Cool furniture, design objects and desiderata

[Big A]

I’m not questioning the value as an object of art on the wall, but I do sort of wonder why you would hang skateboards on the wall with no history in skateboarding, other than the fact that maybe you just like the way they looked, which is I guess a good of a reason as any

They are Basquiat skateboards meant to be displayed as a triptych. Not intended for actual use.

You realize Basquait never painted skateboards, right? That’s a repro from his estate.

 

[TheFoo]

You realize Basquait never painted skateboards, right? That’s a repro from his estate.

What?????????

 

[dieworkwear]

OK, now he's really going to call the cops.

 

[Big A]

I genuinely didn't mean that you would call the cops on someone for being black or whatever, just that you ascribe to a certain view of the world that probably makes you more likely to call the cops on homeless people, street artists, and people who do drugs. You know, like the Basquait guy that you so valorize.

I mean:













View attachment 1376891

Careful, you’re about to be repeatedly called a racist

 

[Big A]

What?????????

I can’t tell if this is sarcastic or not.

 

[TheFoo]

I can’t tell if this is sarcastic or not.

Of course you can’t. There’s a reason for that.

 

[Big A]

Of course you can’t. There’s a reason for that.

Do tell

 

[UserName84]

One guy who goes by Retna:
Reyes:
Revok:

Just a note on the Retna works, he is a primarily letter artist, those portraits are done by others, both look like they were done by El Mac.

Revok doesnt really do that kind of artwork anymore, he's a lot more abstract and materials focused (which are great). Those examples are pretty much just letter graffiti done legally on the first one, and obviously canvas on the second.

 

[dieworkwear]

Just a note on the Retna works, he is a primarily letter artist, those portraits are done by others, both look like they were done by El Mac.

Revok doesnt really do that kind of artwork anymore, he's a lot more abstract and materials focused (which are great). Those examples are pretty much just letter graffiti done legally on the first one, and obviously canvas on the second.

Wait, do you know those guys? I grew up with them. (Not Mac, but the other three).

 

[TheFoo]

A couple years ago we were at the MoMA gift shop in Soho, looking for something. I forget what. Gifts, books, greeting cards, I don’t remember. I noticed a bunch of skateboards in various diptychs and triptychs hanging on the wall, featuring licensed art from different famous artists (Warhol, Basquiat, Ai Weiwei, etc.). I commented to my wife that I didn’t care for most of it in concept, but thought there was something interesting about the idea of commodifying street art, such as Basquiat’s, on a skateboard (of all things). I am not exactly a Basquiat fanboy, but I do enjoy his work and like the cultural and historical connection to our neighborhood.

A year later, after having ribbed her for never remembering things I mention liking, my wife surprised me on Christmas with these skateboards. Even though I would not likely have ever bought them myself and it’s not like I was pining for them, I do like them enough and they are special to me for the sentiment they express. My favorite piece of art? Very far from. But their personal meaning is enough to warrant a somewhat privileged place on our walls.

Reality is always a bit more tedious and nuanced than fantasy, whatever disgusting things you people like to imagine about me.

 

[Big A]

A couple years ago we were at the MoMA gift shop in Soho, looking for something. I forget what. Gifts, books, greeting cards, I don’t remember. I noticed a bunch of skateboards in various diptychs and triptychs hanging on the wall, featuring licensed art from different famous artists (Warhol, Basquiat, Ai Weiwei, etc.). I commented to my wife that I didn’t care for most of it in concept, but thought there was something interesting about the idea of commodifying street art, such as Basquiat’s, on a skateboard (of all things). I am not exactly a Basquiat fanboy, but I do enjoy his work and like the cultural and historical connection to our neighborhood.

A year later, after having ribbed her for never remembering things I mention liking, my wife surprised me on Christmas with these skateboards. Even though I would not likely have ever bought them myself and it’s not like I was pining for them, I do like them enough and they are special to me for the sentiment they express. My favorite piece of art? Very far from. But they mean a lot to me personally, so they get a somewhat privileged place.

Reality is always a bit more tedious and nuanced than fantasy, whatever disgusting things you people like to imagine about me.

That was nice of her. And FWIW, reality is more interesting.

At the risk of going further down the rabbit hole ....

Is there something inherently worse, better, or neutral about displaying a repro of an artists workin a medium the artist never worked in? For example, is a Warhol on a skateboard somehow “worse” (assuming we’re still talking about authenticity and quality and all that Jazz) than a Warhol litho?

 

[UserName84]

Wait, do you know those guys? I grew up with them. (Not Mac, but the other three).

I do not know them, no. Just know about these things

I think the basquiat skateboards on their own are fine, though extremely cheesy. They obviously have sentimental value which matters the most I suppose.

 

[TheFoo]

Is there something inherently worse, better, or neutral about displaying a repro of an artists workin a medium the artist never worked in? For example, is a Warhol on a skateboard somehow “worse” (assuming we’re still talking about authenticity and quality and all that Jazz) than a Warhol litho?

I think it depends. The character of the specific art changes the way it relates to the adopted medium. Monet’s Water Lilies on skateboards is a very different juxtaposition than Basquiat’s work on skateboards. I think the latter is more interesting and layered, yes, but the former is not necessarily invalid. In both cases, what I think is interesting is the possibility of making the reproduction something more than just a copy and potentially a new work of art in its own right.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

You realize Basquait never painted skateboards, right? That’s a repro from his estate.

I know people don't like to admit they don't know everything on this forum, but I honestly thought those skateboards were some rare, one-off from Basquiat (he painted on everything and I did a quick glance at Foo's photo). Some of the stuff I wrote previously was based on that premise, but Foo's story above checks out. The only thing I can't defend is his walking into the MoMa design store and laying such a trap for himself.

Not understanding the appeal of wanting to own a skateboard, without wanting to actually skate, is something that's hard to explain. As a child, when I came to America for the first time, I thought I really wanted a skateboard and had the most exquisite one picked out from Alien Workshop. My mother explained to me, knowing me better than myself, that I actually didn't want to skate but merely wanted a cool looking skateboard. I tried proving her wrong, and found a $20 Mongoose at Costco that I purchased with money I made selling Tamagachis, and after spending two weeks and not being to do so much as a kick flip, I gave it up. But man when Tech Deck hit the scene, and I constructed a replica vert ramp that was leaps and bounds above anything on offer in Toys R Us, I WAS THE UNDISPUTED KING OF THE PLAYGROUND.

 

[sugarbutch]

I'm trying to figure out what about the relic'd nocaster appeals to you. It's authentically Fender, but inauthentically that guitar. It's equivalent to factory distressed designer jeans, which doesn't seem like the sort of thing you'd be into. To be clear, while relic'd guitars are not my jam, if you like them that's great. Just bewildering.