Rich Hughes is a skater and artist from Wolverhampton, England. His Curb Cuttings art blends iconic photography of skaters alongside colourful, layers of skate and pop cultural imagery and text that all combine to reposition and reimagine the original images and gives them a new look and feel by arranging them with his signature aesthetic.
Infusing his influences and inspirations into his handmade mixed media creations, using his decades of skateboarding and art directing as a foundation, of the 100s of Curb Cuttings pieces he’s constructed, each one is as unique as the skaters and the tricks or moments that he features in the work themselves. There’s something for everyone in every single Curb Cutting, so we wanted to know more about how they came to life, and his thoughts on a selection of his pieces that feature some of our favourite skaters.
Adding on to that, over the years while skating and filming with Mike Manzoori in the 90s and shooting dope photos with Wig Worland in Birmingham, London and around the UK, Rich has gone on to make a lot of strong connections with a series of skate legends, seen a lot of epic tricks go down and has some great stories to tell about them all.
So after finding all that out we had to hit him up to have a chat and find out more about his Curb Cuttings, his skating and experiences on a board to find out what inspires him to make his art and more.
Read Rich’s interview to find out what it was like skating in Wolverhampton and Birmingham in the 80s and now, how he got his nickname – Benny, skating with Mike Manzoori, filming for Mike’s Sound and Vision video in the 90s, Radlands, Penny, Curtis McCann, the origins of Curb Cuttings, why he likes to show his process, his thoughts on his Curb Cuttings of Gonz, Natas, Gino, Scott Oster and more, his perspectives on skateboarding and creativity, his collaborations with Closer Magazine, his work in Thrasher, opinions on Print Media, Ideal Skateshop, and his favourite skate videos, skaters, spots of-all time and more.
Pivot to Fakie, Bearwood, Birmingham: Shot by Wig Worland
What’s your full name?
Richard Hughes
Right. So how did you get the nickname Benny?
I was a new kid at a school and the local kids called all the new kids Benny and it stuck.
It’s funny how that happens. So where did you grow up and where are you living right now?
Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, I’ve gone full circle as I’m here now with my family.
Rich Hughes, Frontside Ollie, Shot by Tim Leighton-Boyce
Wolverhampton is right next to Birmingham, that’s cool. How did you first see skateboarding and get into it?
I was first exposed to skateboarding as a 7 year old. A kid up my street had a board and we’d take turns bombing down a steep path, eating shit and doing it again on repeat.
It was only later when BMX Action Bike started introducing skateboarding that I saw a Haro circuit board deck and the way TLB – Tim Leighton-Boyce – and Dan Adams were presenting it hooked me and set a fire burning.
I broke my BMX frame and didn’t have the money for a new one, so I sold the components and got a board. BMX Action Bike transitioned into RAD and that was it – it was on.
Ok, it was through reading BMX mags. What was your first setup?
My first real set up was a neon yellow Christian Hosoi with Indy 169’s and OJII’s.
Rich, Ollie, Birmingham: Shot by Leo Sharp
Right so this is in the mid-to late 80s. Who was in your first skate crew and where did you go skate at the time?
I first skated with my friends Marc and Nick on my estate and my friends Dan ‘Jagger’ Ball and Jim Cannon lived in the next village.
Gino Iannucci
What skate videos did you have on rotation the most at the time?
Future Primitive was the only video we could get at this time, so to say Tommy Guerrero was an inspiration would be an understatement. I watched it every day.
Yeah, there were not many skate videos available in 1985. That’s understandable. What kinds of art did you first make and who inspired you to get into it?
Goldie put Wolverhampton on the map in hip hop culture, as a result I naturally gravitated to graffiti.
Goldie is a legend in music and his art was dope too. So you skated and filmed with Mike Manzoori in Birmingham for Sound and Vision. How did you meet Mike and what was that like?
Mike Manzoori and I had been friends for some time, his then girlfriend went to uni in Brum so he’d be up a lot.
We’d often hook up and skate and film each other. I first filmed stuff for him when he was on Santa Cruz and when he first had a crack at the Fastlands double set which was very gnarly. It was rad to be included in that video from what I remember it was just another day where we’d be out skating and filming each other.
What’s your favourite memory from filming for Sound and Vision?
I remember slamming and ending up with a blood blister the size of a 50p coin. I couldn’t skate with this thing bulging out the palm of my hand so I bit into it there was a good amount of blood. Mike was like “wait – let me film it”. Other than that it was just enjoying skating and filming.
Sounds gnarly. Any other memories of hanging out with Manzoori at the time that come to mind?
Mike and I have been friends for near on 30 years, I’ve got lots of great memories. I stayed with him in Santa Rosa for a few months. In the mornings we’d paint or make art and then go skate.
Frontside Ollie, Bearwood, Birmingham: Shot by Wig Worland
Sick. So what’s your favourite trick by Mike Manzoori then?
He was the first to do the Fastlands double set on 45mm wheels and the shittiest run up ever.
Yeah, it looked so jacked up then. The whole spot was but it’s way smoother now. Where was your favourite place to skate in Birmingham back in the day?
I had a lot of good times at Aston Uni banks, Bearwood concrete park, Birmingham Wheels and the NIA but the Central TV ledge spot was the best.
I’d also like to skate in the city finding little spots like the Wallride spot at the cage car park near Mailbox.
Backside Wallride, Birmingham: Shot by Wig Worland
Right, where were you skating in Wolverhampton the most in the 90s?
I skated everyday mixing Wolves and Brum equally – they’re only 15 mins apart by train so it was just wherever the mood took you!
Rich, Birmingham Wallride Curb Cutting
Who were the skaters in the UK you were looking up to the most in the 90s?
Every Wednesday, everyone would go skate Radlands, so you’d see and skate with Tom Penny, Geoff Rowley and Rune Glifberg on the regular. They were always an inspiration. I’ll also probably say Curtis McCann was an early 90s fave.
What about skaters from the US in that era?
Oh man where do I start? The 90’s spawned a lot of heavy hitters!
The Gonz, Jason Lee, Rudy Johnson, Sean Sheffey, Coco Santiago, Julien Stranger, Salman Agah, John Cardiel, Rick Ibaseta, Mike Carroll, Henry Sanchez and Wade Speyer.
Julien Stranger
Then Keenan Milton, Gino Iannucci and Keith Hufnagel for sure – I could go on and on.
Mike Carroll
Where do you skate the most at the moment and who with?
Mostly Chris Dews and Jason Latchford, they are a pair of wolves legends, we probably have skated on and off together for 35 years now. We’re still out there having a good time. We skate local parks mostly like Wednesfield, some in Shropshire and then go to Cirencester.
I also sometimes get to skate with James Woodley and Henry Fox too which is very motivating.
Backside Wallride, Wolverhampton
The majority of your artistic output is rooted in 80s skate zine style collages, with a heavy focus on iconic skaters, tricks and moments from classic skate videos. What first inspired you to start reinterpreting those skaters photos and pushing further into that style to create Curb Cuttings?
Art-wise I’m very graphic, so I was really drawn to collage as an art form. It suits me, I’m not a good painter. My wife was doing a surface and pattern design degree and seeing her at work made me want to do ‘something’ too.
My job as an art director at the time wasn’t fulfilling my needs as a creative, so I started to experiment. As far as topics, I was so close to skateboarding as I still am now, so I naturally started finding imagery that resonated with me within it.
What tools do you use to create your Curb Cuttings artworks?
Just a printer, a scalpel and a glue stick.
Natas Kaupas: Chopping Block
That’s so low tech. That’s interesting. Some of it looks digitally made, it’s so accurate. Your collages are often a reference to that skater’s style, an iconic video they were in or the era the photo was shot. How do you choose to layer each image with another and add text? Is it spontaneous, done in one session or do you plan them out?
Sometimes I try and reflect a skater’s character and mostly I will just tear pages out of magazines for texture. I have a full double draw of scraps that I use.
I go with my gut, sometimes there’s a concept but its mostly spontaneous.
Ok cool, you also show a lot of your process on your Curb Cuttings page but in a unique way, showing the skater holding the scalpel tool you use to cut out the pictures and call it The Chopping Block. Why do you think that’s an important thing to showcase?
Ha yeah The Chopping Block that was a bit of fun to tease ‘who’s next’ so to depict cut out skaters holding the scalpel was a fun way to indicate which skater the next piece was going to be.
Rick Howard, Pivot Fakie
Right, so they are like teasers. How long does it take to make a Curb Cuttings piece on average?
Anything from thirty minutes to three hours. Sometimes I’ll move stuff around on the page, sometimes I just stick stuff down immediately and see how the piece manifests itself.
Mark Gonzales Chopping Block
Your Curb Cutting of Scott Oster FS 5-0 in that pool is rad, what’s your favourite thing about Scott Oster’s FS Grinds and what inspired you to make that piece?
Thanks, firstly I have thank Arto Saari for capturing it. In a split second still image, no one has more style than Scott Oster. He can make a four wheel slide Powerslide or a Backside Slash Grind look epic. His style is 100% Venice – all those Venice guys like him, Eric Dressen, Natas Kaupas, Aaron Murray and Jessie Martinez had impeccable style. In the 80’s it was all about Venice.
Scott Oster
What about your pieces of The Gonz…The Alcatraz Pivot one is dope. The photo is so epic but what is it about Mark’s skating that draws you in and inspires you personally to continually make collages of photos of his tricks?
Thanks – that was a fun one to make – I found schematics of Alcatraz to use as supporting elements in that piece. I was lucky enough to go on a tour with him around Europe once. I think Gonz inspires me because you never know what he’s going to do next – completely spontaneous, like jazz.
Mark Gonzales: Alcatraz Pivot Curb Cutting
Which is your favourite Gonz Curb Cutting that you’ve made and why?
The Alcatraz was a good one, but my fave is using a TLB shot of him doing a Boneless. Why? Nothing beats watching Gonz skate vert.
Mark Gonzales
Similarly, Natas Kaupas pops up quite often in your pieces. What is it that makes you want to cut out photos of Natas and create Curb Cuttings collages of him?
With Curb Cuttings I’m paying homage to skateboarding and those who made an impact on me. Like Gonz, I felt compelled to create Natas pieces as his skateboarding had a massive influence. All his video parts and magazine photos are etched into my brain.
Natas Kaupas
Favourite Natas Curb Cutting?
My favourite Natas piece is his Ollie Footplant off a fire hydrant shot by Grant Brittain.
Any other skaters who you have made a Curb Cutting of that you are still really stoked on?
I’m always trying to push things forward, I’m pretty stoked on the work I’ve been making lately. Especially one of Karl Watson and one of Christian Hosoi. I also did a series called Dopamine Delivery Service, I might sell prints of them. If anyone is interested – hit me up!
Karl Watson
Skater’s pushing stylishly is a theme across your pieces. Gino has a few. Why do you think a good push should be captured in art and who has your favourite push piece?
Without sounding overly pretentious – the push is the catalyst to skateboarding. You can tell a lot about a skater’s style by how a skater pushes. From an art point of view, it’s brutally simple, it’s something anyone can relate to. I made one of AVE not long ago that came out well.
Gino Iannucci
Jake Phelps regularly features in your work. Is there a quote by Phelps that comes to mind when you think of him?
I met him a couple of times and was fortunate enough to skate with him at Jim Thiebaud’s Ramp in Oakland CA. His death had a major impact on me. Because I loved how he presented skateboarding. He was probably one of the most quotable personalities in skateboarding. His Angel Dust mag that Thrasher put out was so good. My favorite Jake Phelps quote is “Skateboarding doesn’t owe you shit. It owes you wheelbite in the rain”. His Epicly Later’d by Patrick O’Dell was so good.
Jake Phelps
Speaking of Jake Phelps, you had a Canvas check out editorial in Thrasher on Curb Cuttings. Mike Manzoori was holding the magazine in a photo. How did you get a feature in Thrasher and what was your favourite thing about seeing your work in print in Thrasher?
I first got exposure in Same Old so I have Chris at Same Old to thank for the exposure. Thank you Chris. On Thrasher, yes, Mike Manzoori sent me the pic as he had the Thrasher before it came out in the UK. It was very surreal. It was an honour to get a canvas feature in Thrasher and I have Joe Brook to thank for that. Shout out Joe Brook. Joe got in touch and asked me if I’d like to get a feature. I was blown a way to be honest. I don’t really have a favourite thing about it really, it’s just nice to be recognised.
Jim Thiebaud
You’ve also done a Rick Howard Pivot to Fakie Curb Cutting that was chosen as the cover for Closer Mag’s 5th Issue. How did that come about?
Where do I start? – Shout out Jaime Owens! Jaime got in contact and explained they were doing a Rick Howard interview and asked me if I would like to make a piece to go with it?
Naturally I was down, Rick is another one of my favourites.
Jaime sent the shot and Eric Swisher who does Chromeball sent me lots of reference which I used as supporting assets within the piece. I made three initial pieces for Jaime to choose from.
Then he dropped it on me once I’d supplied the file a couple of days later that it was going to be the cover – it was an unbelievable feeling! I also created a Closer Graphic made from a set of four wheels which became a sticker.
That’s cool. Why do you think print media is still important in this digital-first modern era?
I think that print and anything handmade is the ultimate expression of authenticity. I firmly believe in this hyper polished AI saturated world, anything tangible will resonate more and those wanting to stand out will adopt a handmade approach to appear legit.
John Cardiel
Your work focuses on and uses the photography of a series of legends on both sides of the lens and some of our favourite photographers. J. Grant Brittain. Mike O’Meally. Bryce Kanights. Tobin Yelland. Why did you choose their shots?
Yes, I always make sure I credit and link to the original photographer. I have a good relationship with everyone. It’s important, at the end of the day as I’m celebrating the images that they captured and I am putting my twist on them, so it’s only right that they get the props. It’s also a rewarding feeling when the photographers repost what I’ve done with their images too.
What’s your favourite Grant Brittain photo Curb Cutting?
I did one of Tony Hawk not long ago which I really liked how it came out.
Favourite O’Meally Curb Cutting?
Of Mike O’Meally‘s photo’s? I’ve only done the Bobby Puleo one, so it’s that!
Any other Curb Cuttings of work by Bryce and Tobin?
One of my favourite Tobin pieces is the Chris Dune Pastras Backside Noseblunt. You can’t tell in the photo but the piece uses lots of different textured paper.
The other Tobin piece would be one of Jason Lee Ollieing a hip and recently I made a part typographic piece of Julien Bluntsliding through the word ‘fiction’.
On a Bryce Kanight’s tip – the first one comes to mind is the one I did of Rick Ibaseta that was a Thrasher cover.
Then there’s Gonz Alacatraz and lately Eric Dressen Crailtapping at China Banks.
What was it like shooting that Frontside Ollie with Wig Worland on that bank, how did it go down, and where was that shot?
Ben Powell and Wig Worland came and stopped with me at my Mom’s house. They were doing an article called ‘This is Britain’ for Transworld that came out in April 1997. On the Friday night we did the Wallride shot, that was for TWS.
The next morning we just got up and went to Wolves Civic Centre and shot that Frontside Ollie and another one where I Ollied the seven into the bank that ended up in the mag later down the line.
The Ollie was probably second try. I just wanted to try and push it and bust out for Wig and not waste his film at the same time. It was a hard bank to get speed to but that’s what I liked about it. Blind slabs at the bottom and not much run up just added to the fun.
How about that BS Wallride that you did in Brum, that photo is dope. How did that go down?
Yes that was for TWS shot the night before all those other tricks I mentioned at Wolves Civic Centre
I also shot another photo with Wig when Playstion Skatepark first opened, it was on a rad Evel Knievel style ramp to ramp gap, someone has video footage of it somewhere…I used to like to skate the Bearwood park in Brum, it was the only concrete park around, it was rough, steep and unforgiving but we loved it. Wig came up and we got a few things there in one session which was fun.
Rich, Ramp to Ramp Ollie, Playstation Skatepark, London, Shot by Wig Worland
You’ve done a few Curb Cuttings of Andy Jenkins’ Lettus Bee character. What inspired those?
Andy Jenkins and I chat every so often, in one conversation I just asked if I could do a few Lettus pieces. I used to love the Wrench Pilot pieces that he did in Transworld and Lettus is part of skateboarding. I loved how they came out.
Curb Cuttings x Andy Jenkins
What has been your favourite Curb Cutting to make so far?
The Scott Oster piece integrated with the Bukowski poem style as a background
Scott Oster
Right. So how do you pick the skaters and the tricks you do for your Curb Cuttings pieces?
My brain is saturated with skate imagery of my favourite skaters, I’ll generally think about a particular skater then go down a wormhole and end up with a few shots that I want to work with. It’s more about what resonates rather than doing a whole series of the same trick.
Rich, Frontside Ollie, Curb Cuttings
I look at posture more than a trick, a 25 stair Ollie isn’t the same once I’ve cut the skater out and lost the stairs, but I’ll try and add emphasis in a different way.
Ok, why do you think creativity is important to skateboarding?
It’s the heart and soul of skateboarding
Quim Cardona
Agreed. So you make other styles of work alongside Curb Cuttings. Which has been your favourite?
When Ben Raemers passed Mark Munson asked me to do a piece. It was an absolute honour. I also made a piece of Big Blue Joe Brook’s Van which was also a poster in Volume 2 Zine. Lately I’ve just been experimenting with found vintage images and trying to branch out but my heart is always with skateboarding.
Are you working on any events or new projects that you would like to announce?
I’d like to do a show at some point, if anyones down!
I’ve got a few things bubbling away at the moment but I don’t want to jinx it, but if they come off it will be really rad.
Look forward to seeing them. So What is the easiest way for people to get in touch to collaborate with you?
We’re all glued to our devices aren’t we? Instagram DM is best.
How can people purchase Curb Cuttings art?
I only sell prints where I have a licence/agreement in place. I have a few zines left. If people want to buy an original they can. Other than that it’s only the Dopamine Delivery Service series that is available at this point in time.
Have you worked on any collaborations I have not mentioned that you want to talk about?
I did a piece for the Design Museum in London the other year – that was fun.
Right. Ideal skate shop in Birmingham is where we met. What’s your favourite thing about Ideal?
Ideal Birmingam have cultivated and nurtured a skate community in Birmingham for over 30 years. I’m extremely proud to be a product of a 90’s rag tag bunch.
I’ve seen you skating at Bournbrook DIY, what’s your favourite thing to shred there and why?
It’s a neat little park, I raffled off a precious Curb Cutting piece to buy concrete for Bournbrook. Big salute to everyone involved, including the non skaters like Berni and Roxy.
For sure. Right, what’s your favourite skate video of all-time?
Sick Boys, Rubbish Heap, G&S Footage, Memory Screen ,Timecode, Sky Pager, Fucktards, Forties Amigos, Zoo York Mixtape, Trilogy and Jon’s Vid.
Who’s your favourite skater from Wolverhampton from back in the day and now?
Back in the day – Chris Dews, Jason Latchford, The Gibb, Nick Sharratt.
Now- Henry Fox
Who’s your favourite UK skater of all-time and why?
Curtis McCann – light years ahead
Who’s your favourite skater of all-time from around the world?
Julien Stranger. He was there in the Venice days, his Sky Pager part is next level and let’s face it – skateboarding would be pretty crap without Antihero
Who has your favourite style on a skateboard?
Julien, Gino and Grant Taylor have effortless style.
Agreed, what are your favourite tricks you’ve seen go down at Wolverhampton Civic Centre?
The whole Antihero team burnt it to the ground in their video Turbo Island, Grant Taylor, Nick Matthews, Daan Van Der linden and Doobie. I was on holiday when they came but saw an alternative angle of Grant Taylors crazy Roll-In through a video I was sent on my mate’s Whatsapp
Where’s your favourite skate spot in the UK?
You can’t beat a cruise around Stockwell, Stoke Plaza too
Favourite skate spot in the world?
The streets of San Francisco, Pine and Kearny St bump and Santa Rosa park are some of the most fun places I’ve skated
Rad. Do you have any plans you want people out there to know about?
My plan is to not to try and think too far ahead and try and focus on living in the now. It’s better for your mental health but easier said than done.
Agreed. Any shout outs?
Kate, Isabel and Freddie Hughes, Chris Dews, Robert Brawn, Jason Latchford, The Gibb, Nick Sharratt, Mike Manzoori, James Woodley, Henry Fox, Dan Ball, Ideal Squad, Fraser Campbell, Alan Glass, Fos, Chris Pulman, Seb Palmer, James Jarvis, Bod Boyle, Neil Macdonald, Same Old Chris, Dan Adams, Aaron Bleasdale, Wig Worland, Ben Powell, Jim Thiebaud, Andy Jenkins, Rick Ibaseta, Jaime Owens and Joe Brook.
Right before I let you go do you have any advice for skaters who want to make art but are unsure where to start?
Don’t procrastinate, just make a start and enjoy the process
Any last words Rich?
If anyone has got this far down the page thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who has supported what I do.
