A Conversation with Dave White

Liverpool’s Dave White has enjoyed success with his vigorously energetic brand of contemporary pop art. Awarded ‘Best New Talent’ in Visual Art and short listed for various prizes, his unique painting style caught the eye of the Curator of Tate Liverpool as early as 1991. From 2002, White’s work was celebrated for his dedication to a sneaker series, pioneering the movement known as ‘sneaker art’ which brought international exhibitions and appearances. Dave White continues his corporate collaborations and is an ambassador for “WINGS for the Future,” Jordan Brand’s Corporate Responsibility program, which he helped launch in 2011 during All-Star Week in Los Angeles.

For the past five years, sneakers have… developed and gotten interesting again, some truly unique designs from all brands have got the world talking.

Group exhibitions differ from solo shows in the sense that… a group show can portray a global statement and be cohesive across a wind range of fields and media. A solo show is much more insular and personal. Both are great for various reasons.

My favorite sneakers of all time include…

Air Jordan V: Sits proudly on my arm thanks to awesome tattoo artist BJ Betts aka Cuban Bee.

Air Jordan III: Comes in a close second because of its beautiful use of materials and cement print inception

Air Jordan 1: Is perfect in its simplicity and is the one that started it all.

Nike Air Yeezy: Will be a favorite shoe for a long, long time.

Nike Air Max 95 Neon Green: Never, ever ceases to amaze me.

My latest exhibition… is titled “Americana” and is based on classic imagery of the West from all angles and all sides of the story. Beauty and violence is the focus. It’s on at the Coningsby Gallery London until April 30, 2011.

Aside from painting sneakers and guns… I have painted many subjects. Ive been doing my thing for 20 years this year!

Working with Jordan Brand… has been a long and wonderful journey, the best part for me has been the “WINGS for the Future” charity, something dear to my heart and something I will be involved with long after the shoes are released. Giving and helping others is priceless and changes lives. Big hello to the kids of Inglewood High School!

If I was the head of a major sneaker company… my office would be the Millennium Falcon and everyone who worked there would dress as Stormtroopers in their own personalized custom suits.

Artistic tastes in the UK… are as diverse as everywhere else.

Traveling… is one of my favorite things to do and I seem to be drawn to Mt. Everest lately.

Despite the massive number of releases in recent years, we can… expect a rather big surprise on September 1, 2011. Something that has never been done before is the only clue I can give you.