Author Archive

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

For once, I’ve actually been taking the time to reflect on how incredibly fortunate my life has been this last year or two. I’ve met so many incredible people, got to work with and meet some of my biggest creative influences, and I’ve been a part of some pretty incredible events.

And now I’m going to spoil that incredible moment of reflection to tell you that I’ve put some stuff on sale in 1975′s online shop.

Everyone’s got sales going on this weekend, and there is nothing better (in my opinion) than the gift of art (okay, the gift of Love is pretty righteous, too!), so to help kick things off, we’re having a small sale in the 1975 online store. Through Sunday at midnight EST, you can get a limited edition Don Pendelton-designed THE WORST IS YET TO COME t-shirt printed on black Tultex® 0202 4.5oz ringspun cotton. The pack includes two buttons from the show, and shipping and tax is included, all for $12 domestically, $15 internationally.

Click the link below to go directly to the sale, and don’t forget to check some of the other amazing works of art on the site! I’m going to be putting more work from local upstate artists on there over the next few weeks as well.

http://1975.bigcartel.com/product/the-worst-is-yet-to-come-t-shirt-black-friday-sale

To leave you with something less commercial, this is what I’ll be up to this winter. A few of my buddies and I are going to be documenting our first attempts at surfing in Lake Ontario over the winter. This pic was snapped by a local named Darrell Licata, and he caught me on my first session out where a hooded fullsuit is more than necessary. I’ll be posting more as we get more footage and the weather gets bleaker!

Cheers, everyone!

My buddy Jimmy calls this a “Yeah Rob!” moment, but I’m okay with that this time.

I’ve been running a nomadic gallery called 1975 for the last two years, and I was recently approached about an article for our local paper. The article came out today and talks about how the gallery came about, Rochester’s alternative-space art scene, and how all of this mess started with a skateboard and a homemade Misfits shirt. I am stoked and honored that it made the front page of the Living section!

Photo by Matt Wittmeyer for Democrat & Chronicle

The pic shows a nice cross-section of my collection, but I was most stoked to sneak in my very first skateboard, a blue banana board I learned how to push back and forth on back in 1987 and opened up a whole new world for me.

You can read the story here: http://tinyurl.com/1975inDC

In an interesting tangent, I’m very much steeped in new media, but something like this, an article presented in traditional media, is still something I can give to my Dad and have him understand. As folks muse about the death of print, etc., a facet like that can’t be forgotten!

And I want to give a huge shout out to all the folks who pushed and supported me, the 75+ artists I’ve gotten to work with over the last two years, and all of the influences that lead me in this direction, including so many folks associated with this site!

Last week Don Pendleton and Mark Penxa came out to Rochester, NY to put on THE WORST IS YET TO COME – The Unfortunate Decay of Communciation and Culture with 1975 Gallery.

The show consisted of 43 new works, largely mixed media on wood. It was awesome to see their experimentation free from the restraints of commercial works, and the crowd was really stoked that Don and Mark decided to put on such a huge undertaking on in Rochester.

The show has already received a great review in Rochester’s CITY paper, and we’re working on a video wrap up of the show for the 1975 site. All of the art is up now in the 1975 online shop. Check it out!

Mark Penxa and Don Pendleton painting during the opening, photo by Angie Carter

photo by Angie Carter

LIGHTS OUT by Don Pendleton

EPILOGUE by Don Pendleton

PUMP THE BRAKES by Mark Penxa

ALL MY LADIES WERE BORN IN THE 80s by Mark Penxa

GOODBYE Collaboration by Don Pendleton and Mark Penxa

AWKWARD NOW Collaboration by Don Pendleton and Mark Penxa

To see more about Don and Mark:
Don Pendleton: www.elephont.com
Mark Penxa: www.markpenxa.com

And, of course . . . 1975.

Just a reminder that Don and Mark’s show opens this upcoming Friday here in Rochester, NY. If you haven’t had a chance to spend some time with the site Don and Mark developed as a prelude to the show, please check it out now!

http://www.theworstisyettocome.net

THE WORST IS YET TO COME
The Unfortunate Decay of Communication & Culture
New works by Mark Penxa and Don Pendleton

1975 Gallery, in conjunction with BookSmart Studio’s Gallery Kunstler, presents THE WORST IS YET TO COME, collaborations between Don Pendleton and Mark Penxa, two artists/designers highly regarded for their work in the skateboard industry with companies including Alien Workshop, Element, DC Shoe Co., and Girl skateboards.

THE WORST IS YET TO COME explores the modern decay of interpersonal communication and a culture in overall decline. Both artists will be in attendance.

THE WORST IS YET TO COME
September 3 – 25, 2010

Opening reception
Friday, September 3, 2010
6-9PM

1975 at Gallery Kunstler
(inside Booksmart Studio)

250 North Goodman St.
Rochester, NY 14607

For more information:
www.theworstisyettocome.net
www.1975ish.com

THE WORST IS YET TO COME
The Unfortunate Decay of Communication & Culture
New works by Mark Penxa and Don Pendleton

1975 Gallery, in conjunction with BookSmart Studio’s Gallery Kunstler, presents THE WORST IS YET TO COME, collaborations between Don Pendleton and Mark Penxa, two artists/designers highly regarded for their work in the skateboard industry with companies including Alien Workshop, Element, DC Shoe Co., and Girl skateboards.

THE WORST IS YET TO COME explores the modern decay of interpersonal communication and a culture in overall decline. Both artists will be in attendance.

THE WORST IS YET TO COME
September 3 – 25, 2010

Opening reception
Friday, September 3, 2010
6-9PM

1975 at Gallery Kunstler
(inside Booksmart Studio)

250 North Goodman St.
Rochester, NY 14607

For more information:
www.theworstisyettocome.net
www.1975ish.com

A Little Side Note:
I am so thoroughly excited about this show. I first wrote with Don in 2001, purchasing a piece from his JUGGLING KNIVES show, and we’ve corresponded ever since, discussing art, design, skateboarding, and life. I admire Don’s work ethic, hell, ethics in general, and his creative output still is the bar I measure my own output by. To have the chance to work with him in this capacity is truly an honor.

So I take an incredible amount of personal reward in finally getting to work with both of the amazing artists, and I hope you take that time out to come to this truly unique show.
-Erich.

GET A GRIP 2 is the second annual artshow put on by Krudco. skateboard shop and RocCityPark.org. It will be August 6th at The Four Walls Gallery at 34 Elton St. Rochester, ny and will last 5pm-10pm.

Over 40 artists have contributed artwork made on or with griptape and more! A lot of these artists have shown with 1975 over the last two years and their work last year was a lot of fun! Prices start at $25.00, and proceeds go towards building a world class skatepark in downtown Rochester, NY.

In the coming weeks I’m going to post up an interview with the folks helping push the RCP project here in Rochester.

For more information, check out www.roccitypark.org
.

1975 will be opening a show with some of my good friends at TATTOO KAMIKAZE this Friday in Rochester, NY.

We spent today setting the show up and we’re all pretty happy with how it came together. Come on out if you are in the area!

.

Oh, hey! I’m Erich, the new guy on the mumbling block.

I’ve been reading the site since Bob began it back in 2007, and the one thing that struck me is “Hey, what about Upstate New York?”  There’s a ton of folks on Club Mumble that grew up there, but moved away and are rocking the West Coast (or other parts), but I’m one of the fools who actually moved there and decided to stick around. And oh, I’ve been here a while.

So I wrote Bob and said, “Hey, we’re doing some cool stuff up here, and I’d love to tell people about it.”

Imagine my TOTAL surprise when Bob said, “Cool, sounds good! Let’s do this!” I was amped.

“So what what makes you so damn cool that you get to mumble?” you may be justly inclined to ask.

Cool? Not much, but I’ve been one of those dudes behind the scenes for years. I’ve been on board for 23 years, (and seen lots of this crazy world because of my skateboard), I spent the last 14 years as the creative director for KRUDCO. skateshop here in Rochester, NY before starting up 1975 Gallery about a year and a half ago. I’m also part of the Sweet Meat Co., an artist collective up here in Rochester that includes an incredible crew of artists, and I’m truly thankful to be a part of it.

Oh yeah, I’ve been bugging about half of the other mumblers on here for years, trying to collect artwork from all the folks that have inspired me over the years. I’ll share some of those treasures as time goes on.

This September, I’ll be hosting a show with fellow Mumbler and amazing human Don Pendleton and the incredibly talented Mark Penxa, and I am beyond thrilled. While 1975 is primarily focused on shining a light on our local scene, Don’s been a contributor to a few of our group shows and a friend since about 2001, and I’m so stoked to finally have access to a venue where I can show his work in a region that usually doesn’t get a lot of love from the folks that have inspired all of us who read blogs like this.

So I’m here to change that.

Stay tuned . . .

Oh yeah, what the hell is up with that photo?
This pic was snapped by a friend, Alex Gagne last summer while I was shooting a RedBull contest here in Rochester. I decided it would be a good idea to catch a knee to the crotch while simultaneously smashing the camera into the cement. Good times! That shocked girl in the background is my lovely lady Angie worriedly assessing my future baby-making ability. You can watch a sequence here or video here (at the 1:44 mark).

Really, I never had a chance.