Years and years of Porous and he's finally properly on the site with a nice interview... with video.I first meet Porous back in '83 when we were both touring in separate jazz bands. He was a well versed oboe player and had the reputation for peeing himself on stage after too many whiskey sours. I, on the other hand, had little notoriety but had been introduced to him in an awkward situation. After a late session in a smokey Turkish basement Porous came down the stairs with two beautiful blonds on both arms. He flicked his cigarette onto the face of the bartender and winked in my direction. I lost control of my oboe and nerve, never to play again- instead deciding right then and there to follow Porous's work to my death. It's 2007 now and Porous makes drawings of boobies and penises. Next year he'll probably be partying in the international space station. I'll think of playing the oboe again but know that there's no reason. -Van Edwards
What's the deal with the cake tattoos on some of the characters in your work?
There was a slice of cake awaiting MAX from Where the Wild Things Are... When I was younger I got MAX tattooed on me and after years of stuff, I realized that it wasn't actually Max, or the monsters or any of that stuff that made me love that book, it was that damn slice of cake. I am hoping to get on JTGs waiting list to get that tattoo on me. Also, it is a reference to life being pretty simple when you stop thinking about it. Piece of cake
As of this interview your website hasn't been updated since January. What's up with that? You used to post a drawing everyday.
We'll see, not many people realize just how expensive it is to update a website everyday. It takes thousands upon thousands of dollars and all of the salaries and benefits associated with it, dear lord... Besides, Evil paid me handsomely to keep his portrait up... There will be a time (soon) when the new series is released, It will kick off with a portrait I did for Dr. Dre.
You almost died. Tell us all about it.
I was enjoying a nice dinner at Cafe Zoetrope in North Beach when I was zapped by a large Space Station flying at 17,ooo mph above us. Not many people noticed it, so no one believed me when I said I was dying. That was one time I almost died... There are a couple more, but legally I can't say anything about them yet.
If you renamed Fecal Face, what would you call it?
www.John Trippe and the Assholish Modern and Consistant enablers of fixation upon the arts of a new and radical age,(yet to be unveiled) without any arrogance or ragtime showcasing of individualistic corn cob pipes nor no button noses.com...AKA www.johnthesailorman.com
You work with Francis Ford Coppola. Tell us something about him that you would get fired for.
He is genuine and one of the most original thinkers I have ever encountered. I don't know much else. sorry.
And what do you do for him?
work, fun work.
Describe yourself in high school.
First 2 years: good grades, skateboarding every day. sober. Last 2 years: mediocre grades, skateboarding everyday, lots of grass. I ate some LSD too.
How do you relax?
I work.
How do you go about creating a new piece of work? Describe your process.
Look down and move hand with pen in it across paper. With sculptures it's a bit different, I actually use an ancient rhythmic jiu-jitsu technique... and glue.
Everyone has as least one thing that they're 'special for' like in elementary school it was the kid who could do a backflip off the high bars... What's your specialness?
I can act smart... i think.
Penis or boobies? You seem to enjoy both.
bagina
When you're in SF you just have to go and check out (***) and have a (***) (fill in the blanks).
Yeah, that place and that thing are fantastic, I wholeheartedly agree.
Where do you live now and what's the best thing about it?
Napa... there is still enough air to breathe.
Back to your job with Francis Ford Coppola... He has all these exotic resorts in like the caribbean and Guatemala and stuff. You get to stay at these places for free?
No. When I have gone I have gone to work, so we stayed free. If I go for a vacation I pay just like everyone. It's worth it. Belize is beautiful, as is Guatemala. I would go back in a heartbeat.
Are you taking some time off from your art? You mentioned not showing for awhile.
I'm still doing work everyday. I have been asked by the Smithsonian to create a massive collection exclusively for them. My friend Banksy and I are working on some stuff... probably won't see it for 10 years though. I will have a show at Michael Sieben's Gallery Okay Mountain in June, as well as some clothing with Crownfarmer and Blood is the New Black, but other than that, I am deciding that people don't want to see the same old things from me, at least that is what Isaac mckay-randozzi keeps telling me. He's my advisor and has informed me that my art is better off kept to myself. I pay him to keep it real. Dude knows his stuff.
When do you get ideas for your work? Do you carry around pen and paper for when an idea hits?
Ideas are stored somewhere in my brain, and for some reason they come out when I am ready to execute. I loose pens and papers a lot, so I try not to write anything like that down. If I had a tattoo gun and some ink, I would probably try and give myself a ton of tattoos.
Describe your workspace.
Outdoors is the best place for me to create. When I am inside I can't hear the signal from the Space Station at all, so it is hard to focus when indoors. My workspace has a table, a old wooden school chair, a orange glass globe light, and a bunch of ivy and string lights living harmoniously together.
Future plans?
Just to keep going.
CLICK HERE vo view a little video interview filmed 2/11/07 at Cafe Zoetrope in North Beach, San Francisco. {moscomment}
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