Online project | #05 Roef Gerbang & 108
Their conversation will be presented in ways like chat record of social network
RG: Hi! Mr.Guido.My name is Cheung. I’m Meiko’s friend, so nice to meet you! Meiko said we could can make this conversation together, so where can we start? oh, by the way, I’m a skateboarder as well!
108: Hey Cheung! How are you? Nice to meet you! I was a skateboarder! now I have 42 years old, I still have my skateboards, but it's better if I walk or I use bike :)
If you want we can start with something about skateboarding and art/stuff related to it! Like when and why you started to skate or something like that! I'm always super interested about it
RG: Yes,Mr Guido！let‘s start talk to Sk8，good choice！By the way, I’will be 39 years old till June this year！So in fact I‘m not young neither！But I still skate 2 or 3times per week，sometime 4. So I think Sk8 is good for healthy, keep ur legs strong…I mean it can also keep you feel young，I feel like I’m sort of old monster try to grab the youth power in my hand！and that's why I keep skating.. I told Meiko：“thank you for introducing a Sk8 homie in Italy！I started to go skateboarding since 2016，at that time I worked as a illustrator in Ad company，one day a project which needed to look for some reference about surf，I thought surfing is cool，but I’m not living by the sea，then I noticed skateboard…I was just wanna a board that can cursing around，but when I step on it，I addicted into it，riding stuff can‘t satisfied me anymore，then Ollie，bs/fs 180，shuvit……and my Sk8 journey turn on?How about yours？
108：(Hey, sorry yesterday I uploaded too many stories and message section went out of control)
Heheh, nice to hear that I'm not "so old" so! Anyway, the past year I met two times my old friends, we went to visit a very nice place just out from our city called Skatefarm, it's like a DIY skatepak made by great skaters. Anyway, I'm not able to skate on a skatepark and I age made me very scared about it. I was a skater mainly in the 90's and we had just the street. I started to skate around 1990 with a plastic toy skatebord of my sister than I met new people. Some of them are still some of my best friends, It was not just about learning tricks, it was a weird way of life, I spent every day of my life on a supermarket parking for many years! Crazy, after the boom in the 80's during the early 90's skateboards became very underground and crazy, we dressed xxxl all the times and we were real misfits. For sure skateboard was one of the most important thing in my life, it changed everything.We were all coming from a low/mid class and it gave us the possibility to came out from our small city situation, through it I discovered all that kind of music I still like, graffiti, art, I became a vegetarian because I red a interview with Ed Templeton when I was 17 and still I'm, so for sure, skateboarding is part of me.
Old photo from 108, the parking of supermarket, with his skate crew in 1992 in his spot in the city of Alessandria, Italy.
Old photo from 108, the parking of supermarket, with his skate crew in 1993 in his spot in the city of Alessandria, Italy.
This photo is me in 1993 ? - So, I'm curious: for me skateboard was very important to know art and new kinds of culture: punk, graffiti, and than arts, video making and stuff! You came to skateboard through illustration is that right? It was a different process, let me know about that!
RG: Oh my god... ...the 90's ! The golden and glory 90's ! Mr Guido you’re the true legend ! Meiko told me before that you have been skated for very lonnnng time ! And so do you ! I really wish you can go skateboarding again in future even if only on flat ground ! I really admire that you can have awesome relationships with your guys in 90's ! Nowadays skaters in china , especially the Z generation don't connect with each other oftenly. Most of the time kids just put on ear phone and skate on their own . I do have a little friends who can skate together sometimes , but most of the time , I skate alone . But that's ok , I just yearn for the 90's and 90's people , that's all look at your photos seems like you can do flip trick... ... I still learning , to land my first Kickflip is so damn difficult..
“See Saw” illustration by Roef Gerbang
Yeah, but actually I came to Sk8 through my last job , since then on I do put lots of illustration into it . And it is also my goal in future... I still need to make more skateboard art that can allow me to cooperate with skateboarding brands .
I also want to make skateboarding film , this art form can also let me use my art to do something with it , I’m working my first skateboarding film in process , it’s cost me nearly 2 years...
“Traffic Jam” illustration by Roef Gerbang
“Chazslater” illustration by Roef Gerbang
“Sad skater” illustration by Roef Gerbang
“Cicollins no comply party” illustration by Roef Gerbang
“Catch” illustration by Roef Gerbang
“Lawson 2：00 am” illustration by Roef Gerbang
Hope my film can come out this year . last year I was planed it when I finish the film maybe take it to some skateboarding film festival but cause of coronavirus spreading to all over the world , now I don't know whether there's any skateboarding film festival will open this year?
I’m confusing now that should I save the film to next year when the world become normally and take it to festival ? or I just put it on internet this year...damn, so hard to decide!
Roef Gerbang’s first skateboard
Roef Gerbang’s first shoes for skate
This is when Cheung studied ollie，it torture a long time, and now still torturing he, so sometime he call himself ‘ “Ollie Patient”
And this is now，Cheung can only do some spin trick and basic rail/box trick
I make comic , cartoon and figural art a lot...sometimes I make animation as well, I think i don't have a abstract thinking brain，lol?
"Three Posture People" Acrylic, Wall Post 2019
I can only feel what I see and transfer them into my art style...I found sometimes when I feel extremely tired while I still working in front of computer...my eyes already closed at that time…but my mouse still working on photoshop...and I will suddenly wake up and saw a abstract image…
“Bear man” series product by Roef Gerbang
I 'm very curious about your art , when you working on them what are you thinking?
And what lead you through all that pictures till finished ? Instinct ? or the result of practice yourself so many years?I really like this your work (the photo below) because they are looks like butterflies, very beautiful…but the rest of them are too abstract to me? I can only figure out they‘re shapes with texture…but still look fun and mystery！
KU2 large pattern, by 108
I like this one… the patten line into a rule looks so coool！If it can be designed for shirts or trousers must be nice！Looks very high-class!
108: Wow, you are very good to skate! I'm not able to do anything anymore! hahaha, After 10 minutes my back is broken! I was able to do some filp tricks 20 years ago, I started during the "flat" times, so we were making a trick very low. The biggest problem is that in 97 I broke my wrist, and I went to the hospital after 3 months, hahah so, it's still broken. Sometimes it cause a lot of problems I can't do some kind of sports, I need the stick when I paint huge walls. I'm very very scared about it, if I fall on it I have to stop to work for months and I can't work. Anyway, I'm thinking about buying some bigger and softer wheels to ride a bit sometimes, we'll see! Here we are all inside home too.
CORPOPARASSOTA Photography series by 108
Maurilio Arcivescovo by 108, 2012
1) I 'm very curious about your art , when you working on them what are you thinking about ?
It's not easy to reply: I think about too many things, the core of my research is the form. I like forms, everywhere, in nature, old primitive art, design, everywhere. I love textures, colors, but mainly it's about forms and lines. there two parts: irrational/irrational, planned, random, geometrical/organic... I try to find a balance or a total contrast on the two parts.
Large wall painted by 108 in Brescia, Italy, 2019
The work of 108 at Bunker, Turin, Italy, 2013
The work of 108 at Barcelona, Spain, 2014
The work of 108 at Brooklyn area, New York, America
2) And what lead you through all that pictures till finished ? Instinct ? or the result of practice yourself so many years ?
Some works, usually canvases are made with a first sketch, than I start to work and I change it, I don't like to plan, process is important as the final product. Other works, for example the black and white lines/patterns on paper or sometimes on walls, are more like a meditation. I decide some rules and than I follow those rules, trying not to think about anything, just focus on the process. I got a lot of inspiration from eastern art and philosophy, both aesthetically and conceptually. In fact I really like the connection between west and east, not just in art.
The work of 108 at Saint Petersburg, Russia, 2017
The wall of 108 with nuns at Buenos Aires, Argentine.
Every year I buy the annual subscription for the museums in my region, I go maybe 7-8 times in a year to see the Eastern art museum in Torino (MAO) I'm crazy for it, there is a big Chinese section, I need to search pics and I'll show you some my favorite objects!
Some of 108 favorite art works at the art museum in Turin (MAO)
So, skateboard is something that came from US basically, now it's a global thing, but for me too it was something exotic. What inspire you, I mean do you find inspiration inside Chinese culture too? how do you mix the two things?
RG: Sorry, Mr Guido！Reply lately…I was thinking about how to answer your question better…
Oh my god, not realize that you have been injured so badly..:(
My wrist and ankle have problems too，and I also don‘t jump stairs for years…flat ground and stage are better for me, hahaha....
For the question: to find inspiration inside Chinese culture too？
Yes, of course I am. I do inspired by Chinese culture , especially from traditional Chinese painting...the ancients they had have rich technique of expression : the line can be separated into many forms, such as dry , wet , heavy , light and so on and colors as well , for example , if you wanna painting a pine tree ,before you painting the pine needle you should paint a color first , then before the color dry , you draw line on that color can make the two parts mixed well..
“The leader“ illustration by Roef Gerbang
I also learn how to compose and leave “white space”？or should I say“blank space”（don‘t know the description right or wrong，but in Chinese called“留白”）from Chinese traditional painting，and really help me a lot, I pay more attention on form too，learn lots of things from not only Chinese traditional painting but old asian art.
I study how to control the line‘s rhythm, draw a line when going fast or slow down；how to make your art looks more interesting, more art sense will always be the lessons.
“Crow perched on willow tree in spring” , by Zhu Da (八大山人), Qing Dynasty
This work from famous painter of Ming Dynasty named：Zhu Da, aka. 八大山人(Ba Da Shan Ren）You can find that he got very special style to paint birds and another animals，and his art is too much different from other ancient Chinese artists
Look at these three unique tigers
“Bee and tiger” painted by Hua Yan（1682-1756）
“Bee and tiger” this image is the detail of the painting, usually people can‘t see that bee，actually it’s on the right corner when you see the whole picture, and the tiger is not aggressive as usual, scared, the ears also fell down，bend the tail, afraid of bee‘s sting...
Old Korean painting，unknown artist
Painted by Yanagisawa Kien (柳泽建) Japanese painter, Edo period, 18 century
I found these art works they always pursue some kinds of weird feel，not only copy the truth but more expressive force.
"After Party" acrylic, abandoned old skateboard, 2019
And this is also my goal, like I say more expression, more art scene. You noticed irrational, random, plan…I’m agree with you, I also like the process more than result, painting is more like adventure, like fishing, I like the view on the road more than arrival, enjoy more the fish bite the bait than cook them.
Comic Exhibition, painting by Roef Gerbang, Hamburg, Germany 2018
"Stranger" watercolor on paper, by Roef Gerbang, 2014
Yanshu book 48-hour comic production project, “Deja Vu” 2015
"Some like it blue" Hong Kong 62 Independent Cartoonists Group Exhibition 2016
I like simple technique to describe a thing，but interesting，that‘s what I learn from the ancient artists，oh，nearly forgot，many outsider art teach me a lot as well
So let me ask one last question for you Mr Guido：how do you think about storytelling and abstract art relationship？Do you think is there any possibility to make storyline into abstract art？
"Bs tailslide ignition" , acrylic on paper, 2017
So glad to talking with you, I‘m really enjoy the sk8 and art topic！Hope we can meet each other after coronavirus！maybe in future I‘m looking forward to that day，wish you keep pushing and have a long artistic life，Ciao！
The "Puzzle" short story is included in the "GAME" comic compilation, published by Wild Things Press
108：Ciao Cheung! Thanks a lot for it, Chao is fine to me!!! And sorry for my late reply too!
I can say ni hao, it sounds not so different, but I'm not able to write it in chinese :(
Thanks a lot for your reply, for the artists and for the pics those tigers looks so "modern"! I'm very familiar with japanese art and culture, here, expecially my generation, we grew up with japanese cartoons on tv, manga, than music and stuff... I know that large part of japanese culture has roots in chinese culture, like zen buddhism or calligraphy, but for years it was very hard to be in contact with it., so I'm always trying to find out more about it and to understand it.
So..about your question: "Let me ask one last question for you Mr Guido：how do you think about storytelling and abstract art relationship？Do you think is there any possibility to make storyline into abstract art?"
First of all, I need to explain that I don't like labels. I mean, of course I use the word "abstract" to explain quickly what I usually do, but labels describes borders. I think in 2020 we have the possibility to explore many kinds of visual arts, many different medias... so yes, I think it's possible to tell stories with "abstract art".
"Sogno Lucido" by 108, 2019
"the entrance of the dream" by 108
"La Casa Park" by 108, 2019
Tele exhibition in New York, La Casa Park.art, 2019
The work of 108 in the Milan Triennale 2008, Italy
Ceramic installation by 108
Figurations, clay, by 108
Complete figurations, by 108
Installation Museum of the incomprehensible Antonio Colombo 2019 Milan, Italy
I mean usually yes, my work is visually abstract but I love to put a lot of things in what I do. First of all I think that all my pieces are connected and there a lot of things inside them. Cinema (or video) is a very complete for of art: you have the image, a story, the sound... with pictures you have to put everything on a single image.
Solo exhibition of 108 in Lyon, France, 2020
Archaeological Museum books above, book made by 108, Palermo, Italy, 2019
But there is more: I work also with sounds for example and sometimes I made some videos, but what fascinates me the most about any kind of art, is when it gives you a lot (ideas, feelings) but it don't gives you everything. I need some un explained parts, some shadows where I can enter and I start to imagine and to build my own world. What I like about some "not figurative" art is this kind of mystery inside it. But it can be also a movie or a photo or a landscape or anything else! I hope you understand what I mean.
"24 Tapes" series, made of 108
Exr in Seoul, wall painted by 108, 2016
So, do you think is this enough? I'll search for some pictures to add to the text! 谢谢 Mr.Cheung! It was a real pleasure to talk with you! I hope, if the virus will let us travel again, to visit China in the next years finally and of course if you are around northern Italy I will be happy to meet you! Let’s keep in touch on Instagram!
Painting on Etna Vulcano, 108
RG: Mr Guido. Those characters you showed me that from MAO are the Tomb Beast…？？In Chinese called“镇墓兽”. They‘re the guardians of tomb. In Chinese culture，people think that when people died（their soul）go to the other side of the world，there’re countless ghosts，evil spirits will harm the soul. So the guardians (have human’s face，beast‘s body) they can protect the soul stay away from the demon, and keep them safety.
108: Yes exactly! There are many of them! Amazing, they looks so modern and I like so much these kind of stories.
RG: Mr Guido, I think about our last talk “labels describes borders” couple of days ago…and it make me sense，like，portrait painting，still-life painting with very realistic technique will boring for me, it’s lack of imagination, but in the other way, if the portrait, landscape painting with simple and refining technique can make me watch for a long time. it‘s super cool tho..
So in fact I’m the guy just like you who searching for the shadows as well..:)
108: I understand very well! I love portraits, landscapes and still lifes too. But I enjoy when you can find something interesting on the way they are made. I like eastern art and modern art because usually feelings are more important than hyper realistic technique.
RG: Yes, painting should involve not only technology but also emotion.
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108 (1978, Alessandria, Italy) he lives and works between Alessandria and Milan. Among the major exponents of post-graffiti in Italy, he began his artistic research with an approach to traditional graffiti. At the end of the nineties, after moving to Milan in 1997 and graduating in industrial design from the Politecnico Milan, his stylistic figure evolved formally and conceptually, so much so that he became one of the first artists to use numbers and not letters to sign his own. works.
His abstract forms and mysterious figures begin to appear in the abandoned spaces of the streets of Milan, Berlin, London, New York and Paris. Not limiting his production, in addition to Muralism he also ventures with sculptures, sounds, paintings and installations in dozens of personal and collective exhibitions. Among the main ones are participation in 2007 at the Venice Biennale with the Walls Inside project.
Roerf Gerbang a native of Chengdu, China, now lives and works in Shanghai and he is currently UID SH Senior Illustrator.
A person who is a neighbor to art and skateboarding, usually like play skateboarding and painting, he love good stories, good weather, good coffee, and good wine.
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108_108_108 & yiklui_cheung
