ROB DYRDEK - LAFAYETTE SAFE SPOT SKATE SPOT

I know my last couple posts have basically all been about the same thing and not exactly art focused, but I'll have to apologize because here we go again.

But before I get into a whole bunch of nerdy skate crap, here is a photo of the largest skateboard in the world, which was at the Grand Opening of the Lafayette Skate Spot and Rob and the Mayor of LA rode.



SO. We all know Rob Dyrdek even if it's just for his MTV antics. What you may not know is that he is single-handedly leading the movement for the transformation of how skateparks are built, where they are built, and ultimately how society views and incorporates skateboarding. I think part of getting that to happen is for people other than skaters to 'See What I See' as was eloquently showcased in these DC shoes commericials.



Dyrdek spearheaded the building of the first Skate Plaza in Kettering, OH in co-operation with DC Shoes. The idea of this park is to break the traditional box of what a skatepark should look like, and mimic the natural street terrain that skateboarders have been skating ever since Natas Kumpas, Mark Gonzales etc etc in the 80's. The whole point is to provide a place to skate without the legal hassles of skateboarding on private property owned by people who are not stoked on their marble benches getting wax and chunks on them.



Unfortunately, the Skate Plaza in Kettering is a $700,000 slab of concrete that needed to go through all kinds of red tape, and still fit into the notion of a skate park as a destination that one might have to drive to. For example, when I attended the University of Dayton only 15 or so odd miles away from the Skate Plaza I was only able to visit it once. I had a bike on campus too, but it was still too far - by the time I got there I'd be too tired to skate.

The draw of skateboarding is it's accessibility and universality. Given a board and sneakers you could skate anywhere with semi- smooth ground. The fact that I couldn't skate the best skatepark in the world when I lived 15 miles away attests to the 'skatepark as a destination' notion as an inaccessible and incompatible concept with skateboarding.

So finally to the SKATE SPOT idea. Rob came up with the idea to split up the ginormous Skate Plaza and place bits of it around the city of LA for people to enjoy sans car ride. I actually had been thinking about this kind of thing this summer, so I'm glad I didn't have to go through the trouble of making it happen.





A SIDE NOTE ON "SELLING OUT": Rob appeared in a commercial for Carl's Jr. and on a series of their large 'collectable' soft drink cups. How much did he make from this? Nothing. IT PAID FOR THE LAFAYETTE SPOT. Can you imagine that? A burger chain paying for a skate spot? Brilliant.

"Happy Star Just Saved My Life."


www.skateplaza.com for anything else you would possibly want to know about it.

Art Student Profile: Steve Havira

My primary goal as a blogger for Calx is to showcase design that is fun.  I feel it is important that the students who 'keep it light' deserve an enthusiastic high-five.  On that note I would like to introduce my friend Steve Havira.  Steve is a Sophomore with the major of Art.  He is extremely relaxed and has a welcome sense of humor.  He plans to pursue a career in advertising, a profession that would fuse his interest in film, art, and clever words.  His most recent project was a steel sculpture inspired by Alexander Calder, but he is also influenced by Leroy Neeman and Sall Bass. 

School Blog Project

The blog gains legitimacy and becomes a tool for universities to follow student work after and outside of the formal crits.  

Archinet introduces a School Blog Project

Thomas from the University of Detroit Mercy caught my attention with this post:

"Every person has their own approach, which is to be respected.  Hierarchy is determined by the professor, but ultimately unimportant."

Shrinking Cities

Shrinking Cities is a traveling exhibition that began in Germany in 2002 and explores how cities today are literally shrinking.  

How do cities address this phenomenon?  AND, in eastern Germany's case, should surplus apartments be demolished?  

This struck me; here in the US, we always seem to replace the old with the new.  Could we ever settle for simply getting rid of the old.  Why can't "empty" space satisfy us?  

Gina Lorubbio

Interior Design Student, Gina Lorubbio, has allowed us to make her a test subject of sorts.  Throughout the quarter we will be updating you on her studio project, a restaurant by the name of Dalla Mano.   

"Dalla Mano, meaning "by hand" in Italian, is a restaurant that focuses on Southern Italian dishes made fresh by hand daily.  The interior reflects two spaces that are a very important part of the Italian culture: the marketplace and the dining room."

OSLO OPERA HOUSE = SKATEPARK

Photo: Jiri Havran via Wired

When I saw that Wired Magazine recently (Nov 08) did an article on the skate-ability of the new Oslo Opera House I got a little excited, stood up, and maybe...just maybe did a little dance.  In High School I did too much skating and snow surfing to actually become an Architect, but I always knew that my board was helping me develop  a very intimate relationship with our proverbial concrete jungle. My Senior year I won a Scholastic Gold Key for my photos of a skatepark that focused on the architectural merits of the shapes present and my post below about Mark Gonzalez is pretty specific about being hopeful for a more integrated public space and the interaction between skating and architecture.  

The article in Wired is short, but sweet and can be found here. 

"Snøhetta used different finishes of marble to guide skaters looking for rideable surfaces. Acoustically sensitive parts, like above the auditorium, got rough marble that's unpleasant to wheel over. But other areas silently beckon skaters. Surfaces rise up all over the place to become ledges, curbs, and benches—like the jagged facets of a glacier (or skate park). One particularly tempting spot is a 3-foot-wide railing of smooth stone. Snøhetta architect Peter Dang is, ahem, absolutely sure it's skatable. 'Just make sure to fall toward the inside,' he advises."

Another, even more informative and theoretically focused, article called "A Skateboarders Guide to Architecture, or an Architect's Guide to Skateboarding" can be found here.

Recently I rediscovered one of my favorite snowboard photographers, Danny Zapalac. His work is refreshing, and distinct, from the average photo in a shred publication. They stand out for their lack of or restrained use of strobe and their subtle colors. His black and white work also stands away from the pack because of his affection for good ole' grain and tilt/shift lenses. His photos almost don't belong in the snowboard/extreme sports world, so it's no surprise that he has expanded and done advertising work for outdoor sports giants such as: Aspen Resorts, Boost Mobile,
Burton, DC, Hurley, Oakley, North Face, Puma, Red Bull, Rossignol, Vans, and Volcom.

Anyways, I'm jealous of him - enough blathering. Enjoy!

More on his website: www.dannyzapalac.com

This is an older video, but it's one of my favorites. Can't go wrong with Mark Gonzalez riding a skateboard anytime - much less a sorta longboard in an art museum dressed in a fencers uniform. ''I wanted to appear like a dancer but not too feminine,'' he said in a NYTimes article. ''The fencing uniform shows your body type but also means business.''




Though this is a music video for Jason Schwartzmans band Coconut Records (which has just released a new record called Davy, that I think is quite good) the footage is from Cheryl Dunn's film "Back World for Words" - which I would kill to see.

The next best thing however is this spectators vantage point that provides a little more connection with the performance.


I think this is a really groundbreaking 'piece' if it can be called that. I think architects, city planners, and curators could all benefit from thinking about this concept of the act of skateboarding (or other public sports that require equal parts cojones and finesse) as art. Not only the act, but the obstacle can hold more potential energy in their aesthetic than a Pollack. Bottom line: I'd love to see more integration of recreation into the cityscapes.

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