UNDEFEATED: BILLBOARDS

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about.jpg About the Project

The Undefeated Billboard Project is a unique collaboration between Undefeated, Aaron Rose and Nike. Perched above the Undefeated location on La Brea in Los Angeles, California the Undefeated Billboard Project is a reflection of our store and the culture it represents.

It takes the work of both fine artist and street artist and places it in an area where it normally wouldn't be displayed. This collaborative effort lends for a stunning addition to the visual landscape of Los Angeles.

philfrost.jpg Phil Frost A self taught artist, Phil Frost proves that anything acquired at art school can be learned on the streets and in the museums. Phil paid his dues in the early 1990's wheat pasting around NYC on his own and with graf legends like Revs and Cost. Soon his ritualistic style crystallized and the Frost aesthetic was born. Oscillating between modernist design and primitivism, abstraction and representation, there is an inherent physicality to his oeuvre that is rooted in the body, in the dynamics of reach, in the process of trekking back and forth across time and space. A mystical language is at play in all of his works: at once accessible and primordial, yet also indefinable and labyrinthine. Phil painstakingly unions his intricate, seemingly infinite universes by combining object touvé - from baseball bats and medicine balls to old, weathered newspapers and scavenged wooden fragments of flotsam and jetsam from the streets with more traditional mediums to create densley layered surfaces that constantly reveal new elements and compositional juxtapositions to the patient eye. As his style evolves so does his reputation as an unflinching innovator and relentless talent. javascript:void();

simmons.jpg Gary Simmons Using icons and stereotypes of American popular culture, from cartoons and sports to vernacular architecture, Gary Simmons creates haunting, memorable works that address personal and collective experiences of race and class. He is best known for his ³erasure drawings,² in which he executes compositions in white chalk on slate-painted panels or walls, then smudges them with his hands a strategy that renders their imagery ghostly and uncertain.

Simmons has described his process as being akin to that of a DJ or hip-hop artist who uses fragments from musical sources to create new works. The identity of these sources can often be readily discerned, yet it is the manner in which they are repositioned that elicits compelling new associations. javascript:void();

shawnmortensen.jpg Shawn Mortensen (1965-2009) Shawn Mortensen was a Los Angeles based photographer who was a regular contributor to i-D Magazine, Spin, Vibe and others. In addition to photographing well-known fashion campaigns and art/music celebrities, he has documented his global travels in evocative photo essays. Mortensen was also an MTV video award nominated music video director and an artist. Within Hip Hop and streetwear Mortensen was best known for his portraits of Biggie and Eazy E alongside so much more. He will be greatly missed. javascript:void();

kennethanger.jpg Kenneth Anger Kenneth Anger is an independent filmmaker and author. He began making films in the 1940s at an early age. Most of his films are short experimental works, most notably Scorpio Rising (1963), Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965) and Lucifer Rising (1970). His career has been recognized with life achievement awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics, the San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Maya Deren Award for Experimental Film/Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Among other notable honors, he received the Poetic Film Prize at Festival du Film Maudit in Biarritz, France in 1949, which was presented by Jean Cocteau. Anger's work has screened around the world, including at the Institut Francais de Vienne in Austria and the National Film Theatre in London. He is the author of Hollywood Babylon I & II. He recently completed his latest film "My Surfing Lucifer" featuring 1970s surf legend Bunker Spreckles. javascript:void();

davidrathman.jpg David Rathman Minneapolis based artist David Rathman received his BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Rathman's subject matter, minimalist figures within vast and vacant landscapes, incorporate textual narrative and the mythology of the American Old West. His works often play off of one another in a dialogue storytelling. In 2001 Highpoint Center began a collaboration with Rathman during which a series of five intaglio prints were published as a suite. The following year, in 2002, Rathman was part of a two person exhibition at the Walker Art Center where he exhibited ink drawings of a similar subject. His work has been featured in a growing number of solo exhibitions including the Franklin Art Works, Minneapolis, Clementine Gallery, New York and Mary Goldman Gallery, Los Angeles. Rathman has been the recipient of awards from the Jerome, Bush, and McKnight Foundations and recent reviews of his work have appeared in Art in America, Tema Celeste, Time Out New York, and New York Magazine. javascript:void();

mikemills3.jpg Mike Mills Part 3 Mike Mills is an artist and filmmaker. Over the years he has managed to produce work in both the art and commercial spheres, blurring the lines between the two. He has exhibited his work at Mu Art Foundation in the Netherlands as well as Colette in Paris and Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York. Simultaneously, he has created graphics for clothing and textiles (X-Girl, Marc Jacobs), music videos (Air, Pulp, Yoko Ono), television commercials (Nike, Volkswagen, Gap) and record covers (Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Beck). His short films and documentaries have shown in film festivals worldwide and he completed his first feature film, Thumbsucker, in 2005. Mills is currently in production on his second feature film. javascript:newWin('http://www.humans.jp', '', artistWindow)

millscat.jpg Mike Mills Part 2 Mike Mills is an artist and filmmaker. Over the years he has managed to produce work in both the art and commercial spheres, blurring the lines between the two. He has exhibited his work at Mu Art Foundation in the Netherlands as well as Colette in Paris and Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York. Simultaneously, he has created graphics for clothing and textiles (X-Girl, Marc Jacobs), music videos (Air, Pulp, Yoko Ono), television commercials (Nike, Volkswagen, Gap) and record covers (Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Beck). His short films and documentaries have shown in film festivals worldwide and he completed his first feature film, Thumbsucker, in 2005. Mills is currently in production on his second feature film. javascript:newWin('http://www.humans.jp', '', artistWindow)

mikemills1.gif Mike Mills Part 1 Mike Mills is an artist and filmmaker. Over the years he has managed to produce work in both the art and commercial spheres, blurring the lines between the two. He has exhibited his work at Mu Art Foundation in the Netherlands as well as Colette in Paris and Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York. Simultaneously, he has created graphics for clothing and textiles (X-Girl, Marc Jacobs), music videos (Air, Pulp, Yoko Ono), television commercials (Nike, Volkswagen, Gap) and record covers (Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Beck). His short films and documentaries have shown in film festivals worldwide and he completed his first feature film, Thumbsucker, in 2005. Mills is currently in production on his second feature film. javascript:newWin('http://www.humans.jp', '', artistWindow)

terryrichardson.jpg Terry Richardson Terry Richardson is an international celebrity as well as one of the most prolific and compelling photographers of his generation. Known for his uncanny ability to cut to the raw essence of whomever appears before his lens, Mr. Richardson's vision is at once humorous, tragic, often beautiful, and always provocative.

Born in New York City and raised in Hollywood, Terry began photographing his environment while attending Hollywood High School and playing in a punk rock band. And he hasn't stopped shooting since. Mr. Richardson has lensed campaigns for such clients as Gucci, Sisley, Miu Miu, Levi's, Eres, Chloe, APC, Carolina Herrera, Nike, and Kenneth Cole. Terry's editorial work has appeared in magazines such as Vogue, French Vogue, British Vogue, Japanese Vogue, I-D, Dazed and Confused, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, W, and Purple, as well as a host of worldwide publications too numerous to mention.

Mr. Richardson is also a favorite among famous actors and musicians. His impressive list of subjects includes Daniel Day Lewis, Faye Dunaway, Leonardo DiCaprio, Vincent Gallo, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Sharon Stone, Mickey Rourke, Jay Z, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Mena Suvari, Johnny Knoxville, Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper, Maggie Gylenhall, Karl Lagerfeld, Pharell Williams, Chloe Sevigny, and many others.

Terry has been the subject of numerous group shows as well as one man shows at such esteemed galleries as The Alleged Gallery in New York City, The Shine Gallery in London, Gallery Emanuel Perriton in Paris, The Parco Gallery in Japan, and most recently, Deitch Projects also in New York City.

Many books have also been published throughout the span of Terry's career. His first book, entitled Hysteric Glamour, was published in 1998; this was followed by Son of Bob in 1999, Feared by Men Desired by Women in 2000, Too Much in 2001, and 2004 saw the publishing of both Terryworld and Kibosh.

Terry has recently made the transition from still photography to film as well, helming music videos for Primal Scream, Death in Vegas, and Whirlwind Heat in addition to television commercials for Tommy Hilfiger and the internet company Wanadoo. His feature film debut "Son of a Bitch," is currently in development and is sure to captivate audiences with its stark portrayal of a father and son's struggle with love and hate.

Whatever the medium, Terry Richardson continues to prove that he is a true American Original. javascript:newWin('http://terryrichardson.com/', '', artistWindow)

gentsofdesire.jpg Gents of Desire Los Angeles based social club with chapters in New York and London. Which is primarily a group of gentlemen from various backgrounds; who believe in proper grooming and doing everything with a touch of class. Outside activities include: mediocre sign painting, amateur photography, modern dance, homemade tattoos, mild criticism and playin' potsey down on the nickel. All members are required to follow these seven club rules. 1. Always project a fantasy. 2. Suit up and show off. 3. If you get warm take off the hot sweater. 4. Keep off the bandwagon. 5. No half steppin'. 6. Run up or shut up. 7. Never go back. javascript:void();

kehindewiley.jpg Kehinde Wiley Kehinde Wiley's work incorporates a range of artistic vernaculars directly from art historical references to a looser, more hybridized concept of modern culture ranging from French Rococo to today's urban streets. He collapses history and style into a unique contemporary vision. Wiley describes his approach as "interrogating the notion of the master painter, at once critical and complicit," and he creates large scale figurative paintings that "quote historical sources and position young black men within that field (of power)." The vividly colorful paintings, often adorned with ornate gilded frames, depict young black men in urban dress, and posed in a manner reminiscent of Renaissance artists such as Tiepolo and Titian, and surrounded with a barrage of Baroque or Rococo decorative patterns. Using models from cities and inspiration from old master paintings, these portraits examine not only how African American males are perceived by others, but also how they see themselves, while also simultaneously examining the significance of ornamentation and range of iconography. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Wiley earned his MFA from Yale University, and holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. In the spring of 2001, Wiley moved to New York to participate in the Artist-in-Residence program at the Studio Museum in Harlem. In 2007, Wiley will mount a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. javascript:newWin('http://www.kehindewiley.com', '', artistWindow)

craigRstecyk.jpg Craig R. Stecyk III In the late 1970s, as an original member of the "Dogtown" skateboard gang in Southern California, Stecyk changed the look and attitude of skateboarding forever. He began his career as a surfboard designer and graphic artist while working out of the small Zephyr surf shop. Stecyk is considered one of the first to incorporate many outlaw elements of surf and skate culture into the equipment and attendant gear. He is perhaps best known as a documentary photographer. His articles and photo essays of the 1970s for Skateboarder magazine set a standard for throngs of rebellious individualists to follow. This original documentation of the mid-1970s Dogtown scene altered the lives of a generation, inspiring confidence and encouraging the rebel instinct to flourish. It was through his photographs that the modern skateboarder archetype was brought to light. Since then, Stecyk has continued his documentary recordings, immersing himself in Southern California's surf, hotrod and low rider scenes. In 1993, he curated the highly successful exhibition, Kustom Kulture, at the Laguna Art Museum, which featured such seminal underground artists as Robt. Williams, Von Dutch and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Stecyk also organized Surf Culture: The Art History of Surfing, was a founding member of the Juxtapoz magazine collective, and was the production designer and writer of the Sundance Film Festival award-winning Dogtown and Z-Boys. Stecyk currently resides in Los Angeles. javascript:newWin('http://www.cmp.ucr.edu/exhibitions/ocean-view/stecyk', '', artistWindow)

macomber.jpg Ashley Macomber Los Angeles-based artist Ashley Macomber creates exquisitely rendered animals. Her works have be said to resemble campy American Indian paintings be found on t-shirts in truck stop gift shops. Upon deeper consultation, however, they provide a strong commentary on our relationships to each other, nature and ourselves. She has exhibited her work at Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago, Marianne Boesky Gallery, NY, New Image Art, LA, Clementine Gallery and White Box, NY. Her art has recently been on the covers of Flaunt and Loyal Magazines. javascript:newWin('http://ashleymacomber.com/', '', artistWindow)

joseparla.jpg Jose Parla Born in Miami into a family of Cuban exiles, Jose Parla moved to Puerto Rico at a very young age before returning to Miami again when he was nine. He currently works in New York, and only recently traveled to Cuba for the first time. His life, like his work, is therefore at once extremely particular and generally reflective of the wanderings of today's urban populations. In the context of these migrations and upheavals, Jose Parla is concerned with the way that cities functions as palimpsests, upon which the experiences of those who pass through them are materially inscribed in decay, in graffiti, in the well-worn paths of their inhabitants. Jose Parla's work attempts to extract and synthesize fragments of these urban environments in flux and reproduce them using the materials and methods of architectural construction: cement, wood, vinyl as well as those of the traditional art like paper, paint, powdered dye, wax and ink. Yet because these fragments are inflected by the memories and experience of the artist, he considers them to be paintings and oil. Parla describes the objects of his method as segmented realities or memory documents. Each bears the name of the location or experience from which it draws its source. javascript:newWin('http://joseparla.com/', '', artistWindow)

osgemeos.jpg Os Gemeos Os Gemeos (pronouced "ose zhe'-mee-ose.") are two artists from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Born in 1974, they are identical twin brothers (Octavio and Gustavo Pandolfo) and their name translates to "the twins" in Portuguese. In recent years Os Gemeos have gained international notoriety for their unique works created on the streets of Sao Paulo. They also paint canvases, make sculptures, and are both graphic designers and photographers.

Due to a lack of information and reference material about the American graffiti hip-hop scene, early in their career, Os Gemeos were forced to improvise and in the process created their own unique vernacular very specific to Sao Paulo. For many years, spraypaint was not widely available in Brazil, so most works were created using latex house paint and rollers for large areas and spray for the details. As a result a unique type of mark was created that is very straight and angular letter style called Pixacao, which is very different that the New York "wild style" that is so popular in the USA. This unique gothic lettering covers the city of Sao Paulo. Os Gemeos championed this new style and mixed various different influences from the streets around them to create their own unique aesthetic. javascript:newWin('http://lost.art.br/osgemeos.htm', '', artistWindow)

robertwilliams.jpg Robert Williams Legendary imagist painter Robert Williams sprang from the custom car culture of Southern California and the roots of the Underground Comix movement. Though known today as one of the world's most iconoclastic fine artists, Williams was also, of course, first and foremost a cartoonist. As a member of the legendary ZAP collective, along with R. Crumb, Williams eventually transcended the world of comics by cultivating his mastery of oil paints and forging a career as the preeminent artist among a generation of imagist painters gathering inspiration from the shadowed corners of contemporary culture. Williams single handedly became the model of the "Outsider" art movement, influencing a generation of artists to create without concern for the fine art world.. javascript:newWin('http://supervert.com/essays/art/robert_williams', '', artistWindow)

cartoon.jpg Mr. Cartoon/Estevan Oriol Since the age of 6, Cartoon realized he was an artist and went on to his first paying job at the age of 12. Having grown up in the Harbor area of Los Angeles, young Cartoon adopted the legendary L.A. Lowrider Fineline style, which was developed in the California Prison System and hard streets of L.A. Ironically enough, it is that art that is now gracing the skins of today's biggest pop and hip-hop starts. Earning his nickname on the street, his art got him out of trouble and landed him a career. He conquered many forms of art, such as graffiti, sign painting, automotive murals, and magazine illustrations. These paved the way for the ultimate canvas; human flesh where no mistakes are allowed and what no universities teach.

Estevan Oriol
Estevan Oriol began his career in the entertainment industry in the late 1980's as a club bouncer at several of Los Angeles' most popular Hip Hop clubs and infamous Hollywood hangouts. It was these clubs that Estevan first linked up with hi Soul Assassins brothers from South Gate, Cypress Hill. Eager to expand his knowledge of the business, Estevan took a job as tour manager for the rap group House of Pain in 1992. In 1995 Estevan took up photography, cataloging the outrageous experiences he was having out on tour. When off tour, he began to take pictures of his homies from the neighborhood. He soon discovered that he had a gift for capturing the raw essence of street life with his photography. Estevan took the opportunity seriously and with in a short time, he became one of the most sought out photographers of the Hip Hop community. His work has been featured in dozens of magazines world wide including The Source, Details, Vibe, The Fader and Rolling Stone.. javascript:newWin('http://estevanoriol.com/', 'estevan', 'width=500,height=600,left=500');newWin('http://mistercartoon.com', 'cartoon', 'width=500,height=600,left=0');

kaws.jpg Kaws KAWS manifested himself for the first time in the early 1990's by painting walls in and around Jersey City and New York. In the mid 90's he began appropriating advertisements from bus shelters and phone booths in New York City and painting a graphic, cartoon-like "skull and crossbones" image into them. He continued to develop the skull and crossbones image for the next few years, and re-worked advertising materials no only in bus shelters and phone booths in NYC, but in Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo. This work has been featured in numerous publications, as well as exhibited at Collete (Paris), PARCO Gallery (Tokyo), MU Art Foundation in the Netherlands and most recently at BAPE Gallery in Tokyo, Japan. KAWS' work treads the fine line between art, commerce, cartoons and commercials. It is a disruption of, as well as a tribute to all objects produced, bought, sold, exchanged, desired and cherished. KAWS studied at The School of Visual Arts in NYC, and currently live in Brooklyn.. javascript:newWin('http://kawsone.com/', '', artistWindow)

raymondpettibon.jpg Raymond Pettibon Raymond Pettibon was born in 1957 in Tucson, Arizona. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. Since then, his highly idiosyncratic drawings have taken him from Los Angeles underground folk hero to the top of the international art world. His pen and ink drawings, with quirky fragments of handwritten text and cartoon-like imagery, quote sources as diverse as the cartoon character Gumby and 19th-century literature. Pettibon's work juxtaposes an aggressive rawness with oddly poetic, even metaphysical, sensibility. Along with artists such s Jim Shaw and Mike Kelly, Pettibon was close to the west coast punk bands of the late 1970's and early 1980's. His early works were used as record cover art for one of the most influential bands of the time, Black Flag. His deliberately crude, low-tech films narrate irreverent tales of 60's and 70's West Coast radical subcultures, from Patty Hearst and the Manson family, to the Los Angeles punk rock scene. These wildly ironic, deadpan dramas feature an ensemble of luminaries from L.A.'s post-punk underground. Pettibon's work has been shown at the Biennial Exhibition of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and exhibitions at the Kunstverein Dusseldorf; Louisiana Museum, Humlebael; Denmark and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. One-person exhibitions include the Kunsthalle, Berne; Tramway, Glasgow; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia Museum of Art.. javascript:newWin('http://www.regenprojects.com/popup_main.php?mode=artists&object_id=12', '', artistWindow)

dennishopper.jpg Dennis Hopper The name Dennis Hopper brings up memories of his classic performances in the films such as Easy Rider, Out of the Blue, The Shining and host of other films that have helped define an era. Although he has sustained a career as an artist since the late 1950"s, it is as Hollywood's "bad boy" actor/director that Dennis Hopper is best recognized. When circumstances and an upcoming vision distanced him from Hollywood, he satisfied his creative urge with painting, photography and the arts. Hopper's work alternates between periods dominated by movie making, acting and episodes of art production, but he has always managed to maintain a consistency between the three. His approach to art making has always been organic, an extension of his being, both personal and professional. Throughout his adult life, he has always carried a camera and documented the situations he experiences. His photographs of the Los Angeles movie and art scenes in the late 1960's have now become classic documents of the time. In addition to his film catalog, Dennis Hopper has exhibited his paintings and photographs in galleries and museums around the world. In 2001, a book of his photographs titled, "1712 North Crescent Heights," was released by Greybull Press. He live in Los Angeles.. javascript:newWin('http://www.acegallery.net/past/g-i/hopperdennis/dennishopper.htm', '', artistWindow)

thomascampbell.jpg Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell is a painter, photographer, writer and amateur philosopher. He is almost entirely self-taught, learning his skills via personal experience and trial and error. Campbell spends most of shit time traversing the globe on surf trips, making films and shooting photographs. He maintains a small painting studio in Santa Cruz, California. Thomas Campbell's artworks combine scribbles and scriptures, taking slogans and anecdotes from his unique vocabulary and juxtaposing them with a profound look at human nature. His movement-oriented paintings are as layered with meaning as they are with paint. The works, commonly composed of several panels together are free flowing with the wide expressionist swipes of color, bold graphics and intricate renderings of characters and text. His photographs mimic the intensity of the paintings, yet in a more abstract fashion. Black and white documentary works are grouped with images of blurred, vibrant details of life. Campbell has mounted solo exhibitions at galleries in New York, Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Paris and Morocco. In 1999, he completed his first feature length surfing film, The Seedling, and is currently in production on his second. He is also creative director for a small independent record label, Galaxia, which is released by contemporary artists Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee, Peggy Honeywell and Black Heart Procession.. javascript:newWin('http://www.galaxia-platform.com', '', artistWindow)

barrymcgee.jpg Barry McGee Working on the streets of San Francisco and signing his works with the tag "Twist," Barry McGee is considered to be one of the leading artistic figures in California youth subculture. The artist draws his force and inspiration from the contrast and tension that exists between the city center and the suburbs, between wealthy districts and the slums. His visual language is at the same time eclectic, ephemeral, radical and above all heavily influenced by the daily realities of the city. McGeee's compiles installations convey a sense of vitality and chaos, juxtaposed with a precarious nature and sense of alienation. Large scale wall murals, clusters of small-framed drawings and snapshots, various tools and other street detritus make their way into his installations n an almost symphonic fashion. Intricate paintings are executed then rolled over with latex paint, echoing the "buffs" that cover graffiti in urban areas. Clusters of glass bottles hang in a corner with painted portraits of derelicts and other characterizations of street "personalities." In recent years, McGee has exhibited his works internationally to great acclaim. Recent exhibitions included Dietch Projects in New York, UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, Foundacion Cartier in Paris, as well as a recent installation at Fondazione Prada in Milan.. javascript:newWin('http://www.modernartinc.com/barrymcgee/', 'mcgee', 500, 600, 0);newWin('http://www.deitch.com/artists/sub.php?artistId=1/', 'deitch', 500, 600, 500)

geoffmcfettridge.jpg Geoff McFettridge Geoff Mcfetridge is a Los Angeles artist in a variety of mediums. He is a graduate of Cal Arts, and early on worked primarily in the world of graphic design, creating graphics and logotypes for clothing companies such as X-Large and others. His first foray into the gallery arena was a solo exhibition at the now legendary Georges's Gallery in Los Angeles. The show was huge success and introduced his work to photographer and filmmaker Sofia Coppola who commissioned him to create the title graphics for her 1999 film, The Virgin Suicides. Since then, McFetridge has mounted exhibitions of his work in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. In addition to paintings, his installations have included everything from furniture and beer-cozies to specialty silk-screened wallpaper, which is sold by the yard at the gallery. Outside the art world, McFetridge's designs have been featured on t-shirts, album covers, stickers, buttons, patches and even shoe insoles. All of these projects have helped to make him not only one of the most recognized artists of his generation, but one of the most interesting diverse creators today. javascript:newWin('http://championdontstop.com/', '', artistWindow)