Mike Aho of the Austin based ((sounder)), who we've featured over the years, has just released this great Madonna cover which was recorded at Okay Mountain.
Ok, so we "know" there are no Brown Recluses in California, but shit, it looked like one to us... Found in the folk's house in Marin on the bathroom floor on Saturday. Argh.
Oops. Looks like our drunk cabby's vodka bottle slipped out... Think he needed a cab more than we did. Bummer.
Drawing Stories is a new series from our buddy Travis Millard. Grab a cup of hot coco, get your slippers on and enjoy some time with your uncle Millard.
I didn't know if you came across this video yet, but I ran into my friend Brian Hanson yesterday who helped film and edit it. It's a film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard Shaper Tim Stamps. Super rad and really inspiring! Anyhow take a peek.
DOP_Jonathan Bennett, Brian Hanson
Edit_Brian Hanson
Colorist_Jonathan Bennett
Audio_Keith Culver, Bill Keller
Audio/Lighting Coordinator_Matt Pindroh
Director/Producer_Bill Keller
A Hidden Notice production
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
Huge Clare Rojas in the international terminal at SFO.
Highly recommend spending a little more for your own private pool.
BNJMN (pronounced Benjamin) is a mobile sensory image production mechanism. His works bring to question what it means to perceive the humanity or spirit possessed by an "artist" in the central act of creation.
BNJMN's personality (programming) allows him to roam in search of mediums to paint upon. Once a suitable substrate and its size have been determined, he begins a two-part painting process utilizing two independent (dualistic) aluminum arms and a modern acrylic chassis to create unique works of the moment. The first part being the seemingly behavioral act of painting based on random and non-random protocols, and the second, a signature to mark completion.
Might be best to watch this in full screen. Some serious resolution.
From the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz to the Bay Lights at night, see the Bay Area's most iconic locations like you've never seen them before. Shot in 4K/"Ultra-HD," Teton Gravity Research presents the first footage from their new RED Epic-equipped gyrostabilized camera platform: The GSS C520. The GSS C520 is a portable 5-axis system that houses a range of leading digital cinema cameras, like the Epic and Sony F55, while also capable of integrating future advancements in camera technology.
San Francisco-based paper artist Ryan De La Hoz talks about why he works with paper, his preference for analog versus digital and why he thinks he can't draw.
Miss Van is one of our all time favs and she features in the latest issue 21 of VNA. After a lengthy hiatus from painting on the streets, we caught up with her in Sao Paulo where she was feeding off the local vibes and getting sparked to paint outside again. We're glad shes back.
Today we've launched a new music video I've created. The video is made in stop motion using an analog camera (Olympus Mju I) and around 80 films. It's for Kreatones a young wave band from the Netherlands.
I hope you like it and like to show this to the Fecal Faces out there. -Jorrit Spoelstra
I guess I would tell someone I primarily work on paper, prefferibly stretched over panels. I use a wide range of mediums, gouache, enamel, oil, etc. My imagery derives from various interests I have, drug/alcohol consumption, Suburbia, and Santeria to name a few.
Influences?
Jazz, Giorgio Morandi, James Bond, the Lost Bros familia, my dog Bubba Gucci, but my biggest influence has got to be my father. Hardest working man I know.
Cheese burgers or tofu burgers?
PIZZA!/ Sam's Burgers on broadway
Favorite place traveled?
Haven't done much traveling, but I recently visited New York for the first time last summer and was pretty stoked on it.
Working routine? Music? Time of day?
I try an work either early in the morning, but I usually end up working on things late at night shackled in my atelier listening to some jazz or oldies. You know, that Art Laboe shit.
Philadelphia, PA. 22. BFA from Tyler School of Art. www.kylekogut.com
How would you describe your work to someone?
My work mainly consists of mixed media drawings and paintings of nonsensical figures/environments. A lot of it is about mankind's relationship to Nature, in both physical and metaphysical realms. Recently I've also been making animations and sculptures that deal with similar narratives.
Influences?
My biggest inspiration is the natural world; what separates man from animal, and how have we evolved to conceptualize and comprehend our own existence as independent entities from the world around us. Mythology, philosophy, religious iconography, and cultural practices all play a part in the narrative of my work. Visual influnences include the Northern Renaissance period, Greek and Roman antiquity, fauvism, Christopher Davison, Picasso, Allison Shulnik, Jan Švankmajer, Dasha Shiskin, Dürer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, and countless others. Influences really come from everything.
Cheese burgers or tofu burgers?
Cheese please.
Favorite place traveled?
North Wales.
Working routine? Music? Time of day?
I basically lock myself in my studio and pretty much just do whatever I want, no rules. I make myself be stay productive and use my work as exploration of new ideas. I'm always looking for that next image or theme to expand on or experiment with. In the studio I listen to everything from the Black Angels to Panda Bear to Om. I make work around my job schedule, so it all kind of depends.
How do you pay the bills?
I run my own screen printing company and fill in some hours at a library, which also serves as an endless resource of history and imagery. I also have some potential teaching opportunities in the near future.
One of the wonderful things about running this site... So many talented artists email their fantastic works of art. Thanks and congrats, Carl Burton. Great short film.
Working Title will explore how local artist entrepreneurs are re-inventing the American Dream, creating alternative economies and redefining success in the Bay Area.
Friends got married, saved some jokers from wrecking their boat on Alcatraz, our Winter Group Show @FFDG, stayed at the incredible beach front cabins at Mt. Tam State Park, and spent time on the water.
An interactive media installation created in collaboration with Mike Allison. A stretched sheet of spandex acts as a membrane interface sensitive to depth that people can push into and create fire-like visuals and expressively play music. More information available at: aaron-sherwood.com/works/firewall Will be used in the performance piece Mizaru: purringt.com/mizaru
San Francisco artist Kevin Taylor introduced us to the work of Jay Bo who lives and works in Berlin.
Kevin was there in Berlin a few months back working on a solo show (studio visit pics) and thought we'd like Jay Bo's paintings. Well, we do and wanted to share them with you.
My work is about visual fragmentation. About rebuilding. I follow paradoxical ideas at the edge of the legacy of romantism. A touch of insanity, a dance between rational and irrational, I just try to escape reality. I considere myself an abstract painter, playing with the contrast between hyperrealism and expressionism. I try to marry the two. By the way this is not a question I can answer, as my answer is the piece itself.
Influences?
I am perpetually influenced by everything, my work is based on layers, as our memories are. The raster made out of thoses bring me to new horizons. That's why I am not only influenced by the old paint masters but also on the multiple failures of mankind. by the nature, by your questioning as well as by the silence in the morning, by the words of poets, and by the screams of Earth.
Cheese burgers or tofu burgers?
Definitly both but self made.
Favorite place traveled?
Well the next one. I am interessted in the concept of traveling not in places. And this has to be contrasted, I like to observe confrontation. Visual opposition. I am walking the same ways over and over and I find something unseen everyday. I am an observer and I need therefore more time on a new place to understand it. Africa have left a big influence on my acceptance of chaos.
Working routine?
Yes which is the hard part. Discipline never has be my friend.
Artist Ian Strange [ KID ZOOM ] repaints 2 McDonalds bus-shelter advertisements. Part of an ongoing series of advertising interventions and disruptions. http://www.kid-zoom.com
Maybe one of the greatest TV personalities of our time has passed.
Watching the extremely sincere Huell Howser on California's Gold is both highly addictive and relaxing with plenty of bizarrely beautiful moments like the one below... Wonder who Huell's interviewing right now in the afterlife.
Fecal Face has been in exsistence since the year 2000. Ever since then, High 5s, a photo-ish blog, has been thrown up about every 2 weeks. Here is another one.
Ya, the Navy left some radioactive materials after cleaning up boats exposed to radiation.
Every city has them but some more than others. I used to live on Powell Street many years back and would often resort to just walking in the street opposed to battling sidewalk space with the clumsy toddler minded tourist bumping up and down the sidewalks.
Here in San Francisco a portion of the Hotel Tax goes towards funding the arts. So remember that when irritated by the map wielding/ bike renting/ Fisherman's Wharf bound T-Dogs. High five them and remember that everyone's a tourist at some point.
"Trickle Down" economics has always sounded a little dirty to me - if only because of it's diction and the immediate visual connotations. -Matt Reynolds
Yep, we like Dugan O'Neal and the videos he directs. He just keeps getting better and better and his talents have paid off as he directed Matt and Kim's new video and is directing the new series Stupid Hype out very soon on the CW.
If you want more Dugan, check today's Photo of the Day below... Christmas is around the corner.
It's November. Mercury is in retrograde. Giants won the World Series, Obama won the president race, US drones are getting shot out of the sky, stores are ready to sell you EVERYTHING for Black Friday sales, and I don't think Santa is bringing me anything for Christmas this year. Whew, but back to Free Fridayz. Last week there was a decent turnout of drawings but not that many votes, which led to a tie. Which led to an official tie breaking decision by me. The winner of last weeks Free Fridayz goes to #16 by Solange who has won themselves a TShirt by Mel Kadel. It was a nice drawing and quite witty. Way to go.
There are some pretty nice entries this week. I had to keep a few out because they weren't in .jpeg format, didn't go with the theme or lacked blood, sweat and tears. Free Fridayz is transcending to the next dimension. To go where no drawing has gone before, which makes me think about space tourism. Over here in SF, the tourists are a bunch of bobble heads that block the sidewalk staring at food menus and store front pastries. Crowding shopping malls in their last chance to get a pair of denim. And they are all photographers now. A bunch of Ansel Adams. I pray to the Universe that if we ever have space tourism in this life-time, that these tourists travel with much more dignity and respect to the culture and places they visit or perhaps just start now. -Joe
The warm San Francisco days and nights seem to be coming to an end. World Series champs and everything is alright in the world once again as we head into the dark, cool and rainy winter months. Time to hibernate and move cautiously around with blinkies on our bikes. Can't believe the Holidays are just about here.
A collection of photos from this gallery owner/ art website editor.
Brooklyn based painter Hiro Kurata, whose work we love, opened the solo show "This Land Was Your Land" at London's Ivory and Black last Friday. After watching the video, get a better taste of his work here.
Speaking of Jay Howell, his solo show at FFDG in San Francisco opens this February. If you wanna be added to the preview, which is filling up fast, let us know: info(at)ffdg.net
It's Free Fridayz time again. I bet you all are wondering who one last weeks theme, Ghostbusters? There were so many votes. Great participation everyone. But check this, a lot of votes did not count because they did not log-in. The drawer who got the most logged votes was number #1, Amia from Spokane Washington. Way to go!! You won,
We had big turn out this week for Talking Heads. The drawings look AWESOME. I don't have a binder full of women. If I did, they'd be aging in a box at a dusty storage unit having lesbian sex together. Thanks for all of you that format your drawings to file, size and make it presentable. The stakes are about to get raised for the next sessions. Things been a bit lenient for this first phase of FF. Some of you are new to the game. Drawings have to display efforts according to the theme. Gotta see the words Fecal Face (FF) and have a level of presentation and be sent as a jpg. Just a little cooperation makes my job easier. I like easy, just like you. And it's always nice when you all include your city, state, planet to represent. See the guidelines below.
And remember, Have your homies log-in to vote!!! -Joseph Magnano
Next week's theme: Weekends
Submission Guidelines for next week:
We had some great entries this week that we couldn't run, either because they weren't sized right or had nothing to do with theme. Just to be clear, when the next theme comes out the old theme is officially over. Please don't send in more submissions for old themes. It makes up feel bad when you send us stuff and we can't post it up so please read the guidlines below:
- This is a drawing/ illustration fun contest. Photography generally not accepted.
- The size formatting is 695 pixels in width OR length. So if you have a long skinny one, please make sure it is not over 695 in length or we will not be able to see it well.
- Name your submission your first and last name. Example: john_doe.jpg
- Include the words "Fecal Face" somewhere in the art so we know you created it (please do not to add it in later with Photoshop).
- One submission per person by Friday October 12th at 12pm PST.
- If you have a website (or two) please specify which one you would like me to link in the body of your email. Also, let us know where you're from! Send it all to freefridayz (at) fecalface.com.
I'm feeling the Holy Ghost around here. The momentum of Free Fridayz is happening. Last week's winner was a tie between Alain Cheung (Montreal) and Ishi (Melbourne). Congrats to you two. You get socks. (Reminds of what would have been a depression era contest winning) Alain would have took the victory if all the votes would have logged in. Similiar to registering to vote. TELL ALL YOUR HOMIES TO LOG IN WHEN THEY VOTE! (Facebook, Disqus, Twitter, Google...)
This weeks entries are looking nice. I'm diggin the Ryland Fortie piece. Big Props to Eric Sauve for hitting up a canvas. Keep pushing those brushes.
Next weeks theme, dedicated to political shenanigans, presidential debates and pigeons will be Talking Heads.
Next weeks theme: Talking Heads
Submission Guidelines for next week:
We had some great entries this week that we couldn't run, either because they weren't sized right or had nothing to do with theme. Just to be clear, when the next theme comes out the old theme is officially over. Please don't send in more submissions for old themes. It makes up feel bad when you send us stuff and we can't post it up so please read the guidlines below:
- This is a drawing/ illustration fun contest. Photography generally not accepted.
- The size formatting is 695 pixels in width OR length. So if you have a long skinny one, please make sure it is not over 695 in length or we will not be able to see it well.
- Name your submission your first and last name. Example: john_doe.jpg
- Include the words "Fecal Face" somewhere in the art so we know you created it (please do not to add it in later with Photoshop).
- One submission per person by Friday October 12th at 12pm PST.
- If you have a website (or two) please specify which one you would like me to link in the body of your email. Also, let us know where you're from! Send it all to freefridayz (at) fecalface.com.
Man, it was really scraping by this week. Entries were on the endangered list (well, it is the 1st one after a long break after all). Thanks to all that did take the time to send some original artwork. Its nice to see draw'ers poping up globally for Free Fridayz. Well, over here in S.F. were heading into fall. That means the arrival of time change, presidential elections, box stores throwing up Christmas shit, the flu, I.P.A drinking and Halloween. What inspires you when you hear Ghost Busters.
Next week's theme: Ghost Busters
Submission Guidelines for next week:
We had some great entries this week that we couldn't run, either because they weren't sized right or had nothing to do with theme. Just to be clear, when the next theme comes out the old theme is officially over. Please don't send in more submissions for old themes. It makes up feel bad when you send us stuff and we can't post it up so please read the guidlines below:
- This is a drawing/ illustration fun contest. Photography generally not accepted.
- The size formatting is 695 pixels in width OR length. So if you have a long skinny one, please make sure it is not over 695 in length or we will not be able to see it well.
- Name your submission your first and last name. Example: john_doe.jpg
- Include the words "Fecal Face" somewhere in the art so we know you created it (please do not to add it in later with Photoshop).
- One submission per person by Friday October 12th at 12pm PST.
- If you have a website (or two) please specify which one you would like me to link in the body of your email. Also, let us know where you're from! Send it all to freefridayz (at) fecalface.com.
As we approach the anniversary of the fire, we're looking forward to settling. Crazy month or so with family emergencies and trips to the homeland. Also some visual randomness thrown in for good measure.
Our buddy Mike Aho is getting down with some rad video projects as of late.
His most recent was done for the collab between Volcom and the children's show YO GABBA GABBA! Mike wrote the little jungle and had the amazing opportunity to fly to NY and record it with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips and Mother F-ing Biz Markie. They recorded at David Friedman's legendary studio. Then they set up a green screen and shot those two animals, Jack Black, Mark Mothersbaugh and Neploeon Dynamite! Mike Aho shot and directed the whole jam. Great job, Mike.
Got an email from Tim Bierbaum who wanted to let us know about his fantastic new multimedia web series Real Artists he created. It's great, and he wrote and directed this pilot episode. He also photographed, illustrated, animated, and recorded a voice. We love it. Think you will too.
"Real Artists" (a Thrash Lab special created by Tim Bierbaum)
This first episode of Real Artists finds a number of characters engaged in their daily routine in New York City. Presented as a collection of vignettes, the episode connects the characters and discussions in a digressive unpredictable way.
Todd Walberg emailed over these photos of Thee Oh Sees recently taken last month at Pickathon in Happy Valley, Oregon. Why not a little post love for one of the best bands here in San Francisco?
Ever listen to our 2007 podcast interview with front man John Dwyer? It's a good one. Music in Providence, Start of the Coachwhips, Touring, Fighting in Toronto, Drugs, Recording, Favorite Shows, New Ohsees Album, Meric Long, and much much more... Recorded Nov 7, 2007 in the Mission District of San Francisco. Take a listen.
Thee Oh Sees are currently on tour with Ty Segall. They play in Brooklyn this Saturday, Sept 22nd. They return back to SF with a show on 10/12/2012 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA w/Sic Alps + Sonny Smith & The Mallard
Thee Oh Sees perform "Contraption" and "Soul Desert" live on KEXP from the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland during Musicfest NW. Recorded 9/10/10. www.kexp.org
Long time Fecal Pal, Mike Aho, just completed this great video for Jason Lytle (Grandaddy). You may or may not Mike Aho from his brilliant Internet Shack series w/ Michael Sieben or maybe his music with ((SOUNDER)).
Bay Area artist and waterman, Martin Machado, was invited to sail with a group of artists and scientists to a far off uninhabited atoll in the middle of the Eastern Pacific. Exotic animals and beautiful tranquil scenes. Check it and dream of similar travels.
(photo: Machado) I saw some footage of the island from the 80's when Jaques Cousteau came here, so I convinced French Tom to bring one of his surfboards. But we couldn't find anywhere that didn't look like it would smash us to bits.
(photo: Beek) Ashore, a tent camp was pitched on the cement foundation of an old base. The island has an insane history involving conflicting nations, pirates, murders, and a whole bunch of marooned people. Its definitely worth looking into if you're a history buff.
These birds were hilarious, totally unafraid of people and not too smart, they would fly into us all the time.
Here's a large paintings I did on paper, rolled up in a tube, and shipped out to Scotland in June. Titled "The Inhabitants of the Waters of Clipperton Atoll"
Bay Area artist and waterman, Martin Machado, was invited to sail with a group of artists and scientists to a far off uninhabited atoll in the middle of the Eastern Pacific. Exotic animals and beautiful tranquil scenes. Check it and dream of similar travels.
(photo: Naim Rahal) For another five days and nights we sailed basically due south, putting us far offshore as the Mexican coastline juts eastward.
(photo: Machado) Hey what the heck?
(photo: Machado) Ha, oh geez.
(photo: Naim)
(photo: Biller) I don't think they had seen a woman in months, so needless to say Manon took some harassment. Here one guy gave her the gift of a shirt but said she had to switch it with hers. That's about when we asked to be taken back to our boats.
A short video from the Andreas Trolf benefit that we hosted last Friday. Thanks again to the artists, the sponsors and to everyone who came out to purchase raffle tickets and original artworks. Amazing to see so many people support a good dude whose medical bills are WAY up there.
Andreas Trolf was involved in a horrible motorcycle which left him with many broken bones and reconstructive surgeries. 13 specialists worked on him, not only save his life, but to help him get back on his feet, literally. After multiple weeks in the hospital, he finds himself with medical expenses well into the high hundreds of thousands of dollars. The kicker was that the accident (a lady pulled out in front of him) was that it happened just days before he was to sign a insurance plan with his new employer.
If you would like to help, there's a Paypal account set up to go directly towards my medical bills. If you sign into paypal.com, just send the funds to andreasrelieffund@gmail.com, but make sure that you send the money as a gift and not as a payment. Any help would be much appreciated.
Special Delivery Sat Sept 8th Berkeley, California details
A large warehouse in Berkeley, which has been vacant for over a decade, has played a role in the local graffiti scene here in the Bay Area. It was recently purchased by a Bay Area based firm with plans to refurbish the building into a permanent office facility. The owner of the company happens to be on the board for the Oakland Museum of California. As an inspired art enthusiast, he noticed some of the graffiti in the building was done by the very same artists whom are currently exhibiting at the OMCA. Saddened by the destruction of this museum worthy artwork and the cultural history behind it, he asked Endless Canvas to invite the artists back to restore the graffiti in the warehouse.
For the last few months Bay Area street artists have been painting the three story warehouse for a show to open to the public this Saturday evening, Sept 8th. The location of the show will be announced on Friday here.
Anyone going to check this out and wanna cover it for Fecal Face? Let us know. contact(at)fecalface.com
SPECIAL DELIVERY is a large scale mural exhibition featuring a number of prolific street artists from the Oakland / San Francisco Bay Area.
What has resulted is a three part project. Part one: a professional photographer has documented all of the graffiti pieces in the building. Part two: we will be hosting the SPECIAL DELIVERY Art Show. For this we have invited over 80 of the Bay Area's most prolific street artists to paint the interior space of the building, to be exhibited for public view in September. The new pieces will be documented thoroughly then later removed for necessary renovation of the warehouse. It will take about a year to refurbish the building. Once this process is complete, a selection of artists will be invited back to install permanent murals on the interior walls of the building. All three stages will be documented and followed by a published book sharing the project as a whole.
All of the participating artists have spent a significant amount of time creating works of public art in the Bay Area. Some have been featured in museums and documentaries and others are home town heroes in the underground art scene.
Albert Reyes is an artist living in El Sereno, CA. In his backyard he has made a giant haunted house/maze inspired by burned out buildings. Occasionally he will build smaller mazes in gallery settings, but it is his ever changing backyard maze that really impressed me, leading to the creation of a film about it. The film ended up being as much about the unique city Albert comes from as the artist and his creations.
Fecal Face contributor and LA based artist Michael Hsiung teams up with his sister Pearl Hsiung on their ongoing art collaboration called "Fight To The Death."
Students will embark on an interactive journey exploring several works at Dallas Contemporary. This year's summer workshop will focus on Shepard Fairey and his murals in West Dallas. During this time we will also offer a tour through West Dallas to introduce Fairey's murals and discuss the general themes of peace and harmony he represents in his art. This part of the workshop will encourage students to discover, question, and explore contemporary art, focusing on the street art of Shepard Fairey and his techniques of lettering, stencil making, and collage. This is a special opportunity for students to experience art both in and outside the gallery. -more details
Director and Cinematographer : Justin Clemons | Editor : Matt Brundige | Motion Graphics : Dustin Bailey
A little walk through of Mike Giant's show Confessions of an Old Dirty Skateboarder running at FFDG and which is in its final week. 2277 Mission St. San Francisco, CA. Hours: Wed thru Sat (1-6pm).
The boards are from Giant's time as the art director at Think Skateboards from '93-'97. He drew all the graphics.
For over 7 years Media Temple has been hosting Fecal Face with their wonderful tech support, fast servers, and with more bells and whistles than what we know to do with. As far as we're concerned, they are the BEST hosting provider out there, and it's been a pleasure to be associated with them.
They swung through FFDG a couple weeks back and got this short interview for their client showcase series. Be sure to watch the others they've done with the likes of Keep A Breast, SurfRider, and others HERE.
Geometric and architectural forms that mirror both my weariness and confidence of the future.
I'm drawing from a beautiful, yet growingly ominous midwest landscape. I use a bright, neon
and pastel palette to balance a heavier line, and to convey a wishful personal conscious. When
composing work, I tend to centralize imagery of the most importance.
Influences?
The midwest, my friends and my lady, Bob Dylan, and recently Star Wars
Cheese burgers or tofu burgers?
I'd take either, but I really just want some general tso's.
Favorite place traveled?
Had a few life changing moments in SF, but Vegas was epicly hardcore.
Working routine? Music? Time of day?
Well, I'm living in a shed right now, so i just wake up and I'm pretty much in the middle of
my studio. If I have no money-making schemes to pursue that day, then I'll just work until I'm
ready for bed or a movie. Lately I've been listening to a lot of oldies, but mostly the sound of
my dogs barking.
This video will most likely be the best thing you see today. Epic video of turning SF streets into a giant hot wheels track.
Shot on the actual streets of San Francisco, California, GYM5 features a focus on fast, raw and precise driving action. Filmed over four days, director Ben Conrad and his team are back to work on their second Gymkhana production and delivered the entire city of San Francisco as Ken Block’s personal gymkhana playground. DC Shoes also provided fellow DC athlete and longtime Ken Block friend, Travis Pastrana, to make a cameo appearance on his dirtbike, and S.F. resident Jake Phelps of Thrasher Magazine fame also makes a cameo as Block hoons S.F. in his most incredible Gymkhana yet.
Summer's officially here, although with highs topping out at 57 this week in SF, it doesn't feel like it... In any case, we were able to score a super hot weekend recently and decided to camp on Angel Island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Incredible views, the island practically to yourselves, and its close proximity to the city make it one of the best and easy camping trips you can have. Here's a lil' photo essay.
I declare Angel Island as the best beering destination... On the very hot days, swimming is required.
2.5 mile hike to our camp. Not bad. Travel light. Strong beer/ wine suggested. If hard booze your thing, do it. Watery beer best left at home.
We swamped hanging the show for Friday's opening, but wanted to share with you this great animation Gino Bud Hoiting, who lives and works in Paris (France, that is), emailed over last week. It's got a catchy beat.
Mel emailed over this awesome video of ways to get it done when there's no opener in sight. And no surprise this Sumers, who made the video and lives in Austin, is good pals with Michael Sieben.
How fast till' someone at an advertising firm sees this and copies it for a future Budweiser campaign or something. I can see it now. "And be sure to upload your video of your creative way to open your bottle of Bud on our website". It would be a great campaign actually.
This is a short film that I was a part of for Adam Young's solo Art Show at Common House Gallery entitled: Songs of the Early Riser. Adam had a concept for a video installation. I took his concept and put it into a video. We originally had 4 different edits looping at the show in his installation, but this edit is a compilation of my favorite clips from the three day shoot. This has been the most fun project I have been a part of to date. Sitting around with your friends killing a couple of six packs of beer trying to think of different means to open your next drink is pretty fun. I encourage you to try it. -Chris Sumers
In a unique and diverse Detroit neighborhood a transition is taking place. People are moving out, but people are also starting to move back. There is a devotion to this neighborhood, a unique challange to create a place that is rich in diversity, exciting and fun to live in, beautiful and clean to play in. Ride-it Sculpture Park come this summer, with your help, will become the first sculpture park where you can officially ride the art. Not to mention a place where bored neighborhood teenagers and adults can meet, play, create, build and ride on.
Ride it Sculpture Park consists of four vacant commercial lots along East Davison Freeway in Detroit and an adjacent vacant house as the main site for the project. The house will serve as a mini indoor park, transforming parts of the house to be skateable and livable at the same time for visiting skateboarders and artists. The park will extend into the neighborhood revamping neglected alleys, garages and other vacant lots, creating a new and positive use for the forgotten and dismissed landscapes of this great city.
OUR TEAM: Artists and skateboard industry professionals from the neighborhood and across the country:
Project Partners: Emerica, Independent
Media Partners: Thrasher, Slap, Juxtapoz
Joe Brook, Photographer for Thrasher Mag. THE MAN who got this going.
Director of the documentary film DRAGONSLAYER --> DRAGONSLAYER is a documentary about the skateboarder Josh "Skreech" Sandoval. He's a character and the film follows his many ups and downs dealing with young parenthood, competing, and relationships. However, rather then try and make some type of statement about him, it just presents him objectively in the way that he is through wonderful cinematography.
I spoke with Tristan Patterson, the film's director, over the phone and asked him some of the questions I had after watching his film.
ATTENTION: The following interview may contain SPOILERS -- so you may want to watch the film before you read it.
Skreech is what I describe as a crusty kid. He doesn't seem to shower often and often hangs around a semi-homeless group of friends. Anyways, midway through the film they all take a road trip together and all I could think about was how bad the van must've smelt.
"To be honest, I think we all smelt pretty bad," said Tristan "so I can't really be judgmental about it"
It's that approach to the filming that allowed Tristan to capture so many intimate moments though. Especially, in some of the scenes where he got footage of underage kids drinking and using drugs, which I imagine would've been next to impossible if he had started preaching at them.
"I wasn't witnessing anything that I wasn't doing at their age. So who am I to tell people about how to live their lives"
But what about when they would trespass onto peoples' properties to skate their pools? Wasn't he nervous?
"I figured that if anything happened, we'd be able charm our way out of it."
I was born and breed in Southern California and I spend most of my time now making graphite drawings. I also work with my friend Naheed Simjee on a range of really exciting projects with artists through our company SIMJEE TEXTOR.
Exploding Mouse / Collaboration with Ryan Travis Christian / 18" x 24" / graphite on paper
I would describe my work as hyperrealistic graphite drawing. The theme of the work varies but I often include elements like smoke, filtered light, negative space, water and rocks to create organic uncommon images of natural environments.
Useless Struggle / 46" x 35.75" / graphite on paper
Describe your process for creating new work.
The initial stages involve some tinkering in photoshop to make adjustments and to get a sense for what the finished product will look like. It is a lot easier to erase clouds or add more trees when you are working on a computer than to hand draw it. Deciding on the scale of the work is an important part of the process and I'm slowly creeping towards making larger and larger work although I also enjoy the intimate scale of the smaller works.
Working routine? Music? Time of day?
I'm a night person so I'm usually the most productive between 10pm and 2am but if I'm working on a show I'm drawing all day every day and I become a bit obsessive about it. Music, podcasts, Netflix or something is always playing since the work can become monotonous and this part of the process does not involve a lot of decision making. Sometimes I get a song stuck in my head and play it on repeat until I finish the piece so I'll end up listening to the same song a couple hundred times in a row. That military torture technique would never work on me.
Smoking Ledge / 20" x 14" / graphite on paper
Influences?
Storytelling and strong narratives, chain emails of crazy photos from around the world and the internet. I'm interested in the general pursuit of discovery. The amount of information out there these days can be overwhelming but it is fascinating how one subject can lead to another and in turn, how they relate to each other.
Tucker Nichols emailed over this Whole Foods poster (below right) which looks a lot like one of Corey Arnold's photos (bottom left). Coincidence? Where they inspired by Corey's photo? Did Corey actually shoot the photo? Who knows and Corey is fishing for salmon right now (like this), so we can't ask him to find out.
Yeah, bad tattoos are basically a bummer, right? But they're also pretty much a rite of passage for bored and disenfranchised-feeling teenagers the world over. At least it was for about 95% of the people I know. Going to a reputable tattoo shop and getting a wizard or unicorn drilled into your lower back is totally fine, but nothing really takes the place of sitting around with a bunch of friends and some beers, enthusiastically taking turns poking each others' arms full of bad ideas-which actually is fun at any age.
OAKLAND -- First Fridays is hoping Oakland hasn't seen the last of the one of a kind event... The street art party is free to attend, but organizers say with police and other costs the price tag to throw the monthly party is $20,000... The City of Oakland has been footing the bill for months and after kicking in $500,000, it's pulling the plug... Organizers are now asking for donations and developing a vendor fee schedule to try and keep the party alive. ~continue reading
SAN FRANCISCO -- Guerrero Gallery, here in the Mission, opens their summer group show this Saturday, June 15th, featuring works from a steller lineup: Daniel Albrigo, Ryan Travis Christian, Alejandro Diaz-Ayala, Frohawk Two Feathers, Michelle Guintu, Justin Hager, Cody Hudson, Terry Powers, Rye Purvis, Victory Reyes, Jamie Williams, and Yarrow Slaps.
SAN FRANCISCO --- Southern Exposure hosts thier annual Monster Drawing Rally Friday, June 14, 2013 at THE NWBLK, 1999 Bryant Street (at 18th). Tons of great artists auctioning works at a starting price of only $60.
A live drawing and fundraising event with 120 artists working side by side. The event lets spectators to observe artists in the act of creation, providing the opportunity to watch a drawing come to life, and to purchase a work of art minutes after its completion. Drawings are available for purchase immediately for just $60 each.
~complete details
Wonder if our old emails with Banksy are worth a few thousand dollars. It seems everything the dude touches is worth a million dollars these days! Nutty and much deserved.
A disputed Banksy graffiti artwork removed from a gritty London neighbourhood has sold for approximately $1.1 million US at auction. The provocative Slave Labour (Bunting Boy) sold at a private auction held by concierge firm The Sincura Group at the London Film Museum on Sunday, according to Bloomberg news service. The spray-painted, stenciled work depicts a child labourer using an antique sewing machine to create a Union Jack bunting. -Continue reading
Germany's national railway is testing the use of mini-drones to curb damage to its trains from graffiti. Experts call the move pointless and excessive, saying that varnish for trains could solve the problem instead.
~continue reading
Daniel Cronin was hired to shoot photos for the ongoing feature series: the Road Trips USA: Pacific Coast... An interesting idea where the trip was live blogged/ tweeted/ Instagramed with people making suggestions for what to check out, and well, into FFDG they stopped.
Look ma, we made The Guardian U.K.
Come on, guys. Don't call San Francisco "San Fran".
Henrik Haven, who keeps us up to date in all that's Copenhagen, emailed over some photos from the Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival that's running throughout June. In this short installment he introduces us to the work of urban/graffiti artist and illustrator NYCHOS.
Kelly Tunstall, who's showing w/ Ferris Plock at FFDG this August 16th, recently finished some commissions for A16 in Oakland. Here's a little taste, and check out her last year's show at FFDG.
Brendan Monroe, whose show Melting Into the Floor runs through June 15th at LA's Richard Heller, creates these great wooden sculptures and featured a bunch in the show... He's often asked how he goes about making them and gives us at Fecal Face a little 'how to' on the process.
Mexico City based Curiot, whose sold out solo show Age of Omuktlans ran last March at FFDG, just finished this great mural entitled "El Retorno de Akhankutli" in Mexico. He recently completed one in Berlin too which we'll be posting in the coming week. The guy is very very talented in our eyes.
This made our day. Not only do we love pizza but we also love Henry Gunderson... So a board shapped like a hot slice designed by Henry Gunderson for The Good Company, well... this writer needs to go for a slice right now.
Wendell McShine (lives in Mexico City, from Trinidad) opened his newest show, Raccoon's Law, at Fifty24SF on Saturday night. ARYZ was a tough act to follow, but McShine held his own in the space... With a combination of a mural, a video, and both drawings and mixed-media works on paper, the diversity of this solo show was impressive. The Raccoon drawings were especially attractive as the way he executed them looked like they actually had fur coming off the page, and you can only imagine how soft it would be to touch. I was lucky to see his work in person through this show, and I hope to encounter more in the future.
Ingrid Wells just got her MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute and these oil paintings from her Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest were on display as part of the recent MFA exhibition... Ingrid Wells works and lives in San Francisco.
Henry Gunderson emailed over some photos from his recent group show with Andrew Luck, Jordan Bogash, and Mario Ayala "Out The Window" which ran at the Los Angeles based Prohibition Gallery.
I got there the day after the tornado came through. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My mind just could not grasp what my eyes were seeing. It was just too much to take in, too much to process. So, I did what comes naturally and took images. It sort of helped me separate from the chaos and helped me focus.
Check out this, what could be, one of the longest murals ever created. Hyuro from Valencia, Spain was recently in Copenhagen for the solo show "In/Between" at ArtRebels.
Rachel Ralph spotted Barcelona-based ARYZ working on his mural in the TL a couple weeks back, and we forgot to share the pics. His show at Fifty24SF opened back in April.
Jeffrey Cheung emailed over some photos from a recent one night show he had at Terra Gallery/ event space. The May 19th show also featured live music by Oakland garage rockers Twin Steps and Coldtergeist.
Great solo show by LA based Alison Blickle (Born 1976) up now at San Francisco's Eleanor Harwood gallery. History of Magic Part 1... The Hermitage runs through June 15th 2013. -- 1295 Alabama St. Hours: Wed thru Sat (11-6pm)
Well, it looks like John Felix Arnold rocked Tokyo with his opening with Koutaro Ooyama at Spes Lab a few weeks back. Even a language barrier couldn't prevent the success of their collaboration. They invited everyone they met on trains, in cars, cafes, bars, restaurants, and people responded by attending, and bringing their families and friends as well.
Last Thursday evening, I was lucky enough to get invited to Nickelodeon's premiere party for their newest cartoon, Sanja & Craig, created by three awesome dudes - Andreas Trolf, Jim Dirschberger, and Jay Howell. Hosted at Tony's Salon with pizza provided by Pizzanistas, the premiere party was filled with libations and celebrations, even a break-dance battle broke out. Congrats to everyone who worked on the show, and especially Trolf, Jim, and Jay who all have been working tirelessly on it. Sanja & Craig premiered Saturday 10:30 am 11 am on Nickelodeon. You can watch Sanjay and Craig Episode 1: Brett Venom on hulu. and read about how the guys came up with it in this interview with The LA Times. Now, here's some photos from the premiere.
Drawing Stories is a new series from our buddy Travis Millard. Grab a cup of hot coco, get your slippers on and enjoy some time with your uncle Millard.
Los Angeles Christofer Chin (Tofer) emailed over some install shots of his current show Ar running in NYC at Lu Magnus through June 29th. Simple/ clean and continuing his op artstyle Tofer Chin features new paintings, photographs, and sculpture continuing his exploration of geologically and architecturally inspired Minimalist forms.
TrustoCorp's all new work for their exhibition at LeBasse Projects in Culver City, Los Angeles is a perfect continuum from past work that embraces the bipolar "have/have not" socioeconomic identity of Los Angeles, which they recently established their new studio in.
I didn't know if you came across this video yet, but I ran into my friend Brian Hanson yesterday who helped film and edit it. It's a film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard Shaper Tim Stamps. Super rad and really inspiring! Anyhow take a peek.
Last year, Eric Caruso a teacher at Harry Wirtz Elementary School (Paramount, CA, near LA) had an idea to invite some artists to paint some murals at the school because there wasn't an arts program for the kids. That brilliant idea resulted in some awesome murals by artists Seitaku Aoyama, Yusuke Hanai, Rich Jacobs, Tim Kerr and Albert Reyes.
Ryan De La Hoz' show in the Upper Haight at RVCA runs through this Saturday... And the next time you're in the Mission, be sure to swing through his new shop on 14th St, Cool Try... We need to get over there soon and do a little photo feature for ya.
The Book and Job Gallery (San Francisco) really stepped it up with the opening of Daniel Chen's loveBlast on May 4th. Complete with a doorman, piano player, old fashioneds, and some really nice paintings, I could hardly believe I was at the Book and Job. The paintings varied in size, and the show was balanced nicely between them, the spray-can work on the walls, and the smaller drawings displayed throughout. The kind notes Chen wrote on the walls are certain to brighten your day, and the rest of the work is definitely worth a look. It was a very classy evening and I hope they continue to intersperse shows like these into their schedule in the future
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