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Up close with Kyle Stone

Posted Dec 10, 2009 by Angus Shafer

Updated Dec 10, 2009 at 08:26 AM

Kyle Stone is showing some new work in the artist window at Urban Outfitters this month. Below are some photos from his installation along with some words about his work.

Window Overview

TART: Introduce yourself and your art

KS: I was born in the small town of Bristol, Connecticut in 1975, and in 1980 my family moved down south to the small town of Valrico, Florida, this is when the Tampa Bay area became my adopted home. Art was always around, in my life. My father was a sign painter and worked with wood, making both signs and small pieces of furniture, shelves, things like that. Skateboarding was later added into my influences and photography seemed to somehow come easy for me. Yet photography isn’t the only form of art I do. I also draw and write.
My life behind the camera spans about seventeen years and I’ve always maintained a steady, solid foundation in my body of work. I love playing with different and weird angles when I shoot urban landscapes and skate photos especially. I just do my own thing.

TART: Is all your photo work based around Tampa?

KS: No, not all my work is based in Tampa. I guess it seems most of it is just because of the fact it’s my [adopted] home city. I really just always dug urban/city life. A lot of it stems from also being a skateboarder and cruising the city streets of downtown. I would wander off solo and find some dead end alleyway, burned out building with an eroding fire escape, just stuff like that. Old brick buildings - most of Tampa’s past history that’s unfortunately being destroyed. I have been shooting around Tampa and Ybor City since 1993, but I have also lived in other cities and have my journeys. The list includes San Diego, New York, Long Island, Connecticut, Ohio, Orlando, there’s been other places and there will be more. Outside of shooting urban landscapes, throughout the travels I’ve started shooting a bit more out in the country, small towns, etc. other than that, I also shoot skate [boarding] photos and concerts.

Custom picture frames

TART: Can you explain your work process?

KS: As for my processes of how I work, I guess it depends on my subject matter and whether I’m shooting film or digital. When I go out shooting landscapes I usually tend to just park my truck, carry my camera gear, and just wander around a city or where ever I may be. I don’t really worry too much about who’s around. I’ve been known to climb fire escapes, get onto rooftops, hop fences, walk around inside burned out old buildings, etc.
However, when it comes to shooting skate photos or concert photos then I stay more aware of my surroundings and who’s around me. I mean I do pay attention as well when wandering a city. It’s just, I’m off in my own little photo world in a city a lot easier.
Unfortunately I don’t shoot too much film anymore, and I do miss it. Mainly due to the cost of developing these days and I don’t have darkroom access anymore. When I shoot with digital, I use full manual modes. I try to keep it as original, raw and pure, old school as possible. Using natural lighting and exposure, I also don’t usually do too much Photoshop work either. I will do adjustments on contrast, exposure, brightness, minor tweaks like that. Even in a darkroom a photographer does their own technique of some form of editing. Burning and dodging. I like to keep it simple.

A run of t-shirts Kyle has made

TART: What drives your work?

TART: Art and life. Music, skateboarding, books, films, and a lot of my friends here in Tampa who are amazing artists. Such as Anthony Zollo, Adriana Tomassi, Chris Hull, Zach DeSpiegler, Eyeznpowa, and of course there are others.

Check out more of Kyles work:

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99 Bottles Recap

Posted Dec 4, 2009 by Angus Shafer

Updated Dec 4, 2009 at 01:43 PM

Headed out to the 99 bottles show last night out at the Skate Park of Tampa. Great turn out for a great cause, the park raised around $1,500 dollars to buy skateboard parts for underprivileged children in the community.

Here are a few of the 93 bottles that where a part of the show.

Scott Donald

Jimbo Phillips

Kris Markovich

Chad Eaton

Austin England

Russ Pope

Michelle Sawyer

David Pritchard

Dan Lasata

Mathew Curren

Lauren Rasch

Adam Graham

Kristopher Fillon

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Up close with Calavera Comics

Posted Dec 4, 2009 by Angus Shafer

Updated Dec 4, 2009 at 09:53 AM

Local art collective Calavera comics arted up the artist window at Urban Outfitters in November. The window was pushing their new book Mekano Turbo.

Here are some photos of the installation along with Q&A with Mike Houlihan.

Tart: What is Calavera?

Calavera: Calavera Comics was founded in 2005 in Tampa, FL with the intent of bringing together like-minded artists to collaborate on comic book and illustration projects. Inspired by cult and genre cinema, Japanese and European comics, Mexican culture, movie poster design, plus the whimsy and aesthetics of the Silver Age of Comic Books

Tart: Who are the men behind the pens?

Calavera: Consisting of lead illustrator Alexis Ziritt (hailing from Venezuela), designer/colorist/letterer Mark Malazarte (Philippines), and graphic designer/Renaissance Man “AZN Mike” Houlihan (Boston-by-way-of-S. Korea), the Calavera team is not only diverse in style but also in content. Like the United Nations of comic books, the Calavera Universe has expended globally with contributions from artists in the UK (David Gibbons), Peru (Diego Rondon), Guam (Josh Agerstrand), Germany (Ralph Niese), Italy (Christian G. Marra), and Venezuela (Gustavo Rugeles, Pablo E. Peña). Other notable artists and frequent contributors have been: Sabdiasep Mercado, Frank Gonzales, Dennis Brown (Bagger43), Jason Keene, writer Elliot Blake, Andrew Bargeron (Gimetzco), Zachary Trover, and anyone else interested in our quest for global domination.

A look at the new book “Mekano Turbo”

Tart: What’s next for Calavera?

Calavera: Our current titles are Rudo, Mekano Turbo, MT-3000, as well as a short Mekano Turbo comic to be published in the comic anthology Popgun: Volume 4 from Image Comics in Feburary 2010. Be on the lookout soon for even more things Calavera including posters, t-shirts, stickers, and of course, comics in the near future.

Poster work

check out more Calavera

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Take one down and pass it around

Posted Dec 2, 2009 by Angus Shafer

Updated Dec 2, 2009 at 11:02 AM

Head out to the Skate Park of Tampa tomorrow night for their 2nd installment of the 99 bottles on the wall art show. Local and national artists have been invited to convert a bottle or two into a unique work of are. Proceeds from sold bottles will be donated to SPoT’s Boards for Bro’s charity. Last year enough money was raised to give away 250 skateboards to the underprivileged children of the Tampa Bay area

I caught up with Michelle Sawyer a few weeks back and a sneak peak at her bottle in progress.

Michelle keeps a 12 x 12 sketbook with her at all times. The book is full of pencil sketches, thoughts, song lyrics and color samples.

Begining thoughts of her bottle.

The skull evolves in to a pen sketch.

Michelle uses many different mediums.
She it explained that she enjoys letting her art progress as she works. She will jump around from styles and mediums, helping her stear clear from rutts.