For the last 20 years or so there has been a bad seed growing in the Portuguese city of Lisbon. They call him Pedro Matos. Growing up he was heavily influenced by skateboarding and graffiti which was…
Shalo P is a SF based audio-visual artist who recently exhibited a selection of 14 drawings at Ever Gold Gallery coinciding with the recent release of his self-published “LOVE IS SUCH A DANGEROUS GAME”. The zine, containing work created in…
Hot off the heals of her NYC solo show a month back, Sylvia Ji lives and works in LA and is soon off to Melbourne, Australia to speak at Semi-Permanent Sept 17th. Before she heads across the globe she'll be at the opening of the Fecal Face 10 Year Show, and you get to see her incredible works in person. If you see her at the after party @Mezzanine, buy her a drink. She's an amazing person and gifted artist, and we're very pleased that she's participating in our show.
What were you up to in the year 2000?
I was just entering the Academy of Art in SF, totally green behind the ears and ready to start a new chapter.
How has your work changed in the last 10 years?
10 years ago, I didn't know much about color, composition, mediums, pretty much all of it except that I loved to draw. I'm still learning, but my work has definitely evolved to become tighter in both technique and concept.
What did you think 2010 would be like back then?
2010 seemed like so far away back then, and now here it is, a decade later. Technology of course was going to be faster and smaller, but who would have thought smart phones and social networking would be so prevalent.
Friday, 03 September 2010, 2:24pm Written by Trippe
Too damn nice out yesterday here in SF to not take the day off. Next week, with our 10 Yr. Anniversary, is going to be busy as hell... So we took a day off and jumped on the boat and into the Bay. Here's a little visual sampling.
Los Angeles based artist Megan Whitmarsh grew up in the 70's and 80's, and, like many of her generation, uses the visual noise of her youth as inspiration, rather than the history of painting. She makes drawings, comics, hand-embroidered pieces and soft sculptures.
Her themes can best be visually described as scenes of fantasy characters existing amongst the detritus of the modern world. They can best be conceptually described as the artist's attempt to reconcile the ataxia of the modern world with an optimistic vision of the future dictated by an internal logic and supernatural iconography.
Whitmarsh sees her current artistic process as a slightly evolved continuation of her childhood practices of illustrating Buffy Ste Marie songs and making comic books about rabbits watching Mork and Mindy. -20x200.com
What were you up to in the year 2000?
My husband and I moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles stopping on the way in New Orleans (where we met) to play a last show with our band "The Hong Kong" in New Orleans on January 31, 1999.
How has your work changed in the last 10 years?
In some ways it has not changed in 30 years!-- I made a ceramic taco in 1979 and in 2006 I made one out of fabric. But in general I would say I have expanded the realm of how I make things and am somehow at the same time both less meticulous and more discerning. I make less stuff but it is more ambitious.
We've been following Corey Arnold's career for many years now. Somewhere on the internet we saw his images of men crab fishing on the Bearing Sea many years before the show Deadliest Catch was on the air. In fact, Corey was on the 1st and 2nd seasons of the show (Rollo). Corey's photos illustrated a sight few had witnessed. With a Fecal Face like minded sensibility (we later learned that Corey grew up skateboarding), Corey captured the harsh life of fishing in the Bearing Sea but his stunning images also incorporate a subtle whimsical edge that separates his work from so many others who might dare to endure the grueling fishing lifestyle. His photos are sincere where his love of the sea is quiet and respectful while skirting a witty edge.
Corey Arnold was nominated for the Aperture West Book Prize, the Santa Fe Prize for Photography, and named one of PDN’s 30 for 2009. In 2010, Corey has been commissioned by the PEW charitable trust to photograph the state of the EU fishing industry.
What were you up to in the year 2000?
I was broke after 5 years of school, living in SF. Parking cars for a living. Then I took off for Europe wearing a backpack. I traveled from the North Cape of Norway down to Sicily. That trip transformed my perception of the world forever. Then I came back to SF and parked more cars.
How has your work changed in the last 10 years?
10 years ago I was mostly a black and white picture taker. I was obsessed with darkness, grainy film, night animals, empty landscapes. I was still searching for a niche to run with and experimenting a lot. I used to spend one night a week wandering around the Presidio Park (near Golden Gate Bridge) photographing raccoons and empty buildings. At some point, things lightened up and I started shooting color. I moved to Norway in 2002 and at the same time started crab fishing seasonally in Alaska. Maybe I got inspired by all the darkness to seek a lighter existence. The past 3 years, I've had non stop travel assignments and exhibitions. Have barely had time to update my website... but sitting on a ton of unseen work. Pictures are growing larger too.
What did you think 2010 would be like back then?
I think that I would have thought that I (that's confusing) I'd be a carpenter or doing something for money other then photography. It never really occurred to me that I could do this for a living.
Wednesday, 01 September 2010, 10:33am Written by Trippe
We've featured Italian photographer Filippo Minelli "Contradictions" series before, but for those who have not seen it before... Well, have a look see. We love it.
"Contradictions" will be exhibited at the MACRO-Museum of Contemporary Arts in Rome for the 9th International PhotoFestival curated by Valentina Tanni and Marco Delogu, Emiliano Paoletti, Marc Prust, Paul Wombell.
Over the last 10 years we've gotten to know many amazing artists- got to know them well and have included them in group shows and small two or three person shows. The funny part is that even after working together, sometimes for years, there are artists we've never met in person. At some point our paths do interesect like when we finally got to met Anthony here in SF as he prepared for his Fifty24SF show (
photos). Guess that's the nature of the world we live in these days. Imagine something must be lost by the lack of physical contact, but so many fantastic communities built. Around the world through these looking machine boxes we enjoy this visual art... Trip out... Enjoy the work and words of Anthony Lister.
What were you up to in the year 2000?
Delivering pizzas and getting my nipples pierced I think.
How has your work changed in the last 10 years?
It's got better.
What did you think 2010 would be like back then?
I was just talking about this the other day while I was watching the show -beyond tomorrow', I remember when that show used to be called 'Beyond 2000'. I thought it would be like that show, and I guess it kind of is in a lot of ways. I honestly thought we would have flying cars by now though.
When you first heard of Fecal Face what did you think about it?
I thought it must of had something to do with fart cakes or like a fetish thing. Naturally I looked it up along with bonsai kittens and that was that.
How has Fecal Face Dot Com been a part of your life and/or career?
It's been cool to send pics to FF and have them be interesting enough to be posted and received well. I have had it on my bookmarks for years so yeah.
View all podcasts here and load this XML feed in your ITunes for automatic downloads. Can also find more FF podcasts and subscribe by searching "Fecal Face" in the ITunes store.
Dave Kinsey has his first solo show in a few years opening up on Sept 9th in NYC @Joshua Liner Gallery. He emailed over a few photos from his studio with some words on the show.
What can we say about Mike Giant? He's a legend who people would wait years in line in order to get tattooed by him. Now living in SF, Mike has traveled the world showing his work alongside today's most celebrated artists. These days Mike is keeping himself busy with his clothing brand Rebel8. It's been an honor to have had Mike's blog up on FF a few years back and to have him included in our 10 year show. He's a rad dude.
What were you up to in the year 2000?
I was living in SF, near 5th and Harrison. I was tattooing out of my house and on the weekends I worked at Newskool Tattoo in San Jose. I started the Skullz Press that year. I was also in a big group show in Baltimore.
How has your work changed in the last 10 years?
At face value I don't think it has changed much at all. I think I just continue to refine what I've always done.
What did you think 2010 would be like back then?
I never thought about it. I was too busy keeping up with life in the year 2000.
Saturday, 28 August 2010, 11:22am Written by Trippe
Working Class is a feature documentary loosely based on Charles Dickens book "A tale of two cities. With San Francisco artist Mike Giant, and San Diego artist Mike Maxwell discussing themes found in Dickens 1859 novel that are just as relevant today. Religion, Country and War, History, The Economy, and Art are chapters that tell the tale of the artists, the cities, and the country. Dir. Jeffrey Durkin / 95 mins.
It's nutty and the final work will go on display in just 2 weeks... If you've seen Mars work in person you know how much detail goes into each work. This one is like 4 times his normal size. Wowza.
Jim Houser may have been one of my first art crushes many many years back- pre Fecal Face days when living at the Howard House I took notice of a flier for a show Jim was having at Space 1026 in Philly. I'd seen Jim's work a few other times in skate mags since Jim painted a mini ramp they had @Space 1026. Having grown up skating too, certain music and visual input were similar to mine. His work touched on those influences but so uniquely his own and original. I'll leave it to Shepard Fairey who says it best in a Swindle interview, "When I think of Jim Houser and his art, I’m alway struck by the bond he consistently forges with his audience, the way every work of his shows me a piece of myself while at the same time reflecting his own catharsis. Jim’s paintings and installations span the entire spectrum of human emotion, but he never seems to pass judgment, leaving the bias up to the viewer’s discretion."
What were you up to in the year 2000?
In 2000, I had just moved back to Philadelphia from Providence, RI. All my buddies had started Space 1026 up, and it was kind of rolling along by that point. I was skateboarding a lot. I think that was around when i started to do graphics for Toy Machine.
How has your work changed in the last 10 years?
Don't they say it takes 10 years to get proficient at any discipline you attack? I guess I am proficient now, plus a few extra years.
What did you think 2010 would be like back then?
I was the last person I knew to get a cell phone. I was the last person I knew to get an Ipod. I think anxiety keeps me from thinking to far into the future. I'm not exactly an early adopter.
How has Fecal Face Dot Com been a part of your life and/or career?
After you guys interviewed me, I would get random emails from kids who dug my work, from Israel , from Finland , from Brazil... I think a TON of people check out the website, from all over the world. I think that exposure is pretty cool.
Thursday, 26 August 2010, 3:06pm Written by Trippe
A very warm Monday night we walked over to Fillmore near Haight to check out our friend Jesse Pollock's photo show to coincide with the release of his newest zine, GUYS, which, for me, is like a high school year book featuring friends in various forms of drunkenness... Pass through the front of this clothing boutique and into a small back room gallery space just down the street from Upper Playground. We missed Namesake's musical performance, but did end up at Mars-1 studio afterwards.
Ok, so what's the deal with the nudes? How are you and why are you getting those shots? They don't seem like traditional porn, obviously, but... well... Explain please.
that's a loaded question. i guess it all started back when i first picked up a camera in high school. i remember my photo teacher believed i showed promise and would push me to shoot as much as possible and enter me in contests and whatnot. you know, like a "don't let school get in the way of your education" type thing which i didn't like at all cause i hated everything school. not cause i'm a fucking bad ass or anything, but cause i'm a special ed. kid so i guess every time the spot light was on me i thought it would just expose the fact that i was slower or that i was on "that team" (fyi: that team is the shit) it was one of the only classes i was in that was a normal class and i was still kind of getting put on the spot. in a super rad way, but still it made me uncomfortable. anyhow, she entered me in a studio lighting contest and i knew i didn't want to take a photo of a fucking wine glass or shit like that, so i thought how about shooting some nudes?
so by something like my tenth roll of film ever shooting i shot a naked girl with roserybead and a bible. after all that i moved up to san francisco to go to the academy of art which i dropped out of after about two weeks and i stopped taking photos all together.. i guess until about a year ago but right after i dropped out i moved in with the beautiful mr. alex pardee and his girlfriend at the time and we loved going to the magazine where we'd get old porn magazines and i started collected nude snap shots. i'm not really a porn guy, i don't know any of the big porn stars or anything. i'm down with that homemade shit. so a lot of the photos i was buying were taken with a disposable camera or polaroids where the girl didn't want to show her face and it seemed like they just told stories which intrigue me or at least i would drape little stories like ornaments on photo i really just liked looking at. like, maybe this woman always wanted to pose naked, but if anyone ever saw them her life would be over or maybe these photos were of some dudes mistress or this girl's just a hooker. so i found myself staring at these photos for more then just tits and i also loved that fact that everyone was so normal. some girls were big, some had little boobies, some had no ass, some were super skinny, some were moms and being a normal guy i'm alway curious on what women look like naked and most woman aren't porn stars so when i started taking photos again i've been taking photos of just about whoever will let me. it's super funny though, i opened the door wide open for anyone to walk through and most of the girls have been these gorgeous models and i've found lot of what people have been referring to as the more interesting women on myspace and shit. so at this point where i've shot so many nudes, i've got my system down. i never ask people to pose. i just ask them questions about their lives and after someone's been naked for an hour, talking about their job or their boyfriend(s) or the fact that they're insecure about their body and posing nude empowers them-i think magic happens. so when i'm saying i want to create a "porn type" book, i really do want it to be a porn type book, but my type of porn. everyday people and i also think i found some couples who feel comfortable with me shooting them having sex, but still for whatever reason if you're shooting photos that are deficient in taste, but with an old rolleiflex with black and white film it magically suggests "art work". so i've been searching for the perfect blend of making my mom proud and disgusted, but being 1000% kevin hayes.
Kelly Tunstall & Susie Ghahremani tonight, Saturday, in NYC @Giant Robot. Meant to tell you guys sooner. Preview. September 4, 6:30 - 10:00 p.m. Giant Robot Gallery 437 East 9th Street Between 1st Ave. & Ave. A, in the East Village New York, New York 10009 (212) 674-GRNY (4769) | grny.net
RSVP 4 THE FECAL FACE SHOW & *AFTER PARTY* <-- It's been 10 freakin' years. After the art show ends at the Luggage Store we're going to party with 3 great San Francisco bands and one classic DJ. An $8 donation (no one turned away for lack of funds) gets you a raffle ticket and a chance to win original artwork and clothing donated by Upper Playground!
EVERYDAY @111 MINNA <-- featuring works from tattoo artists Mike Davis, Mike Giant, Ryan Scott Shaffer, Juan Puente, Regino Gonzales, Daniel Albrigo, Shawn Barber Henry Lewis, Don Edward Hardy and Edu Cerro.
Shawn Barber
2 SOLO SHOW @EVER GOLD <-- featuring works from Jeremiah Jenkins & Josh Short. From what we can gather Josh Short is creating an apocalyptic football field with objects created by guest artists and where he'll use a remote control monster truck to destroy them... A performance of "smashing the religious and political sculptures he made on the monster track dirt jump he has built in the middle of the gallery". 6-9pm. 441 O'Farrell St.
Jeremiah Jenkins @Ever Gold
ERIC OTTO SOLO @FABRIC 8 <-- In his largest solo show to date, filling two San Francisco galleries, Erik Otto illustrates the themes of struggle one must face in order to achieve growth – self-fulfillment versus self-destruction and how the transient nature of time dictates the uncertainty of life. 7-10pm 3318 22nd St near Valencia
Brooklyn based Don Porcella emailed over a few photos from his current show featuring his unique pipe cleaner sculptures @Alphonse Berber Projects here in SF (575 Sutter St.). The show Nature Boy runs through 10/2.
The meteoric rise and fall of Jean-Michel Basquiat, born 1960. In the crime-ridden NYC of the 1970s, he covers the city with the graffiti tag SAMO. In 1981 he puts paint on canvas for the first time, and by 1983 he is an artist with “rock star status.” In 1985 he and Andy Warhol become close friends and painting collaborators, but they part ways and Warhol dies suddenly in 1987. Basquiat’s heroin addiction worsens, and he dies of an overdose in 1988. The artist was 25 years old at the height of his career, and today his canvases sell for more than a million dollars. With compassion and insight, Tamra Davis details the mysteries that surround this charismatic young man, an artist of enormous talent whose fortunes mirrored the rollercoaster quality of the downtown scene he seemed to embody.
Wanna thank NYC based painter David Lyle for sending us this fantastic print. David's paintings are inspired from found photographs. He "feels that to find a lost photo and paint it, allows the photo and the memory to have a second life." We've been fans of his work for some time now. ~check some
Wanna thank marijuana dispensary The Vapor Room for being a sponsor of our 10 year anniversary show opening up on Sept 10th here in San Francisco. Funny because we don't even smoke pot here at Fecal Face, but if we did, The Vapor Room would be our jam.
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