We Are Oaklandish: Matthew Evearitt AKA BEHOLDCREATORS

Local photographer and videographer Matthew Evearitt (Instagram: @BEHOLDCREATORS) is launching a project with the Oakland Street Photography Collective titled "Is Beautiful." 

The aim of the photo show and video is to highlight Oakland-based photographers and creatives while showcasing the skateboarding of local skaters that Matthew has been filming for the past couple of years. The shirt series will include three different images, starting with a skateboarding shot of Kat in front of the Fox Theater. Matthew wants to express his love for both skateboarding and Oakland through this project, as these elements represent some of the things he finds beautiful in his life. He hopes others can appreciate that beauty as well. Oakland, much like skateboarding, is tough and gritty, requiring a lot of trial and error to get it right. However, when success is achieved, it becomes a truly beautiful experience.

The photo exhibition and video event will take place at the New Parkway on December 6th. This event will also showcase the first image of a three-part series on a t-shirt and feature artists from the Oakland Street Photography Collective, followed by the video presentation at 6:30 PM.

 

What does it mean to you to collaborate with Oaklandish? 

It’s always been sort of a dream come true every time I work on something with Oaklandish! This series though, I never really thought I’d do it because I was always struck with imposter syndrome- why should I be able to have my photos on a shirt by Oaklandish? But I had to push through that and just decide that it was a good and dope thing to do! So this means a lot, like perseverance and grit and my art all coming together in this shirt series. 

What inspired you to work on the ‘Skateboarding is Beautiful’ video project, and how would you describe what this project is? 

I’ve been filming and hanging with a group of skaters these past few years, and I decided it was time to put all the clips together and have a show! I think they deserve more than just being posted on Instagram, which is where most footage ends up these days. I’ve always been conscious of how I film and made the footage look, and I think I like to incorporate the environment surrounding the skater as much as filming the trick they’re doing. It’s just been a blast being able to experiment and hang together and skate too, so here we are, showcasing skateboarding and answering the question ‘why is skateboarding beautiful to you?’

Why did you feel this project/story was important to share? 

I have been super inspired by OAKSPC and everything that Elvin, Brandon and Tare have been doing with it, and with their help, took a leap of faith in building up a collab show that highlighted skateboarding, photography, and filmmaking. For the concept, I feel like I was thinking about how the rawness and toughness of skateboarding or Oakland is always at the forefront, nobody ever really uses words like ‘beautiful’ when describing skateboarding or Oakland. I think it was just time to say out loud that skateboarding and Oakland are both actually beautiful things, and I think they both are kindred spirits to each other that way. 

What is your favorite spot in Oakland to skate and shoot photos? 

Ooh - I love bricks, the intersection at Broadway and telegraph actually. Those ledges are so cool and the perspectives you can get with the building are too good. 

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Oakland is diverse and Oakland is proud. 'We Are Oaklandish' is a storytelling project created to highlight just that.

These are stories that shed light on the different experiences, memories, and opinions of the people in the city we all love. They are people who give our city its oddball spirit, its passion for justice, and its creative vigor. They lift us up with laughter, peace, nourishment, and authentic hard work.

They make us proud to call this town our home. They are Oaklandish.

Shop the collection: Hometown Collection

Read more: We Are Oaklandish

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