Tahiti Pehrson

When did you start getting into art? My dad was a painting teacher. So pretty much right away.
We didn’t have electricity growing up. Since we didn’t have T.V. it was one of the only forms of entertainment.

Give us a little history on skateboard graphics that you've done.
I did some of the first Adrenalin graphics and one of Chris Senn’s boards for Toy Machine.
I have been working on some stuff with Blood Wizard a new thing outta Grass Valley. And now Familia.



What other artwork have you done? [Ie record labels etc]
I did two single covers for Devendra Banhart. “White Reggae Troll” and one for “Lover.” I did a handful of t-shirt designs for Joanna Newsom. And then XL commissioned a whole series of portraits of their artists. Thom Yorke, White Stripes, MIA, Peaches etc. I did a lot of the artwork for Grass Roots Records and some stuff for Casual Fog and Them Hills and Kings and Queens.

Where did you grow up?
Grass Valley/Nevada City. They are like sister towns. One of the sisters is missing a tooth and has a black eye.

Do you have Grass Valley pride? Nor Cal pride?
I just love California in general. Grass Valley pride would be a pretty grim prospect.

You just did a series for us. Talk about what drove you to go into the direction that you did and explain a little about the thought process.

The destruction of the worlds eco systems is tearing at the very fabric that keeps our world together and alive. People are really reticent to this fact. There is a miconception that we can destroy nature and species without direct repercussion. There is a shortsightedness about money and how things effect day to day life day life. If we look at it, California’s agriculture is the seventh largest economy in the world. There has been a massive decline in bee population here. Most people may not care about bees in their everyday life. But without bee’s we have no pollination. Without pollination we have no agriculture, no economy and this effects the everyday life and the entire world. And it’s not just bees.. There is that Ray Bradbury story the Sound of Thunder. Where the guy goes back in time and steps off the path and kills a bug and it changes the future. We have to think about the fact that there is 6.7 billion of us on that path. Humanity has defeated great odds when it has risen to the occasion and we need to do that now.

Top 5 Grass Valley skaters of all time.
Chris Senn, John Cardiel, Toad (LOP represent) Jason Clark, Genero Vergoglini, Justin Smith, Lil’ Rich, Hanz, Fogel, Andy Jarett, Wes, Ian. Too many top fives to count.

Favourite skate city.
I Heart S.F.

What happens in the average day in the life of Tahiti?
I have a two year old daughter, Esme. So I get up kind of early. Pick blackberries, walk around. skate, river, art, music. I try and keep it pretty low.

Are you voting in the next US election?
I’m down for Obama. After Bush\Cheney we need a smooth ass president. Every politician is Machiavellian but I think he’s willing to address things. We need a younger man for the job.
All these old dudes. Times have changed and they can’t make the transition.

I love America because....
It’s amazing.

I hate America because....
I don’t hate America, but America is supposed to stand for freedom and democracy.
The truth is corporate interests and politics rule this country. Piggy backing bills and double talk, sweetheart deals for corporations. These politicians work for these companies in many cases literally.
There is no accountability for the financial institutions who have recklessly profited while a huge percent of Americans have lost there homes. In the end the taxpayer (many of which lost those homes) bails out the financial institution, shouldn't’t the taxpayer help the family that lost everything? These corporations do not share in times of profit. You can even invest in the probability of people not being able to pay back loans. This should be illegal, it’s vampireistic. We as Americans should question if that is rule by the people and what freedom means.
Bush and Cheney have done a lot to destroy and undermine America and exaggerate differences. We are hoping to change in world community. We all, everyone in the world have to start thinking of it as a whole. We need to think about interconnectedness. We don’t cut off our nose for looking different than the rest of our body.

Thanks for the series dude. Last words?
Just thanks to Rudi, Adrian, Familia and my Familia, word to the Goodtimes Wrecking Crew.
Skateboarding forever, keep your nose, see you on the path.