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LINE OF THE TIMES Try to follow Scott Blum down the mountain. It will be one of the most fun and terrifying things you can do since you don’t know where he’s going or what he’ll hit next. He’s unpredictable. But on a powder day at Mammoth, the fun factor heightens with 3,500 acres of super soft, deep stuff and no worries at all.
randoms • 22 alex jenkins • 26 paul roustan • 28 robin williams • 30 erina matsui • 32 super taste • 34 kr craig costello • 36 griffin colapinto • 38 the art of fintan magee • 46
kane sheckler • 52 holiday gift guide • 58 the mystery of mt stoy • 62 complexcon • 68 nixon x powell-peralta - kcdc event • 70 slow culture - infinite earths • 72 the side eyes • 74 music reviews • 75 groms • 76
artist • fintan magee
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Editor-in-Chief nick kalionzes nick@blisssmag.com
Editor
joey marshall joey@blisssmag.com
Creative DirectoR mark paul deren : madsteez madsteez@madsteez.com
assistant editor delon isaacs delon@blisssmag.com
EDITOR AT LARGE liz rice mcCray liz@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, Peter Morning, Bryce Kanights, Arto Sarri, Anthony Acosta, Cameron Strand, Brian Fick, Deville Nunns, Gage Thompson, Derek Bahn, Tom Cozad, Bruce Beach, Robbie Crawford, Ryan Donahue, Joe Foster, Sean Sullivan, Stan Sievers
contributors
Willie Marshall, Daniel Russo, 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, Richie Olivares, Eric Meyers, Kelly Shannon, JP Olson, Bruce Beach
DECEMBER 2016 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.
ARTIST •FINTAN MAGEE
If your favorite shop isn’t receiving BL!SSS Magazine please contact info@blisssmag.com
HURLEY X CHEVROLET
Built as the ultimate Baja escape vehicle, Hurley and Chevrolet unveiled their newest collaboration, The Colorado Z71 Hurley Concept, this past month at SEMA Show. This truck won’t only get you to most coveted waves but it can also serve as your mobile beach command center since it is equipped with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. They’ve thought about absolutely everything on this truck: ventiprene water-resistant seat covers, custom Thule racks that double as wetsuit drying racks, a Bimini-style cover for shade, a secret lockbox in rear bumper for valuables and even a special waterproof bracelet unlocking mechanism so your keys can stay hidden and locked inside the vehicle. But it’s not just about looks and functionality, as this vehicle also boasts 308 horsepower, 275 lb.-ft. of torque and an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission, making every wave accessible for those who want it.
DRAGON INTRODUCES LUMALENS
See more, react faster and perform better, as these goggles are straight-up on some Terminator-level shit. This dull world has never looked so good and we’ll never wear sunglasses again, just goggles – goggles everywhere, all of the time! Dragon Lumalens is a color-optimized lens technology offering ultra-high-definition optics across the entire spectrum of light conditions. Engineered to optimize and improve visibility in all environments, Dragon’s exclusive Lumalens Technology delivers enhanced color vividness, increased contrast and precise depth perception. By filtering out light attributed to haze and glare, while letting in light that intensifies clarity and contrast, Lumalens achieves a new standard in lens performance. This state-of-the-art technology provides all-day comfort for your eyes and consistently crisp, clear optics –. Check out their store locator at www.dragonalliance.com to find where to buy yours today!
LEGENDARY WIDE BRIM AZTEC
Legendary Manufacturing Co. continues to push the hat-game limits with their latest release, the Aztec Wool Collection. Over the years fashion has evolved through different forms of culture, style and music, but the fedora continues to have made its mark. Capitalizing on this, Legendary continues to develop and modernize the traditional fedora to meet every fashionista’s desire. Available now in three key color ways, get your hands on the Aztec Wide Brim today at legendarymfgco.com or other fine retailers.
VANS SALMAN AGAH’S REISSUE
Commemorating 50 years of “Off The Wall,” Vans upholds its revered skate heritage with the reissue of Salman Agah’s first pro model shoe. Originally launched in 1994, Salman Agah’s memorable shoe marks Vans final reissue in honor of the brand’s historic 50th Anniversary. Built with Vans’ proven ULTRACUSH HD sock liners for resilient cushioning and advanced comfort, the Salman Agah Reissue Pro combines Vans’ original waffle outsole with DURACAP reinforced underlays for premium durability. Famed the “Sultan of Switch” and selected as Thrasher Magazine’s 1993 “Skater of the Year,” Salman Agah has spent 14 years on the Vans pro skate team and released a total of five signature Vans pro models. To learn more about the Vans Pro Classics 50th Anniversary reissues and to find an authorized dealer near you, visit www.vans.com/50threissues.
QUIKSILVER HORIZON SNOW JACKET
The mid ‘90s called and they want to clown you for the terrible Big 5 Sporting Goods snow outerwear you’ve been rocking for the past 12 years straight. It’s practically 2017, guys, and we think you’ve seriously overlooked how far snow outerwear has come. Please do yourself a favor and check out Quiksilver’s New Wave lineup of snowboard jackets, and really make sure you peep the Horizon Jacket, which is our absolute favorite. The Horizon Jacket is developed for unfaltering style and mountain-ready performance. Bold color blocking and a tailored fit take care of the progressive styling, a robust 15K shell covers waterproofing and the 3M Thinsulate maximizes warmth. The whole package comes sealed with fully-taped seams, a jacket-to-pant attachment system and meshed-lined underarm vents for when your temperature rises. This thing is like a modern-day UGG Boot igloo for your torso and is offered at such a reasonable price. Head over to www.quiksilver.com today to learn more.
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@805BEER SEE MORE AT 805BEER.COM
POLER X NITRO SNOWBOARDS
Poler has been known to put out some of the best collaborations in our industry, and they hit another homerun for this year’s 2016/17 snow season with the Poler x Nitro collection. Consisting of four separate models (Quiver Cannon, 163 Naut, 154 Pow, and 149 Treehugger) these boards were made with fresh powder in mind. Our favorite has to be the 163 Naut, as it is surf-inspired and utilizes classic surfboard “wings” on the tip and tail for faster turns and maneuvering. Add the extreme pintail and you’ve got the perfect board for huge whips and mind-blowing sprays that make you think you’re in the ocean this winter. Check them all out and spend your hardearned Christmas cash at polerstuff.com.
BILLABONG HAWAII HOUSE SWEEPSTAKES
Between now and January 10th you and a lucky someone (boyfriend/girlfriend, tinder babe, mom, stepsister) have the opportunity to win free travel arrangements as well as a stay at the Billabong Hawaii House on the North Shore of Oahu. There’s no purchase or payment to enter this contest. Billabong just wants to give the opportunity to make someone’s aloha wishes come true. All of us here at BL!SSS Magazine try to take a winter vacation to the islands every winter, and it really is a beautiful place for you to go and escape the horrors of everyday life. To enter the sweepstakes visit the blog section of www.billabong.com, and make sure you read all of the contest rules before entering.
ADVENTURE TIME WITH DC
The Cartoon Network and DC Shoes have teamed up and released the DC X Adventure Time footwear and youth snow collection for this year’s wintertime release. Those of you who don’t have kids and are not familiar with the Adventure Time cartoon, it’s about a boy named Finn and his magical shape-shifting dog, Jake. The two go on endless adventures in the post-apocalyptic land of Ooo. With show catchphrases like “Heck Yeah” and colorful prints featuring popular characters Finn, Jake and Princess Bubblegum, this entire collection is on every grom’s wish list for the holidays. Create smiles and holiday joy by grabbing them all at dcshoes.com.
BANZAI BOWLS & BRUCE IRONS
Banzai Bowls has added a new name to its already stellar surf roster, and it just so happens to be one of the best surfers on the planet, Bruce Irons. This addition, along with its newest location on the North Shore, has us jumping up and down for today’s healthiest breakfast option. There’s nothing better than sharing some waves with your best friends and then heading to Banzai Bowls for a healthy recharge.
HURLEY PHANTOM JJF 3 NEBULA ELITE
Good friends Punker Pat Towersey and Shaun Ward stopped by the office the other week and dropped us off a couple pairs of the new Hurley Phantom John Florence Nebula Elites. These are the first signature shorts we’ve seen from John John as our new World Champion of Surfing. I don’t think we’ve had the chance to say congratulations yet, so congratulations John John! As far the specs go for these bad boys, the Hurley Phantom JJF 3 Nebula Elite Men’s boardshorts feature a new revolutionary Hyperfuse waistband for minimal distractions and a locked-down fit. The 20-inch-length short is constructed with 86% recycled polyester and 14% spandex, making the short as durable and as flexible as it can be. From your favorite 2-foot beach break to 25-foot Peahi, these shorts are proven to work well and hold up at any spot and in any conditions.
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interview • liz rice mccray
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I thought we could personalize the interview; maybe we could both describe where we are so everyone reading along can imagine and feel like they know us a little... You start, what are you doing and where are you at? I am currently in my old room at my mum’s house, responding to you and eating delivery pizza at 3:30 a.m. (UK time). I ordered extra tuna thinking at the time it’d be a more healthy option. It’s a decision I am already living to regret. Haha, wow, tuna on pizza... I don’t believe I have tried that. Is that British? Ok what I’m doing… I’m sitting on my navy blue sofa trying to type while my overly needy dog keeps dropping her dirty ball on my lap and computer. It’s starting to piss me off. I sound heartless but she just won’t stop. Now let’s go to where it all started: what was your childhood ambition? I think I was always a bit of a daydreamer as a kid and was pretty much oblivious to what was going on around me. I was more focussed on playing with my toys or drawing battle scenes and perfecting missile and gun sounds to give the drawings a 4D experience (only made to myself, that is) than having any sort of long-term plans or ambitions. I wasn’t so much interested in football like the other boys my age but more into insects, and I was told my mum thought there could be a chance that I’d be an entomologist due to my fascination. I was probably just staring vaguely at the insects though, instead of studying the infrastructures, behavioural patterns and habitats! You describe your work as “exploring satirical and critical subject matter through a distinctive and vivid style.” Will you elaborate? Ha! I think I was trying to think of the most highbrow and intelligent way of describing what I like to draw once and it stuck. Elaborating on that though, or simplifying it even, I’d describe the illustration I make as sometimes looking at the mundane but jostling it with the absurd, or looking at certain subjects and drawing my interpretation in a slightly piss taking way. I think humour is important especially when involved with
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something that is grotesque, as it creates a balance. Not that my work is laugh-out-loud funny in any sense, but I guess you could say there is an air of silliness to it whilst also being a little grim. The facial expressions of your subjects are super funny, thought provoking, and sometimes a little disturbing but in a funny way. Will you tell us a little bit about where you draw scenes from? Adding the facial expressions has always been something that’s enjoyable during the process and after. The notion of “expression” has always been a staple part of cartooning, and for me personally you can really tell the story of the image just in the face. Even when the face is one that is very simple and just consists of just a pair of eyes on a bald head, you can say a lot about character and narrative through this. What are some of your consistent influences? It might sound a bit cliché but day-to-day life can often throw up ideas or influences, whether it be a documentary I’m listening to or something I’ve seen on the bus. The real life things are always interesting, as it’s then a challenge of making the mundane interesting. Also I hate to admit it, but I’ve become a bit of a slave to my mobile phone and social media. The latter though does really have its plusses, and it’s always the networking of illustrators and artists which can be very visually stimulating. What are you really into right now, art or non-art related? Of recent I’ve had this strange compulsion to watching the video blog type things of this YouTube celebrity called Rich Piana. He’s basically an uber jock/meathead bodybuilder who has had his body pumped with synthol and steroids until he now resembles this insanely grotesque mass of muscle and sleeve tattoos. I don’t want to be to mean to the guy as he hasn’t done anything to me and his videos are strangely infatuating for all the wrong reasons.
More art related, a friend recently showed me the work of Bruce Bickford. He’s an amazing animator who uses clay in stop-motion sequence, which are out of this world and very disturbing. But I couldn’t recommend checking him out more, he’s great. So tell us what percentage of your time is devoted to your artwork? What do you spend the rest of your time doing? I try to be as busy as possible, whether it’s in the sketchbook or emailing. I feel it’s important to be as regimented and organized as you can be, although that’s not always realistic as I’m personally very disorganised. But you have to see it as a full-time job with long hours. The rest of my time apart from the mentioned is a mixture of long sighs, eating and staring vacantly into space. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist? What have you learned from it? One of the biggest challenges was getting started and getting work out there. Everything in the world of illustration seemed extremely vague and hazy a couple of years ago, and even now there is so, so much to learn. But even the concept of being able to earn money from drawing seemed an unachievable task. Things like social media definitely give a platform, and for me personally putting work out online helped me get over my awkwardness or fear of presenting work, as you haven’t got to be face-to-face with someone in a one-onone situation. So going with that, it then gave an imputes to keep producing, which in turn definitely allowed to develop as time went by. Do you have any advice to artists just starting out? My advice would be not to hide in a cave, get your work out there as much as possible on whatever platforms possible and to keep producing as much as possible. And another important thing: do not fear rejection and keep rolling. Where can people check out your art? You can find my art at www.alexgamsujenkins.com.
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Paul Roustan is an artist based in Redondo Beach, CA, known for his work in body painting, photography, and conceptual performance. Roustan is recognized as one of the world’s leading body painters, whose style combines traditional fine art, pop culture, and reflections of the contemporary world to create conceptually based body painting. These intricate, ephemeral body paintings are experienced through live performance, video and still photography. Roustan’s photographs, elaborately crafted images, often use the decorated body as one element in a larger construction to achieve a narrative, expressive goal. Telling stories about people, places and ideas, his work explores the multiple layers of meaning, combining
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the human figure with different elements. The fine balance between vulnerability and strength, image and concept, is captured in vibrant, evocative photographs that have been exhibited in galleries on the East and West Coasts. For his Sharks Are People Too! series, Roustan humanizes one of the most feared yet endangered species on the planet. Combining his passions for surf, sharks, body art, and humor, Roustan says, “It was a no-brainer to follow through on this concept. These gorgeous, powerful and intimidating creatures have to deal with a lot of daily struggle throughout their lives. When you think about it, the same is true for sharks too.” To see more from this series check out www.roustanbodypaint.com/shark.
When asked why he paints on naked women? Roustan responds, “Why not? I have tremendous respect for women. Raised predominantly by my mother and sister, and now surrounded by my wife and two daughters, I always found myself relating better to women. “While I’m often praised for being around ‘naked chicks,’ it’s really not as big a deal as one might think. With no sexualized motivations, the nude figure is just that, a natural part of everyone. Many people seem to overlook that I paint men too. Still, nothing changes my opinion that ‘girls rule and boys drool.’ After all, men will never be capable of doing everything a woman can.”
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interview • liz rice mccray
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Hi Robin, can you describe where you are right now? This way everyone reading along can imagine the setting. I’m at home in Brooklyn in my living room. I’m getting some work done from home today. Now that we have a visual, will you please introduce yourself to our reader? I was raised in Columbus, Ohio, but went to school in Providence, Rhode Island, and moved to New York directly after. I’ve been here for just about a decade making work and showing my paintings. I live with my husband in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and my studio is a 10-minute bike ride from home. I’m working toward my third solo show with PPOW Gallery in New York scheduled for next October. Making art takes up most of my time, but to relax I play the ukulele or workout. I’ll play softball in the summer, go hiking or ride my bike. It appears your interest and inclination toward painting started at a young age. How did you get started in painting? My grandmother started taking me to art lessons when I was five. It was an intergenerational class, so there were kids and older people and college students all mixed up together. My teacher held classes out of her home and I studied with her once a week for three hours until I went into high school. She let me start making oil paintings right away. So I have a few pieces that I made before I could really sign my name properly. I liked painting right away and never stopped liking it. In a way I’ve had an artistic practice my entire life, which has been incredibly valuable.
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Where do you draw inspiration from? I’ve always found this a tough question to answer. I think most artists who have been working for a while aren’t so much inspired by something external as they are driven forward by their earlier work. Based on what I’ve painted before, the next inevitable question or challenge arises. Sometimes that takes some searching and waiting and sometimes it falls in my lap. I think at the root of my work is the collision of identity with myth, and specifically American myth. The people that I paint are contending with who they are as compared to who they are believed to be. I want to see what it looks like when people feel that conflict inside themselves. If I’m making a body of work about children, or men or women, I’ll draw on different visual sources to help me explore that theme. Lately I’m looking at ‘70s advertisements directed at women, Bernini sculptures, and tie-dye patterns.
long. You get creative and learn to see things differently so that you’ll have something new and challenging to paint. It’s just like a muscle that you strengthen. But the longer you exercise it, it doesn’t just get stronger, it gets more personalized and strange, too. People want to know the tricks. There are no tricks. You just do it your whole life and stay curious.
If you had to put to words the subjects in your paintings what would you say? The women I’m painting now are transgressing propriety, sometimes accidentally, sometimes purposefully. They are being sexual rather than sexy. Some of them are even a little creepy about it, which has been fun to paint.
Do you have something positive you can share with us about your day today? I’m getting over my cold finally! Can’t wait to get back into the studio.
One element of your painting that affects me greatly is your use of light. How do you create that play of light in your mind? I think it’s just practice and learning to see color and value. Everyone would have a personal sensibility about light if they’d been really thinking about it carefully since they were five. My understanding of light has just grown out of painting for that
What are you really into right now, art or non-art related? Well I’ve been using an airbrush as a tool lately. That’s a new kind of mark that’s been exciting to use in the paintings. I’ve also started staining raw canvas, which is a completely different kind of painting than I’ve done before. I’m also part of a female artist critique group that doubles as a book club, so I’ve been into the books we’ve been reading and it’s been awesome getting to visit their studios.
Ok, very last question: where can people check out more of your art? My website is www.robinfwilliams.com and my Instagram is @ robinfrancescawilliams; I make a lot of announcements about shows and news on Instagram but you can also subscribe to my mailing list on my website. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions.
interview • liz rice mccray
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This month we caught up with Japanese artist Erina Matsui. Many thanks to Erina for answering our questions, and we wish you much luck on your journey to find your perfect castle. Make sure you check out more Erina Matsui art at www.erinamatsui.com. Can you tell us about your childhood and your original attraction to art? When I was a child I liked to make things by hand and also to dig holes into the ground, since my father studied earth science at college. Roots of the trees and fossils excavated from the multiple layers of stratum evoked my imagination and excitement. I work on oil paintings now and layering a painting over one another is an interesting process, opposed to digging holes. Creation of the universe may resonate to layering and shaving, so I depict trees as if I plant them on the ground and pores on the face as if to draw craters on the surface, with an intention to create a whole planet on the canvas.
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What is the inspiration for your scenes? Most of my works have been inspired by the discovery and laughter from my everyday life, and I try not to overlook them so I can carefully emerge them into my practice. It helps just like the GPS to detect every feeling and sense of ideal, which I couldn’t recognize before. Would you say the process is laborintensive? Will you give some insight and explain the steps of creating these paintings? Yes, it requires a lot of work. Creating a concept needs more trial and error than painting on a canvas. Also, in art creation there is communication with the material and the space. For instance, there are many processes, such as layering over and over, to create the perfect skin color for my painting, using many kinds of brushes, rubbing colors in my hands and painting every single hair and repeating these processes again. To imagine the environment where the painting is eventually being exhibited and its reflection is another process to consider when painting.
In recent years when researching on the paintings and self-portrait, I found myself intrigued with the western oil paintings by El Greco and Botticelli, in which they all unfold stories in the paintings. That was when I began to look at those western oil paintings over again from the different perspective that I’ve realized their compositions were very similar to Shoujo Manga, which I dreamed when I was a child and I’m also influenced by the western oil paintings, Manga and my paintings. “The Birth of Narikiri Venus – It’s always a lot of pressure to be in the center” expresses my empathy to the characters from Sandro Botticelli’s painting “The Birth of Venus.” The series of “Blinks in Panels” was created by the definition, which examines that by blinking our eyes it plays frame-by-frame playing we see in Manga. Expanding the possibility of my self-portrait is something I look forward to working on continuously. What are you really into right now, artrelated or otherwise? I have a dream that I can live in a castle and
work there as my atelier. One day I searched so hard to find my own castle and came to realize that the castle of Princess Cinderella located within the Tokyo Disneyland is my ideal. I was extremely happy to finally find one for myself but I’m not financially capable of renting Disneyland, like Michael Jackson, so my journey to find another castle still goes on. What gets you out of bed every morning? I sometimes wake up talking to myself! My day starts with wondering and trying to remember why I was doing it and what dream I was having. Where can people check out more of your artwork? My big solo exhibition at Kirishima Open-Air Museum in Kumamoto recently ended in September! My works are also collected by Fondation Cartier l’art contemporain, Japigozzi Collection, Takahashi Collection and Ohara Museum of Art in Kurashiki. You’re always welcome to contact my representative gallery, Yamamoto Gendai, as well.
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photography • dominic petruzzi • @dominicpetruzzi model • chrissy blair • @chrissy_blair • factor|chosen la
This image is from the book Chrissy Vol. 1, to purchase go to chrissyblair.com
The latest undertaking by artist Craig Costello (a.k.a. “Krink,” or “KR”) was hands down a showstopper. Costello’s installation, Untitled (Rome), was painted as part of the month-long contemporary art exhibition for Outdoor Festival in Rome, Italy. The impressive installation is housed in the Ex Caserma via Guido Reni, a former military barracks and factory. The installation was immense in scale, devouring the towering walls of the Ex Caserma with Costello’s trademark paint-drip aesthetic – a dramatic display of contrasting white and black acrylic paint applied directly on the walls. Descending from the ceiling above, vertical white lines and sprays of paint clung to the walls and cascaded to the floor, transforming the industrial architecture into a scene reminiscent of the interior of a grand cathedral. Craig “KR” Costello made his mark with his legendary signature art style of drips. He is also the creator, owner, and operator of Krink Inc., a line of the finest quality handmade inks and markers, “beloved by artists and vandals alike.” www.shop.krink.com. Be sure to check out more of Craig Costello’s dramatic paintings at www.craigcostello.nyc.
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words & photos • tom carey Age: 18 Hometown: San Clemente, CA Sponsors: Billabong, Monster Energy, DVS Shoes, Dragon, …lost surfboards, Creatures, Sex Wax, Banzai Bowls & Jack’s Surf Shop Griffin, where did you get your name and where are your parents from? My parents chose the name from my dad’s best friend who died skateboarding. My dad grew up in Malibu and my mom grew up in Palm Springs and Los Angeles. Do you know what a griffin is? Yeah, it’s a mix between a lion and an eagle. Do you have any nicknames people have given you? Yeah, I’ve got a few new ones in this past year. Griffo and Foey I’ve been hearing a lot lately. I just saw that crazy air in the Haleiwa comp; tell us a little about it. You were pretty fired up to say the least. Yeah, I was more surprised because I thought I had lost the heat when there was only 30 seconds left and I had third priority.
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How are you looking on the qualifying tour this year? I’m sitting 26th on the QS and need a 2nd place at Sunset to qualify. When do you hope to qualify by? What are your goals? My big goal this year was to get top 50 on the QS and next year I want to qualify. It seems like out of all the young guys you’re the only one with your crap together. Why do you think that is? Well, I’d say Kanoa, Leo, Ethan Ewing and I are all pretty similar in age and doing really well because we work harder, don’t get sidetracked and are more driven. What other young Americans have their head on straight would you say? Kanoa Igarashi and my brother Crosby. I know Lowers is your training ground, so how do you think that wave prepares you for the tour? Your rail game looks solid. It’s a great spot to get better at surfing. Any time there is something you need to improve on you can just go to Lowers for a month and perfect it.
Who’s surfing do you look up to? I’ve always loved to watch Julian Wilson, Andy Irons and Mick Fanning. Did you ever get to hang with Andy while you’re on the Billabong team? No, I never was able to meet him. What’s your funniest surf trip story? Probably when I was in the Telos with all the boys and we were shooting fireworks at each other. Is it true you pee your pants when you laugh really hard? Haha, I haven’t done that in a long time but yeah. It’s like when your muscles go weak from laughing too hard, my bladder would go weak and there was no controlling it. When’s the last time that’s happened? I don’t remember. If you died tomorrow what would you want it to say on your tombstone? Everyone’s friend. What would you be if you weren’t a pro surfer? A pro football player.
Slater or Andy? Why? Andy, because of his style. Lebron or Steph Curry? Why? I’m not a big basketball guy. Are you good at anything besides surfing? I’m an average golfer and I’m all right at snowboarding. What’s one thing you want people to know about you? That I work hard. If you were president what would be the most important thing on your agenda? Probably to try and help the poor people. Anything you want to say before this interview ends? Thank you.
ETNIES X BONES COLLABORATION
MARANA XT CHRIS JOSLIN SIGNATURE COLORWAY
available exclusively at etnies.com
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@etniesskateboarding
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interview • liz rice mccray I’m trying something new for my interviews this month, and since I’m always curious where people are when I’m interviewing them, I thought, Why not ask for a visual? I’m especially interested where you might be, because you always seem to be somewhere different in the world, and I don’t have a clue where you are at this moment. Perhaps you could describe where you’re at and I will describe where I am. This way everyone reading along can imagine our settings and feel like they’re right here with us. I will start… so here I am sitting in my home office in Costa Mesa, California, on a really uncomfortable chair. I have two cups of coffee next to me, possibly because I forgot I had one and poured myself a second or because one is a day or so old. Either way, I will drink them both. My office seems dark, not so inviting, and I’m pretty much surrounded by books, art and paper. It was suggested earlier this week by my friend Krust that I should move my office to the “California Suite,” that’s a little room at the top of a spiral metal staircase in my house that people used to dwell in. But I haven’t spent much time in there and I’m thinking about her suggestion as I prepare to interview you. Your turn: What are you doing and where are you at? I am in a small town called Mildura right now; it’s in a farming region in North West Victoria in Australia, right on the Murray River. It’s beautiful but a little isolated. I just started laughing that I put so much emphasis on my two, not one, cups of
coffee when I was describing where I am. Pretty much stating my love for coffee and my daily need for it. Is there something you have to tell me about coffee? Can you give me some reasons for your distaste or would you prefer I don’t ask and get on with the interview? Ok, I can’t let it go. One more thing: do you drink tea or do you go entirely without caffeine? I almost never drink coffee; I can’t stand the stuff. I really, really fuck with tea though. Only the black teas, though: Earl Grey, English Breakfast… only the good stuff, none of that peppermint or herbal stuff. Haha, ok I can accept that answer. Moving on… I didn’t realize you are from Australia. When I interviewed you for our “Mural of the Month” a year or so ago I don’t even think we touched on where you were from. Please tell us where you grew up and where are you currently living? I grew up in Brisbane, Australia. Right now I have a studio in Sydney but I am travelling a lot so sometimes I forget that I have a base. Can you give us some insight to how you got started doing street art? I grew up with graffiti; it was everywhere in my neighbourhood and I was influenced by it from a young age. I was really focused on bombing and letter structures when I was younger. I guess I grew out of that though. In my early 20s I just got bored of working with letters; it just became too restrictive. So I started to focus on figurative work instead.
When I was a little girl I lived in NYC and was very impacted by the trains of the city. A white train was legendary, like a unicorn. Were the trains where you lived similar to the NYC trains covered in tags and art? Were white trains legends, or was there space for you to leave your mark? No, I grew up in Brisbane; the culture around graffiti is very different to New York. Train bombing was a big part of the graffiti culture in Brisbane though, but when we would paint something on a train it would be cleaned off within hours. Sometimes if you were lucky it would run for a day or two, but that was pretty rare. I’m curious, as I know you probably have some really interesting stories, what is the riskiest thing you’ve done or one of the riskiest things you can share with our readers?
It wasn’t so much dangerous as it was unlucky, but in 2008 I was beat up pretty bad while painting. Me and my girlfriend at the time were in Portugal painting a commuter train and we got jumped by a group of writers that were claiming the spot. They were in a group of seven, and we tried to run but I stopped to talk to them and to give my girl time to get away. I thought I could just talk it out with them but strait away one of them hit me in the head with a plank of wood and then the other five ran in and started hitting and kicking me while trying to pull my wallet and passport out of my pocket. I somehow managed to drop two of them, break away from the group and then run. They chased me for a little while but I managed to escape and get back to my hotel where my girl was waiting for me. When I got back I realized that the sleeve of my jacket was completely ripped up and had small holes in it. I realized that there had been a nail sticking out of the block
of wood they were hitting me with and when I blocked the hits the nail had been ripping up my sleeve. By some miracle the nail didn’t touch me though. It was crazy. I did not expect that answer, that’s crazy. Did you ever get in trouble? When I was younger I was arrested three times for graffiti and a string of other minor charges for general stupidity. Currently your paintings are completely figurative and legal. How did this evolve? I guess after I had been arrested a couple of times I decided to focus more on painting walls and slow down on the bombing. I was painting letters on walls but it just seemed pointless to me. To me, graffiti has always been about bombing and painting trains, once you remove the illegality from it it completely changes its context and I just wasn’t comfortable with it.
And at that time I was seeing more murals coming out of Europe and I was never really into stencil art or paste-ups so I have never really appreciated street art before. But muralism spoke to me so I start experimenting. At that time, we couldn’t really get permission to paint walls though, so I was mostly painting in abandoned buildings. I guess it all just grew from there. Are you self-taught? No, I studied for three years at the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane and I majored in painting so my training was pretty classical. Many of your paintings are pretty massive... I mean, really massive. Do you need or have strategies to sustain interest, enthusiasm and concentration for such large painting? No, I just zone out and get the work done. I find it easier concentrating on larger work. It’s the small, delicate and detailed things that I find more difficult.
Do the characters that appear in your paintings reappear more than once? Is there an ongoing story being told, maybe some subliminal messages you can share with us? I work from photographs so I am constantly painting the people around me, mostly friends and family. So some people have been featured multiple times in my work. I guess the messages in my work are pretty simple, the environment and social issues sometimes inform my work but most of my paintings are in someway related to a personal experience. For me, it’s just the easiest way to build narratives. What is the process you use to conceptualize a piece, refine it, test it, etcetera, so you don’t get part way through a painting and discover “this is not working?” I am not sure. Not everything you do is going to work out anyway, so it’s best not to dwell on it too much. But I have to make sure that I have everything completely laid out in photoshop before I start painting. Also, it’s important for me that I get the right photos. So if the photos aren’t working I reshoot them. I understand you are working in your studio more. Are you transitioning to canvas these days? Last year and earlier this year I was trying to focus on working on canvas a little more but that has changed again, and for the next few months I will be mostly focusing on public projects. Hopefully I can get back into the studio next year but we will see. I get a little claustrophobic if I spend too long indoors. Earlier in this interview I touched on the fact that you are all over the world most of the time. I see images of your murals pop up all over Instagram at different
mural festivals. Can you tell us some of the places you have gone this year? This year has been a lot of fun for me travelling. I spent most of the year on the road. For me, I have enjoyed my time in Italy the most. I had the opportunity to work with Varsi Gallery in Rome earlier this year, which was a great experience. I also painted a couple of festivals in south Italy, which also were amazing. I also set up a studio in Kiev for the summer, which I loved; Ukraine is an interesting place to be right now. What do you think is most misunderstood about your work? I like that people can draw what they want to from my work. If people interpret my work in a way that’s different from my intention, it doesn’t really bother me. Art is about creating a conversation, it’s not always about promoting the artist’s opinion or viewpoint. Do you have any upcoming projects you can share with us? I have a couple of big projects in the pipeline but nothing is confirmed yet, so it’s probably best I don’t announce anything just right now. Where can our readers check out more of your art? On my Instagram, @fintan_magee, Facebook, facebook.com/fintanmageeart and my website, www.fintanmagee.com. Last question, if you were not an artist, what do you think you would be with all that life experience? I think I would probably be a teacher. I always enjoyed working with people but I have very little life experience outside of my artistic practice so I think my options would be pretty limited.
interview • michael custodio Well, this is new for us Kane, haha. How are you today? I’m doing well, man. I’m cruisin’ at the moment. For sure, let’s jump right into things, shall we? Tell us a little about yourself: (elevator pitch) name, age, residency, etcetera? My name is Kane Sheckler, I’m a skateboarder first and foremost, I’m 17 years old and I was born and raised in San
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Clemente, California. I’m currently in high school and I love cars. At what age did you pick up your first skateboard and realize that you loved it? I’ve been riding a skateboard my whole life, but I felt like a kook when I started out. I’d say when I was in 5th grade at about 10 years old. I would steal Shane’s board and try to roll around with my friends at the local parks. I was a total park rat at the time and would try to kickflip Shane’s 8.5 board.
We know that skateboarding runs in the family. How did you begin to develop your own style and affinity for skating big rails grow? I started out skating and always wanted to push the limit. Everything started getting boring so I wanted a different rush of trying something new and not knowing if it would work out. My style developed over time from being afraid and going for tricks. I started flipping into tricks and eventually started going after bigger and bigger rails. Things started to click and it became natural for me.
kickflip
lipslide fakie
Shoot, I met you when you just turned 13… time flies! Where do you see yourself in the next six months to a year, Kane? Still skating, of course! I’ve been skating more tranny lately rather than hopping on some big rails. It’s more rewarding going fast and nose grinding some pool coping than hucking your carcass down a huge rail that I may not even know if I can get on. Even though tranny is unforgiving at times, it’s a different kind of rush. Be sure to land straight!
feeble pop over
b.s nose blunt
You’ve been on a few trips with your sponsors. What’s been your favorite trip and memory thus far? Hands down, my favorite trip so far has been the “Sheckler Sessions” trip I went on with Ryan, Torey, David, David’s homies from Denver, Bragg, Tom K, Mike Blabac, and Ira. That was one of the coolest trips ever for me because I was so scared before we left. The entire time I thought I was going to be a kook on the road and not be able to stack as many clips and photos as everyone else. After talking to
kickflip boardslide
David Reyes, he made me realize that I can’t have a nervous mindset going into the trip and I just need to relax and have some fun. Since that point, every time I skated during the duration of the trip things started happening naturally and my entire mindset about filming with them changed. When I tried a few tricks I didn’t know if it would work out, but I made them work. In the end, it was my best trip and experience so far. I’ve spent a lot of time with you over the years and you’re definitely an old soul for only being 17. What are your plans after high school? After high school, I’m going to continue my education. Education is key because it’s the only thing in life that doesn’t expire. I’m interested in attending a trade school or something within the engineering field. I will definitely continue skating, but I think having a career is essential. In terms of my interests, I would like to work on cars or bikes in the future.
Over the years I’ve noticed that you’ve grown up in a competitive family that also loves racing. How did motorsports impact your life, and what cars are you currently working on? Growing up my dad was always into cars. I remember him always telling me about his days in high school and how he used to race cars to make “fun” money and even to make ends meet at times. Hearing his stories over the years was the raddest thing to me, and that’s where my love for cars started. My first car was a Volvo that I had for about a year, but I recently sold it and picked up my first chopper, which is pretty fun. I also have a Miata that I’m currently working on. I’ve been working on the body a little bit, but the entire project has just been me trying to fix up the physical appearance.
nose grind
wall ride
tre-flip
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You’ve had to grow up in the spotlight and had to deal with a media presence for most of your life. To me, you’ve always been genuine and an easy person to kick it with and to hit the streets and film something. What do you have to say to those that have this predisposed misconception about you? Honestly, I’m a straight-up dude and if you don’t like me I don’t care. I’m not going to go out of my way for you to like me as a person. I’m confidant in who I am and I’m not interested in trying to make new relationships I guess. Thank you again for your time, Kane. Any last words? Thank you to my mom, dad, my brothers and my entire family. Thanks Aidan for helping me get into skating. You saved and changed my life. Thank you to everyone that has helped me out growing up in life. Thanks to Ryan Denman for believing in me, seeing my spark and taking a risk. And Rest Easy Dylan. f.s feeble
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1. Active Ride Shop, Active x CLCS Jacket - $79.99, activerideshop.com • 2. Adidas, Energy Boost Snowboard Boot - $500, adidas.com 3. Aluminati, Surfside Sports Vortex Cruise - $119.99, surfsidesports.com • 4. Bear Flag Fish Co., The Original Swordfish Hat - $28, bearflagfishco.com 5. Billabong, All Day Stripes Long Sleeve Crew – $54.95, billabong.com • 6. Body Glove, 4/3 Red Fullsuit - $489.99, bodyglove.com 7. Burton, Burton [ak] 2L Swash Pant - $375.95, burton.com • 8. Byrd Hair Products, Bird Bath Trio - $58, byrdhair.com 9. Captain Fin Co., Shark Fin 5 Panel Hat - $27, captainfin.com • 10. D’Blanc, The End - $175, dblanc.com
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1. DC Shoes, Scendent Snowboard Boot - $349.95, dcshoes.com • 2. Dragon, X1S - $179.99, dragonalliance.com 3. DVS, Francisco Slippah - $25, dvsshoes.com • 4. Electric, Duffel - $80, electriccalifornia.com • 5. etnies, Jameson SL x Bones - $64.99, etnies.com 6. Explosive Clothing, Forrest Gump - $24, explind.com • 7. GoPro, Karma Drone - $999, gopro.com • 8. Huf, Classic Hi Peanuts - $70, hufworldwide.com 9. Fender, Duo Sonic - $499, fender.com • 10. Legendary Manufacturing Co., Og Smoke Out Crew Snapback - $34, legendarymfgco.com 11. Lira Clothing, Colony Fleece - $68, liraclothing.com • 12. Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth Mountain 2016/2017 Beanie - $20, mammothmountain.com
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1. Matix Clothing, Compton Surf Club T-Shirt - $22, matixclothing.com • 2. Montana, Hardcore Crew 48 Spray Cans - $260, sprayplanet.com 3. Night : Shift, Night Shift Grizzly Hendrix Blanket - $79.95, nightshiftgoods.com • 4. Nixon, Nixon x Powell Peralta Ripper Time Teller - $125, nixon.com 5. Oakley, Silver XL Metals Collection - $140, oakley.com • 6. Vissla, 7 Seas 3mm Split Toe Bootie - $49.95, vissla.com 7. Poler, Chances With Wolves Sukajan Jacket - $179.95, polerstuff.com • 8. Quiksilver, Aqua Lung Highline Airlift Vest - $TBD, quiksilver.com 9. Raen Optics, Remy 49 - $170, raen.com • 10. Richer Poorer, Angler - $18, richer-poorer.com 11. Rinse Kit, Holiday Adventure Bundle - $129.95, rinsekit.com • 12. Roark, Ponderosa Gloves - $50, roarkrevival.com
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words & photos • scotty arnold Area 51, Fort Knox, the Grotto at the Playboy Mansion… what do these places have in common? They are all mysterious locations that you will never visit. Do they really exist? Is the hype real? Well, you can add another location to this list, Mt. Stoy. Is it a real mountain? Or is it just a state of mind? Have you ever had a group of your best friends riding epic conditions with no one else around you for miles? This is Mt. Stoy - there are no rules, no stress to get your multi-million-dollar epic production finished. There’s just the bros, a couple of cameras and some of the best terrain you can
ozzy henning • bs 3 stale
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imagine. It’s not easy to get there either. You must be an expert snowmobiler who is able to weave through tight trees in waist-deep powder. There are miles of forest, riverbeds, terrain traps and aggressive hill climbs that must be traversed just to scratch the surface of this magical mountain. Rumor has it that multiple trespassers have been beat down and their faces whitewashed in the snow just for setting foot on Mt. Stoy. It has also been said the mountain is protected by a local ogre that keeps a pistol on him for anyone that sets foot on his turf without express permission from said ogre.
doubles • colin langlois & doran laybourn
doran laybourn • miller flip
For the lucky chosen ones to actually experience Mt. Stoy, there is any type of terrain you can imagine. There are mellow tree runs, epic jump zones, pillow after pillow, and gnarly lines to satisfy anyone from the average powder hound to the most serious of shredders. I have been snowboarding for 25 years and never have seen one zone that has it all like Mt. Stoy does. Do you want to wake up early and get the shot? Do you want to sleep in late and still get the shot? Since we are the only ones out there, it doesn’t matter. There is no pressure to beat rival crews to the spot because there are no rival crews. With such exclusivities comes some danger as well. I’ve seen one of the biggest avalanches of my life out there. People have wrecked their new snowmobiles into trees in efforts to make it out to the heart of Mt Stoy. The weather can change at the drop of a dime at 12,000 feet, from bluebird to blizzard. There is no cell phone service, just walkie-talkies. Snowmobiles break 30 miles out in the middle of nowhere. Getting hurt way out there is always in the back of your mind as well. She can be a bitter bitch if you don’t treat her right. That being said, we only go out with an experienced squad that knows how to have fun but stay smart and safe. No kooks allowed! Our group consisted of Doran Laybourn, Colin Langlois, Ozzy Henning, Chris Grenier, Shane Charlebois and myself. It was one of Ozzy’s first times snowmobiling, which could have been a nightmare, but he handled it like a boss and caught on quickly after getting stuck a couple times of course. With any good group of friends riding, we didn’t just want to get the shot all day; we also wanted to take pow laps together. If we came across a nice pitch that looked fun we would double up on the snowmobiles and ghost ride them (let the snowmobile go down the hill with no one on it) to the bottom. This way we could all ride the squad
colin langlois • fs 3 tail
doran laybourn • back rodeo
ozzy henning • fs 7 tail
scotty arnold • switch bs 1 colin langlois • bs 5 tail
ozzy henning • bombhole
same face together and still grab the sleds to get up for another lap. If you have had a deep day in the backcountry, you will know there is nothing more fun than riding in a group and watching your friends flipping off rocks and getting pitted in the white room. One could say it is what snowboarding is meant to be. After multiple party laps, the crew would usually think of a cliff or jump spot to get down on and we would start lapping. It could be a certain feature or build a jump, or just hit cliffs JB Nach. For photography, there is no shortage of amazing mountain ranges, wind lips, or pillows in powder-filled pines, making for some nice backdrops to whatever we rode. After a day of turns, stomps and some aggressive ragdolls we make the 30-mile trek back from Mt Stoy and head home to rest our heads. The nightlife fits the environment, with secluded cabin living with no cell service, which is more of a gift than a curse these days. There’s also no grocery stores or
restaurants. After riding and sledding all day, you end up getting back around 6 p.m. What’s the first thing we do when we get home? We do what any typical group of friends would do… drink beer. Copious amounts of food is cooked and eaten, and empty beer and pizza boxes are stacked high by the fireplace. If you want heat, you have to chop some firewood and burn some boxes. Do you want to watch TV? Well you can’t, but you can watch various DVDs from the ‘90s. Everyone is usually passed out by 10 p.m. from a combo of sheer exhaustion and food and beer coma, dreaming of the pow turns to come the next day. So where is Mt. Stoy? You will never know. Is it an actual mountain, or is it just a state of mind? You may never get to physically ride there, but if you have ever been on a backcountry trip with your bros, with cabin living, beer drinking, and the main goal being to ride good snow, chances are you have already experienced the essence of Mt. Stoy.
chris grenier • 12 o’clock boys
words • joey marshall
events
The inaugural ComplexCon Long Beach graced us with all its glory this past month. The two-day convention/festival aimed to be this generation’s “World Fair” and I think it’s safe to say they hit the nail on the head with this one. This is the first convention I’ve attended that was actually open to the public, and it seems to me like the masterminds behind the event (Complex, Reed Exhibitions, New York Comic Con and Agenda) removed all the negatives from prior “trade shows” and replaced them with positives. I hadn’t realized how big the Long Beach Convention Center actually is, though I had attended several other similar conventions at the exact same location. Upon entering ComplexCon one of the first things I noticed was how many people were showing up for this sold-out event. It also dawned on me that with such heavy non-endemics backing the first-ever ComplexCon, there were some very impressive build outs, dare I say booths. It seemed like every vendor attending was dropping their latest must-have, limited edition, “only available at ComplexCon” collaboration or latest release. Long lines for such releases were the norm, but so were smiles as there was plenty of time to kill and things to be experienced before the festival portion of ComplexCon really got underway. There was way too much impressiveness to cover in regards to standout exhibitions, but a few that haven’t yet escaped my mind were: the Murakami X Skrillex Installation, Nike AF1 Space and half-sized basketball court, the Jack In The Box tent, the Adidas Indian Dancing, Call of Duty gaming station, Samsung’s ‘80s white lambo, and the enormous lines at Anti Social Social Club X UNDFTD collaboration drop. The very best way to describe what I witnessed at ComplexCon was stimulation overload. From the minute you walked into the Long Beach Convention Center, at every turn and new section there was something interesting happening. It was very easy to kill several hours of time. The two-day event also hosted several “Panel Discussions” ranging anywhere from “The Future of our Schools,” “Achieving Longevity in the Game,” “The Business of E-Sports,” “Following Fame: From Instagram to Stardom,” all the way to “The Business of Weed” and everything in-between. Such panels included the likes of Paul Rodriguez, Marc Ecko, Ice Cube, The Game, Tony Hawk, Steve Aoki, Bobby Hundreds, Action Bronson and so on… Once again, tying together all the threads of life and emphasizing the importance of action sports, art, music, celebrity-ism and the culture it encompasses. But the big throw to the entire ComplexCon event had to be the music. Insane performances by the likes of Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Virgil Abloh, Skrillex, Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, Migos, 2 Chainz, Lil Yatchy & The Sailing Team and dozens more kept the crowds intrigued for back-to-back nights. With the success of this event don’t be surprised to see several more ComplexCon’s coming to life in the near future. We’ll see you there. Photos: courtesy of ComplexCon • clockwise from top left • Mark Ecko gets the keys to the city • Cultural Director/ Executive Chair Pharrell Williams • Tony Hawk & Ice Cube • Kid Cudi on the main stage • Kid on the lambo • Lil Yachty • I Am Other Artist • Marc Ecko & Hill Harper • Opening Day ComplexCon Long Beach • The Fat Jew • Chief Keef • 2 Chainz • Taylor Gang • Snoop Dogg
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www.activerideshop.com
events
On November 17, Nixon took over Brooklyn’s KCDC Skate Shop in Williamsburg to celebrate the drop of its limited edition watch collection influenced by skateboarding culture pioneers Powell-Peralta. Throughout the evening, friends of the brand and the shop cracked some Pabst Blue Ribbon and took a first look at the Nixon x Powell-Peralta collection. The capsule features three variations of the brand’s best selling Time Teller model emblazoned with custom graphics originally designed by Powell-Peralta creative cohort Craig Stecyk III. Stecyk was instrumental in developing some of the graphic icons that have become synonymous with not only PowellPeralta’s legendary team but with skateboarders and skateboard culture worldwide. Stecyk dropped in for the evening to hang with the Nixon crew and share inspiration behind his work. The first release in an ongoing collaboration series, the Powell-Peralta collection watches feature an all stainless steel build with graphic dials, custom casebacks, collaborative branding, and exclusive packaging. Two of the models bear Stecyk’s iconic Vato Rat graphic, while a third model showcases The Ripper icon. Retailing for $125.00, the collection is available in limited quantities at select skate shops around the globe.
Photos: Nate Abbott • clockwise from top left • Powell-Peralta creative partner Craig Stecyk III • Nixon x Powell-Peralta collection on display at KCDC Skate Shop in Williamsburg • PowellPeralta skate deck installation at KCDC Skate Shop • Nixon x Powell-Peralta Time Teller with Vato Rat graphic • Friends of the brand and shop took advantage of the open streets during the night • A custom Vato Rat piece hangs shop front at KCDC • Powell-Peralta creative partner Craig Stecyk III • Nixon co-founder Chad DiNenna & KCDC’s Amy Gunther • Attendees pick up a Nixonproduced zine that details the Origins of the Vato Rat • KCDC storefront in Williamsburg
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Slow Culture is proud to present Infinite Earths, a three-person exhibition featuring Jerry Hsu, Jason Nocito and Nate Walton. Infinite Earths presents three responses using the photographical impulse as a method of searching and recognizing, to uncover the ways people find meaning in what is not designed to be noticed. Jerry Hsu, Jason Nocito & Nate Walton display their instinctive visual influences that, while distinctly different, are connected in their elliptical and expressive approaches to creating material representations of ephemeral connections.
events
Technically sharp, Nocito’s photographs are defined by their subtle, formal clarity and an acute sensitivity toward their subject matter. Captures of reflections taken at the moment when water becomes hard from refracted light - shifts the focus from city infrastructure to the physical limits of their presence, revealing how they claim, degrade, form and illuminate their surroundings. Hsu’s subtle and elegant gestures expand the negotiation of place in seeking out the uncanny in occurrences, environments and characters of the everyday. Bound as much to the camera as to the world’s reality, one man’s trash becomes another man’s pleasure. The altered states of Walton’s intimate portraits conflate the boundaries between subject and viewer, testing the fictional and complex relationship between both. His portrayals of women - effervescent, only enough but not fully satisfying, existing somewhere in the morning after or the night before - highlights the dialectical relation between inner and outer worlds. Engagement with cultural identity is both a means and an end; photographs engage our desire for insight into a culture upon seeing ourselves reflected back on a critical, yet accessible scale. Tracing all possible routes in Infinite Earths - the boundaries of both body and city - brings us closer to encompassing the dimensions of meaning and affect through these interlocking gazes. The more you can complete a fantasy, the better the fantasy becomes.
Photos: Morgan Rindengan • clockwise from top left • “Before the Enstrangment” photo by Nate Walton • Daryl Angel, River & Jerry Hsu • Jason Nocito Installment • Nate Walton & Willa Holland • Josh Homme & Ed Templeton • Jerry & Heath Kirchart • Packed • Phil Nisco & Eric McHenry •Gallery Front • Artists • SC Bartenders • Art Enthusiast • Nolan Hall & Steve Lee • Jerry Hsu Piece
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interview • max ritter • photo • michael haight
music Who is in the band, how did you guys meet, and describe the sound you guys have? We are the Side Eyes! I (Astrid McDonald) am the singer, Kevin Devine is the guitarist, Chris Devine is on bass and Nick Arnold is on the drums! Kevin and Chris are brothers, I was friends with Nick before the formation of the band, and Kevin and I met each other at a Garden show in early 2015, started dating and writing songs together and it all fell into place! We love to play really fast and really loud punk music. What bands would you say influenced The Side Eyes? The Germs, Circle Jerks, Adolescents, Bad Brains, Redd Kross, The GoGo’s, B-52’s, Mudhoney and Hole. I did a little research and interestingly you are actually the daughter of Redd Kross member Jeff McDonald and Go Go’s member Charlotte Caffey. Did your dad produced your first EP? How much have your parents influenced
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your music? Seems like you were destined to be musician… I am! My uncle Steve was actually the one to produce the EP (he is also in Redd Kross)! My parents have influenced my music greatly. I never went through a teenage phase where I thought my parents were uncool; they have always been my biggest inspirations musically and I have always been in absolute awe of them and what they have created throughout the years. My parents strategically would play The Who’s album “Sell Out” in my crib when I was a baby to brainwash me into loving great music. I was always cripplingly shy as a kid and teenager and I really thought it would get in the way of me perusing music, but my dad convinced me to perform a song with them on stage when I was a senior in high school and it completely opened up my world and proved to me that I wasn’t so shy after all. I really owe my ability to perform to him. What is it like growing up when both your parents are in bands?
It was a really great experience. For the most part I had a really normal life, but every so often I would get to go to their shows and travel with them. It was an incredibly formative experience musically for me because I was exposed to this colorful punk rock world from birth. I actually discovered your band via a split seven-inch you did with Redd Kross covering songs written by, it turns out to be, your mother “Chargo” Caffey. Can you tell us about that project? Yes, that was a split 7’’ we did with Redd Kross for In The Red Records. We covered her song “Don’t Talk to Me” from her pre-Go-Go’s punk band The Eyes, and Redd Kross covered an early Go-Go’s song “Screaming”. You guys recently recorded a song and made a video at the Volcom studio. Tell us about that. Shout out to Kurt! We recorded a live version and filmed a short video for one of our newer songs “Teenage Jerks” in
one afternoon! It was a blast. With the exception of a couple in-studio live performances we have on YouTube, we have lagged big time on any content like that because all of our energy has been put towards recording our album and playing live, so we were so stoked to be able to put out something so fun, creative and spontaneous and work with awesome people like Kurt and the rest of the Volcom Entertainment guys! I like the EP out on Burger! Are you working on a full length? When’s the new shit come out? Thank you, we recorded that only a few months after we became a band are still super proud of it, but we have also grown a lot musically and are really excited to finish our album. It should be out before the summer, which is so surreal and insanely exciting. (THUMBS UP)
words & photo • max ritter
Turnstile The Constellation Room, Santa Ana, CA Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 Like Ace Ventura says, “I am in Psycho-ville and Finkle’s the mayor! Where’s Dan Marino?” Here we are at the Turnstile show on election night. Wait, the guy with the spray tan really became president? AHHHHHHHH.
reviews • max ritter
reviews • delon isaacs
A Tribe Called Quest We Got It From Here, Thank You for Your Service Epic Records Drakulas Raw Wave Dirtnap Drakulas is a punk band from Denton, TX. They can’t spell for shite.
This album fucking rips. We Got It From Here, Thank You for Your Service is Tribe’s sixth and last album, and it has been a highly anticipated rumor for 18 years. This record isn’t a nostalgic trip or a cheesy comeback for a couple of old guys to make money; it’s a brilliant and massive stamp to end the career of one of the most musically influential groups ever. Do yourself a favor and just buy this wherever you can. R.I.P. Phife, and shout out to Q-Tip!
La Femme Mystére Born Bad Records Rae Sremmurd SremmLife2 Interscope I thought this was a new Kris Kross album so I swooped it.
I’ve been waiting for a follow-up album from La Femme for a while; I couldn’t even imagine the stress of making another body of work out to try to top their masterpiece debut Psycho Tropical Berlin that was released back in 2013. With that being said, after listening to Mystére I was completely impressed with the all-new imaginative soundscape of this record. If you’re skeptical about trying this album after being such a big fan of the first one, I’d advise you listen to their press release and “slow down, take it easy, allow yourself to be taken far away.” Marching Church Telling It Like It Is Sacred Bones
Leon Russell S/T Capitol Love to Leon Russell, Sharon Jones and Leonard Cohen. Rest easy and high five Prince for us.
Oasis Supersonic (Documentary Film) Burnage Films Limited Really enjoyed the documentary on Oasis. Afterwards I played Supersonic too many times and looked up Noel Gallagher quotes. “Fifty Shades of Grey? Fifty shades of shite.”
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Marching Church was a one-time solo project lead by Elias Bender Rønnefelt of the mega popular band Iceage. Telling It Like It Is is the third studio album released under the band’s name, and in its entirety it’s their best album yet. Throughout listening to the album you can’t help but feel the weight of all the different swings of life’s mood, barked out of the beautiful voice and face of Rønnefelt. For those waiting for a follow up to Plowing Into The Field Of Love, this album will surely sate you for a good while so check it out. Public Image Ltd Metal Box Universal This is an absolute landmark of an album from Public Image Ltd, featuring alternative takes, B-sides, and rare compilations that have been packaged beautifully in an all-new released tin box set. Metal Box, a near-perfect record, was the band’s second full studio album. Originally released on the 23rd of November 1979, Metal Box was the Holy Grail and a huge stepping-stone for the progressive post-punk movement. If you’re trying to flex on fools with your record collection, you’re going to need this set.
photo • ortiz
groms
Age: 13 Hometown: Currumbin, Australia Sponsors: Nike SB, Oakley, Flip Skateboards, Bones Wheels, Independent Favorite Skater: Pedro Barros, Ben Raybourn & Jimmy Wilkins
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WE JUST PRINT THE SH&T! / ERIK@AMPERLITHO.COM / 760.213.4008 / 910 17TH ST. COSTA MESA, CA 92627