Features
Steve Cohen: Shut Up And Skate
By Tim Scott
Steeped in both punk rock and skateboarding, Melbourne artist and designer Steve Cohen has experienced surprising success with his original art as well as his screen-printing work via his Northcote studio Too Far Gone. TIM SCOTT interviews him ahead of his second skate-themed exhibition.
Known as ‘Mongo’ on account of his unorthodox skateboard style, Steve Cohen has also become known within the Australian punk scene as the go-to guy for poster, shirt and album art design and printing. Operating out of his Northcote studio Too Far Gone, (usually with Motorhead or Dinosaur Jr blaring) the designer, musician and skater draws and prints for the likes of Royal Headache, White Walls, The Meanies, I Exist and more.
With bold lettering and often skeletons on skateboards, Cohen has developed a unique and recognisable style that incorporates his love of skateboarding and punk rock.
The second instalment of Mongo's ‘Shut Up and Skate’ art show takes place this Friday (Nov 29) at Second Story Studio in Collingwood. As well as a mini skateboard ramp set up on the night, Lecherous Gaze (US), Cut Sick, Bits of Shit, White Walls and Batpiss will perform and the first 150 people through the door will receive a free A3-size screen-printed poster of Angus Young that Cohen has designed.
Designing posters and shirts may seem an enviable/cool gig but it’s hard work. How many hours do you spend working on design and printing?
A typical week at Too Far Gone is 50 hours of printing t-shirts. I never draw during the day because it takes ages and I can only do it at night when I have no distractions. The last three months I have pretty much left work and gone home to draw until I can’t stay awake any longer.
You used to live in your printing studio!
I decided to try and step it up a notch two years ago and move out of the garage in the rental I had, and into a commercial warehouse. I just went for it and the only way I thought it was going to work was if I slept there. It was shit and probably not good for my health but it was also one less bill I had to pay a month so whatever.
How did you start out? Flyers?
I’ve been drawing pictures my whole life. I remember siting in my childhood bedroom looking out the window and drawing the house across the road and shit like that. No one in my family was into that so I don’t know where that part of me came from. It wasn’t until I discovered punk and skateboarding that I started to use it as a release for the way I was feeling at the time. And then, yeah, it turned into flyers, then t-shirts, then record covers, etc.
You are self-taught. Which designers or illustrators did you grow up admiring?
When I was real young I was obsessed with Looney Toons. But as a teenager the artists I really dug were Ray Ahn, Ben Brown, Pushead, Mad Marc Rude, Jim Phillips, Coop and all those kind of guys doing punk and hardcore stuff. Lately I’ve been getting into a lot of artists I didn’t think I ever would, which rules.
“The plan was to print some t-shirts and drink a few beers but it has turned into quite a bit more than that.”
Have you been surprised by the reaction and interest in your work? It’s rad that real small local punk bands to bigger bands like Royal Headache want your design.
Yeah, I am actually. It’s a bit overwhelming sometimes. I’ve been self-employed for five years now. The plan was to print some t-shirts and drink a few beers but it has turned into quite a bit more than that.
Skating is a big part of your life and design. There will be a mini ramp at the show. Are people encouraged to bring boards? Do you still skate much?
Skateboarding is responsible for a serious amount of amazing shit in this world. Anyone who knows me well enough will tell you that I have punished them hard about this topic in the past. It got me interested in music, and then that got me interested in drawing and using my imagination, and then from there I got into screen-printing.
I was skating a fair bit until I started drawing for the show, so the last three months I haven’t had time to actually skate, only draw pictures of people doing it.
The mini ramp will be set up in the night, so anyone that wants to have a roll should bring their board. How often do you get to do that in Melbourne at a show?
“This warehouse space is perfect for everything I actually want to do but can’t in a pub.”
There were problems with the original venue. Sorry about that.
Yeah, I was a bit bummed when I found out the Gas was shut down, almost to the point where I actually made myself believe that I didn’t want to do the show anymore.
A few days later we ended up finding this warehouse space in Collingwood, and that got me stoked again because it’s perfect for everything I actually want to do but can’t in a pub.
What will be available to buy at the show?
A1-size prints, and the original drawings. I also got a handful of skateboards made, and there will most likely be t-shirts too.
Your own band Cut Sick is playing on the show. Do you have much time for music now?
I used to say I didn’t but in reality I was probably just making excuses. We have been jamming solidly the last few months and are close to having album’s worth of new material.
I kind of don’t feel comfortable playing guitar in a band that Rob [Bonnet, of Useless Children and Trade] isn’t also playing guitar in. I have jammed with other people before but it’s never really worked out properly.
[Historical embedded media is withheld pending rights review.]What is your favourite piece in the current exhibition?
The most recent one is always the one that I like the most, but then a few days later I hate. It becomes just like everything else I’ve ever drawn. It’s hard to win most of the time.
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