There are only about two things we’re suckers for — Star Wars and Disneyland. With the release of the Vans Disney footwear and apparel collection they’ve pretty much got us tied up.
Sharing a rich heritage rooted in Southern California, both Vans and Disney are dedicated to those who are young at heart and never stop following their dreams. The collection features iconic Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy and Winnie the Pooh across a range of Vans apparel and accessories and Classic footwear in adult, kids and toddler sizing.
Magic Kingdom, indeed. For the official word from Vans (including all the apparel) Please follow the jump. [click to continue…]
For the past three years San Diego, California based eyewear company Knockaround Sunglasses has enlisted the talents of elementary school students to design a pair of glasses in a program called Class Acts. Knockaround provides the art materials and the kids bring the creativity. This year winner was Evan Bui, a fourth graders from Foster Elementary School.
Evan’s inspiration was lightning bolts, as he wanted people to “feel shocked when they saw them.” . . . The Striker sunglasses feature a glossy Sky Blue front, Mint Green interiors and Bright Orange arms with Electric Yellow lightning bolts running down each side. Each pair comes with a lightning bolt protective pouch, a hand-numbered edition card, and a 2015 Class Acts ‘zine that will not only feature original artwork by Evan himself, but also Knockaround’s favorite runner up designs.
Sounds like a great way to move some units. For the official word from Knockaround, follow the jump. [click to continue…]
It seems like a match made in. . . well, you know. Anastasia Ashley gets in under Terry Richardson’s hot white studio flashes and puts on a little show. For more photos from Terry’s blog click these links: here, here, here, especially here, and here.
We’ve all still got a couple weeks to check out Jerry Hsu’s photography show A Love Like Mine is Hard to Findat LA’s Slow Culture Gallery.
A Love Like Mine is Hard to Find says a lot about the way Jerry Hsu approaches his photography. Without a doubt, this is a passion thing. His process, like the title indicates, is tied to dis-covery and patience and it borders on compulsion. It would appear that Hsu has honed the skills of seeing and identifying what is “photo-worthy,” because he has created his own vernacular and effectively mastered his vision. Hsu’s need to capture the absurd but beautiful, everyday world around him has certainly paid off. . . Like learning a language, a photographer’s work relies heavily on practice and immersion. Sensitivity to events that seem like non-events adjusts one’s perspective by shifting the focus to things often missed. Hsu honors those moments outside of the frame; he looks when one is “not supposed to look” and he photographs them. (Lucky for us, he likes to share.)
We’ve all seen his work on Vans shoes, Burton Snowboards, and Flip Skateboards, but Laguna Beach, California’s AR4T Gallery is giving us all a chance to get a much closer look at Taka Hayashi’s incredible work in a solo show titled Portraits of Nature.
Central in Hayashi’s works are landscapes, birds, symbols and cultural signatures that refer to tribes worlds apart: Native American craft, ‘80s skate culture, North African tribal art, and ‘60s psychedelia, to name a few. The mystery is in how Hayashi traps, and then connects, quick flashes and deep feelings of these worlds on canvas. . . Working in charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, and spray paint, this new series by Hayashi is presented in a range of earthy tones, vibrant hues, and black-and-white, and range in size from 24”x36” to 51”x51”.
powerHouse Books will be releasing a new book of photos and text featuring Vancouver’s mythical Barrier Kult skateboarding gang titled BA. KU. The words will be provided by Deer Man of Dark Woods with photography by Anthony Tafuro.
They’re an assembly of incognito professional skateboarders that ritualize their skill on concrete barriers. The team was created ten years ago by Deer Man of Dark Woods and Depth Leviathan Dweller, who decided to adorn a mask of anonymity after growing tired of the repetition of the professional skate world. One would argue that the Barrier Kult’s entire way of skating is repetitive, but the team takes this as a challenge to land big tricks… on stone cold concrete.
On Thursday, March 5, 2015 Laguna Beach, California’s Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow gallery will be hosting a show titled Ten, feature the work of ten Orange County artists including: Ben Brough, Chantal deFelice, Jennie Cotterill, Jeff Gillette, John Sollom, Mark Oblow, Shag, Suzanne Walsh, Tim Hendricks, and Trace Mendoza.
Each artist was selected because of their talents and impact that they have made on the OC art community and beyond. Their pedigrees range from emerging to world renowned but together they are representative of the depth and power of the work being created here in our own back yard.
Yeah, some of the names are very familiar, right? The opening reception begins at 6 PM and will feature live music by The Sanitys and The Bent Duo. Artists Republic 4 Tomorrow is located at 1175 Pacific Coast Hwy in Laguna Beach.
Kelly Slater and RVCA ANP artist Kevin Ancell got together on a project called #ThePod, which pays homage to the movie Blackfish and friends who have passed.
“After watching the movie Blackfish, I was so moved and perturbed with the wild captures and captive breeding of the Orcas that I felt compelled to paint my boards to mimic their markings,” Slater says. “Kevin and I had been thinking about something we could do together for a couple of years and we happened to be on a trip together just as the idea occurred. So the first board we did was painted in Kevin’s word art to say “Blackfish.” Kevin initially saw it as my project, but asked if he could start adding some of his color into the messaging and the second board was painted in the DFW tag.”
They exhibited at Pow! Wow! Hawaii last Friday, February 13, 2015 in a show that was curated by RVCA Founder, PM Tenore. And we missed it.
Artist Todd Francis says he has a history of working with vermin. So his graphics from this collab with Huf are nothing short of verminty fresh. Check it out.
Vans Pro Jason Dill brings his free form pen artworks and pen drawing to a natural white canvas Vans OG Authentic “S” starting February 7, 2015. And don’t think that this is simply a canvas shoe. No, no. It comes with “enhanced cushioning in UltraCush HD sickliness and the Vans original waffle gum rubber soles. And will be available exclusively at select independent skateboard retailers. Watch for ’em. [click to continue…]
