OK, this is definitely trouble. After a few years of talking about it, Bill Wall and Jeff Decker are now collaborating on a line of unique items available only at Bill Wall Leather, Hippodrome Studio and BEAMS Japan. Just think about it… jewelry and leather items from two minds that, when added together, total at least an 11. These guys peg the needle on any scale one chooses to measure.
Their collaboration, with products running the gamut from rings and chains to wallets, gives one glimpses of the details of both artists' past work. Jeff, a sculptor in bronze, and Bill, a silver and leather craftsman. One commonality is a passion for tuning high-performance hot-rods and motorcycles, which shows through subtly in each product's details.
"My dad was a skilled mechanic," said Decker, "and was a bit of a well-known guy in the hot rod culture. At any rate, he was interested in collecting vintage cars and motorbikes and was even famous as a drag racer. The cultural inspiration I got from him is pretty considerable. Also, my mom, who really knew art and fine arts, influenced me as well."
Bill's heritage springs from a marriage of his "surf punk dad" and a mother whose photography work was acclaimed worldwide. "I'm good with my hands, and jewelry was a hobby I took up as a kid to impress the girls."
It's incredible, the fascinating designs that come from the combination of those two bright minds, brought to their fullest by their respective specialities.