What the hell goes on in Palm Springs in the middle of wintertime? Well, on December 4th, 2015, the Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs, California, was exploding with spectacular creativity from some of the most celebrated artists in skateboarding history. “The End of An Era, Start of The Now” kicked off the El Gato Classic weekend and was curated by the supremely talented skate/surf/musician/artist/jack of all trades, Steve Olson.
In a way that only Olson could pull together, the show featured a veritable Who’s Who of skate, surf and art icons including: Jeff Ho, Craig Stecyk III, David Hackett, Steve Alba, Ivan Hosoi, Steve Olson, Neil Blender, Steve Caballero, Eric Dressen, Lance Mountain, Christian Hosoi and Jason Jessee. It was a grand presentation with many of the artists on hand, giving the gathering of art aficionados, skateboarders and fans a firsthand accounting of the stories behind their art.
Steve Olson debuted a wall of new works including gems like “Board Brains #1” stapled and bound with faux snakeskin and “Skate to Death” wrapped in black ripped layered pleather. Ivan Hosoi presented a unique and masterful three-dimensional, paint on cardboard masterpiece, while Eric Dressen’s art was reminiscent of an epic flash drawing with strong, bold lines. In an ironic twist, Jason Jessee’s anarchist-themed art and metal sculpture shared a corner with Christian Hosoi’s abstract spiritual tribute. Neil Blender’s witty art is always a favorite, and his polar bear rendition was one of the first pieces to find a new home in the evening’s festivities. Steve Caballero showed vibrant colors and O.G. skate mottos while Hackett literally rode his skateboard across canvases to create his art. Lance Mountain brought on the classics, while Stecyk made his statement with a full round of ammo. Jeff Ho had a wall of honor featuring hand-painted skateboards and a custom Zephyr surfboard along with canvas renderings of his surf/skate graffiti style work. Some of the best new art on the walls was from Screaming Lord Salba as he debuted his new pool skating themed shadow box art complete with stencils, spray paint, pool tiles, patches, pool dust, plaster, push and pull techniques and pool girls paying tribute to vintage pool sign graphics backed with the passion Salba has for searching and destroying pools to skate. The show was as diverse as skateboarding itself and showcased the best and brightest from the skateboarding tribe.
Below are some photos from the show. Enjoy!
Photos by Dan Levy
STEVE OLSON
To say Olson’s in control, well, that’s outta
control right there, but when he puts his
mind to whatever it is, for example ART:
You know it’s going to be in a Style all his
own. From Painting to Ripping
to Sculpting. Olson wants you to know
one thing, It’s ON….that’s for sure….
JEFF HO
Original Zephyr Owner. Futurist:
Works in all Mediums
From Paints to Resin… and then some.
If you don’t know, you will…
No other than Ho himself is an Artist in
every sense of the word.
Jeff Ho & his surf/skate art
JASON JESSEE
Burn out, Blow it up… Boom
The soul of the past, or one that lasts…
Jason Jessee is in this show
for one reason…
he’s crazy like all the others involved…
And his work is just as Crazed…
Talent goes a long way…
KA-BLAM…
Jason Jessee wall of anarchy
ERIC DRESSEN
From small things, Big things come
Skating forever, Drawing forever
E.D. is and always will Be…
Creating with a skateboard
or as an Artist,
Dressen does it his way…
BIG, BABY BIG…
DIG..
C.R. STECYK III
Artist, photographer, writer, madman…
There is only one C.R.
Creator of way too many things to mention,
but here’s a couple:
Dogtown — Bones Brigade…
CHRISTIAN HOSOI
Then there was Hosoi.
A style all his own, and Attitude.
From Skating to Art, he stood apart
From Christ Airs to minimal line drawings
of the same… That is, and always will
be Christian’s game, to the top and beyond.
IVAN HOSOI
Pops Hosoi
The Artist of Artists…
From Hawaii and back.
Ivan’s approach to Art is
just as he does in Life.
A Fine Artist in his own.
For decades, a one of a kind,
and a Fine one at that…
LANCE MOUNTAIN
From the top of the Mountain,
looking down, it’s a long way.
Capable of doing whatever one wants,
that describes Lance… in this instance…
The Art of Skateboarding,
or the Art of Art…
You’ll understand soon enough
if you don’t already…
DAVID HACKETT
From the depths of Malibu, you have the
one and only David Hackett…
One of the Original Skate Artists from
back in the day. From Graphic to Fine Art,
Hackett will and does throw down…
and that’s all you need to know…
NEIL BLENDER
When it happened, who knew what
we’d get.
What we got was Neil Blender…
that’s Luck…
From Skateboarding to Art,
he changed what it was.
Made it his own, and gave it back
for what it was to become.
STEVE ALBA
Steve Alba, any one that draws lines like
this dude does…on his skateboard,
well, then it’s a natural transition into the
world of Art… Salba is one of the pioneers
of something that changed our worlds, and
continues to proceed in finding his line in
Fine Art.
STEVE CABALLERO
A natural talent, determined,
self taught, and ready.
From destroying it on a skateboard,
to realizing his voice
as an Artist, Cab will do it until it is best.
When it’s all
said and done, the proof is in the visual.
“END OF AN ERA, START OF THE NOW”
An art show featuring artwork created by some of the legendary skaters from the ‘70s and ‘80s. One night, Dec. 4th, 2015, 7- 10 pm, at the Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs, California in conjunction with El Gato Classic. Featured Artists: Jeff Ho, Craig Stecyk III, David Hackett, Steve Alba, Ivan Hosoi, Steve Olson, Neil Blender, Steve Caballero, Eric Dressen, Lance Mountain, Christian Hosoi and Jason Jessee. This was a night of entertainment, and fun, as well as a chance to be able to purchase original art pieces, and prints from your favorite artists/skaters.
