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M A T T
A L E X
A R C H B O L D
K N O S T
D A N I E L
J O N E S
D A N N Y
F U L L E R
D I N O
A D R I A N
F O R D
A R C H B O L D
K A L A N I M A K U A
T H E
D A V I D R O T H M A N
B A L A N C E
R V C A . C O M
O F
O P P O S I T E S
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Art : Winnie Truong
速
west coast 800.225.1364 east coast 800.621.6578 STYLE SHOWN: 1334
www.alstyle.com
EZEKIE
IEL AD
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com
EDITOR
joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR mark paul deren madsteez@madsteez.com
EDITOR AT LARGE liz rice mcCray liz@blisssmag.com
SKATE EDITOR chris ortiz chris@blisssmag.com
SNOW EDITOR jon francis jon@blisssmag.com
MUSIC EDITOR max ritter max@blisssmag.com
ADVERTISING ads@blisssmag.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jason Kenworthy, Dominic Petruzzi, Daniel Russo, Toby Ogden, Tom Carey, Brian Beilmann, Jack Coleman, Andrew Mapstone, Adam Moran, Dave Nelson, Pat Eichstaedt, Julien Lecorps, Ryan Boyes, Zach Hooper, Tim Peare, Michael Lallande, Bob Plumb
CONTRIBUTORS
Matt Patterson, Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, Liz Rice, Jason Arnold, Greg Escalante, Nathan Spoor, Tom Carey, Travis Millard, David Choe, Kai Garcia, Mickey Neilsen, Peter Townend, Hamilton Endo, Tawnya Schultz, Mike Murciano, Geoff Shively, Casey Holland, Steve Stratton, Robbie Sell, Andrew Miller, Pat Towersey, Raul Montoya, Ian Dodge, Spencer Pirdy BL!SSS Magazine 413 31st Street Newport Beach, CA 92663 www.blisssmag.com Disclaimer: Although all best efforts are made to avoid the same, we reserve the right to publish unintentional mistakes and/or factual errors which may occur on a monthly basis. No responsibility is assumed by the publishers for unsolicited materials/articles/letters/advertising and all submissions will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright and/or appropriate licensing purposes subject to Blisss’ right to edit and comment editorially. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine reflect the opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Blisss Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising matter which may reflect negatively on the integrity of the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form [print or electronic] without prior written consent from the publisher.
MAY 2011
Cover Art : Winnie Truong
If your favorite shop isn’t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com
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FREE REVOK
PARKO RINGS THE BELL
Legendary graffiti writer and friend of the BL!SSS family, REVOK, was locked up while we were trying to get this issue off to the press. The legal hoodlums set his bail at a jawdropping $320,000 dollars, more than that of rapists, pedophiles and repeat hardened criminals. News of his incarceration spread quickly and there has been much controversy surrounding the incident. Not ones to sit idle, The Seventh Letter Crew have got a couple of “Free Revok” tees available exclusively on their website, with all proceeds from sales being donated to help pay Revok’s legal fees. If you’re a Revok fan you need to head on over to TheSeventhLetter.com and help do your part.
While we were supposed to be working on the deadline for this issue we had our faces glued to the computer screen to watch the 2011 Bells contest. Swells the past few years have not been good to Rip Curl and the organizers of the event have had to deal with less than stellar Bells surf, but this year was a whole different story. With the swell charts backed up with endless storms the contest was able to run in epic conditions from start to finish. On the final day it came down to the two Coolie kids, Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning. Fanning had been in form all event, but it was our boy Parko who took down the white lightning with sweeping cutbacks and committed turns in the firing overhead Bells surf. Parko is officially back on track with his first WCT win since his injury and he now sits at number 2 in the world. Atta boy Parko!
MANUFACTURING STOKE Surfing a wave, shredding a mountain, or skating the streets is a privilege to be enjoyed by all, but comes at a cost that not many of us are aware of. The production from the surf, skate, and snowboarding industry creates a lot of unnoticed trash. A new film called Manufacturing Stoke shows the downfall of mass production but sheds light by showing us alternative ways that we can help preserve Mother Nature while still enjoying our lifestyle. Manufacturing Stoke isn’t about growing your dreads out and moving out of your home to live in a tree. The film is about helping the environment in little ways like being earth conscious when buying products. For instance, one can purchase products that utilize organic material or buy from companies that send a portion of their proceeds to earth friendly foundations. The film will be coming out this spring so check it out and learn a thing or two about how we can live in a sustainable way and keep our relationship with the environment closer than ever.
INSIGHT CONCEPT STORE IN VENICE
JUST CHILL
Just before we laid this beauty down to print, we were stoked to be invited (as honored guests) to the opening night reception of Insight’s first US-based concept space/gallery/retail spot. Insight’s Creative Director, Steve Gorrow, designed the space to provide a platform to showcase the brand in its entirety and better still, raises the curtains to wandering eyes, giving consumers a glimpse into the creative vibrancy that defines the very essence of the Insight brand. Their new space will provide a strong voice for the Insight Garage Artist program, scheduling regular installations and live performances in the space’s unique custom-built gallery. So next time you are up in Venice skating the park or just checking out the weirdness, make sure you stop by and tell the boys from Insight that BL!SSS sent ya.
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With all the energy drinks on the market this is the first beverage company we’ve come across to self proclaim themselves as the “anti-energy” drink. Just Chill is made from 100% natural ingredients and actually calms you down instead of hyping you up. With a long list of vitamins, minerals and amino acids we’re sure this stuff has gotta be good for ya. Pick some up today at Whole Foods Marketplace or other hippy supermarkets that make the world a better place.
NE
SABER EXHIBITION
PASS THE BUCKET A few issues back we spotlighted Vans’ newly established website Offthewall. tv. The site has some interesting shows but one that really caught our eyes is the “Pass the Bucket” series. The series documents professional athletes and musicians through tough times and how they have turned these negatives into positives. Poverty, abandonment and drug and alcohol abuse are just a few of the topics that are hit in the series. Stars like influential skater Tony Alva, 1978 US champion skater Dennis Martinez, snowboarder Ryan Hudson and Pennywise’s Fletcher Dragge are profiled. The main message of the show is reaching out and giving back to the community and there is a lot to be learned from each episode. Log on and check the series out for yourself at Offthewall.tv.
Renowned street artist Saber is coming to NYC on May 6th for one of his biggest solo shows to date. Saber is a member of the highly praised AWR/ MSK crew and will be showing the world his interpretation of graffiti art in America. His show is appropriately named “The American Graffiti Artist” and will go down at the Opera Gallery in New York City. His show is, “About the layers of graffiti, the layers on the streets that nobody sees,” says Saber. Be sure to check out all of Saber’s personal insight to his show at saberone.com
THE SYNAPSE Nixon is ahead of their time, like literally. They’re always a step in front of the competition and know how to leave customers all giddy. Well, they’ve done this once again with their introduction of The Synapse. The Synapse is leading the charge in digital movements with an innovative touch screen interface that makes the watch completely multifunctional. Just by tapping the screen you’ll be able to use all the watches functions, pretty sweet right? This along with the chime alarm, timer, chrono, and 100-meter stainless steel case with hardened mineral crystal make this one damn fine watch to have around your wrist. So go check one out at your local shop and get with the modern time movement!
If you OC locals haven’t ventured out into the dark streets of Santa Ana lately, then you’re missing out. No, we’re not talking about coping your next fix, we’re talking about checking out the Santa Ana Art Walk on the third Saturday of each month in the loft buildings right next to the train station. On May 21st, we suggest you start off at the Curbside Gallery for the group The newest app to be loaded onto all of our show, Turquoise iPhones is the Sleep Cycle Alarm. The Noise, featuring coolest alarm clock we’ve seen, it actually the works of some waits until you are out of your deep sleep of our locals favorcycle to wake you up. It’s pretty crazy and ites: Ben Brough, Bratrud, truly amazing. One of the first apps we’ve Todd Chase Stopnick, used that monitors our sleep pattern and Nolan Hall, Corey wakes us up when you’re actually ready Smith and our very to wake up, allowing for gentle awaken- own Madsteez ing and not some disturbing alarm that’s – to name a few. gonna jolt you out of sleep. Well worth the There’ll be free frosty beverages $2, we suggest you download it now. and live tunes from Dano Forte’s Juke Joint Freak Show. Don’t miss this one to kick of the summer art season, check them out at curbsidegallery.com.
SLEEP CYCLE ALARM
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TURQUOISE NOISE @ CURBSIDE GALLERY
KELLY SLATER
MOONDAK
TIDE WATCH
QUIKSILVER.COM/WATCHES
SHORELINE MOTORING
DANCING WITH OCCY We wanted to give a shameless plug to the crew over at Shoreline Motoring in Huntington Beach for dialing in our art director Madsteez’s new whip. He just upped the ante by customizing his new Audi Advant. After going through a bunch of different wrench monkeys in the past we finally found the go to shop for all your vehicle needs. With great customer service and top-notch creativity these guys really treat you right, be sure to ask for Bob and tell him the BL!SSS boys sent ya.
We have never had a reason to watch Dancing with the Stars until now. The celebrities being thrown out of their comfort zones and up onto stage can be comical and sometimes horrifying to watch. Well, the boys from down under figured out a way to make it more entertaining; the Austalian version of Dancing with the Stars has signed surf legend Mark Occhilupo on the roster for the first season of 2011. For those who have seen interviews with Occy or heard him announcing webcasts, you know that his powerful surfing is not the only thing that makes him so loved by so many. Occy is all-time and definitely knows how to throw down a few mean dance moves and have a good time so we will expect to see him in the final rounds of competition and possibly adding another trophy to his enormous collection. Cut it up Occy.
CHEAP THRILLS We’re always on the lookout for new and exciting sites to waste our time enjoying instead of actually working over here at the BL!SSS headquarters and latest to our web browser is cheapthrills.co. Now I must be honest, one of our buddies from down under has been spearheading the site and I promised him a little love but after deep investigation it has got everything one could want: tunes, titties, funny clips, motorcycles, mindless photos and did we mention titties? Click on over to see what the THRILLS are all about, cheers mate.
LEVI’S X MOCA TRUCKER JACKETS
ALWAYS LIVE EXTRAORDINARILY
As part of the huge MOCA exhibit going on in Los Angeles this month, (skip ahead a few pages for the feature), Levi’s has collaborated with artists in the show to create limited edition Levi’s Trucker Jackets designed by each artist. The series will feature REVOK, Andre, NeckFace, Chaz Bojorquez, CRASH, Keith Haring, KR, Lady Pink, Kenny Scharf and Shepard Fairey, limited to only 50 pieces per artist and packaged in a special Levi’s x MOCA box. You’d better hurry, because these things are sure to sell out fast and you can only get them at the Geffen Contemporary where the Art In the Streets exhibition is taking place.
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Our friend Chris Hotel used to have a dream job working at Oakley and now he’s chasing his dream like it’s his job. Since his departure from the big O he has released his lovechild, Alex Bottle. Alex Bottle is a new twist to a simple yet reoccurring problem with stainless steel bottle lovers. Like everyone, Chris found it near impossible to wash the taste (and bacteria) out of his favorite stainless steel bottle, whilst trying to avoid adding more plastic to our landfills. A quick phone call to mom, a hacksaw and the purchase of some pipe-fittings and the Alex Bottle was born – a simple yet efficient way to clean your stainless steel bottles and remain green. Available in a variety of colors and sizes, get yours at alexbottle.com, we did.
VOLCOM’S $50K VQS CHAMPS
ORIGINAL PIZZA PARTY Back again and just in time for summer swells, the boys and girls at Original Pizza II are having their weekly surf movie night every Wednesday from now till end of summer. Playing classics and new flicks alike, this is the pizza joint if you’re in the Newport/Costa Mesa area. With 20% discount on food after 6:30 pm, $8 pitchers and some of the hottest waitresses in the game, 2065 Irvine Boulevard is where you’ll find us every Wednesday night. Afterwards enjoy live tunes and adult beverages in the Anchor Bar below. Find Stevie Kalatchan behind the bar and tell him we sent you for a cold beverage on the house!
PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK In association with GBMC and Studio 4, Play at Your Own Risk is coming to the Newport Beach area on Saturday, June 4th. Play at Your Own Risk is an art show featuring some of the finest and brightest artists in today’s creative society. Artists who have committed to the show include our friends Chase Stopnick, Ben Brough and the one and only Jason Kenworthy. There will be live performances, a DJ spinning and special guest appearances that are so top secret you’ll just have to show up and see who shows for yourself. You won’t want to miss this exhibition so come kick off your summer right at 1303 Avocado Ave #155 in Newport Beach. The BL!SSS crew will be on hand and we look forward to seeing everyone there!
It’s that time of year again, Volcom will be putting on their annual VQS Championships right down the street at 54th Street in Newport Beach from May 13th-15th. This is not your average free surf event, the boys from Veeco are giving away $50,000 in cold, hard cash to kids from around the globe, along with their compound of fun and games for the whole family. The Volcom crew goes all out for this event, so if you are in the area you really need to stop by and get in on all the action (and free schwag). If you’re not going to be around, well they’ve got you covered as well with an HD webcast of the entire event, so make sure you log onto volcom.com and check it out.
URT! URT! urt [urt] –verb 1. The bark of a sea lion. We gotta surprise visit from our San Diego buddy Dougie Mann who has been busy spreading the sea lion love. He brought us a grip of new Urt shirts with Newport tide tables printed on the inside bellies, a pretty nifty little idea if you ask us. No more need for an expensive tide watch, just flip your tee up and you’ve got four months worth highs and lows right in front of your eyes. Get yours at urturt.com or select retailers in Southern California.
THE WIDE RIDE
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Nowadays everyone is riding shorter, wider surfboards to have fun in smaller, mushy surf. Dumpster Diver style boards are the crafts of choice, but finding a board bag for your short, fat-stick is hard to come by. The folks at ProLite solved all of our problems when they sent us over The Wide Ride, the newest board bag in their Session Stick Hugger Series. The storm proof bag is designed for daily use with 5mm padding and a rail guard around the zipper to protect your favorite stick. The bag is 22.5 inches wide so even the widest of loads will be protected. Bag heights are 5’6”, 5’10”, and 6-foot equipped with a nifty little ventilation point to allow airflow and keep your board from melting on those hot summer days. Another must-have from the fellas at Pro-Lite.
YADIN NICOL
Words: Liz Rice McCray
KRK Ryden is definitely not Mark Ryden, though they are both no strangers to the pages of respected art magazines worldwide. Yes, they are blood brothers, but their visual art is very different. I came to meet KRK Ryden years back when RVCA did a two-man show with KRK Ryden and Mark Mothersbaugh, called Dos Mutatos. The duo was a perfect match of longtime friends, as KRK had been collaborating with DEVO on artwork for their LP inner sleeves for over twenty years, and the pairing of both artists came together to create a spectacular show. The opening reception had a great turn out and was Photo: Michael Pilmer
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attended by many interesting people including the likes of the DEVO band members and Weird Al Yankovik. KRK played the Theremin at the event under the name "Ken the Magic Corner God." (The Theremin is an electronic musical instrument mostly known for the 50's sci-fi movie eerie sounds, and the "woowoo" part of the Beach Boys' song Good Vibrations.) The art KRK brought to the show was a trip, which is exactly what KRK is. I started to get to know him the months leading up to this Dos Mutatos. KRK doesn't do email, so we spent hours on the phone. From those months, KRK's voice is forever imprinted
in my brain. He has the friendliest, kindest of voices - the person who would greet me with "HELLOO LIZ" when I would pick up the phone. Lately I have been thinking about KRK so I thought since we were featuring DEVO in this issue that we should also introduce you to KRK’s artwork if you are not already familiar with it. If you are lucky maybe someday you will also be able to hear him perform and get a chance to take some of his particularly interesting artwork home with you.
a record of mongrel pop culture. His aesthetic is informed by comic books, punk rock, and cartoons, while his worldview is strictly DEVO. KRK's work embraces everyday absurdity and a cartoony view of reality. His paintings are colorful and visually appealing reflections on discarded icons, and his graphics are well-realized snapshots of cartoon life. For over thirty years KRK has been creating illustrations and paintings for underground bands, publishers, and institutions."
A description of KRK’s visual art from his website reads, "KRK Ryden's art is
To check out more of KRK art please go to krkland.com.
Words: Patrick Nguyen Brooklyn-based Judith Supine uses source imagery cut out of books and magazines he’s retrieved, purchased or otherwise appropriated. Rearrangements and occasional hand-drawn elements lead to quirky, sometimes humorous, and often unsettling characters and compositions. These are digitally enlarged and then hand painted with the artist’s signature fluorescent color palette. The outcome of this process curiously feels nostalgic - harking back to a nonexistent bygone era - and contemporary. Polite society would probably characterize the resulting artwork as “surreal,” possibly “challenging.” Those representing the
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less-than-beau monde might simply describe it as “WTF?!” Whether you consider the creative output of this collagist and street artist to be dreamlike or nightmarish depends on your perspective and state of mind. One thing it doesn’t do is leave you indifferent. Supine is the art world’s answer to Marmite. His work polarizes; people either love it or hate it. When asked what kind of reaction he hoped to elicit from those seeing his art for the first time, Supine replies, “My approach is not about getting a response from the public. I have a more personal approach. I’m just trying to bring life to
my fantasies, many of them stemming from my childhood of building forts, digging holes and sharpening sticks.” Whatever the mindset of an artist, the ability of their work to generate strong responses from viewers - where both advocates and detractors tend to be vocalize their opinions - has got to be a publicity dream come true from the viewpoint of a gallerist or dealer. And sure enough, in addition to an ever-growing number of fans of his unauthorized and often daredevil outdoor interventions, Supine has caught the attention of many institutions over the last five years. Despite a general wariness and
cautious approach when it comes to the art market side of his chosen career, his work has been exhibited in galleries in Los Angeles, New York City, London and Berlin, as well as at art festivals like FAME in Italy and Nuart in Norway. His second solo show, Ladyboy, was recently held at Marsea Goldberg’s West Hollywood gallery, New Image Art. What lies ahead for Supine is anyone’s guess. Just keep an eye open as you approach that next gallery or street corner. LADYBOY is on view through May 13, 2011 at New Image Art, 7908 Santa Monica Blvd. W. Hollywood, CA 90046, 323.654.2192, newimageartgallery.com.
WE AD
Words: Michael Pilmer aka Devo-Obsesso
When most people think of DEVO, they think of “Whip It” – their synth-heavy hit single circa 1980. But those who dug deeper into DEVO’s library of music discovered they were much, much more than “Whip It.” Many of us know them as the delightfully deviant, postmodern pioneers of the punk/ new wave era, and certainly the video age. And they knew how to use their guitars. I was fortunate enough to have intersected with my rock n’ roll idols nearly two
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decades ago, which eventually led to me working with DEVO as their archivist and assistant for the last 10 years. Some of my duties for this dream job include traveling with them during their live concert tours and working as part of the crew – handling wardrobe/props/ dressing room/documenting the show via photos and video, etc. During my years in traveling with them I’ve noticed that the demographic of the audience has
changed over time, including a wider variety of people and age groups as the years go on. I’ve met many DEVO fans who are one or even two generations apart, and who share the same level of excitement to see DEVO in concert, whether it’s their first show or their 40th. The most interesting thing I’ve noticed is how surprised first-timers are with the energy of DEVO’s performance; I think they expect to see a robotic Kraftwerkstyle show, heavy with synthesizers
and cold vocals. Instead, what they get is a full-on Rock n’ Roll show… complete with the screaming guitar solos, choreographed action, projectiles from the stage, and a lot of perspiration. So next time you have a chance to see DEVO in concert – just do it. If you’ve ever liked anything about seeing live rock n’ roll… SEE DEVO IN CONCERT. I don’t know anyone who has ever regretted it and I know many who want to repeat it. www.clubdevo.com : www.devo-obsesso.com
For 60 years the construction method of most skate shoes hasn’t changed...until now.
The Future is Fusion.
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Words: Cara Despain Working from a self-described notion of “magical thinking”, Fionn McCabe’s illustrative, sprawling, graphic drawings denote a larger undertone: mythos. Mythos of American culture, desperation, the fantastic, and the collisions thereof. Informed by the practices of printmaking, painting, drawing, and the occasional sculpture, McCabe’s work is reactionary – he responds to his own life and experiences, and the lives of those around him by weaving an ongoing narrative loose enough to change constantly but consistent enough to have repeating themes, characters, and identifiable elements that resonate
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through familiar struggles. Parts of the familiarities are his contemporary and art-historical influences, and references to pop culture. Though much of his work can appear jubilant or humorous, his graphic novel-style ink drawings often carry a darker gestalt. Like two sides of a classic comic book character, his works are at once elegant and surreal, and frightening; psychologically somehow true to life. Internal struggles – a sense of personal failure, mistrust, deflated expectations, social pressures and anxieties – are crouched just beneath the tense surfaces that, while playful, are also often costumes for a painful
interior. Technically, his adroit handling of line and material is made evident in his usually large-scale pieces. Accented with ink washes, printed elements, and the occasional (as of late) color swath. Much like the conceptual part of his practice, the drawings are a largely intuitive give and take process – the lines of unsuccessful attempts show like a furrowed brow and sometimes become an element that alludes to failure, or triumph. His prolific art making lends effectively embraces both.
Often working in collaboration with other artists (the Oh Nancy art collective that he co-founded being his most significant) the Bostonian, recently relocated to Los Angeles, mails drawings back and forth to collaborators across the country. An extension of his own narrative and technical explorations, these collaborative works are also successful, and reveal his ability to riff off of and respond to the practice of others. McCabe has shown extensively on the East Coast, and in various cities throughout the US. He will be showing at Causey Contemporary in Brooklyn, NY in July. For more info check out www.fionnmccabe.com.
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Jamie Tworkowski is a very talented human being. Most of the talent you see in these pages has to do with art, or on some kind of board, and even though Jamie possesses those talents as well, his most talented trait comes from just being himself. We’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jamie for a long time, and he’s always had big dreams, a big heart, and a great gift for words. He more recently honed this gift into a cause whose goal is simple - helping others. Jamie’s story starts back in 2006 when he abruptly left his “dream job” at Hurley to start up a project he called, To Write Love on Her Arms. At first, TWLOHA was just a story Jamie wrote on Myspace – a project to raise funds in order to help a friend that was in need. Today, To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Jamie, with the aide of his support team, travels the world speaking mostly at college campuses about real life situations and how to help, cope and deal with these issues. They raise money through t-shirt sales, fundraisers and donations from people who hear their story. The statistics are startling: In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people are living with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 18-24 year olds. Two out of three people who struggle with depression will never seek help, and that untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide. Those are facts that are very real, and very scary if you ask us. At the same time, depression is a very treatable disease and TWLOHA is here to help those who need help, providing a bridge to seek out professional treatment, educating people on these issues, or just being there for conversation. Throughout the last five years, Jamie’s project has morphed into something much bigger than just a story, but it is that story that continues to help Jamie’s cause and help thousands of others along the way. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. So far they have raised over $850,000 and counting towards their goal of helping others. Learn more at TWLOHA.com. Photo: Joe Marshall
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Photo: Dominic Petruzzi : dominicpetruzzi.com // Model: Michelle :: Pinkerton Models Michelle Hayden is a San Francisco native, a UC Davis graduate and is now pursuing modeling full-time in Los Angeles. This beauty is part Nicaraguan, part European and is into hip-hop dancing and loves being poolside with good company. She’s always down for a good time and we couldn’t be more pleased with this picture of her frolicking in the sand, enjoy! Hair & Makeup: BrieLeach.com // Retouch: JasonSchorle.com // Bikini: Tavik :: tavikswimwear.com
Words & Photos: MADSTEEZ Let me start off by saying, no matter what the fuck I write, it has absolutely no baring on what you would experience if you are able to witness the Art In the Streets at the MOCA LA first hand. Art In the Streets is the most comprehensive in depth look at the history of graffiti and street art period. And being showcased in a worldly recognized fine art establishment such as the MOCA finally legitimizes the artform that has forever been associated with gang violence and criminal vandalism. Show currators, Jeffery Dietch, Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose deserve a standing ovation for their vision and making this show a reality. Sticking to the roots of what the show represents, there is plenty of “art in the streets” before you even make it inside the exhibit. On the outside walls of the building there’s murals by BLADE, AMAZE, Lee Quinones, JR and a mini sub-way car installation by OS GEMOS. When you enter the building, the first thing you see is three levels of Kenny Scharf’s cartoon faces. From
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there, it’s an endless maze of shows within a show, within a show. There’s a re-creation of Patti Astor’s, The Fun Gallery, which was one of the most important galleries in the early 80’s featuring art from Keith Haring, DONDI White, Fab 5 Freddy, Revolt, Futura 2000 and a painting by Basquiat which actually hung in the same store window over 20 years ago. Just past the Fun Gallery is another re-creation but of the legendary RAMMELLZEE’s rarely seen NYC loft encompassing his Gothic Futurism under black lights with everything glowing in the dark. Just beyond that, is a re-invented “Street Market” by ESPO, REAS and Barry McGee with so much attention to detail you literally are transported into their distorted and twisted minds. On the complete other side of the gallery, is an incredible installion by Os Gemos where they’ve installed their entire show from Venezuela (not positive) with their trademark figures, colors and materials. The late Margaret Kilgallen has an equally impressive installation
with her patented hand style sign painting. From there you’re funneled out into the entire graffiti alphabet done by RISK as well as more brilliant pieces by AWR/MSK members SABER and REVOK. Other favorites were Mr. Cartoon’s Ice Cream truck, C.R. Stecyk’s fluorescent screen printed posters, RETNA’s floor to ceiling canvases and of course Banksy is in there too. I couldn’t have put it any better than what SABER said, “We’ve already won! The history books are written and this is only the beginning.” Unfortunately just today, past BL!SSS cover artist and MOCA featured artist, REVOK, was arrested in Los Angeles and sentenced to 180 days in jail along with an unprecedented bail amount of $320,000 for graffiti. You can help him out by buying a “FREE REVOK” t-shirt from theseventhletter.com where all proceeds are donated to his legal fund.
1 COLOR
©2011 Oakley, Inc.
Intro: Jack Jice
Right now, more than ever, Chad Fernandez is representing the “true” spirit of our culture... In lieu of professional endorsement, his love for skateboarding and years of experience are what drives him to continue to push his limits. Committing to no one other than himself, Chad answers to popular opinion - stirring murmurs - with a full video part that is seriously on some “SHUT UP AND SKATE.” So while a few plot their next five dusty seconds of crappy media, this veteran is on board and earning stamps of approval from the likes of Steve Olson and Scott Oster. Conscious of industry politics and social conundrums, he takes note and honorably focuses on skateboarding. Photos & Interview: Sean Peterson
It’s been a long time since you’ve had print coverage, what have you been up too besides skateboarding? I’ve done a bunch of movies, TV and commercials but have never stopped skating. It hasn’t been easy though. There is really no incentive for magazines to print your pho-
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tos because they have advertisers that want their skaters to get coverage. I still would shoot photos here and there but I decided that filming a video part would be my greatest strength. I thought you had the best line in Lords of Dogtown; do you have any more awe-
some one-liners that may make their way into pop culture? Lords is a great movie that I was so hyped to be a part of. I’m still interested in doing movies again some day but there really is nothing that fulfills me more than skating. I have this new hunger that I lost for awhile out of being discouraged by indus-
try politics and things that really don’t matter. Also, life has its way of steering you in other directions and you really have to take control and get back on track. For me, getting back on track means staying focused, healthy and filming new video parts. Also, I want the kids to get to really know me from the direct source,
“I HAVE THIS NEW HUNGER THAT I LOST FOR AWHILE OUT OF BEING DISCOURAGED BY INDUSTRY POLITICS AND THINGS THAT REALLY DON’T MATTER.”
Krooks
Fakie Ollie Nose Blunt
myself. I want my skating to be at the forefront of my name. So now it’s time to really throw down, I’m beyond ready. Are you shredding for anyone right now? Yeah, Brooklyn Projects Skateshop. Independent Trucks hook me up. Are you on the homie program with anyone? Nima at Ashbury Sunglasses hooked me up. Marko from Sugar gave me some boards and JC who is a Converse rep sent me some shoes. Other than that, Brooklyn Projects sets me up, I only take what I need though. I’m so hyped on the scene we got going, there’s a ramp in the back that is amazing and the list of people that cruise through the shop and chill is just crazy. I want to work with them to help the shop continue to have a major presence in skateboarding. Like, if
you’re in LA, you’re gonna have to check it out cause you know it’s gonna be crackin’. The reason I asked besides skateboarding is because your Skatestache part was amazing. What possessed you to put out such a truly great part? Wow, thank you for that compliment! I just wanted to put out a raw street video part. An actual real street part, no foundation spots, no skate parks or skater made spots, rigged up in some way, just all-natural terrain. I’m definitely not hating on any of those videos that do have that, I just had a strong vision of what I wanted to accomplish and how I wanted to present it. Also, a lot of people thought that I just fell off, like I suck all of sudden or lost it. No one was taking my skating seriously. No sponsors means little to no visibility. I felt like I accomplished a lot with this part, I let my
skating do the talking. I have to thank the filmers though too because they killed it. Mike Kretovics, Blake Housenga, Dario Rezk, Eric Sandoval and Matt Williams, who edited it as well. Also thank you to Steve Celentani and Tactical Skateboarding. Skate Talk Live on the Berrics allowed me to premiere it too, which was really cool of them. I’ve been out skating with you and had you try to describe what you wanted to do in plain English and I couldn’t understand what the fuck you were talking about cause it just didn’t look possible. How do you come up with your trick selection? I want to trip people out for sure. I like to mix it up though with a bunch of different styles. I skate based on how I’m feeling at the time really. Doing tech tricks are great but bomb-
Wally
ing a hill is amazing, doing a twenty-foot long tail slide feels amazing. High speed skating, anything with an element of danger gets me hyped. When I’m upset about something, frustrated with life, I’m gonna use that to hit that 20 stair rail, get it all out of my system. I have so much energy. All these kids watch the pros at the Berrics and other facilities, it can be hard to stand out with all of that or even feel involved at all. So I just go and handle the crazy stuff. I want my next video part to be psychotic. Pure insanity. What skaters do you look to for inspiration and why? Old skate videos inspire me so the list is long. Danny Way for sure, always pushing the limits since day one. I look to people that live their life in a way that takes their craft to a whole new level… like Laird Hamilton or Bruce Lee. I want to take my skating to new levels. Shepard Fairey also, for how he uses his art to express his views so effectively. So many kids today are into skateboarding for the sponsorship, and so many skaters seem to just disappear after the paychecks vanish but for the last few years you seem to be out there shredding paid or not. What keeps you motivated? That’s a really complex question for me to give just one answer. There are many things that motivate me and conveying a message through my skating is one of them. Yeah, I haven’t gotten paid for
a very long time but that’s definitely not why I do it. I skate because that is who I am. I just have a lot of passion for what I do, which is why I’ve remained involved for so long now, paid or not. When I make my way back into being sponsored again I want it to mean something. It means a lot to me because I dedicated my whole entire life to skateboarding so when I do return, I want it have importance. I also want to be able to go out on top, at the top of my game. I want the whole entire story of it all to be amazing. My own journey with all the good and the bad, the highs and the lows. That’s what life is all about. You recently got a session in with “The Muska,” what did you guys skate? Muska is an OG Brooklyn Projects team rider. I guess he’s been shooting photos so we shot at the ramp and they came out sick. They’re on his website. We went street skating too and he’s back, so get ready for some new Muska coverage. He’s always been fun to skate and chill with. Who do you like skating with? There are too many skaters to name but as of recently: the skate click homies, Carlos Zarazua, Dan Abadi, Billy Roper, Yuto Kojima, Gonzo, Sean Apgar, Sammy Baptista, John Kearney, Torey Pudwill, P-Rod, Kimati, Manny Santiago, Felix, Luis Tolentino, The Decenzo Brothers, Anthony Amedori, Jamel, Jarold Webb, Elliot Wright, Adrian Adrid, Seu Trinh, Jason Grillo... All the LA homies and many more.
Change is playing
Downtown LA Mural, 7th and Mateo
Fyasko x James Gillette collaborative series Look for the Limited Edition Nauty Tee at Urban Outfitters fyasko.com fyasko.com/blog facebook.com/fyaskoclothing jamesgillette.com
Interview: Ryan Hakman The famous, not so famous Mike Coots. Mike Coots is like the underground Bethany Hamilton of photography. He is a photographer from Kauai, that’s probably why you never heard of him because you can’t really shoot anywhere on Kauai let alone make a living from it, but if you’re from there you know who Coots is. Besides his photography, Mike is a body boarder turned surfer after losing his leg to a tiger shark while body boarding on the west
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side of Kauai, but that did not stop him. He recovered quickly and moved to Santa Barbara to go to photography school where only then he started to learn how to surf with one leg. Being from Kauai and growing up body boarding and fishing it came to him real quick. I’ve seen him pull in to some waves that most people would be scared to paddle out in. Anyway, since then Coots has been bouncing around the Hawaiian islands shooting
anything from the Quiksilver team on Oahu, Clay Marzo at home on Maui, tractors for the CAT calendar, Kamalei standup paddling the bay at night, sharks feeding on dead pigs off Kauai, Chava roosting around the track, to Barca hitting the mitts at the Boars Nest and most famously Andre Agassi in Las Vegas. If he’s not behind the lens you’ll most likely see him out in the lineup doing better turns than the average Joe at Huntington or going on some mysto hike with his girlfriend, he is always
creating or thinking of something new to do. The thing I respect the most about Mike is that he has never expected anything from anyone or capitalized on his situation and he is always doing it with a smile on his face. He has some of the sickest shots you would ever see with some of the best surfers in the world but he would never sell them out. Coots has a great eye and is an amazing photographer, he never gets as much credit as he should and he is one of my
"I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR SHARK CONSERVATION AS THE IRONY OF GETTING BIT AND THEN TRYING TO PROTECT THEM HAS OPENED THE DOORS TO SPEAK TO POLITICIANS AND LAWMAKERS."
Robert Hennessy
closest friends. Well, that’s enough slurping from me, here’s what he has to say. So what got you into photography? Getting bit by the shark and being out of the water for while, I started shooting my friends surfing. What was the weirdest shoot you ever did? Not sure, it was either trying to get a bikini model to place a plumeria lei on a swimming turtle or trying to get Peirce Brosnan's kids to smile. Or anytime I shoot Kamalei. What have you been up to lately? Terry Chung
Makua Rothman
Do you have any trips planned or any photo shoots? I spent the winter working for Quiksilver, and lately shooting for the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. I also work with the Hawaii inight mags and doing some projects with Moskova and Analog. What happen to your leg? A shark munched on it. Small Kine Pupu. How do you feel about sharks now? They are a very important part of a healthy marine ecosystem and are being threatened to extinction by the practice of shark ďŹ nning.
Tyler Newton Kawika Stillwell
Gavin Beschen
Clay Marzo
Dane Gudauskas
Up to 700 million sharks a year are slaughtered. I have been trying to be an advocate for shark conservation as the irony of getting bit and then trying to protect them has opened the doors to speak to politicians and lawmakers. So far it has worked, I have spoken to Congress and the United Nations and both are doing a lot of change to Shark Conservation Laws. Actually Hawaii just passed a law making it the first state to make the
possession of shark fin contraband. works great. A healthy shark population equals a healthy reef equals good waves. Are you a soul surfer like Bethany Hamilton? What made you go from a body Yeah, I guess. boarder to a surfer? Going to college in Santa Barbara Kids from Kauai have it pretty the waves are crap for body good these days; guys like boarding so I learned to standup Andy, Bruce, Braden, Barca, surf. Kamalei gave me some Tudor Sion, Kamalei the list goes on single fin boards and learned and on… have really paved the at Leadbetter and Rincon. I way for the next generation of waterproofed my prosthetic and it Kauai groms. Who do you see
as the next generation form Kauai? Jesse Gugliamana and Malia Manuel. Any one words of advice or people you want to thank? I am inspired by Andy and the determination he had in that anything is possible. And by the Uncles for showing me how to respect our oceans.
Photography: Beau Rolette BeauRolette.com
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Hair/Makeup : Meghan McClain :: Next Models Model: Chelsea Turnbo :: Next Models Stylist: Johannes Sandoval
Top – Vans vans.com Bikini Bottom – Volcom volcom.com Shoes – Vans vans.com
Top – Quiksilver quiksilver.com Undies – Pull-In pull-in.com
Jacket – WESC wesc.com Bikini – Hurley hurley.com Shoes – Vans vans.com
Button Up – O’Neill oneill.com Bikini – Nike 6.0 nike6.com
Jacket – Quiksilver Women quiksilver.com Bikini Top – O’Neill oneill.com Bikini Bottom – Volcom volcom.com Shoes – Vans vans.com
Interview: Nico Nolan :: Photos: Andrew Miller Jules Reymond - A very passionate and dedicated snowboarder that has always lived life to it’s fullest. A native Swiss, his broken English has turned into a language all his own, and any conversation you have with him will be sure to keep you laughing until your sides hurt. He is hands-down the most entertaining person I have ever been fortunate enough to travel with. He is sure to fire up any room with laughter and can always be counted on to keep the morale high on down days. As a rider, Jules has a style all his own and rides with a fire that is hard to match. He follows no rules, obeys no laws, and has dedicated his entire existence to snowboarding. He can slaughter it anywhere in the world on any terrain... he is the real deal!
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Alright, so first question, how many spliffs do you think you smoke in a day? Easy – more than you! More than your friends and you, and more than all of Utah. Where did you grow up and where did you learn to snowboard? I was born in 1984 in Vevey, Switzerland, which is a beautiful place by the way. Yeah, I don’t know, I am pretty attached to that place. That’s about it. So is that where you started snowboarding? Vevey doesn’t really have any mountains, but I started riding at a mountain called Les Rochers de Naye. How old where you when you started riding? I started when I was seven years old.
What was your favorite part about riding when you were seven? I would just go to wherever it was the steepest. How old where you when you got your first sponsor? I was like 13 or something. It was a shop sponsor, but I don’t want to say who the shop was because they can go eat a dick! How old were you when you first became a part of the Absinthe crew? That is hard; I am not sure, maybe 19 or something like that. It was for Future Proof, I think that was my first movie with them. Maybe I was 20. It‘s hard to think back that far, I know that I was not allowed to drink at the bar, so that is how old I was. Jeremy Jones thought he bought me my first beer when I was
there and I was like, "Yeah right buddy, if you only knew how fucked up I got as a kid!" So you weren’t old enough but you partied anyway, right? Yeah I would have to take Nicolas Mueller’s ID into the bars and everyone thought I was him and would tell me how proud they were of me and how sick my riding was. I would just laugh and be like, "Yeah it’s cool, just give me some beer please!" So your first time filming with Absinthe you went to Haines? Yeah, it was awesome to go ride those big mountains. My stupid sponsor booked my flight for an 8-day trip, and after two weeks I realized I had missed my flight home. I just stayed there and made friends, and rode the best shit!
“J U L E S I S T H E CARTOON CHARACTER YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO COME TO LIFE AND HANG OUT WITH YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS.” – BODE MERRILL
How many years have you been filming with Absinthe now? Six years, I think. What are some of the changes you have seen in the crew over the past six years? It’s hard to say, probably the new faces in the game. Some older guys you don’t see as much but mainly it’s the same – same vibe, same shit man. It’s cool because everyone is really good friends, it's like a family. It’s good man, the crew is so fun, they have taken good care of me and have taken me to sick places. I have been able to travel all over the world because of them - just good vibes man! So who are some of the new guys that are killing it with Absinthe crew? Let's see, there is Bode. Um, let’s see... There is Bode, and there is this other
one, Bode… did I mention Bode? Oh yeah, and the other guy that kills it, the backcountry guy. Um… what is his name? Oh yeah, there is Jake Blauvelt and then also Bode.
man, you just drink like crazy and keep going out every night getting the kids stoked. Maybe go up and ask the girls for their bras and show us their tits and just party man!
What makes Bode such a good rider? Passion man, he is just a smart rider and knows the mountain. He is so fucking good and so humble. It's just his attitude; he is the best for sure.
What would you be doing without snowboarding? Easy man, I would be dead under a bridge somewhere with some needles in my arm or some shit. Snowboarding is my life and saves my life. It brings me smiles every day. I am just stoked on snowboarding in general; I am traveling with my friends and always happy because of it. I am a better person because of snowboarding.
What is up with the film tour that you go on for Absinthe every year in Europe? Oh man it’s harsh! You just have to party in every country and you don’t shower and you are talking to kids every night and you are just wasted from partying! Sometimes you might just throw up some blood or something like that and then have to go chill with some little kids at the premiere. Life on the road
So do you consider yourself a gypsy because of your traveling? Oh for sure! I am a gypsy as far as hygiene goes for sure. I am not really stoked on being on the road a lot, so I like to find one spot and chill. That is why
I was stoked on coming to Salt Lake City and just staying here for a bit. Because of the price of gas now and the financial crisis of the world I am not able to travel like I used to. I would like to just do some little trips and hang in Utah. So tell me about Utah and what brought you to here? What do you like about Utah and what don’t you like about it? So I met Bode and little Cale and I just needed a change in my life so I decided to come out here. It is my second year living and riding here and it has helped me a lot. I just base myself out of Utah, it is awesome. You can live a city life and have a burger before you go to the mountain and ride so much powder. I have tons of friends here, so I am really stoked! What I don’t like about it is that there are lame beers and lame bars and lame bitches!
Talk about your injuries... (...taking a huge hit from a monster cone and coughing) I have a lung injury from all the spliffs! Man, if you are going to have a good snowboard career you are going to get hurt and sometimes you get hurt a lot! I am broken right now, my knee is fucked up and full of blood and hurts really bad. I have broken everything, so it’s a balance from the all the pain and smiling all the time. The pain is hard, but you just know you are going to be laying on the couch, playing on the couch, smoking fatties, and playing some video games... So it's all good man. You are either riding or just smoking and chilling on the couch, it's all good! So how do you deal with your rehab and take care of your body? Easy man! (laughing) I take good care of my body, I eat right and get tons of rest and take that shit serious! (laughing again) No man, I get fucked up and eat some pills and lay on the couch and just smoke all the fatties I can too not think about the pain. It is your brain that you have to heal, dealing with all the pain and knowing you can’t ride. I get wasted and just deal with that shit. It's how you get by and just deal with not riding, knowing that you need to get your mind straight so you can not focus on the bad shit. So what are you going to do after your pro career is done? Well, if my plans to be the American President fail, I will... I will have my plan to be the... how do you say? The Director of War? And just fuck the other countries up! Maybe
I could be a drug lord and just fuck some bitches and get tons of money? But seriously, I just want to work in snowboarding and work with kids and some camps. I will always be a part of snowboarding. My other plans are billion-dollar ideas and you just can’t hear about them because I am going to get rich and you just can’t hear about my plans. So who are there people you would like to thank? My sponsors: Levitation Project, Nitro, Alife and SEABA. Oh yeah, and Ray-Ban and Polo and all that shit. Who else would you like to thank and give a shout out to? My family and my homies! I would like to thank my dick for all the work it has done lately. The Nolan family and Shane Charlebois and Absinthe Films, JAH and Brusti too, and Tonino and Hanness. Oh yeah, and Vlady, and big ups to my SLC homies and my Alaska homies! Any advice to kids that might read this that want to be a pro snowboarder like yourself? Shredding on mushrooms is more fun than you think! Haha, but seriously, well that is serious.... you just need to shred on mushrooms. Don’t put that in there, because I need to get a green card to be the American President! No, but really seriously, you just do it for yourself. You just need to do it because you love it and you are only doing it for you and no one else, do it for the passion little homies!
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Interview: Liz Rice McCray We had the pleasure to interview Toronto based artist Winnie Troung this month. Her portraits express a balance of beauty with a taste of reality – overexaggerated flaws, which bring into question insecurity and self-esteem, the reality of imperfection, and the emotions that come with those feelings. Textures of hair consume nameless images of people with blank expressions. These hair-weaving images are extremely moving and show stopping. Make sure to keep your eyes open for her work. Please introduce yourself - your name, age, and something about yourself that most people might not know? My name is Winnie Truong. I’m 22, I enjoy mid-afternoon naps, and I strongly believe that Pizza Pops qualifies in the
category of “hot breakfasts”. Will you tell us about your childhood? I grew up in Toronto’s east end, the oldest of three kids. I went to a public school and I had a lot of friends. I was really into collecting Sailor Moon cards at some point, and losing that collection was the first time I really experienced a loss. Tell us about your adulthood so far? Friends? Being an adult is pretty demanding. I keep a day job and a studio in the heart of downtown Toronto. I have a lot of free time to myself to read books, make art, go to galleries, and visit friends all through the week - I experience a good quality of life in exchange for never having money. What I lack in funds, I
make up with fun! I have a lovely group of close friends who are all artists, designers, and in-betweens I met going to school in the city. We like to ride our bikes to openings and watch BBC Life. How did you get into art? Have you always wanted to create? When I was in middle school I wanted to be a very serious writer. The funny thing is that back then I only ever wanted to write about myself. As an artist now I cringe when things take a turn towards the autobiographical or dreadfully academic (barring this interview). I’ve always kept sketchbooks and doodles when I was young, but thought very little of it. I applied and was accepted to high school for the arts where I had my first “formal” training. It was there that I was really exposed to the possibility that art could be an interest
to be pursued professionally in the real world. Who knew? You are formally trained – tell me about your university experience? My experience with university was both good and bad. My first few years were spent on setting out to try things out, spreading myself and my ideas so thin, and across so many approaches. It was really in my last year that I got comfortable and enjoyed my studio time while allowing the faculty, peers, and environment to challenge me. It was then that I stopped over-intellectualizing and purged myself of all my poorly committed and poorly wrought ideas that I began developing the series you are familiar with now for my thesis. What mediums do you currently work in? And what is the average
size of your works? I currently work in pencil crayons for the majority of what you see and some chalk pastel in my under drawings. Most of the work I show is 4-ft x 6-ft, although I’ve begun to work anywhere from 11” x 14” and smaller. I’m finding that intimacy of the miniature drawings to be a really nice change sometimes. It’s an interesting mix… bhave you always worked large scale with those mediums? I’ve always drawn in my sketchbook in a similar way to the large ones using that same approach to the contour line and cross-hatching in the drawings. I find the larger drawings have such a monumental impact on the viewer as something unreal to be desired. As well, the grand scale really allowed me
to labor and obsess over the intricacies of the line work. The optical mixing of colors involved is also most effective at the scale I work in. Will you give us some insight to some of your art? Who are the people in your portraits? What’s behind the hair and the blemishes? The people in my portraits aren’t anyone in particular. I work loosely from fashion and hair magazines, taking the models and their blank expressions as a platform to imagine and express something both universal and specific - natural and impossible - using exaggerated hair and blemish as starting points. I want my portraits to be viewed as anonymous projections of our familiar feelings and notions towards the beautiful and the grotesque - of anxiety, am-
bivalence, discomfort and complacency, among others. The portrait for me is a form capable of communicating those aspects of the human psyche with a singular immediacy. Tell us about your hair? Do you like it? I like working with hair so much that my own personal taste is constantly in flux which should partially explain why my haircut is in actual form has been a very safe – blunt cut with straight across bangs for some years now. Now and again I get the urge to do something to it. I think that Yo-Landi Vi$$er has a very challenging haircut, it’s one I lack the courage to emulate. I guess I’m a coward when it comes to the concept of physical change. I’ve always kept a pretty plain mane for someone so de-
lighted by the unexpected and hirsute. How long does it take you to create one of your pieces? Do you work on more then one at a time? What is your process like? The largest works take up to a month to complete. I’ve been taking on more deadlines with shows and commissions recently, so I’ve managed to keep a few things going at a time just to stay on top of things. A good studio process always starts with a hot meal and a strong priorities list. The rest is just a very committed rotation drawing, stretching, napping, and 8 hours worth of Farscape on standby at all times. Are there any artists that influence your work? If so, will you tell us who they are?
With the scale and subject matter of the work I do, I’ve always felt more of an affinity towards hyperrealist sculpture - the works of Evan Penny, Sam Jinks and Ron Mueck, to name a few. It’s so powerful and artfully unsettling to see flesh, hair, and anatomy transformed in such a way. And while we are on recent influences, I believe it is also worth mentioning that I’ve watched all nine seasons of X-Files in my studio. Will you explain your average day? My average day consists of a shamefully long and hot shower (sorry Earth!), a hot breakfast, reading e-mails, feeding the cat, making lunch, packing lunch, and walking forty minutes in 5°C through the streets of Toronto to get to my studio. There is a dollar store down the street there, and I can live like royalty on an artist’s budget. Everything
from candy to painters tape! When the errands are through, I sit down and obsess over the drawing aspect, and the combination of lines and colors that make it up over many hours. I might take a break here and there to stretch and read a magazine or to watch my television shows on my laptop. I take the subway home… lather, rinse, repeat. What words best explain your work? (I have been sitting here for a while trying to find words that help me to explain your artwork.) Beautiful, grotesque, colorful, unsettling, ambitious, obsessive and ambiguous? Will you explain your studio/work place? What is your favorite thing about your studio?
My studio is located in a historical building complex in downtown Toronto that houses a few galleries, a rooftop garden, a book store, as well as artist and design studios upstairs. I couldn’t ask for a more fertile community to create from. I absolutely love my studio, mostly because it’s my own private place to think and work and make a mess. There is also a nice coffee/lunch place on the bottom floor that makes an appetizing spinach samosa. Tell me what’s your iTunes playlist at the moment? A lot of Destroyer, Grizzly Bear, and the Best of DMX. Where would you like to see yourself in ten years? Without a day job, eating the sandwich of my dreams, and forever working
to push the boundaries of my own art practice. Do you have any upcoming shows or projects that you can tell us about? It’s been a hectic year so far. I exhibited at the Volta Fair during Armory Week, followed by a solo show at Mulherin Pollard Projects in NYC. Right now I’m gearing up for a solo exhibition at ESP in Toronto this September, which I am incredibly excited about making new work for. Just like real life, nice things tend to come up without warning or expectation, so you’ll have to keep checking the blog for other updates! And lastly, where can people check out your work? winnietruong.com or winnietron.blogspot.com
HURLEY X BRANDON BOYD @ H-SPACE
Photos: Derek Bahn // Boyd & his murals // Greg Teal & Brandon Boyd // Baelyn Neff & Michelle Rodriguez // Shelley & Bob Hurley // Hurley X Brandon Boyd collection // Boyd & his fans // Garbage Pale Whale by Brandon Boyd // Exclusive water bottles to benefit H.O.P.E. // Finishing touches // Brandon Boyd: man of the hour
On April 2nd, the H-Space at the Hurley headquarters played host to Brandon Boyd’s exclusive Hurley X Brandon Boyd collection benefiting H.O.P.E. With over 1,000 attendees on site, it was the star-studded event for the evening. With giant murals, free food and beverage, music by DJ Hideaf and the chance to score some exclusive Hurley X Brandon Boyd apparel, it wasn’t long before the event was at maximum capacity. Musicians, celebrities and athletes from all walks of life were on hand checking out Brandon’s latest project and mingling with the enormous crowd. The exhibition will be on display through May 15th at the Hurley headquarters so get on up to Costa Mesa and give it a gander. You can also find out more info and see additional photos at hurely.com/BrandonBoyd.
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PHOTO: DRAGONETTE
ActiveMayBlisss.indd 1
ACTIVE TEAM RIDER: REEMO PEARSON VARIAL FLIP
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SPYDER SURF FEST IN HERMOSA BEACH
Words: Brian Robbins :: Photos: Ricky Lesser & Brian Robbins // Dennis Jarvis, Jani Lange, Jimmy Young & Dickie O’Riely // Hermosa Pier Gold // Hermosa Beach Hottie // Suedehead // Another Hottie //Pat O’Connell, Timmy Curran, & Dane Zaun // Crowd Shop // Everclear // Holy Moly // Mike Lossness // Even more Hermosa Beach talent
For the 4th year in a row, Spyder Surfboards put on their annual Surf Fest event, in conjunction with the City of Hermosa Beach’s Legends of Surf Weekend. It’s an all-in affair: concerts, contests, Hall of Fame, surf films and more free stuff than you can shake a stick at. Literally, that was one of the games; shake a stick, get a sticker. Reef brought the girls, Hurley was making custom trunks and Volcom was taping Balloons to kids backs. No holds barred, promote what you got until you got nothing but a balloon left, then tape it to the next kid’s back. The crowd well surpassed previous years and once again Spyder’s contribution to the city’s scene further cements the shop’s reputation as the most influential in the South Bay. Kudos to all who partook and we’re looking forward to the big event a year from now.
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COMUNE MESSES WITH TEXAS AT SXSW 2011
Photos: Jason Lee Parry & Mike Quinones :: Words: Danny Parker // OFF! Pit // Gareth Stehr // Socorro Mission // JEFF the Brotherhood // Dustin Beatty interviewing Christian of The Black Angels // Odd Future // Gary Star & Jason Lee Perry // Braydon & Gareth with groupies // Jason Lee Perry // Braydon Szafranski & Mary Jane
It takes a certain caliber of person to burn the candle at both ends and buy more matches. Heck, it’s even safe to say that environment plays a vital roll in that higher burning fire. Every year SXSW presents a combustible mixture of all the right elements to guarantee a good time and this year, the COMUNE team experienced how white-hot Texas can be.
(with one channeling the ghost of an ex cop at the Salton Sea) and sightseeing punctuated by the occasional beer bong, they quickly landed on the bustling streets of Austin. The team divided and conquered with a skate session on the mini ramp at the Thrasher party to the tunes of metal curated by Tee Pee records while the other half pounded the pavement in search of new music. The morose crooning of Dirty Beaches, the crazy Just like the hundreds of bands-in-a-van who descended on Austin over antics of Odd Future and the in-your-face driving punk of OFF! provided the course of three days, the COMUNE team including Braydon Szafranski the perfect soundtrack for messing with Texas. There’s no doubting the and Gareth Stehr, made the long trek from their headquarters in Costa team will be back next year, fully fueled and ready once again for a good Mesa, CA. Stopping briefly along the way for impromptu photos shoots barn burning.
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Interview: Max Ritter It is probably safe to say Davey Warsop is the only English mod rocker you might see creeping around down at River Jetties where he lives nearby. It is also a sure bet that he is more likely to be wielding a guitar case carrying a Rickenbacher axe than a surfboard. A sharply dressed tattooed Brit wearing tight pants and Docs is not exactly the norm here at the beach. So, “Who is that dude?” you might ask. Davey landed here after his band Beat Union was discovered by producer John Feldman. Davey and his mates made the trek over to America to pursue a record deal. After a few misfortunes the band, at its wits end, called it quits and Davey was sent home packing until he got a call from his friends at Hurley to come back and join the team. Nowadays Davey spends his days working as the in-house studio engineer and occasional model at Hurley while working nights as the frontman in his new band Suedehead. Not a bad gig right? Always positive and charismatic, it was a pleasure to talk all things Davey-Boy Warsop.
Photo: Derek Bahn
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Isn’t “Suedehead” a Morrissey song? Where does the name come from? I named the band after the old British sub-culture from back in the late 60’s early 70’s when kids in northern England were going out dancing all night to soul music. We didn’t even think about the Morrissey connection. Once we realized, we thought maybe it was kind of a good thing. Like maybe we could steal some of the blokes fans. (Laughs) I always wanted to hear your songs get a Motown/vintage sort of treatment and it seems like Suedehead is much more that route. Is having the creative control on the production end helping you to get closer to the sound you want? Having the creative control with the production is definitely a good thing for me. It is something I definitely need. From the very start of writing a song I have a vision of how I want it to end up and I how I want it to sound. I have definitely made a lot of conscious
decisions to make this a more lofi recording that nods back to my influences from the 60’s and 70’s. For better or worse if I am recording our music, then I know that I am the only one responsible and I can’t make the classic excuse that some other engineer didn’t nail ‘my sound’ because I never even knew what I wanted in the first place. (Laughs) I think in this day and age you need to be multi-talented when it comes to music. Too many people go into the studio to create something not knowing what they want to create. If you don’t know what your goal is how are you ever going to be happy with the end result? Explain the influence of Suedehead’s sound. With Suedehead I wanted to reach out and try to make some music that wasn’t going to be totally expected from me. Despite my influences from the punk scene, I have always loved the sounds of northern soul and Motown. From a very early age I really loved an independent Irish film called
The Commitments about a working class soul band. That film always really spoke to me and opened my eyes and ears to soul music. Like I mentioned before, the northern soul scene was basically a scene that grew really popular in the clubs and dancehalls of northern England during late 60’s and early 70’s. So I started to listen to as much northern soul and old vinyl that I could get my hands on. I was listening to Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Supremes, Four Tops, and all that stuff. Talk a little about your label that you have put this stuff out on… Once we started producing these songs we naturally wanted to put it out. We decided at this point in time no one could work as hard for our band as we could, so we decided to put our money where our mouth was and start a label and start pressing vinyl. We called it ISRS and started putting our songs on iTunes ourselves. We also give away a free download card with our vinyl. You can get a great sense of pride from
being pro active and completely DIY. The concept is combining the DIY punk ethic with our love for Motown and soul. You’ve got some stellar musicians playing in this band, where did you meet these lads? I met Korey a few years ago when we were both playing on Warped Tour, back then he was drumming for The Aggrolites. Greg was playing around Costa Mesa in The Black Diamond Riders and TSOL and I met him when I was recording those guys. I met Chris Bradley living in the scene around here. He is an artist and a designer and also a big enthusiast of Brit culture and Mod culture, so we had a lot to talk about. He played in a band called The Distraction and he ran his own DIY label as well. Korey introduced us to Nick who is a wicked local session player. A lot of it has to do with me being shady and stealing other bands musicians. (Laughs) Everyone is a veteran…
That definitely made it easy. All of us have played a lot of shows and toured in previous bands. It meant the band came together pretty quickly and clicked musically. Talk a little bit about what you do here at Hurley and how it coexsists with your aspirations as a musician. Basically I met Hurley with my old band Beat Union, I had already been doing interviews for Hurley.com and just about the time we were splitting up there was a couple of photo shoots going on where I had been asked to do some modeling for them. I always try and be positive and say yes to any opportunity that comes my way so I went for it and tried my hand at being a model. I guess it was successful and they kept asking me back to do more and more. Beat Union broke up and I stuck around the campus just trying to help out as much as I could. My biggest interest and most knowledgeable subject is music so I started helping out more and more with events and
sessions in the studio. One thing led to another and that became a day job really. So now in the Hurley Studio I will do anything from record bands, film bands and interview bands, record music and voice overs for commercials, and help Greg Teal run the production and stage at musical events while in the mean time being a musical spokesperson and doing the odd photo shoot when asked. How does that balance with the band? It’s the ideal job for a musician like myself. If I am to represent Hurley’s recording studio how can I be an authentic representative if I am not making any of my own music in a credible way. For me I think it makes my job and position all the more authentic and real. At work I deal with a lot of musicians and managers, and when I play gigs I am around the same people. I am always representing Suedehead and I am always representing Hurley and the two coexist nicely.
What’s been your favorite project you have worked on in the studio? I helped work on the latest Weezer record that was partially recorded in the Hurley studio. I got to work on those sessions and that was an absolute dream come true for me. I remember being 12 years old and buying the Blue Album in a record store back home in England. To just go back in time to that kid buying the record and to think that I would actually end up working with those musicians and that band; it was just absolutely insane. I am so grateful that through working with Hurley I got to have that experience. Be sure to pick up the Suedehead’s In Motion EP. The boys have pressed up 500 limited edition vinyl available in Costa Mesa at Captains Helm and Factory Records or Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach. Also find it on iTunes or send $5 through pay pal to suedeheadband@gmail. com. Cheers Davey!
Shangri La: 3/17/2011 :: Kiss & Fly (SXSW): 3/18/2011
I first learned of Dirty Beaches after getting lost on the internet. Before I was able to listen to a full album his blog convinced me that my mind was about to blown. Dirty Beaches is a one-man trip by Alex Zhang Hungtai. I was lucky enough to see him play at Shangri La, as well as at Kiss and Fly during SXSW. Both were completely different venues, but his low voice and hypnotic sound easily controlled anyone within hearing distance. At Kiss and Fly, a crowd of drunk party going VIPs were instantly calmed once he stepped on stage. All were lead through an experience that he seemed to of mapped out with the tone of each song. The simple, repetitive beat and comforting vocals put me in a trance that made me fall deeper into what I was hearing. I almost wanted to close my eyes, turn off the lights and lay down while listening... and once I got home I definitely did. Sure, people will most likely hate on this guy, or somehow decide it’s hipster-ish, but the fact is this guy destroyed SXSW, and he did it all by himself without a band to fall back on. At the vary least, it’s refreshing to see and hear something completely different, even if it is just for a second. Words & Photo: Mike Quinones
Reviews: Max Ritter
The Kills Blood Pressures Domino Records
Jeff The Brotherhood We Are The Champions Infinity Cat
Crystal Stilts In Love With Oblivion Slumberland
Bass Drum Of Death GB City Fat Possum
Perhaps no one around is better than Jamie Hince at finding the trashiest scuzzed-up gain-heavy textures and tones to lay down inconspicuously catchy blues riffs. Matched with the seductive croon of Allison Mosshart and some of the bands best songs yet, the vibe of Blood Pressures is just straight mean.
Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall are set to drop their second full length that I have been frothing over for some time. Epic = dude beats the hell out of his minimal drum kit while brother shreds Sabbath riffs meets blue album Weezer power chords. Raw and awesome.
This second LP from Crystal Stilts had me right off the Cramps sounding opener, “Sycamore Tree” with its evil sounding surf guitar and Doorsy organ. This is a band in the crowd that can really pull off the dark and eerie pop sound. The record’s sound as a whole conjures this hazy druggy feeling yet it has an uplifting and happy undertone.
Another duo of dudes killing the skins and rarely playing the bottom three strings of the guitar. No, just kidding they play them but… These dudes back up their epic name with some worthy blown out garage head bangers. It will fit right in your collection next to Ty Segall and Wavves. They are from that state that you practiced spelling a lot when you were younger and it has that awesome record label with the possum. M-I-SS-I-SS-IPP-I. Right?
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AGE: 10 HOMETOWN: NORTH SHORE, HAWAII SPONSORS: NIKE 6.0, …LOST SURFBOARDS, SECTOR 9, FILTRATE, NORTH SHORE SURF SHOP & FREESTYLE FAVORITE SURFERS: DANE REYNOLDS, JULIAN WILSON, JORDY SMITH & KOLOHE ANDINO
S M Y: O B R D G E S RESENT S S ! L P B
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Photo: Spencer Suitt
AGE: 16 HOMETOWN: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA SPONSORS: ALTAMONT, EMERICA, MYSTERY, BONES WHEELS & THEEVE TRUCKS FAVORITE SKATER: ED DUFF
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Photo: Peter Morning
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4/7/11 4:09 PM
MONYCA
DIRECTED BY JASON
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