Fugue Magazine
Fall 2005

When Life and Art Collide: Jason Lee is a modern-day Renaissance man, merging several worlds into one unique style.

Jason Lee is one of those enviable guys that live inside a Venn diagram. The skateboarder/actor/artist doesn't limit himself to one career at time; instead he meshes together several worlds that normally have little interaction with one another, creating an entirely unique space for himself.

Lee began skateboarding in his young teens, and by 16 he dropped out of high school to go professional. Sponsored by World Industries, and then Blind Skateboards, the Orange County native competed and did exhibitions worldwide, rapidly becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the business.

Skaters have traditionally been a counterculture outside of the mainstream: "It always stemmed from a certain kind of rebellion," says Lee. "Skateboarders don't like to consider themselves athletes, and they certainly don't consider themselves conformists." But, like most athletes, by his early 20s, Lee understood his limitations within the sport. He appeared in Blind's skate video Video Days, co-directed by Spike Jonze, which exposes the moves and hard-core lifestyles of the team's young pros. Soon after, Lee and his friend Chris Pastras took fate into their own hands, and formed the skateboard company, Stereo.

Lee and Pastras were interested in promoting the artistry of their team and products: "We were very influenced by jazz, the blue note era, so we took a totally different approach with the board graphics and magazine ads," says Lee. Their artistic drive and status as skaters distinguished them, and Stereo grew into a hugely influential company. "On one end, you have the Stereo approach, which is a little bit underground. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Tony Hawk approach, which is very mainstream…in an X Games, video game kind of way." Their subversive style incorporated a retro vibe, which included scoring their videos to jazz, and shooting on Super 8 film for a "1960s documentary effect."

In retrospect, the success of Video Days and his fascination with film techniques seem prophetic, pointing towards Lee's next 180 flip-this time from concrete parks to Hollywood. By 1995, without any formal training, he exploded in Kevin's Smith's Mallrats as the jilted Brodie Bruce. More roles in Smith's productions followed, as well as major titles like Almost Famous and Vanilla Sky.

With his acting career taking off, Lee turned away from skating altogether. "I kind of got burned out on it. [It was] eight years of making movies and being completely removed from the skate industry. I wouldn't even look at skate magazines." Pastras kept up Stereo for a few years, but the company faltered and ultimately closed its doors.

As it turns out, this wasn't the end for Lee, whose ambitions extended beyond the Hollywood scene. Two years ago, he ran into an old friend, Steve Berra, who convinced the then-30-year-old actor and father to rediscover what he loved. "I said 'What the hell,' and started skating again."

Lee and Pastras, along with graphic designer Matt Irving, hooked up with the distributor Giant and resurrected Stereo. Not only has Stereo matured as a company, but it also feeds off its reputation from the old days. While a standard board sells for about $40 in a skate shop, a Jason Lee/Stereo limited edition has gone on eBay for about $1,500. "They're very artistically based, there's an integrity to them. The quality of the art on the skateboards is definitely a cut above."

Having established himself in two distinct, but creatively driven, industries, Lee can express himself through his own ventures. "The idea is that [Stereo] has a very creative backbone, so why not branch out and do whatever we can with the heart of Stereo, whether it's skateboards, clothes, film projects…In a lot of people's eyes, skateboarding doesn't hold much legitimacy, or they think it's just a bunch of obnoxious stoner kids damaging other people's property. But there's a hugely creative side of it."

One of Stereo's greatest passions is producing art exhibitions that emphasize the aesthetics of skateboarding. So far, they have produced six shows internationally, which display their classic skateboard decks, vintage ads, Lee's photography, and other artwork. In the near future, Stereo will showcase a guest series in which artists, including musician Beck, will create unique skateboard graphics. "It's a good example of blending skateboarding and the world outside of it. These artists have nothing to do with skating, and it's cool that they want to be a part of it."

Stereo often collaborates with other companies that share a similar artistic interest. They have partnered with etnies footwear and Kangol hats to create custom designs, and screened their first video, A Visual Sound, at a show with Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture. Lee and Pastras are also affiliated with the Swedish clothing company, We. Known as "We activists," they are part of a larger group of skaters, artists, and musicians that promote streetwear for "life after skates." We has featured Lee's work in limited edition t-shirts, and has sponsored various art exhibitions.

As for whether his celebrity status will bring skateboarding into the mainstream consciousness, Lee maintains that it's the underground, artistic elements that he enjoys. "For us, it's about the art shows, and collaborations with other artists. We're legitimizing that side of [skateboarding], instead of just the sport. It's about the creativity that comes out of it, and how you can apply that to other areas in life."