Journal Jams with Matt Parker

Matt Parker began shaping boards the way most surfboard shapers do: out of a Southern California garage, back in 2001. Having built an appreciation for pattern, shape and color through a background in fine art and graphic design, he began to apply this visual language to foam and resin, treating each board as a blank canvas.

Below is an interview that Matt did with the fine folk over at Banks Journal as part of their ‘Journal Jams’. Some nice insight into to what makes Matt, Matt. Have a read 🙂

Banks Journal: Matt, can you tell us a bit about your upbringing and where you are from?

Matt Parker: I grew up in Orange California in the 80s & 90s, came from a big family, lots of brothers & sisters. My parents loved to take us all over the place, so we spent much of our time growing up traveling and learning about different places & cultures together as a family. I was very active in anything I could do – skating & surfing, playing all kinds of sports, making art, all that good stuff. Spent a majority of my youth outdoors screwing around.

Banks Journal: What inspired you to start shaping boards? And did you always envision the craft as a vehicle to be a brand owner or was it strictly passion and hobby at first? 

Matt: I was going to school for design and had been taking all sorts of art & sculpture related classes and it just seemed inevitable that I’d try shaping some boards for myself. I got the most rudimentary tools I could find and a Clark Foam blank, rigged up some very questionable racks and just sorta went for it. Surprisingly what I hacked out resembled a surfboard, glassed it and just had the most fun surfing it and figuring it out. Was such a great learning experience and was the first time that I did something artistic that had this functional side to it that I could dig in and feel and make fun with. So I was hooked and wanted to try and make all these different ideas that I had, that I couldn’t find in other shapes bumping around shortboard central Newport Beach CA. I made boards for probably 10 years as a side project / hobby – never ever with the intention for it to be more than that. That gave me a ton of freedom because it didn’t really matter – I could make and ride whatever – it was just a personal creative expression. At it’s core this is still what it is – other people just know about it now haha.

Banks Journal: There is clearly a heavy artistic and graphic influence with your boards. Can you share a bit about which artists inspired you and the significance color and art play on the surfboards your shape? 

Matt Parker: Yea my background in design plays a big part in the approach and aesthetic with Album and our boards. I try to treat each board as a unique one off piece rather than a commodity, which is why you see a lot of variation in style and color and even logo style & usage board to board. I think color & design play a huge part in how you feel about a board psychologically and I feel like boards tend to surf better when your mind is excited about it and your senses are intrigued! Plus I think it just feels more special – and less like a commodity. In school I remember being excited about Mark Rothko’s art because it was mostly about color and the contrasts and feelings you could get from the most simplistic color expression. Playing with resin tints and color combinations with surfboards in a similar way can bring the same feelings for me.