For this series created with Chocolate Skateboards, Carlos Gutierrez draws on a personal memory. Inspired by Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel’s song White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It), the artist explains how he reflected on the powerful messages conveyed by certain skate graphics in the past: against animal cruelty, against the Ku Klux Klan, or more broadly against various forms of oppression.
In keeping with this tradition, Carlos Gutierrez wanted to send a clear message against cocaine and drugs in general. The misunderstanding from his childhood, when he understood White Lines as White Lies, becomes a narrative entry point here: behind an apparent graphic softness and almost poetic phrases, the message is direct. The boards function as silent posters, reminding us that skateboarding can also be a medium for taking a stand, without moralizing, but allowing the message to sink in.
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