Jason Dussault is continuing to evolve.
Known for his high-profile streetwear fashion line Deuce Custom Ink/Dussault Apparel, the 42-year-old multimedia artist has a new focus these days that is similarly attracting widespread international attention: pop culture ceramic mosaics.
“Like talking about fashion evolving, I think it’s important for art to evolve. As an artist you’re always trying to test your limits and trying to develop your styles and evolve so that every collection you do is different from the last,” he says.
Currently based in New York City, the Kamloops native continues to spend much of his time on the North Shore as he has family here.
Dussault launched his fashion line as a custom hoodie and denim shop in Gastown in 2005. Based on positive reception, the company continued to grow and he started making his clothing on a mass level, selling his pieces through stores in Greater Vancouver. He eventually opened a shop in Los Angeles, Calif., as well as an in-store location in New York City.
First launched as Deuce Custom Ink, the company’s name was later changed to Dussault Apparel, the result of a suggestion from Kiss member Gene Simmons, who Dussault had partnered with on the musician’s Moneybag clothing line. “Deuce” had been one of Kiss’s top-selling songs and Simmons also pointed out there were many other ‘Deuces’ out there so advised if Dussault wanted to be taken seriously, he should change his company name to better reflect his unique brand.
The popularity of Dussault Apparel led to a reality show, Dussault Inc., showcasing both his personal family and professional life. The show was produced by Paperny Entertainment and ran for two seasons in 2011-12. While a great experience, it’s definitely not something Dussault plans to do again, unless he’s able to make “Kardashian money,” he laughs.
Eventually, Dussault made a decision to retire his fashion brand.
“When I walked away from the brand I was kind of burnt out. It’s a lot of work with a fashion line because you have to constantly come up with new designs. My biggest challenge was that I wanted to evolve the brand and change the brand and have it change over time like fashion does,” he says.
However, Dussault experienced pressure from retailers as well as fans wanting him to keep producing products in the same vein.
“I felt like the fashion industry was changing. It was going from a very flashy, Christian Audigier look to a more muted, tonal, relaxed, not so flashy look and my pieces were very flashy,” he says.
“The clothing brand was very successful here in Vancouver. It’s something that I intend to bring back at some point when I have some time. I get messages on my website daily from Dussault Apparel fans,” he adds.
Dussault is eyeing the coming year for the company’s potential return as it would mark its 10-year anniversary.
“I am thinking about bringing back a limited-edition line for the fans and obviously a few choice retailers,” he says.
Dussault’s interest in ceramic mosaics started three years ago. He had started experimenting with the medium and made his first work as a gift for Howard Stern, depicting the broadcaster and wife Beth’s late bulldog, Bianca.
“That dog was like their child and meant a lot to them. I had the opportunity to meet him in New York City and sit in on one of his radio shows, which was a huge massive experience for me,” he says.
Pleased with how the mosaic turned out, Dussault has continued to hone his craft over the last two years, his new direction cemented after spending some time in Malta.
“I wanted to really spend some time working on my artwork. I’ve always been an artist but I would use things like the clothing brand to express myself,” he says.
“What I liked about it was the depth of colour you can get on a glaze ceramic was deeper than any paint colour, in my opinion. . . . Not only that, when it catches and reflects light, so when you move past it, it almost dances,” he adds.
Dussault crafts his pieces by combining ceramic tile, paint, grout and vintage porcelain that he’s always on the hunt for.
“That’s the real fun part. Wherever I’m working in the world I’m always going to ceramic shops and building relationships with tile stores,” he says.
His studio in New York is stocked with thousands of tiles in a variety of colours. He also has two kilns that allow him to paint tiles with glaze and fire them himself in case he can’t find a specific colour he’s looking for. Dussault has also incorporated what he refers to as “diamond dust,” a type of glitter, into a trademark grouting process he’s developed, setting him apart from his peers.
Dussault has been continuing to exhibit his mosaics. His first show was in early 2015 at New York’s Hoerle-Guggenheim Gallery. Deconstructive/Constructive was based on imagery from his youth and inspired by comic book heroes.
His second showing was this summer at Ruschmeyer’s, a hotel in Montauk, New York. Dussault created a series of free-standing mosaic surfboard sculptures in a collection called Off Duty. Each surfboard featured a Lego superhero or comic book character enjoying an off-duty activity, for example, the Hulk eating ice cream or Spiderman water skiing.
A recent showing in Miami saw the artist experiment with portraiture and he exhibited a piece depicting Andy Warhol.
“The direction I’m going in right now is almost trying to recreate photograph quality through mosaic using different colours,” he says.
Continuing with portraiture, Dussault is currently exhibiting a three-by-four-foot mosaic of Justin Trudeau, entitled “23,” at Vancouver’s Kimoto Gallery, part of its Winter WonderWalls holiday group show.
“I wanted to mark a really important time for Canada in ceramic. Living in the US, you don’t get a whole lot of Canadian news unless it’s really big. . . . I feel like if any other political figure outside of Justin Trudeau was elected that we wouldn’t have heard much in the US, if anything. It would have just been a side note. The fact that Justin was elected, it was international news overnight. . . . He’s someone that’s really captured the world’s imagination right out of the gate,” says Dussault.
“I’m really proud of the way he’s currently been representing us in the short period of time on an international level. Bringing in these Syrian refugees makes you very proud to be a Canadian and we’re one of the countries leading the charge with helping people who need help around the world. I feel like he’s Canada’s version of Barack Obama and he’s captured the world’s attention like no other PM in recent history,” he adds.
His mosaics are continuing to be well-received, something he’s incredibly grateful for.
“I’ve been fortunate enough that the majority of my pieces have been selling and people have been enjoying them and it feels amazing when that happens, when somebody is willing to put down the money, buy your pieces and then hang them in their homes or their offices. The validation is incredible because you do put your heart and soul into it,” he says.
Winter WonderWalls, which features works by David Wilson, Rebecca Chaperon and Veronica Plewman among others, will complete its run Jan. 16, 2016 at the Kimoto Gallery, located at 1525 West Sixth Ave., Vancouver.
