Greetings and welcome to Zager Art Lab, where Brian showcases a curated selection of work inspired by his deep love for the Mid-Atlantic region and his memories of working in historic Jewish delicatessens. His creativity stems from a captivating style that combines simple visuals with hand-painted signage, perfectly blending with his current passions for painting, illustration, and custom motorcycles. We recently sat down with Brian to learn more about his influences and the journey that led to the creation of this captivating art lab.
Brian, how did the idea for Art Lab come about?
The idea for Art Lab was challenging in that it was open-ended. I wanted to create something that could be thematically built without being too specific in my interests. Digging into my lesser-known roots and combining that with my interest in custom bikes and skateboards made the most sense.
Where did you grow up and how did that influence this collection?
I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, but have lived in Bend, Oregon for about 10 years. The inspiration for this collection comes from growing up in a historic city with a diverse ethnic neighborhood.
As a Jew, I spent a lot of time in the old Jewish neighborhoods on the East Coast and in every city where Jewish immigrants settled. I had the best corned beef sandwich in Baltimore at an old deli called Attman's, which was Baltimore's version of the more famous NYC delis like Carnegie and Katz.
I felt like places like this were missing from my life, so I decided to create a collection based on this aesthetic. There's a timeless charm to the pastrami and matzoh ball soup recipes, and the chaotic hand-painted menus in the windows. And there's always plenty of Utz chips!
What was the inspiration behind the mascot?
This pin-up skater girl combines a few different interests. The pin-up girl in particular is influenced by WWII nose art, those sexy paintings on the sides of American airplanes, which in turn influences American Traditional Tattoo Flash. My previous work has also focused on pin-up girls, and I collaborated with Tactics on three boards. For this art lab, I reinterpreted the classic pin-up girl based on the Utz logo and put it on a skateboard. It's my favorite piece I've ever done. Utz, please forgive me!
How did your other interests influence this collection?
I focused on clothes I love, like cuffed beanies and tees with simple back graphics and a logo on the chest. I also love custom bikes, and wanted to create clothes that fit well while riding around town. I'm also a big fan of insulated vests, but it was fun to create a classic style with my own touch. I was frustrated that all vests didn't have a good place to store sunglasses, so I added a hidden chest pocket to this vest.
What's the secret to making good corned beef on rye?
Simplicity is key. It's basically just three ingredients, and the combination is key. It's all about high-quality, house-made corned beef, piled high on good Jewish rye bread and smeared with nothing but spicy deli mustard. Served hot or cold, when done right, it melts in your mouth.
Finally, original UTZ or flavored?
The original UTZ are the best regular chips, but I also love the BBQ and Honey BBQ. But as a Maryland resident, I can't live without the UTZ Crab Chips. There are many imitations, but the UTZ Crab Chips are the real crab chips. So, I love them both.
