Blog Mental - Art Dorks

Mental Minute: Everyone Buy This Book

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 11:56:45 -0800

From the globe trotting Australian best known for his outstanding skateboarding photos, a collection that expands on those achievements with images from around the world on the cusp of the 21st Century. Everything is covered in this 34 page treat. Burning cars, cryptic signage, crucifixes and discarded TVs in America's heartland, to elephants in Africa, Asian policemen, cane toads and Cairo Foster grinding a rail in front of the Cairo Supreme Court building. O'Meally's ever curious and attentive eye produces a picture poem of the new age's action, beauty, terror and the quiet moments in between.

BM Interview: Be Like Mike, O'Meally

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 11:03:03 -0800

The first time I talked to Mike O'Meally I was trying to give him directions to my apartment while Madmin was on the toilet. He was very polite even though he was quite lost and it was mostly Madmin's fault for giving him shitty directions. Then he came over and I cooked him some good food to make up for it and all was well. He looked really big standing next to our tiny kitten.

Mike Sutfin Art Dork Interview

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 14:51:48 -0800

Have you ever met one of those people that do really amazing things and just kinda shrug it off like it ain't no thing? Mike Sutfin is one of these total dillholes. I've been lucky enough to get to know Mike and his dillhole ways for a while now, I have no idea how it is humanly possible to create some of the crazy artwork this dude does. You may recognize his work from various punk and hardcore record covers -- Magic: The Gathering cards, D&D products, not to forget Star Wars: New Essential Guide to Characters book for Lucasfilm. Enough to make any fanboy collector loose bowel control.

BM Interview: There And Back Again With Jocko Weyland

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 17:24:04 -0800

Jocko Weyland is a writer, an artist, a skateboarder, an observer, and even an anthropologist of sorts. His documents are experiences in raw form and he is very aware of how a product can create a myth or mislead an audience. Honesty in this day and age seems more akin to an 8-track tape than a responsibility, but Jocko thinks about what he is doing and keeps it simple and true. Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World is a two-person exhibition featuring photographs by Jocko Weyland and prints by Thurston Moore is now on view at KS Gallery in Manhattan.

Mental Minutes: mikeomeally.com Launches

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:01:00 -0700

Premiere skate (and more) photographer, Mike O'Meally, now has one of the best and most comprehensive photography sites on the web, if I do say so myself. Not to mention one of the most cutting edge websites out there, period. The site covers far more than just his skate photography, featuring some amazing portraits, enviable travel photos and an editorial section.

Jade's Art Dork Interview #1: Don Pendleton

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:38:03 -0700

Don Pendleton is an amazing artist and skateboarder. He's been the talent behind Alien Workshop decks for the last seven years and has just made the move to Element, where he'll undoubtedly continue leaving his mark on the skateboarding art world. He is a man of many talents with current projects ranging from fine art to his own line of t-shirts.

Farewell Fireworks for Hunter

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 12:31:44 -0700

The un-official mascot of BM, Hunter S. Thompson, went out with a final bang on Aug. 20 when his cremated remains were launched from a 153-foot-high "cannon" on his Woody Creek property outside Aspen, Colorado.

According to a 1978 BBC documentary, it was one of Thompson's desires to have his ashes blasted from a 150-foot structure at his home. Actor Johnny Depp, who portrayed Thompson in the movie version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and became a close friend, funded the labor and construction costs, which are estimated to be between $1 million and $2 million, the Rocky Mountain News reported earlier this month.

J. duMont Art Dork Interview #2

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 07:26:46 -0700

I first heard of JT LeRoy 5 years ago when he was contibuting to the free NY rag Shout. With tales of lady-boy truckstop hookers and raccoon penis bones, LeRoy had a style that was intriguing and all his own. LeRoy's writings were a keyhole peep into the perverse, taking the white trash of America and dumping it on your front lawn. His are tales of the depraved preying upon innocents, and with the life and detail JT breathes into his work, readers began to ask the inevitable question "Is this all true?"

Anabel's Art Dork Interview #2: Blair Bauer

Thu, 04 Aug 2005 16:14:43 -0700

Blair Bauer is one of the coolest art chicks we've met in a long time. She used to live in the Chelsea Hotel and is featured in a book about the hotel's most interesting residents (you know, where Sid killed Nancy), she's also a character in a mystery novel and a character in her very own right. She's made clothes for Jack & Meg White and came up with custom-made guitar straps so cool they're still writing songs about them in LA. Warner Bros. commissioned her clothing to be sold as merch for bands like The Distillers, Flaming Lips and Madonna. Now she's signed on with Barneys to do a line of her extra unique airbrushed adult and children's clothing. But the best part is that she'll come to your house on your birthday and airbrush you, your jock strap and your car if you want.

Event - NY: James O'Brien and Jenn Leong present

Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:41:00 -0700

If you are in the New York area and you like like art, drinks, fine maidens and the casual slaying of dragons, pop on over to RiverFawn and check out the work of BM homey james O'Brien and friends. you wouldn't want to ride into battle unaccompanied, would you?

Details: Press Release as source

Thursday, August 4th from 7pm-11pm@ RiverFawn: 11 harrison Street btwn Hudso

Mental Minutes: Area agents found on web

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 18:49:40 -0700

Oh yes, that is a title inspired by the that bastion of political satire, The Onion. However there's nothing funny about the sick new website The Agents of the Area have busted the hell out.

Developed by none other than BM's own art editor lardog - a.k.a. Tony larson - and friends, the new site is doing a kick ass job of showcasing our homey's work amongst other crapola. We've even heard something about a free trip to Madagascar, but we'd read the fine print - if we were you.

Tags of Steel

Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:08:09 -0700

The move has enraged some of NYC's finest who are in the midst of an ongoing anti-graffiti campaign, as well as some local politicians who referred to Cope2 "some punk whose been defacing our city" when they heard about TIME's commission. (They're just miffed the money isn't going to their reelection campagins.)

Cope2 has been on the graffiti scene for 20 years now, and he's paid his dues. Just last year he was arrested in a giant anti-graffiti sting that involved a "Graffiti Most Wanted List" -- apparently he was at the top of that list. No word on whatever happened to those charges, but it's good that our buddies at TIME magazine don't do background checks.

Molly Crabapple: Take A Bite

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:17:30 -0700

Molly Crabapple. I'd definitely take a bite out of Molly Crabapple. So would you - don't lie. You know you would. Vixen, essayist, muse, artiste, illustrator extraordinaire...She's delectable and she was all ours, for a fleeting interweb second.

BM cornered the young lass (who is obviously way more mature than us in that wise-beyond-her-years type of way) and got her talking about 19th century art, illustrating for the Wall Street Journal, art school and being naked on skateboards.

J. duMont Art Dork Interview #1

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 09:23:36 -0800

By Jeremiah duMont
Andrew Zbihlyj�.It�s probably not a name you've ever heard. As a matter of fact, it�s probably not a name you can even pronounce �I�d like to buy a vowel, Pat.� I met Andrew a few years back through a mutual friend and was blown away by what this guy could do. Since then he�s built up an impressive resume and accolades. I caught up with Andrew and got him to weigh in on a few topics that are close to my heart, and I�d say that we went a long way toward improving US/Canadian relations�even though he evaded the hard-hitting Celine Dion/Sesame Street queries.

BM: Who are some artists you look to for inspiration?

Andrew Zbihlyj: Seeing someone master his/her craft is inspiring to me - writers, directors, musicians, comedians. Film is a big inspiration "every picture is such a complex undertaking, incorporating so many disciplines, so many minds. A successful film, artistically speaking, can be so affecting" especially if the principles involved maintain their vision from project to project. Recently, I've been interested in the older Japanese directors: Ozu, Kurasawa, Suzuki Seijun.

BM: What kind of media do you work with?

AZ: I've been using acrylic paints, gel mediums, ink, paper, tape. I'd like to try using some newer materials -- something to produce a larger, more visceral effect - but I haven't had as much time to experiment in recent months.

BM: What was the reaction when you started incorporating real human teeth into your work? (Do I have that right - I remember you telling that story and I thought it was really funny)

AZ: Well, I've never used real human teeth, of course. That element is based off photographs. When I first used it in college, people around me seemed amused by it. Others just remained quiet. Not indifferent, just quiet. I did use actual human hair though, around that same time. That technique was found to be unanimously off-putting.

Are the kids alright?

Sat, 30 Jul 2005 10:10:59 -0700

Hey remember the movie KIDS? That old skeevey looking dude made it. He was in it, too. So were a bunch of skaters from NYC...remember? All they did in the movie was walk around, fuck and do drugs? The ultimate message was that skaters and degenerate, uh, KIDS were spreading HIV all over the place. Yeah.