Somewhere In Between
A conversation with Bryce Aspinall on art, finding a routine, and figuring it out as you go.
Interview: Michael Bercasio
Photos: Provided by Bryce Aspinall
Bryce Aspinall is a Vancouver-born visual artist whose work sits somewhere between playful and slightly off. Over the past few years, he's built a practice around simple, character-driven illustrations that feel easy at first glance but carry just enough edge to hold your attention. It's work that doesn't try too hard, but doesn't disappear either.
That approach didn't come from nowhere. Back in high school, his sketchbook had a habit of ending up in the counsellor's office. Drawings that didn't quite fit, lines that pushed just far enough to get flagged. For most, that's where things get corrected. For him, it stuck.
Since then, the path hasn't been fixed. After starting out in Vancouver, Bryce spent time in Montréal and now lives and works in Melbourne. The routine keeps changing. New city, no map, figure it out as you go. The work follows that same rhythm.
Bryce Aspinall's work feels like something you come across. Not overthought, not trying too hard. Smiling characters, loose lines, the kind of thing that catches you for a second, then sticks a little longer than you expected.
For this year's Unofficial Marathon tee, that approach made sense. Not a race graphic or a finish line moment, but everything around it. The spots you pass through, the people you run into, the small details that stay with you. Bryce pulled from growing up in Vancouver and translated it into something that feels familiar if you've been there, and still works if you haven't.
How do you usually describe your work, if you had to?
Maybe like Cartoon Network, fun for the family during the daytime and a little more mischievous after hours.
You've lived in Vancouver, Montréal, and now Melbourne. What's one thing each city has that's stuck with you?
There's something about forming a new routine in a new city that I love. Showing up with no idea where you are or what you're doing, and finding this new groove. The struggle of adapting, and then looking back on that struggle as the "good times".
“There's something about forming a new routine in a new city… showing up with no idea where you are… and finding this new groove.”
What does a normal day look like for you right now in Melbourne? Where are you usually working from?
Toast with avo and Vegemite for brekky, pass the Milk Bar to hit the servo meat pies in the arvo, chicken parma and pints at our local hotel, don't forget to say "Ta!" Might need Google Translate for that. I'm still learning (Australian slang). As far as working, we've changed sublets a few times, so my workspace has changed. Keeps it interesting, but I do miss my setup back home, especially my giant iMac!
What do you miss about Vancouver that you didn't expect?
When I left Van, I was at a breaking point in a sense. I felt stunted and was yearning for a change. So when I left, I didn't miss much. Nowadays, friends and family, food, the ocean, and just walking the streets downtown are what I miss.
Skateboarding is different from running, but there's that same feeling of just moving, not thinking too much. Like running, where it's your body and a pair of shoes. With skating, it's your body and a board. What does skating do for you when you're away from work? Does it help you reset or see things clearer?
If I've been drawing for some time, I'll certainly take a skate break at some point. If my leg starts shaking (more than normal), then it's time to sweat a bit. Even if I'm just having a bad day mentally, a good slam usually puts life back into perspective.
Random question - what's something small you've noticed recently that's been stuck in your head for no real reason?
Why do I like birds all of a sudden?
This tee is meant to feel like Vancouver, not a race graphic. From your point of view, what was it about the city you wanted to portray, and are there any details in it that only people who've spent time there would actually catch?
I picked a lot of my favourite quirks of the city, people and things I'd see as I went about my day. I've noticed that the poodle on Main Street is one that even locals don't know about.
“(With the Unofficial Marathon Tee), I picked a lot of my favourite quirks of the city, people and things I'd see as I went about my day.”
You've worked on a mix of projects. But what's one absurd surface, canvas, or object you haven't used yet but want to apply your work on and why?
The dream project would be designing a playground or inflatable bouncy castle. I say it's for the kids, but honestly I just want to climb it.
When you start something, do you usually know where it's going, or does it change halfway through?
I love a good "aha moment." Sketching an idea out, thinking you know where it's going, and then all of a sudden, a circle lines up perfectly with a square and it's the Mona Lisa.
What part of the process do you get stuck on the most, starting, halfway through, or knowing when it's done?
Beginning, middle, and end. Some projects just flow, while others take more time to see development. I tend to always stress myself out at the beginning — "I'm never going to come up with an idea!" — but as my partner reminds me every time, it always works out.
A lot of running is just figuring it out as you go. Sometimes you've got a planned route, sometimes you're just out there seeing where things lead. With your career, do you feel like you've been following a path, or just carving your path as you go along?
Just flowin' but with intention. Manifestation is powerful, and if you keep that positive energy, good things will come. Or just stress out and hope for the best. My mind usually chooses the latter.
Shop the Bryce Aspinall x RunAsYouAre Collection
