Deep colors and easy curves coming to campus

For now, the walls are blank, but the Cal Poly University Art Gallery will be graced with multi-talented artist Geoff McFetridge’s work starting Jan. 13. McFetridge is known for his captivating and unique art forms which reflect simple images through deep colors and easy edges.

The Canada-born artist received his bachelor’s degree from the local Alberta College of Design, then continued his education at California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles, receiving his master’s degree in 1995. In 1996, he established Champion Graphics, his own graphic design studio in Atwater, Calif.

“I’m going to be showing all new work,” McFetridge said. “It’s part of a new series of paintings. I’m also going to be painting murals directly on the walls of the exhibit.”

McFetridge’s art has been displayed in exhibits in Seattle, Los Angeles, France, Italy and Japan. His art can be recognized in big-name companies such as Patagonia, Burton Snowboards, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Pepsi and ESPN, to name a few. More recently, he helped with the animation in the 2009 feature film, “Where The Wild Things Are.”

His art has also recieved some recognition among Cal Poly students as well.

“He has a unique style and is very prominent in his work,” art and design senior Joyce Lin said. “His work is very simple, yet interesting.”

McFetridge’s sub-brand designs that he created for Patagonia’s “Live Simply” campaign can be purchased at San Luis Obispo’s local outdoor store, Mountain Air Sports. The products he designed range from T-shirts to underwear.

“I’ve always been a fan of Patagonia,” McFetridge said. “I started doing graphics for its surf line, and the ‘Live Simply’ campaign kind of grew from that. There’s some of the stuff that I’m really proud of.”

Mountain Air Sports general store manager Josh Haring said McFetridge’s designs are popular among local San Luis Obispo customers.

“The ‘Live Simply’ line has really become a brand of its own,” Haring said. “We have people requesting ‘Live Simply’ shirts all the time — they sold really well over the holiday season.”

Along with a busy art career, McFetridge helped create two other businesses. Solitary Arts — a skateboarding company that makes most of its goods between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. It creates and sells industry products such as complete boards, custom grip tape, wheels and shirts. All can be found on the Solitary Arts website.

His other company, Pottok, is a silkscreen wallpaper company he started with partner Sarah DeVincentis. At first they made printed wallpaper and fabric for close friends, but have recently branched out to selling worldwide. The next dream McFetridge hopes to accomplish is creating an entire feature-length animated film.

For now, McFetridge will be featured at Cal Poly, and exhibit curator Jeff Van Kleeck expressed his excitement for McFetridge coming this week.

“It’s always amazing to me that we can pick up the phone and talk to an artist of this size,” he said. “What I find fascinating is that people pay him to express his creative ability. That is so great.”

A handful of staff members from the art department usually decide what artists will be displayed in the exhibit. This time was different. It was students who voiced that they would love to see McFetridge’s work shown in the gallery.

“This is the biggest show of the year for us,” Van Kleeck said. “We’re getting excited.”

McFetridge’s artistic canvas has no limits, from T-shirts, to skateboards, to magazine covers, to entire buildings — just by looking at his art, the viewer gets the sense that this man has no creative boundaries.

The exhibit’s opening lecture will take place at 5 p.m. tomorrow in the Business building, room 213. An opening reception will be held in the University Art Gallery in Walter F. Dexter building, room 171 at 6 p.m. The exhibit lasts until Feb. 18.