone might not pick up on that you just love about this piece that was either fun to work on or just sticks out to you?
The left side (topsheet), I first started with watercolor, but then I actually finished it with Photoshop, which I think was really fun. But I think what I love about it is that the center is— there's no center. As a designer, I like to align everything. But with this one, there's not a center you're looking at. It's kind of lopsided. I kind of like the awkward placement. And on the right side (base), I just really like the colors, the way it moves. I want to have a lot of motion in my work as well.
Do you have any parting words?
Take life slowly. That's what I'm trying to learn how to do [laughs]. I think pieces like this evolve slowly and I'm just very, bam, bam, bam. That's the kind of person I am. But I'm trying to chill out, smooth it out, and relax. So, I guess take every moment slowly.
From side hits to deep powder, and even a few park laps, the 26/27 Burton Counterbalance is a freestyle capable all mountain powerhouse. But don’t be fooled by the directional shape, the Counterbalance has retained its pop and can drive through turns on groomers as well as float through deep days with the best of them.
