"Passionate and humble, John Trippe created a website to share his photos and art in 2000, what ended up happening was the creation and curation of a successful art sharing template that would inspire an entire movement online.
John moved to San Francisco to pursue skateboarding and art. Before long he was publishing his own art 'zine called Fecal Face, and when digital publishing when in its infancy he released fecalface.com. The website would go on to spread art across 50,000 unique visitors a day and inspire generations on how you can adapt to do what you love on your own terms.
Fecal Face celebrated it's 10 Year anniversary at The Luggage Store Gallery, a location he had been inspired by as a young art fan in San Francisco. In this episode we follow John as prepare for the blowout group show and reflect on the website's past and future."
I am more than honored to be included in the 2nd season of the series, The Creative Lives, featuring a slew of talented folks like Barry McGee, Jeremy Fish, Richard Coleman, Futura, Mike Giant, Cleon Peterson, Tiffany Bozic, The Date Farmers, and so many others.
I may have stepped away from Fecal Face for the time being, but when the dust settles, I'll be back. In the meantime, check www.johntrippe.com for updates from the road.
"Inside Voices. The two opposing sides of the brain often are in conflict with each other. Their two distinct points of view often collide with a compromise coming only when blood has been spilled and beers have been opened." —Ferris Plock
This video project was originally part of an installation to accompany Kelly Tunstall kellytunstall.com and Ferris Plock's ferrisplock.com work in their third solo show with the gallery entitled “Inside Voices”. The opening reception was held on Friday, April 24th at FFDG 2277 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA.
Our buddy Adam Cimino of The Mall fame (and being a rad dude fame) has recently joined forces with Mark Kaiser to form the band Male Gaze. Below is a recent from the new album.
Male Gaze is playing in SF on March 24th at the Makeout Room and heading to: Portland, Seattle and Boise.
Nate Milton emailed us his new short last month and just got around to checking it out. Ya, no wonder it's a staff pick. Great work, Nate, and thanks for the heads up.
For three weeks, I wrote down any thought, image or memory that gave me a tingly feeling. I animated the list, and what it accidentally became was a stream-of-consciousness trek through my life --- This is the trailer to my brain.
I've been going through some old footage I, John Trippe, filmed in the late 90s/early 2000s here in San Francisco and will be releasing it a bunch of it in the coming weeks.
Footage features all kinds of people from Cairo Foster, Kenny Reed, Ocean Howell, Rob Welsh, and a slew of other pros you will probably recognize from old skate videos like 411, Thrasher and others including a load of footage that didn't make it anywhere... Below is a little taste of what's to come.
Check the new video for Hail Mary Mallon (Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic)... Way to go Bram, Henry Gunderson, Gerald (Kid Yellow who filmed and edited it), Mississippi Joe and others who are in the video. Nice work, Gerald.
BAY AREA --- In both SF and Berkeley from May 23rd to 29th, the Landmark Theaters will be showing The Fake Case, a new documentary about famous Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei.
If you’ve somehow missed the drama surrounding Wei Wei, he has been harassed by Chinese authorities for a supposed “subversion of state power” because of his internet postings. This documentary specifically focuses on another charge against him, this time for $2.1 million in tax evasion through his company Fake Ltd. It follows him quietly and intimately with his family during his home arrest and then builds to discuss some of his art works in the context of his involvement with Chinese authorities.
I highly suggest getting to one of these screenings, watching this film is an invigorating and powerful example of the influence one person can have, even in the harshest political environment imaginable. In his own words, Wei Wei says, “Political artists aren’t real artists. I’m not a political artist. I’m just political.” Whatever he may consider it, the work of Ai Wei Wei is a prime example of both art and activism, and we Americans might take a cue from him.
Desillusion Magazine presents an exclusive behind the scenes feature on the recent Globe Spring/Summer 2014 lookbook entitled Mansionlyf, shot by Jason Lee Parry and styled by Imogene Barron against the quaint summer backdrop of Montauk, NY.
Based on a true story, CRUISING follows a young man through an extrovert's dream and an introvert's nightmare; the chaotic and cacophonous world of forced-fun aboard an insular cruise ship. His initial inability to accept his environment drives him to suicidal fantasy, where he learns to cope with his stressors, discomfort and anxieties.
These drones are offering incredible angles we've never seen before, and this video of Pipeline gives us a tiny sliver of what's yet to come with these awesome little machines...
Just one question though. What happens when people start crashing them all over the place? They have fast spinning parts and can reach heights of hundreds of feet... imagine they could do some serious damage. HEADS UP!
Nate Milton emailed over this great short Gator Skater which is a follow-up to his Dog Skateboard he emailed to us back in 2011... Any relation to this Gator Skater?
Nate does wonderful shorts. We normally don't post advertisements, but his short Sad Godzilla for Emergen-C makes us smile (see below).
Congrats on our buddies at Needles and Pens on being open and rad for 11 years now. Mission Local did this little short video featuring Breezy giving a little heads up on what Needles and Pens is all about.
Next time you're in SF, or for those who are here now, stop in, buy a zine and say hi. 3253 16th Street
In a filmmaker's thinking, we wish more videos were done in this style. Too much editing and music with a lacking in actual content. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
I purchased one of the first digital cameras when Fecal Face went online in 2000. It was a massive Kodak with 2 mega pixels.
After taking someone's photo, you'd turn it over to show them the image on it's tiny 1" display. People were flabergasted. You could delete an image and take another without "wasting film"... That blew peoples' minds.
Well, these days everyone's little black monolith does it all including shooting decent photos in a variety of styles... Oh how things have changed since 2000 when Fecal Face went online --> these days we've been lying low waiting for things to change, and here's some random photographic proof from the life of a galleriest living and working in the City by the Bay.
BREAKING --- Find out the truths of these conspiracies, hidden from the public, but uncovered by the RAD Conspiracy, only on KOOK 1800am. You won't believe your ears! The secrets, exposed!
Shawn Whisenant is a born and raised San Francisco Bay Area artist whose art can be found lurking in the streets or galleries and museums across the USA, Australia, and Europe. He has been working on the streets of the Bay Area since the mid 1990's, where his images continue to endure on walls, mailboxes, and other surfaces around the city. He enjoys making books and stickers, taking photos, painting signs, and moving about in the city’s shadows. In the streets and galleries, his work has seen many different forms. From rare-hand crafted books, to skateboard films and a signature pair of Osiris shoes, his creating doesn’t end with painting. RIP Shawn Whisenant.
Ok, this video put together by Dave Todon and friends for a King Shit Magazine contest made our day as we work away on this rainy SF afternoon.
My name is Dave Todon, I'm a long time FF regular from Toronto. I'm
writing in regards to a video and a series of photos a few friends and
myself put together for a skate flick contest this past summer (King
Shit Magazine, Connect The Dots contest). I thought you guys over at FF
may find it fun. You can check the vid here and the photos here.
Can't decide to see Hayao Miyazaki's new film "The Wind Rises" in sub-titled or dubbed. What would you do? Some theaters are offering either here in San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO --- Our friends over at Ever Gold recently celebrated their 5th anniversary and put together this video from the opening night celebration... Their current show with Mauricio Ancalmo "Krap Etag Nedlog Reve" is up now through March.
Mickeydlx's Instgram this morning was perfect because as I lay awake last night at 3am, I couldn't stop thinking about handplants on vert.
Tony Hawk takes it back for an all 80's inspired video clip for his new Limited Edition Krooked Guest deck featuring artwork by Mark Gonzales. -Krooked Skateboards
TATE VIDEO --- As the TV series Girls returns, Tate ask actress Jemima Kirke to explore the role of women in art in our latest Unlock Art video.
So far in this series - part of Tate's quest to bring art to a wider audience - our video team has collaborated with the likes of Frank Skinner, Alan Cumming and Sally Phillips to bring you crash courses in performance art, pop art and shopping for art. In this film, the Girls actress Jemima Kirke addresses the topic of women in art (or the lack them).
Here's a little short I (John Trippe) did on artist/ designer Michael Leon back in 2003 for Element skateboards. Michael Leon at the time did Commonwealth Stacks clothing and designed a set of boards for Element. He previously was a designer at Girl Skateboards.
Zachary Zezima (BFA Illustration, Parsons School of Design, 2009 - MFA Experimental Animation, CalArts, In Progress) emailed over a couple of recent short animated works.
It's been awhile since I wanted to meet Swoon. Everytime she stopped by Paris (2007 & 2010) I was overseas so I never get the chance to see one of her solo show. I did see some of her pieces in New York, London, Berlin or Sao Paulo but not in Paris or in a gallery.
Last week, Adeline Jeudy owner and curator of Galerie LJ, welcomed myself and a camera to interview Caledonia Curry that everybody knows as Swoon, while she was working setting up her latest solo show "Motherlands".
In the weeks leading up to the temporary closure of SFMOMA's building on June 3, 2013, to allow for construction of its expansion, Jonn Herschend filmed Stories from the Evacuation (2013) on location at the museum. He interviewed staff members about their involvement with the relocation of the art collection, offices, and information server and also about their individual perspectives on the transition. In Herschend's resulting film, his behind-the-scenes examination becomes a departure point for a larger narrative exploring personal risk and change.
Brilliant. Watch the top video and then the one below second.
'Skew' turns the idea of skeuomorphism on it's head: we re-made some well known skeuomorphic interface designs in the materials and objects they were trying to imitate; as well as subtly commenting on the mundane cycle of the digital day-to-day.
A film by Carrie Bale, Doug Hindson and Jooyoung Ryu
Long time Fecal Face London contributor and talented artist David Shillinglaw also participated. He and his friend Arlen Figgis rode triped over to Berlin to install. They also then made their way to Amsterdam to meet with Hyland Mather, Pipsqueak, and the Look for art gallery guys.
MEXICO --- The Broken Fingaz crew spent quite a bit of time in an abandoned factory in Mexico to create this stop motion short as part of the CutOut Animation Festival.
Every have one of those mornings where you start following links and the next thing you know you're watching a news reel clip of the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939 that was held on the brand new man-made Treasure Island?
The fair was intended to celebrate the opening of two bridges, the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge.
Got an email from Emanuele Pizzolorusso, a Helsinki based industrial designer, yesterday to let us know about his latest project Lucetta: a smart set of two small magnetic bicycle lights. Never seen them in person. Have no idea if they're worth a hoot or not, but the concept is pretty interesting and simple. Looks like a great idea to us.
Ian Strange (Kid Zoom): SUBURBAN premiered in a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia in late July 2013
Ian Strange: Suburban is a multifaceted photography, film and installation exhibition created by New York-based Australian artist Ian Strange. Since 2011 Strange has worked with a film crew and volunteers in Ohio, Detroit, Alabama, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire to create, photograph and film seven site specific interventions incorporating suburban homes. The recording of these interventions through film and photographic documentation forms the basis of this new and groundbreaking exhibition. - David Hurlston - Curator, Australian Art and coordinator NGV studio, National Gallery of Victoria.
Sam Jinks' sculptural work sustains the briefest and often most private moments in time. Emotional vulnerability is both the subject and result of his work and moves audiences in a way not expected from contemporary art. For Jinks, his works are not literal representations, but are based on the combination of different stages of life.
Jinks' work can be found in various public collections that include: McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, Victoria, Australia ,Shepparton Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia, The Kiran Nader Museum of Art, Dehli , Indian and the Museo Escultura Figurativa Internacional Contemporaenea (MEFIC), Portugal, in addition to various private collections within Australia and internationally.
Many movies end with hopeless characters turning to crime. No movie ends like "Stroszek." Bruno and Mr. Scheitz take a rifle and go to rob the bank, which is closed, so they rob the barber shop next door of $32 and, leaving their car running, walk directly across the street to a supermarket, where Bruno has time to pick up a frozen turkey before the cops arrest Mr. Scheitz. Bruno then drives to a nearby amusement arcade, where he feeds in quarters to make chickens dance and play the piano. Then he boards a ski lift to go around and around and around.
This last sequence is just about the best he has ever filmed, Herzog says on the commentary track of the DVD. His crew members hated the dancing chicken so much they refused to participate, and he shot the footage himself. The chicken is a "great metaphor," he says--for what, he's not sure. My theory: A force we cannot comprehend puts some money in the slot, and we dance until the money runs out.
Love the video Swampy, and also love your tools of the trade (check photo below)
I haven't been around much but I just put together a collage of video moments I've personally recorded over the past few months. If you're interested in that kind of thing you should check it out when you get a chance. I put it on www.swmpy.com (it's my old art website that I cleared out a few years ago) but it's also hosted at youtube.com/swampysdiary.
The "Battle Station" where the above video was produced.
Back in August 2013, we were fortunate enough to be invited to check out FAILE'S studio and Patrick was kind enough to give us a quick tour and speak about their new art and the preparation for their upcoming show at the Dallas Contemporary thru Dec 22nd.
FAILE is a collaboration between Brooklyn-based artists, Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. The two first met 20 years ago and, since 1999, have worked together as FAILE, constructing multimedia installations, large-scale paintings and sculptures that have helped to change the perception of the Street Art genre.
Although FAILE initially operated outside of the mainstream contemporary art world, they quickly garnered awareness on a public level thanks to their ground-breaking use of materials, images and technology. McNeil and Miller’s culture-driven iconography and visual imagery blends high and low culture in a symbiotic way. Their practice continues to be informed by simultaneously creating works in studio and on the street.
The Arbor Collective swung through Dave Kinsey's studio in the Western slopes of the Sierras a few weeks back and put together this great video. Note Dave's epic view from his desk. Wowzas! Nice place to check emails from.
The Arbor Collective visits Dave Kinsey at his home studio in the Western slopes of the Sierras, where he talks about his background, influences, and process in creating current works of art. Named by Complex Magazine in 2012 as one of the 100 most influential artists of the past decade, Kinsey is known around the world for his street art, graphic design, and fine art pursuits. Watch the video to go "Between the Edges" with Arbor Collective artist, Dave Kinsey.
Sometimes the best emails don't make any sense. The more they make sense, the more we tend to tune them out... Happy to present:
Hello, my name is Andrey, I'm an artist. I like when my art makes people smile or surprise, or when they become angry and hate me! I like to cut to the quick. Creation helps me to unload demons from my head. And this time I unloaded them to my new cartoon! It is about the guy, who was living in my imagination for many years and I'm so glad to give him a new kind of being!
What if you feel in love with a more intuitive/ life-like Siri, or should say, Siri that's Scarlett Johansson? HER is the latest from Spike Jonze and due out in November.
Hey, San Diego folks, you may want to check this out on Friday. Looks like a film worth seeing. ---> The film will be showing at YBCA here in San Francisco this September.
Amid the intense social struggles of 1980s Washington D.C., a symbol of hope and resilience emerged on the walls of Chocolate City in the form of a simple yet impactful tag: Cool “Disco” Dan. The true story of Dan Hogg is chronicled in a film by Roger Gastman and Joseph Pattisall that contextualizes the infamous graffiti writer's actions amid the larger cultural backdrop of go-go dance halls, street crews, punk rock, and the politics of Marion Barry. - details
Satva swung through FFDG last week and we got old man talking about how nutty skating is these days and this video part came up. Enjoy...
For years I used to film skatboarding for 411 and a bunch of companies. Be on the look out as I'm going to start posting some old footage from around San Francisco featuring loads of dudes that were around the city in from around '96 through '03.
UVA, in collaboration with My Beautiful City, transformed Sou Fujimoto's Pavilion, bringing the cloud-like structure to life with an electrical storm.
Commissioned by Serpentine Gallery for the Serpentine Summer Party, 26th June 2013
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013, designed by Sou Fujimoto
We posted some photos on Thursday of Curiot's great new mural in Berlin with Low Bros... Well, here's some great video action right here. Please note Curiot's kickflip nosemanual and bs flip over the hump in the beginning... Next time he's in SF, I'm gonna have to challange the youngster to a game of S.K.A.T.E.
A collaboration between Berlin based artist duo LOW BROS and the Mexican artist CURIOT at "FIT freie internationale tankstelle" Berlin, May 2013. Special thanks to Phillipp Barth for connecting each other.
SUBURBAN is a multifaceted photography, film and installation exhibition created by artist Ian Strange (Kid Zoom Interviewed). Over a two year period Strange worked with a film crew and volunteers in Ohio, Detroit, Alabama, New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire to create, photograph and film eight site specific interventions incorporating suburban homes. The recording of these interventions through film and photographic documentation forms the basis of new a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria on July 26 and a short-film which will be released in late 2013.
For the 4th we sailed over to Angel Island, spent a few days enjoying the hot Marin air, BBQing it up w/ friends, and watching the fireworks from it... A warm clear evening and you could view both of San Francisco's fireworks and also Sausalito's as well... That is a damn fine island.
Bay Area photographer shits out another photo of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Two boats are better than one for an overnight.
Walk back to the boats and drink more wine.
Best spot to view San Francisco's duel fireworks show.
Mike Aho of the Austin based ((sounder)), who we've featured over the years, has just released this great Madonna cover which was recorded at Okay Mountain.
Ok, so we "know" there are no Brown Recluses in California, but shit, it looked like one to us... Found in the folk's house in Marin on the bathroom floor on Saturday. Argh.
Oops. Looks like our drunk cabby's vodka bottle slipped out... Think he needed a cab more than we did. Bummer.
Drawing Stories is a new series from our buddy Travis Millard. Grab a cup of hot coco, get your slippers on and enjoy some time with your uncle Millard.
I didn't know if you came across this video yet, but I ran into my friend Brian Hanson yesterday who helped film and edit it. It's a film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard Shaper Tim Stamps. Super rad and really inspiring! Anyhow take a peek.
DOP_Jonathan Bennett, Brian Hanson
Edit_Brian Hanson
Colorist_Jonathan Bennett
Audio_Keith Culver, Bill Keller
Audio/Lighting Coordinator_Matt Pindroh
Director/Producer_Bill Keller
A Hidden Notice production
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
Huge Clare Rojas in the international terminal at SFO.
Highly recommend spending a little more for your own private pool.
BNJMN (pronounced Benjamin) is a mobile sensory image production mechanism. His works bring to question what it means to perceive the humanity or spirit possessed by an "artist" in the central act of creation.
BNJMN's personality (programming) allows him to roam in search of mediums to paint upon. Once a suitable substrate and its size have been determined, he begins a two-part painting process utilizing two independent (dualistic) aluminum arms and a modern acrylic chassis to create unique works of the moment. The first part being the seemingly behavioral act of painting based on random and non-random protocols, and the second, a signature to mark completion.
Might be best to watch this in full screen. Some serious resolution.
From the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz to the Bay Lights at night, see the Bay Area's most iconic locations like you've never seen them before. Shot in 4K/"Ultra-HD," Teton Gravity Research presents the first footage from their new RED Epic-equipped gyrostabilized camera platform: The GSS C520. The GSS C520 is a portable 5-axis system that houses a range of leading digital cinema cameras, like the Epic and Sony F55, while also capable of integrating future advancements in camera technology.
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