Meet Stevie C.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stevie C.

Hi Stevie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am the owner and operator of Moment Screen Printing in Frogtown. We do premium screen printed goods for a unique bunch of diverse clients. I have the pleasure of printing and helping create branded goods for great local eateries like Wax Paper & burgers never say die, to emerging and established streetwear brands and some clients that we can’t even name… I came to LA to play music over 25 years ago after a decade of working in some notorious clubs (like CBGS’S and First Avenue). I was working in upscale fashion boutiques all along the way to pay the bills.

Thru sheer curiosity in LA, I started screen printing for the sake of art exploration. I used to get on my skateboard and just skate thru the city with my camera and see what caught my eye. I would take photos on these exploratory missions and then develop the film. Once I had the pictures, I would go use an old-school copy machine to cut, paste and copy until I saw something I like. Then I would make screens and attempt to try and screen print the images onto various things, along with some tee shirts. Those tees ended up hanging in Traffic Los Angeles (Beverly Center) next to the likes of some of the top European designers of the time, and to my surprise they all sold. I figured maybe there is something to this, so I decided to really learn how to screen print. I honestly owe a lot to all the people who took a chance and helped me along the way.

Basically, one thing led to another and people started asking me to make things for their projects. Along the way and over the years I really grew to love Los Angeles and all the cool creative and interesting people and projects that the city generates. It never gets old to me… I just love the tangible results of pushing ink thru screens and onto fabric. The challenge that comes along with new designs that come and go always keeps it interesting. If you would have told me I would be printing goods for the current opening at the Los Angeles museum of contemporary art 25 years ago, I would have said “no shit”.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s not always been an easy road. There were many days and years of slogging thru many tuff jobs by myself with little to no help. Slow and steady wins the race. That’s what I believe anyways…

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Screen printing is a commercial art form that takes a lot of experience to get good at. It took me many years of mediocrity and trial and error to establish a base of practical and professional knowledge. What sets us apart is I actually care about the quality of results. There is a ton of competition in LA. I am proud of the fact that I continue to strive for what will produce the best result, not for what is most profitable. In a world of mediocrity, quality it is really the only thing that I continue to strive for and the one thing that really can set us apart. I don’t want to be the biggest, but I do want to be considered as one of the best.

What were you like growing up?
I was a curious kid. We moved around a lot so I had to learn how to be flexible and personable. When my mom was raising me she would always have me do art projects of some sort. I always had a pair of scissors and some crayons or something. Music and art, my life has always revolved around those two things in some sort of way. I guess I like sliding in some form or another as well, skating, surfing, and skiing. Being that my dad is a ski instructor there would be no snowboarding in our house. Lol…

Contact Info:

• Website: momentscreenprinting.com
• Instagram: steviec15

Image Credits
portrait by: Ewan Burns Photography