Here's a dusty little video from your friends over at Volcom of Travis Millard and Michael Sieben art farting in Japan's capital city for the opening of their Hitten Switches book project. The video is from the archives, the year 2006 to be exact, hence the reason it's dusty. Check it out:

Nathan Paul Gibbs paints pretty pictures. So pretty, in fact, that they have been shown all over the country, including Washington, where he was originally born; Florida, where he lived in his teens (and learned to surf); and Southern California, where he has lived since 1999. So very pretty that he has published two books of his work, The Betrayal of Man and Define Art and Surf, and has frequent shows featuring his pieces, including one at San Clemente's Gallery 104 on November 20th. Artists such as Vincent Van Gough, Jackson Pollock, and Paul Cezanne have all influenced the way Nathan puts paint to canvas. As a surfer and artist, his paintbrush has taken him to some of the worlds finest surf destinations, Fiji, Tahiti, Costa Rica, Australia, Mexico, and Hawaii to name a few. His paintings are incredibly vibrant and colorful, yet abstract enough to blur reality. Check out the gallery above, or check out his website for even more.
http://nathangibbsart.com/

All photos courtesy of RVCA.

There are several routes for struggling artists to get recognition and praise they so deserve. When it comes to our scene there's one in particular that seems to be used as much as any, and that's the unsanctioned beautification of city streets. If corporations are allowed to plaster their logos all over everything, why can't the average person put his or her spin on the urban landscape as well? I know, I know, the answer is money, but isn't it refreshing to see works of art in your neighborhood that aren't the offspring of the all mighty dollar?

There have been more than a few of these artists to get work in the surf/snow/skate world. Names like: Shepard Fairey, Skullphone and Neck Face have used their tweaks of city streets to get noticed, and now do work with brands such as: Obey, Volcom, Vans, Altamont and RVCA. Speaking of RVCA, that brings us to what I'm getting to. Actually, who I'm getting to; Barry McGee. He's another of these guys who's getting to do shows around the world because his early tags got him noticed.

Twist, Twisty and Ray Fong are some of the alias' he goes by, because as you may know everybody needs a good aka, especially when you stir up some controversy. Barry's part of the Low Brow art movement that gets a lot of love in the skate/surf/snow world. This type of art is perfect for board graphics, and the current trends in tee shirt fashion. One brand in particular who has taken interest in this style and Barry in particular is RVCA. The fashion forward clothing company from Costa Mesa has been backing McGee for more than a minute, and they will continue to do so on Friday November 20th, on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. The mindthegap showing will be curated by RVCA founder, PM Tenore, and will feature the works of Barry McGee and Philip Frost (flyer at very bottom).

Below are some of the works of Barry McGee, and a little video that lets you into his world:


Barry creating.











The opening reception for the East Meets West showing went down this past weekend at the Surf Gallery in Luguna Beach, CA. It was a little collaboration of the work of Yusuki Hanai, Tyler Warren and Joe Curren. Joe's the brother of everyone's favorite surfer, Tom Curren, and can handle in water as well, a pro-level surfer in his own right. He's been travelling the world in search of waves for years, and has documented his travels with his lens along the way. I didn't see any of Tyler's creations, I think I'm going blind because I wasn't even drunk.

Yusuke Hanai is rad artist form Japan who's work can best be described as the reincarnation of the 60s and 70s surf and music culture. This collection was a unique and interesting combination of surf imagery and pastel colors. To get the party started the folks at the Surf Gallery had Matteson 2, a surf music duet that stoked out the art farts that cuised by. Speaking of art farts, the Templetons, Ed and Deanna, stopped by to check out the creation.

Here's some photos from Sunday's festivities all taken by MORINformed:


Yusuke Hanai.


The photography of Mr. Joe Curren.


Mattson 2 rocking.


More Currentography.


More from Yusuki.


The Surf Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA.


The Curren section.


Skate legend, Toy Machine Boss and artist, Ed Templeton, cruised by and looked blurry
through my lens, I think I need to invest in some glasses.


Speaking of skateboarding the shop next door had some cool skateboards from the past.

Photo: Buzz Blur the King of Hobo Art.

Throughout history there have been all sorts of starved artists, from Van Gogh to Gauguin to Miro, most of the art that changes traditions is made by the lower end of economic society. There's a few exceptions, but it's just something about hunger, and the feeling of just being unwanted by the masses that inspires creation. I don't think I've ever seen a businessman on his way to work, stop, and draw something on a bench, or carve something on a NYC subway car window, but I have certainly seen my fair share of "society's outcasts" creating wherever they just so happened to be.

One group of "castaways" that has been creating where they just so happen to be for years are hobos, and where they just so happen to be is in railway cars. I think hobos are rad. They're like the rockstars of the homeless world. Just look at how they live, they're pretty much on tour all the time. From one town to the next, they do more traveling than your average middle class working hero. And while they're on their national tour of flipping off society, they're creating art on rail car wall after rail car wall along the way.

Toby Hardman is a photographer form Portland Oregon, who's been documenting the artwork of hobos for years. Since before aerosol spray paint, so a lot of the work looks like cool modern caveman art, because you know hobos are kind of like modern day cavemen. Their life is all about survival, from the moment they open they're eyes in their cave (a rail car) it's all about: Where am I going to get food? What dangers are around? And, Where am I going to sleep? Plus, a lot of them have long hair and beards, so they kind of look like cavemen.

Anyway, Mr. Hardman has been documenting the artwork of the hobo "tramp life" for decades, and recently he teamed up with Hurley to bring you some of it. Check out the video below courtesy of Hurley:

photo: bryan soderlind
Brandon Mclean is a good friend of mine and a talented artist. Brandon resides at one of the most progressive wakeboarding locations in the world and is inspired daily by the amount of progression on the water. Read more about Brandon and find out some really interesting facts about the artist.

PW: How did you get started doing artwork?

BM:I'm not entirely sure how I got started making art. It has been a gradual process over the last nine years or so. I had a stroke in 2000 when I was 18 and the artistic urge began to grow after that. I have tried to research the effect of strokes on the brain in regards to changes in creativity, but I believe for myself that blood clot that rocked the right side of brain sparked something, because I previously wasn't into art @ all. Then the process started slow with working with collages in journals, and working on paper. Eventually I began to work on canvas and different pieces of scrap wood, just trying out all kinds of methods, and techniques. I just started running with it truthfully, making work and enjoying the ride. I say keep experimenting, and follow your intuition, you'll be amazed @ what you can turn out sometimes. It's honestly my favorite way to spend a day..

PW: Has the creative environment of living at the projects and being close friend to pat ponakos affected your work?

BM:Pat and the Projects have been great in regards to affecting my work. I have been there for three years now, and I don't think I would have been able to make as much work as I have if it wasn't for that place. First off I am deeply in debt to Pat for his generosity, encouragement, and friendship over these past few years, and not to mention allowing me to use his wide array of power tools, that he has to make different surfaces and installations.. Buy Ridgid tools !! Also meeting so many other creative people that come out to the projects has been amazing. Of course all the riders and their own sense of creativity on the water, but also numerous other artists, photographers, and film makers. All these awesome people making it in life doing something they have passion for. 'Misfits live and breathe in an atmosphere of passion' (Saying on the first Projects t-shirt I designed)

PW: Can you explain your work? Its not your normal paintings.

BM:Umm.. I always seem to go back to the phrase 'character excursions' when describing the paintings. I really enjoy the stories behind people and events that take place in the everyday that shove the individual along the path of life. I am so curious about the mysteries behind people; where they came from, what makes them turn out the way they do. Everyone has a story, many as interesting as a hollywood movie, yet we worship a well known star while the guy you see riding a lawnmower down the sidewalk could have a much more interesting personal history. I like to let the viewers of the work find things that they can relate to, whether it's a picture, or a word, or color. I feel everyone can connect to the work in their very own way. Re-connecting to their personal memories..

PW: I know you use alot of different types of canvases. Whats the coolest canvass youve made into a piece of art.

BM:I usually tend to paint on wood because it's much more economical than canvas.. I can take a sheet of plywood for $20 bucks and build 6 or 8 big pieces where as one pre-stretched canvas can cost you $20 bucks. But I guess the coolest thing I made into art would probably have to be the road gap out @ the Projects.. The old lake to lake transfer from back in 2000 or 2001. I took a large canvas transfer and surrounded it with tons of scrap wood from various rail building experiments and built a giant wood juxtaposition. I had a great time making that one, although now two years later it's pretty dilapidated.. 'Alter Egos are Great'

PW: The large store front display you made for Urban Outfitters was a pretty large scale art piece. What was it like working on that size of work?

BM:I loved working on the window display for Urban Outfitters. I had been slowly working on these small wooden blocks, a homage of sorts to baseball cards. They were filled with all kinds of topics ranging from family photos, baseball logos, or Kennedy assassination newspaper clippings. They were more of an exercise to get working on a small scale, to kinda jump start the art making for the day, working out my own observations and interests. When I came across the opportunity to display @ Urban Outfitters I thought why not just expand on that idea of hundreds of various blocks of collage and paint. I cut up over two sheets of plywood into 4" x 6" blocks and went through the paper archives, pulling so many images from the past. Going in to set up that day was awesome, I just had all the supplies, an ipod, and no idea how I was gonna hang it all up. Just letting the composition come out. It only took about 8 hours...

PW: How do you get inspired for each different piece of art?

BM:Getting inspired always seems to be different. Sometimes it comes from seeing other peoples art. Like after I go to an art show, I can't wait to get home and start working on my stuff. Also sometimes from movies or just various patterns or typography you see in the world.. A lot of the time though it comes from the lapse of time of not doing art, and knowing that I have to get stuff done for various commitments, and getting stuff made to satisfy my own needs as well. I like this quote though from artist Chuck Close ' "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work"

PW: Where can people see your work and maybe purchase a piece?

BM:You can check out my work primarily on my website www.elus1v.com. I try to update it quite frequently as each piece is made, or after I have various shows. I also have an etsy store (elus1v.etsy.com) where you can purchase works...

Or just email me anytime and we can work something out..

PW: Wheres the next show or display your work will be showcased?

BM:I have a few different shows coming up.. I will have one piece in a group show called 'Life Essentials' which will be on display through the Art Whino Gallery @ Art Basel down in Miami. I also have a couple exhibitions @ venues in Orlando and Tampa and I will have a booth @ surf expo in January, which I'm particularly excited about.. Check out my website (http://www.elus1v.com) for updates and details... Thanks..

All around Tum Yeto mad man Gareth Stehr put his art on display this past Saturday night at the Good Form Salon in Hollywood. Yup, it was at a hair salon, so there were plenty of mirrors for all the Hollywood fashionistas to check themselves out in.

Gareth's art is influenced by skate graphics of the past, and pop culture icons like Morrissey and The Rolling Stones. One of the medians he uses is resin, giving his creations a very shiny appearance, which means they pop. That's one objective of a good artist, constantly trying to find a means to make their style more distinctive. Gareth seems to have found this with this series of eye catching works.

The one negative thing about this show is it seemed like a lot of the guests were there just to be seen, and socialize, which I know is a trait of a lot of art shows and Hollywood in general. So, I guess just like everyone in LA says, "It is what it is." It just sucked to see so much creative expression adorning the walls, and people no paying attention to it. Instead waiting in line for their free Pabst, standing around trying to look cool, talking with their backs to the art, and not thinking, which I thought is what art was supposed to make you do. Not to rant or anything. All and all I thought it was a cool showing with some good art.

Here's some photos all taken by MORINformed:


Jim Phillips-esque. Phillips meets the Rolling Stones, or Stoned Phillips.


Powell meets Morrissey, or Powellissey.






Required protection after a night of free Pabst.


Pat Melcher was on DJ duties.












A good deal as far as Hollywood goes.

Here's Gareth's part in the Foundation video, Cataclysmic Abyss:



Skate legend, Jeremy Wray, has been creating things for years. From rad video sections to some pretty good paintings, his life has been a montage of creation, and last Friday the skate world go together to celebrate that creation at Hero's in Huntington Beach, CA. The event was put on by H.B. skate warlord and artist, Jose Cerda, who at Hero's, has been creating some of the best art shows in Huntington for years. Dave from the Skatetanic Rednecks provided the tunes, and even played a G.G. Allin song, which always gets me going.

Here's some photo all taken by MORINformed:












Jason Lee print.




My favorite piece there, it's the Dr. Seuss characters mourning the death of the great Doc.
I'm a big fan of Teddy Geisel's work.






Some more J. Lee.






Dave from the Skatetanic Rednecks.




The man behind the show, Jose Cerda, who apparently had a few adult beverages.


Apparently I had a few adult beverages too, because when I took this I thought it was
in focus.

Oh yeah, and in case you forgot Jeremy Wray gave us one of the greatest ollies in the history of skateboarding check it out:

Ryan Hanrahan is an artist from the Far South Coast of NSW, Australia. He uses a wide variety of ways to turn his day dreams into material creations, and the surf/skate world has taken notice. His style is perfect for pop-surrelism-eque graphics, which are a current trend amongst the fashion foward, modern, brands of the genre.

One company that has taken notice is the ever growing Australian art and clothing organization, INsight. They've used Ryan's non-objective graphic creations for tee shirts, ads, etc. When it comes to art in the worlds of surf and skate clothing INsight is one of the leading forces as far brands go. For more on Ryan click here.


A chit-catting bear.


Painting from the heart.


Tiger Hug.


Tigers and monkeys.


A fistmid, this was an INsight shirt.