Skateboarding and its Place in the Gallery Ralph Perricelli 4/11/16

Transcription

1 Skateboarding and its Place in the Gallery Ralph Perricelli 4/11/16

2 This collaborative exhibition of art and design explores the transition of skateboard-related artworks from the streets to the gallery. Along with the profound impact skateboarding has had on these artists and the lifestyles that coincide with skate boarding s core do it yourself (DIY) and punk attitude. Common themes of pop culture icons [within the framework of pop art] and a sense of the absurd, Skateboarding and its role in contemporary art cites important illustrations, ads, sculptures, films that border on being considered contemporary art, leaving the viewer ultimately to decide for themselves: hang it, or ride it? Featured artists share in their obscure vision of everyday life, displayed through the use of common media in their images. In order to understand the works of these artists, one must have a sense of the common themes from which they draw inspiration. Skate art of the past took very primitive forms; one of the earliest examples of this is Wes Humpton s hand-drawn Dogtown deck. At this point what was once a blank canvas was ssen as a place to express ones self through simple gestural graffiti. One cannot but think of Pollock when he began his drip paintings. On the other side of this DIY spectrum were skate zines. Most skateboard magazines were relatively small and featured DIY collage work; mass media was still far removed from the skate world. Very few artists produced this work; one notable exception is Raymond Pettibon. Pettibon s hand-cut magazines often advertised punk rock shows that attracted these skateboarders. Viewing these pop-inspired advertisements captured the eyes of a few skateboarders who realized that they could also try their hand at making art. These people went on to become the featured artists in this exhibition. The skaters, inspired by these DIY magazines, took their ideas to the bottom of their boards instead of to paper. Neil Blender popularized this form, spreading these ideas. His original Coffee Break board is paired alongside the boards and designs of that grew out of this now popularized idea to decorate your board with a graphic that spoke to you. At this point the skate industry started to take off, with the help of simple cool illustration, boards became sought after for collecting purposes. Similar to that of the art world, skateboards were being hung up on walls, not rode on the streets. While you cant ignore the work of those artists who helped

3 get skate art to this level, the time period that encompasses this industry boom contains so many boards with influential graphics it becomes hard to collect them all. For these reason artists Sean Cliver, Mark Gonzales, Ed Templeton and Mark McKee have been chosen as the focus of this exhibition. Soon these skaters turned artist spread out to new mediums, using boards like walking advertisements, even repurposing pop culture icons. In each of the boards you can see countless pop icons, begging the question do these works become kitsch art. While the boards were being mass-produced, the graphics were one of a kind in content. At this point though skate art is still far from the contemporary art world, although soon enough it may be considered fine art when two big names try their hand at designing a skateboard. Unlike Templeton and Gonzales, who will ultimately get their work into galleries, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst had never designed skateboards. In doing this, two major pop artists have waved their magic wand over a skateboard, does this know officially remove them from being considered kitsch? Aside from the art on boards, Templeton and Gonzales had started to make more modern works. Gonzales started off from drawing graphics to attempting collage and even painting. Templeton around the same time began to experiment with his work as well ditching the board and grabbing a canvas. While there work had previously consisted within the framework of pop art, their new work was completely new and different than the art of the skateboard world. Surrealist takes were added on, and art became a way to expand their hand in the art world, making the stretch to being considered fine, even avantgarde art. Ultimately the work of these artists join the contemporary gallery s all over the use and even spawned a new group of artist to join them making some prevalent works of art. Artists Included in this movement include Barry McGee, Chris Johanson and Stephen Powers, there work has been included in this exhibition to give an overall fell of the works in the school of work. Works from these artist use new mediums and more classic painting techniques in combination with the DIY, skate feel to transfer these works to be in fine art galleries. But what does this mean of the work of Templeton and Gonzales, now that they are in the galleries and have

4 fathered a movement does this make their boards art, or does the medium restrict these works from joining the ranks of other popular artists? By the end of this exhibit all the evidence will hopefully have been show to the viewer, presenting them to decide if the art of the skate world has evolved enough to be considered a work of fine art.

5 Skateboarding and its place in the gallery: Ralph Perricelli Brief The skate culture has created some extravagant artists; specifically those who s subject are of the street with common themes of collage pop-inspired art. From zines, ads and spray painted boards all the way through to full instillations, which includes sculpture and skateboard artists who have come along way. This collaborative exhibition focuses on briefly retracing some of the more important influences highlighting the progression of skate art, its artists and their transcendence into the world of contemporary art. The NU 360 s Gallery will illustrate all skate related art in similar mediums found in the contemporary art world, such as film, sculpture, painting in order to foster the role skateboarding, and whether it should be in the gallery or on the streets. List of works Boards: *ALL BOARDS ARE TO BE INSTALLED AT APPROX 5 ft 7 in FROM GROUND, OR EYE LEVEL AND HUNG EVERY 7 FT TSARTING FROM THE LEFT WALL) 1.Wes Hauptman, Hand-drawn Dogtown deck, 1970, approx. 33 x 9 inches, spraypaint on wood - 2. Mark McKee, Jason Lee Graphic for Blind Skateboards, 1991 approx. 33 x 8.5 inches 3. Mark McKee, Jason lee Graphic for Blind skateboards, 1990 approx. 35 x 10 inches, silkscreen on wood 4. Jeff Koons for Supreme, Monkey Board Series, 2006, approx. size 33 ½ x 8 inches, wood 5. Damien Hirst for Supreme, 2009, approx. size 33 ½ x 8 inches, wood 6. Neil Blender, coffee break board, , approx. 33 x 8.5 inches, Silkscreen on wood 7. Mark McKee,Mike vallely Barnyard deck for world industries, 1993, approx 33 x 9.5 inches, wood 8. Sean Cliver, for Antihero Skateboards, 2003, Approx 33 x 8.1,wood 9. Ed Templeton, Bury the hatchet for toy machine, 2008, approx 33 x 8.25 inches, wood

6 1. Prior to silkscreened boards many early models of skateboards with graphics consisted of sprayed on artwork from either the manufacturer or small rebellious companies. Sometimes skaters would do their own graphics following the DIY themes of the sport. The original Dogtown skateboard deck, drawn by Wes Humpton, features a rough almost scrappy painted and stenciled on image of a bird and a cross. The importance of it in relation to the rest of the exhibition is that it shows the early works of art and graphics in skateboarding, which is completely different from the contemporary art many of these skaters went on to create. 2. Skateboarding at this time, has gained major popularity thanks to key figures like Mark Gonzales, owner of Blind Skateboards. Some of the more important graphics tend to dabble with the use of items in popular media, as well as push the envelope of what s ok in art. This graphic in particular is almost collage like, incorporating singular images of a television set, a six-pack of beer, pistol, bible, and pack of cigarettes. Individually, all these items are significantly different then they are together. Their combination directly reflects the skateboard world, and sense of rebellion that comes with it. The importance of it lies in the insight it gives us into the lives of these skateboarders and artists who are heavily influenced by this lifestyle. 3. Another important board/graphic that is included in this exhibition demonstrates the influence of pop art of these artists through the use of a cultural icon. Dr. Seuss Cat in The Hat is a well renowned children s book, although the graphics have been repurposed. After production of graphics by Blind skateboards they received a cease and desist Order from Dr. Seuss camp. In true skateboard fashion they didn t stop selling the boards, once again showing the rebellious DIY nature of skate artists. 4. As the culture evolved, avant-garde artists began creating graphics for boards. These board designs were drawn by Jeff Koon s, a well-known contemporary artist with the use of pop culture items in his work. Referencing one of his more popular works was Michael Jackson and his pet monkey Bubbles, Koon s. As a result, Koon s had chosen balloon monkey heads to be plastered on the bottom of these boards. In comparison to other works, these boards show the transformation of content to be placed on skateboards from DIY artist, graphic artists, and elevating the art to finer artists. 5. With fine artists gracing the canvas that is the board, Damien Hirst steps up. While not famously known for his graphic work, Hirst is no stranger to gimmicks and incorporates some of his most important head turning works on these boards. Similar to Koons, the importance of this work is to show the extent of which skateboarding has reached and impacted the contemporary art world. 6. Influence for many of these skaters turned artists came from their daily life. Neil Blender s work is a prime example of this as Neil is considered to be one of the first

7 well-known skaters to draw his own graphics. Coffee break is one of Blenders most popular graphics, which reflects a simple illustration that was critical in the future of art and graphic designs in skateboarding. After Blender, many artists began to see the bottom of the skateboard as a canvas to express ideas of all kinds from lifestyle, political, even including more disturbing themes. 7. As far as board graphics, Mike Vallely s pro model for World Industries is one of the most renowned. Mark McKee s view on what Mike Vallely had intended to be a statement about animal cruelty has become a whimsical showcase of artistic creativity along with pushing boundaries as to the artwork that can be placed on skateboards. 8. Sean Clever, known for his dark twisted comical graphics, shows his artistry through his board design that include multiple cultural icons. The use of child cartoons; Peanuts have been put side by side with the cult leader Charles Manson. The inclusion of two pop culture icons show that skate art at this time was moving in the direction of contemporary art. The juxtaposition of these two icons in this graphic give a distinct new humorous meaning for the many works of pop art. 9. In light of all the skaters that have influenced the progression of technical skateboarding, none have had such a unique impact of that like Ed Templeton. Ed is a firm believer that skateboarding art and culture mixes naturally. Ed s work incorporates his unrivaled creativity and sense of humor, which has shown many other skaters to express their creativity through their art. In this board graphic he puts his artistic talents on full display, incorporating one his many illustrations he creates as a contemporary artist. Zines/Posters: 10. Raymond Pettibon, Tripping Corpse #2, mimeographed magazine, 1978, 8 ½ inches x 5 ½ inches, Collage (paper materials) Ink - Will be framed and hung of on the wall portioned label A in the gallery 11. Mark Gonzales, Promo Poster, 1994, 17 x 11 inches, Silk Screen -Framed and hung up on the B wall 12. Brian Donnelly (KAWS), Painted adverts(set of 3), , approx. 60 x40 inches acrylic on poster -Will be framed in frames that replicate their original place on the side as bus stop ads, hung on walls C 13. World Industries ad, Big brother Magazine, Framed and hung on the A Wall 10. While Raymond Pettibon does not relate to the skate world directly, he has a profound unintentional influence. His posters and advertisements for SST Records, more specifically the punk band Black Flag introduced a whole new style of art to a

8 community that was very punk in the 80 s. Many of these collage ads were seen by many generations of skateboarders leading them to produce their own equally disturbing and mesmerizing collage work. 11. Mark Gonzales s artwork relies heavily on his influences in skateboarding. Gonzalez is one of the best pros to ever skate and is considered the father of street skateboarding, although he modestly denies it. This poster is great example of collage work outside the skate and punk zines that floated around during the 80 s and 90 s. Combined with pop influences this work repurposes an ad to direct us to his art show relate to direct us to his art show, in a sexualized advertisement style. 12. Furthering the work of Mark Gonzales, Brian Donnelley, better know by his name as the graffiti artist KAWS, pushes the envelope to add his work to real advertisements. With the inclusion of ghost like or serpentine figures wrapped around models in Calvin Klein ads, Kaws sheds new light on otherwise bleak advertisements. The importance of this work is to show the extension of skate art outside of the gallery and into the streets, a common place for skateboards where many have derived inspiration for their work. 13. Steve Rocco, owner of World Industries at this time was on a mission, his goal being to shake up the skate industry. Rocco, who is a skater himself with marketing savvy and was known to study and draw inspiration for his ads from the DIY, rebellious spirit that skateboarding fostered at this time. This ad has been included in the exhibition because Rocco s ads were one of kind, and helped show skaters that the industry and the art within it didn t always have to be so serious. Photos/ videos: *ALL VIDEOS ARE TO BE DISPALYED ON LOOP VIWED ON A SCREEN 40 INCHES 14.Eastern Exposure: Zero (1996), Vhs tape, runtime 8:14 - Hang in Section A 15. Girl skateboards, Mouse (1996), Vhs tap, Runtime 37:52 - Hang in Section E 16.Dillon Buss, Team Dream Team, Runtime 5:00, Hang in section E 17.The Bones Brigade Video Show, 1984, 30 mins -Hang in in section A 14. Early on in skateboarding, most of the industry manufactures even the pros resided on the west coast. A lot of the surfers turned skaters were able to skate year round, especially with the rise in the number of skate parks, as California became a skate haven. On the other side of the country, east coast skaters were forced to pack

9 their boards up every winter, as there was very little industry action for a quarter of the year. In contrast, a new style had emerged in a part of the country that didn t seem to be built for skating. Even grittier than the early west coast, east coast skaters they adopted their own style, rough and rebellious street skating. This prominent east coast video showcases some of the best young pros at the time as their style was introduced to the rest of the world, which included tricks in every major city on the east coast. 15. As skaters began to progress, so did those who were behind the camera. Early on works were crude, shenanigan filled shorts that felt more like homemade videos rather than a skate film. Coinciding with the progression of skate art into the contemporary art world, skate films were becoming more experimental. The Girl skateboard film Mouse, is one of the films that redefined what a skate video could be, slowly making its way towards a fine art film. With its comical skits, carefully thought-out video parts and revolutionary skating, this film is known as a classic in the skate world. It should be noted that this film is Directed and filmed by Spike Jonze. 16. A modern day film such as this is nothing new; skateboard companies have been hiring filmmakers to make their movies for quite some time. The importance of this video is to show due to its commonality, fine art and skate films have joined together to become a staple in the contemporary art world. Directed and produced by skater/filmmaker Dillon Buss, this video is a great introduction into the emerging skate and film scene in the Boston area. 17. Arguably the definition of a crude home film, the Bones Brigade video show is the perfect example of a DIY skate film of the 80 s. With its uncut lines and west coast style, this film captures a primitive era in skateboarding as well as skate art in its entirety. Its always important to know your roots, which is why this film is a must see for any skate history buff, or anyone who is being introduced to the culture. For this reason it has been included in this exhibition. Works of painting / art 18.Stephen Powers, Mark Likes Accident Fraud, 2002, Enamel On Metal -Hang Eye level in section d 19.Mark Gonzales, Untitled, oil on canvas, 1998, 20 x 30 inches -hung on wall no frame, eye level section d 20.Ed Templeton, Drugs, mixed media on canvas, 60 x 72 inches - hung on wall no frame, eye level section d 21.Chris johanson (untitled) cityscape, 1998 acrylic on wood panel, 30 x 48 inches -hung on wall no frame, eye level section d

10 18. Unlike some of the other artists featured, Stephen Powers has no direct connection to skateboarding, although this Philly born artist was present during times when Love Park was a skate mecca. This piece made in an unconventional medium shows these themes of city life moving into the gallery. Mark Likes Accident Fraud has been included in this exhibition in order to show the inclusion of street culture weaved into contemporary art from an artist that draws inspiration from street and graffiti art. 19. While the majority of Mark Gonzales s earlier works contain lighthearted subject matter, as he transitioned from skateboarder to contemporary artist he began to show a different side of himself. Specifically, this untitled work from his private collection highlights his feats as an artist. Like many others who use their work to convey messages, this one contains themes of loneliness. Its inclusion in this exhibition is crucial to shows the focus switch from skate art to fine art. 20. Ed Templeton s skateboard background is vast but as a contemporary artist he has chosen to express himself in extreme abstract ways. Drugs is a view of city life through his eyes, through rough erratic lines and drips of color, Templeton shows us what he sees when viewing a grimy street. The work is another example of skaters turned artist transitioning and expanding their talents to works of contemporary art, taking their work of the boards and onto the canvas. 21. Following suit with Ed Templeton s work, this untitled piece by Chris Johanson depicts a cityscape. Unlike Templeton, Johanson s view is different in that it s much cleaner, open and vibrant. This work has been included and is to be a juxtaposition of Templeton s Drugs, showing how the view of those skate related artists differ from strictly contemporary artists. Sculpture 22.Chris Johansson, East meets west, Size is unknown but seems to be an instillation piece that can be altered depending on gallery space -Will be installed flat up against glass wall in front of main gallery 22. While many of these artists featured in the exhibition have gone on to experiment with sculpture, the reason for the inclusion of this piece is to tie together the themes of city life and bring the city to the gallery.

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