disposable: random essays on skateboard art

"public domaine" at la gaité lyrique in paris, france

Public Domaine : Skateboard Culture - Teaser from La Gaîté Lyrique on Vimeo.

In two weeks I'll be heading in a northeasterly direction to Paris, France for the opening of the Public Domaine exhibition at the la Gaité lyrique on Saturday, June 18. A considerable step above and beyond your average SKART show, this is a multi-themed approach to portraying the broader cultural aspects of skateboarding from its music and graphics to film, photography, fashion, futurism and more.

Some of those represented in the varied facets of the sprawling show include: Neck Face, Yogi Proctor, Adam Wallacavage, Donny Miller, Deanna Templeton, Cleon Peterson, Michael Burnett, Mike O'Meally, Fred Mortagne, Benjamin Deberdt, Mark Gonzales, William Strobeck, Matthias Fennataux, Ludovic Azémar, Ty Evans, Don Brown, Claude Jutra, Alyasha Moore, Andy Jenkins, Ben Horton, Ed Templeton, Eli Morgan Gesner, Fos, Marc McKee, Mike Hill, Moish Brenman, Michael Sieben, Todd Francis, Winston Tseng, Johnny "Mojo" Munnerlyn, Colin Price, Eric Anthony, Hershel Baltrotsky, Jeremy Carnahan, Michael Coleman, Andy Jenkins, Christian Morin, Andy Mueller, Evan Hecox, Chris Waycott, ILL Studio, Natas Kaupas, Mike Manzoori, DVNO, Rémi Brun, Sade Coy, Cédric Viollet, Edouard Le Scouarnec, Bryce Kanights, Mofo, Kevin Thatcher, Luke Ogden, Rhino, Patrick O’Dell, Jerry Hsu, David Broach, Gabe Morford, Jon Mehring, Cédric Viollet, Brian Gaberman, Taro Hirano, Sem Rubio, Dan Boulton, Deeli, Eric Antoine, Travis Dove, Rich Gilligan, Bertrand Trichet, Buzzy Sullivan, Sergej Vutuc, Gus Duarte, Giovanni Reda, Davy Van Laere, Atiba Jefferson, Sam Ashley, Lance Mountain and myself.

A number of special events are planned throughout the stay of the Public Domaine exhibition (which runs until Sunday, August 7), from concerts and skate demos to parties and such sponsored by Thrasher Magazine, Etnies, Nike SB, Girl Skateboards and more. I think I may be doing a Disposable book signing somewhere during my week in Paris, but have no details at present. If and when something is arranged though, I'll throw up another post with the whereabouts and whatnot.

For further info: http://www.gaite-lyrique.net

skate rock: mcrad live record release party

Yeah, yeah, I've become a real Mr. Current Events guy lately. I swear I'll get back to the past soon, but for now, if you're in the vicinity of Los Angeles and have fond recollections of sound snippets from the Powell-Peralta Public Domain, Ban This and Propaganda videos, then perhaps you'd be interested in checking out a night with the man behind that music: Chuck Treece, aka McRad. He'll be performing live at Space 15 Twenty in Hollywood on Thursday, June 10th, at 7:00pm.

ray barbee's 20th anniversary vault by vans shoe release party

I don't normally get emo over skateboard photography, but I honestly cannot recall a time when I've ever gotten so happy over seeing a photo. Everything about this image of Ray Barbee is spot on and a testament to his stylish impact on skateboarding—especially if you're of the "step off" street generation like I am. I first witnessed the "43 shifty" at an amateur street contest in Rockford, Illinois, circa 1988, and I believe it was Barker Barrett, or possibly Mike Kepper, who whipped it out on the roller-rink course (this was, incidentally, just around the time the Shut Skates team started to blow up and out of the East Coast scene). It was a very "snappily" done 43, an interesting flatland trick that I'd never seen in our region of the country before, but it wasn't until watching it done so fluidly by Ray Barbee in Public Domain that I avidly took to learning the move and emulating his style. Needless to say, the latter never happened, because if there's one thing I'm not it's effortlessly loose and confident in the feet.