Archive for November, 2011

Science rider Sam Taylor with a new edit made up of 10 tricks (or 11 if you count the crailslide over the bump I guess).

After hearing about this project from Jeff Hamada, I recently hosted a screening of the video An Island, filmed by Vincent Moon about the amazing band Efterklang. This film is certainly an inspiring look at how important sound is to regional cultures. They are now releasing a limited edition DVD/EP designed by Hvass&Hannibal featuring the photos by Antje Taiga Jandrig packaged in a custom-made cover printed by Stumptown Printers in Portland, Oregon.

The DVD is limited to 5000 copies and they are all individually numbered. The cover holds a 35 page booklet with lots of photos along with background info written by Efterklang. When ordering the DVD you get the new EFTERKLANG EP ‘Live at Roskilde Festival 2010? as a bonus! An Island is also available digitally after the Pay-What-You-Want model. Available via www.anisland.cc/home

Over the last couple of months at SbA we have been working hard on “The Island”, which is the Australian Pro/Am Tour Final. The really unique thing about this contest is that it features 40 of Australia’s best (including Chima, Jake Duncombe, Sammy Winter, Tommy Fynn and Jack Kirk) and it is being held on Cockatoo Island in the middle of Sydney Harbour. On top of the extensive list of talent and the beautiful backdrop it is being held in conjunction with one of the biggest street art festivals Australia has ever seen: The Outpost Project. More info can be found here.

EZ Ryder (Jef Hartsel and Jay Adams‘ Skateboard Company) and DISSIZIT (SLICK) got together to release these gems for their new collaboration.

Photos of Sean Reilly and Jef Hartsel at Baby-Zones in Salt Lake, Hawaii…

For complete photo-sets from this session, visit EZ RYDER x DISSIZIT and EZ RYDER x DISSIZIT 2. 

Mark Gonzales is showing some recent work over at the Franklin Parrasch Gallery in New York – the show runs from November 22 until January 7, 2012, so check it out if you’re in the city this holiday season.  If you visit this site often, then you know this one’s pretty much a no-brainer.  You just gotta love the Gonz – true legend and innovator. Franklin Parrasch, 20 w 57 st .  Tuesday-Saturday 10a-6p.

Isaac McKay-Randozzi and Jerry Beitzell continue their, “Skate Tested” feature with this round rolling on the Solitary Arts Piano Pinner in black.  Yup, we’ve made our 9 ply Piano Pinner fully dipped in black and hand-screened with the same Geoff McFetridge graphic, reversed.  Included with these completes are ACE Trucks “00″ as well as options for either 13″ or 14″ wheelbase. You also get a wheel-choice with either Black Eggs in 50mm 87a (soft) or White Yolks in 54mm 100a! (hard). Thanks to Jerry for shredding the Pinner and to Isaac for his video/edit.  Visit www.solitaryarts.com.

Check more of Isaac’s feature of the Piano Pinner at Color Magazine.

Latest edit from team skater, Luka Pinto. Ten Tricks at Southbank, London.

More from Luka here.

Big bro Julian lives down the street on the Venice side of Dogtown. He’s usually flying all over the world speaking at some something-or-nother conference, but lately, I’ve been seeing him check in on Foursquare at skateparks all over the country. Wasn’t he just at the Venice Skate Park yesterday? There he is, documenting the variety of life that is living and breathing down by our oceanside, outdoor, skatepark capturing everybody: locals, tourists, old pros, next gen’s top skater and their families. He’s even shot us a few times, hanging out.

Julian’s always got some awesome project happening and when he told me about Hello, Skater Girl I got really excited. I’ve always been a fan of the sport. Silvio was the lead artist for the blockbuster videogame, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Lulu’s godfather is a former pro-skater, and much of our community including the one reading this post are life long friends and family from the sport.

It’s no secret that I would love for Lulu to be an astronaut-pro-skater someday. She’s got her first deck, so really, nothing can stop her, right?! I think the Hello, Skater Girl book would be a great addition to Lulu’s bookshelf. I hope you enjoy this interview I put together with my photographer pal:

Tell me, what’s this photo book you’re working on?

I’m doing a photography book project. The subject is girl skateboarders. I told myself I was doing a book project because that was the easiest thing to wrap my head around. What I really wanted to do was understand skateboarding culture more than I already did, and I basically didn’t really understand it at all — so the project was a way get to know what skateboarding was all about.

Why focus on girl skateboarder?

At first I naively convinced myself that no one else was trying to capture and document girl skaters through some sort of visual medium. That was stupid to assume, because of course it’s not true. But — if you look at much of the core skateboarding communities and magazines and the big brands, you don’t see much photography of girl skaters at all. That’s just the way it is and I understand the systemic issues as to why, even if I don’t understand why not — the lost opportunities.

That’s what drew me to the project because I love creative projects that go against the grain — that do something that “no one” else is doing. And, of course I know that’s just a creative start. As soon as you think no one else is doing something you immediately start finding all the people who are doing that thing. The creativity comes in finding a way to do what other people are doing in a unique, individual way. That’s much more fun to be amongst a community of similarly motivated folks and find your own style and technique.

Okay, so..how would you describe your style?

It’s easier to “see” than describe but — what I’m trying to do is a bit photo-geeky and technical but I try to set up portrait-like photos of this very dynamic, very kinetic sport. I’m shooting for a look that is studio-like — something with big, curated light and the background fall-off you might see in a portrait shoot. I think this is atypical in the canon of skateboarding photography where you often have very big compositions: the big skater/ultra-wide/fisheye look; or the landscape shot with a small skater amidst a big street/urban-concrete setting. I guess I was going for something different just to be different — a wide-ish lens with little distortion; no motion blur; strong visual separation between the skater and the background. That’s geeky.

How’d you get into skateboard photography, anyway?

I moved to Venice Beach awhile ago. The town got a skatepark right on the beach a couple of years ago. Going there and shooting was a better way to learn about the history and culture of this place I’m now living in than reading about it or going to town council meetings.

If you’re keen to see Hello, Skater Girl get made, check out Julian’s Kickstarter or Facebook fan pages! And thanks for your support. Sincerely!

Last week, I stopped by the Fabric Workshop to check out Laurie Anderson’s multi-media installation, Forty Nine Days at the Bardo.  Spread over two floors and dedicated/influenced by the recent death of her dog, Lolabelle, it’s an intense tribute and discussion on loss as well as the deep spiritual connection between pets and their owners.  Consisting mainly of a series of 10′x14′ foot charcoal drawings detailing Lolabelle’s time in the Bardo (a forty-nine day period between death and rebirth, as mentioned in the Tibetan Book of the Dead), the scale of the work quickly engulfs the viewer, bringing you into this nether world of lucid dreams, bizarre illusions, touching realizations and ultimately, rebirth. The installation also features a sculpture of a violin, created from layers of mud, clay and the ashes of her dog. Now, I’m more of a cat person myslef but I did hear stories from the staff of more than a few dog lovers leaving the exhibit in tears, which speaks volumes more on the success of this installation than anything I could write.

I was most impressed by her Iron Mountain floor – an erily darkened space with a sparse collection of tiny clay figures, brought to life by video projections of people working, running and talking on them. They’re almost like holograms, and in the stillness of the room you get the feeling like you’re inside someone’s brain, browsing through a collection of their personal and intimate memories. Worth seeing in person for sure, as obviously a photograph or video won’t do something like this justice.

So don’t sleep on this one –  the exhibit runs until November 19th at the Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia.

laurieanderson.com  •  fb.com/laurieanderson

HAPPY HOUR – New Work by Amanda Clarke &
Re-Surface – The grand reopening of Surface Salon

November 12, 2011 – January 28th, 2012
Opening Reception Saturday November 12, 2011
7-10pm

I met Amanda YEARS ago through my work with KRUDCO. skateshop here in Rochester. She’s a Rochester native herself who’s been killing it in Boston for quite a few years now. When I had the chance to get her back her and offer her our first solo show at 1975, I was so stoked.

She’s back in town for the weekend, and we’re all going to celebrate her love of music, the perfectly mixed cocktail, and her graphic design heroes TONIGHT from 7-10pm!

For more on Amanda’s awesome illustration work, check out www.sparkyart.com
On Twitter: @SparkyArt
The Event: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181145695293408

And of course, you can always check out what we’re doing through 1975 at: www.1975ish.com
or on twitter: @1975ish

More samples of Amanda’s awesomeness: