Harrogate gallery spotlight on a legendary snowboarder living in the shadow of Motorhead's Lemmy
It isn't every day a snowboard is given pride of place in an exhibition.
Then it isn't every day that a legendary snowboarder turned successful artist comes to Harrogate's coolest gallery.
Schoph: Sanctuary, which runs at RedHouse Gallery until Christmas Eve, features original paintings, limited edition prints and, perhaps, most importantly, Schoph x Island Snowboards: Supernaut 159 & 154 Snowboards.
The Yorkshire-born artist, who first made his name internationally shredding the slopes rather than on canvas, looks on the snowboards – the centre piece of Sanctuary – as an important step in is his career – the coming together of both parts of his life.
"It’s bringing the two sides of my art – and my life – together,” he said.
"There’s the abstract and the figurative and the snowboard decks are both.
“It means a lot to me to see them in a gallery.”
Although accustomed to exhibiting internationally, especially in the United States, taking in New York, LA, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego, Schoph is a regular visitor to Harrogate’s Redhouse, where he feels at home.
Perhaps, partly, because Schoph is a fan of rock music and Redhouse has enjoyed so many musical connections over the years, welcoming the likes of Peter Blake, Gered Mankowitz, The Coral and The La’s in person.
The man in black with the long hair usually combines abstract art with random graffiti, layers of paint full of colour and verve, the energy of the slopes captured on a canvas,
But this new exhibition is a little more figurative, includes a little more content.
Closest to his heart is the stunningly moody portrait What Would Lemmy Have Done (limited edition screenprint).
Schoph even met the late Motorhead legend once.
"I was at bar in LA with a friend when I was living there,” said the fortysomething Schoph, “when I spotted Lemmy.
"Obviously, I didn’t say anything but he must have heard my English accent, so we had a bit of a no nonsense chat and he bought us some beers.”
Schoph: Sanctuary, RedHouse Gallery, 15 Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, November 22 to December 24.