A CHILD OF THE JAGO

During a recent visit to Los Angeles, Andy Cruz told me a little about Terrorist, the new brainchild of Joe Corre and Barnzley (formerly of Agent Provocateur and House 33, respectively). Continuing in the spirit of the infamous Seditionaries/World's End/Sex/Let it Rock shops of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren,  Corre and Barnzley have opened A Child of The Jago,  a London-based shop of unique and provocative apparel. Although I don't know a whole hell of a lot about the extent of their project, this little blurb I found on Reuters should help to flesh out the story for you. Of course, listening to Barnzley's cynical and humorous rambling certainly helps (and amuses), too.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays from me and my Skull Phone Christmas tree ornament. 

LETTERPRESSING

My younger, wiser, and better half, CC, recently hand-cranked out another batch of letterpress material for Wallflour. Her printing session at LaLaPress was supervised and assisted by owner/operator, Mable Lee. (LaLa offers instructional letterpress workshops as well as press rental, at their humble, but amazing, shop in Frogtown). 

I went over to check it out and gawk at all the machinery, inks, plates and related peripheral mechanical gear. What an inspiration. All I need to do now is figure out how to incorporate the process into my next design jog.

SK843 FIRST EDITION

The first edition of SK843, 100 copies with a pink cover, is complete and now shipping. It's 25 pages of twenty year-old skateboarding action, including many rare and never before published snapshots. The 'zine also features a tear-out sticker sheet as the centerfold. 

I have to thank all the contributors; Shannon Horne Smith, Dolphin Kelley Spach, Heather Hopmann Hann, Mary Chris Garner, Emily Morgen, Kelly Lee, Chris McMurray, Jason Harrison, Brian McCaskill, Page Piner Meyer, Holmes Hiebert, Todd McGlynn,  Greg Ballinger, and Kevin E. Taylor. The 'zine debuts next weekend at the skateboard/social "reunion" in Charleston, and will soon be available for purchase at SK843. Many more people have also contributed photos but those may have to wait for Issue #2. ;)

Thanks to the sponsorship of Pour It Now, a 'Complimentary Edition' (100 additional copies with white covers), were also published. The 'zines will be available for free to visitors of the Columbia Museum of Art/Skate and Create exhibit next month.

SKATE AND CREATE PT.2

The Zine Wall, all packed up. The new works, along with detailed installation diagrams, shipped out to the Columbia Museum of Art this week. The show, Skate and Create, opens on January 9th, 2009 and is a great way to kick off the new year. I hope that some of you in the Lowcountry get to the show and check it out. It runs until February 2, 2009.

CREATE AND DESTROY

Between a spell of unusual cold, rainy Los Angeles weather and a steady stream of deadlines, I managed to squeeze in a quick curb session this week. It felt a bit weird riding a board for just one day and knowing it's about to be shipped off for display in a museum...

STUDIO CONSTRUCTION PT.3

Thanks to the resourcefulness of my buddy, Greg "Geeked Out" Roman (who is known to hunt for and collect TONS of weird shit), we recently found a local print shop that was going out of business. They were liquidating all kinds of graphic arts gear, so we rushed over and managed to negotiate some sweet deals.  I stopped short of picking up a rickety (and probably finicky), two color, 8.5" x 11" offset press, but I did score a great set of flat files. HEAVY DUTY flat files; galvanized and clear-coated steel, 36" x 36" x 48", six drawer unit with base and top. Anyone who's ever shopped for new or used flat files knows that these things are always ungodly expensive...(and if that wasn't enough, I also purchased a freestanding, nuArc 36" x 48" x 42" light table). Completing the purchase and pick up/delivery with help from "Geeked Out" was like having Christmas arrive early! I am so happy....

Thanks, Greg!!!

(Needless to say, the studio construction is coming along very well.)

RUBY WHAT? AMBER WHO?

I used to get asked all the time about Rubylith/Amberlith. What is it? How is it used? Who still uses that stuff!? etc....

Well, fret no longer. I recently happened across this beautiful piece of vintage Ulano instructional material that explains it, once and for all.

("It's the NEW hand-cut masking film for the graphic arts!" ahhahah)

TYPE/RISK

I love typography. 

Researching, learning and pushing along new ways of creating typography is always a blast. Scratchboard, stencils, cut and paste, transfers, collage, brushes, calligraphy pens, chisel tipped markers, spray paint, etc. It's also always enjoying watching those who have mastered their respective medium throw down some freehand type.

I recently spent a few days helping LA graff legend/Seventh Letter Member, RISK, organize and present a major exhibition of his work at Track 16 in Santa Monica. He did a lot of 'one-off' pieces directly on the walls of the gallery, including this photo narrative covering 25 years of spots in Los Angeles.

The show ends this weekend, so if you're in the area, go check it out. And see an interview/photos at URB here.

BLUE ROOSTER SCREENPRINTNG CLASSES

My friends at Blue Rooster Art Supplies recently allowed me to design, fabricate and install a window display to help promote their screenprinting classes. They've been hosting the classes for a few years, but since they've recently acquired a new, secondary studio space dedicated to these type of community-serving instructional classes, I felt they could really benefit from a touch of branding and a little publicity. Owner Nick Gallo and the rest of the crew at the shop are super friendly and they stock a good range of art and design materials.

So, if you live the LA area and you're interested in learning how to make your screenprints, contact Blue Rooster and enroll. The one-day class is affordable and they offer an optional screenprinting 'starter' kit, too, which includes all the basic gear you need to DIY.

SK843 DIGITAL

Now that my production phase of the CMA Skate and Create exhibit is completed and shipped, I am redirecting my efforts to extend the reach of the publication. Conceived first as an online photo archive, which then evolved into my first real 'zine in 20 years, Kevin E. Taylor and myself are trying to have some fun with SK843 website. The plan is to eventually host an ongoing archive of skateboard South Carolina photos, video, stories and general nostalgia, as well as supplement the printed 'zine with a digital version. SK843.com will offer a selection of unique, hand-pulled T's and other related merch to supplement production costs, and a percentage of all  sales will be donated directly to Pour It Now.

Expect to see the premiere issue of the SK843 printed 'zine debut January 1, 2009.

ZINE WALL details

A few details of various works comprising the Zine Wall of Skate and Create. Form includes: unique screenprints on wood panels; a retired stencil; enlarged and framed photocopies; and original copies of 20+ year-old 'zines, open to display my favorite spreads. 

The display also contains brand new (so new, it's still in progress) graphics, layouts, and content from the upcoming SK843 zine.

ZINE WALL

In progress views of the studio mock up for my DIY/'zine showcase of the upcoming Skate and Create exhibit at the Columbia Museum of Art. (I can't believe that someone is letting me put 20 year-old, black and white, photocopied fan zines in a museum...not to mention a handful of peripheral snapshots, collaged screenprints, skate decks and the like). Overall dimensions are 72" x 122".

I hope the existing and future generations of skateboarders in SC are inspired by the exhibit...more details to follow soon.

SK843

Here's a sample of an in-house-fabricated SK843 Zine retail shelf. I would like to get locally owned, 'core skateboard shops in South Carolina to show their support by picking it up. So, if anyone out there is 'connected', have them get in touch with me...a complimentary, and unique black and white edition is planned as part of the CMA display.

DRIP PAINTINGS for CMA II

Just completed and ready to ship... a total of 16 panels sequenced, documented and enclosed with instructions for the CMA gallery staff. Show opens January 9th, 2009, and continues until January 31st in Columbia, South Carolina.

Can anyone guess the content of these new works!? I will award an appropriate 'prize' to the first reader that does.....!!!

RETRACTIONS: ROOT DIVISION

For the very first time, a selection of my most developed and mature body of work, Nonrepresentational Photographs, will be going on display here in California. The exhibit, Retractions, is curated by Whitney Lynn and will be hosted at Root Division in San Francisco. It opens to the public on Saturday, January 10th and runs January 7-24, 2009.