Greg offers a compelling opinion on how the majority of the work most of us do these days is somewhat intangible, leaving us often without the physical proof of a product at the end of a long days’ work. He feels this desire for tangible creation is fueling the resurgence of our desire to make, create, and produce.

Excited for more episodes of this series!

We recently had the chance to talk with Jessica Hughes, Bastille’s social media coordinator to discuss Salt Lake City fashion, curatorial inspiration and handcrafted goods.

BASTILLE
79 S Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, UT
6191 S State Street, Murray, UT
66 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA
www.ilovebastille.com / @ilovebastille

How would you describe a typical Bastille customer?

Jessica Hughes: There isn’t a typical Bastille customer; we try to offer something for every type of client.
There are customers that come into Bastille looking for a specific item or brand and we are able to provide those pieces for them. Then there are those who have never shopped with us, who stumble upon our store, and it’s exciting to educate those customers on the brands we carry.

How do you decide what brands to carry?

JH: It has to make sense for the esthetic of our store but we strive to find new and exciting pieces for each specific season.  It is our goal to provide great fashion for our clients with brands of varying price points. Our main goal is to provide something for everyone.

Would you consider Salt Lake City / San Francisco to be fashionable cities?

JH: We would consider Salt Lake City to be fashionable and we are surprised everyday by not only by the people wandering the streets of the city but that come into our shop. I think with Salt Lake being a smaller city, it’s easy to see those who are fashionable and it’s easy to spot our customers a lot of the time. It’s great that we get to grow with city by bringing in designers/brands that some have never seen before and to see those people out and about in those clothes is rewarding.

How is your shop involved in the community?

JH: Our shop started in Salt Lake City and we’ve tried to involve ourselves in forms of the community in which we can make a difference. Recently we specifically made candles in which all the proceeds went to Equality Utah, the Bastille X PRIDE candle. The Bastille X PRIDE candle was also sold at the San Francisco location and the proceeds went to Equality California.

What do handcrafted or locally made brands bring to your store?  

JH: Bringing in locally made/designed brands gives our store an incredible creative advantage. We just recently started our second season of our brand OTTERS, locally designed and made in the USA. It’s our first season for OTTERS for Women and our second for Men. It’s really incredible to be able to offer a print or a silhouette exclusive to Bastille and one that has been created by our own colleagues. Down to the hand sewn real shell buttons on our oxfords, every detail is considered. As well as some of the other brands we carry that are made in the USA, we appreciate great craftsmanship and design esthetic.

See more of Matt Pierce’s handmade goods at woodandfaulk.com

COMMON PEOPLE
Emilio Castelar 149
Col. Polanco
11560 Mexico City
commonpeople.com.mx

Describe a typical Common People customer:

Our typical customer shops with his third eye open.

How do you decide what brands to carry?

We’re always seeking for products that speak for themselves. We look for innovation, quality, design and uniqueness. We try to promote emerging brands as well as have a taste of the most trend-setting brands around the world. We look for a variety of prices so everybody can find something they can buy in Common People and take not only a product, but the story behind it too.

Would you consider Mexico City to be fashion-forward?

We believe that México is at the turning point of becoming a fashion forward city. We have incredible national brands and talent that are beginning to be known worldwide and an incredible artisanal background of handmade products that are being incorporated into the fashion industry.

How is Common People involved in the community?

We have a beautiful selection of fair-trade products made in different communities around the country and by putting them in the store, we take them out of their context of being a souvenir and make it possible for them to become a fashion accessory or decoration item for your house. We try to involve and promote as many green brands as possible, anything that helps the environment or incorporates recycling in their manufacturing.

What do handcrafted brands bring to your shop?

Uniqueness, consciousness in the clients, the beauty of remembering how in this globalized world you can still find and acquire a handcrafted product.

LIZARD LOUNGE
1323 NW Irving St.
Portland, OR 97209
www.lizardloungepdx.com

Describe a typical Lizard Lounge customer.

BOB DAVIS: “It’s pretty diverse, but it’s kind of like Portland itself. There’s an interesting mix of creative professionals. Wieden + Kennedy is just a little ways down [the street] so we get a crowd from there. We get a lot of industry people in here from Nike, Adidas, Columbia, all the apparel and footwear industries. They use us as sort of a test-case in retail spaces, so we get a lot of retail divisions and product development people in here looking at what we do and how we do it. And then we just get the average consumer in Portland which tends to be 25-40 active, creative-type people.”

How do you decide what brands to carry?

BD: “A lot of it is my own research and instinct as to what the trends are and how I want to interpret those trends in the store. For example, in the last 5 years there’s been a trend towards more of a heritage workwear look, and that in Portland has been the natural way to dress but the rest of the country has followed. So I targeted companies like Pendleton and Carhartt who exhibit that look and went after them to put together the mix in here. A lot of it’s also just from following blogs to get a sense of what’s going on.”

Would you consider Portland to be fashion-forward?

BD: “It depends on how it’s defined. Today I would say the answer is yes, but we do it in such a way that we don’t really try to be fashion-forward. When I spend time in New York and L.A. there’s a lot of effort that’s put into how you dress because in those big cities it defines you. So everyone’s looking at everyone else to see what they’ve got on and people put a lot of time and energy behind it. In Portland, people are much less concerned with being judged for how they look, and dress so it’s comfortable  and suitable and works in the environment. Right now, it’s fashionable to look like us.”

How is Lizard Lounge involved in the community?

BD: “We try to get really involved as much as we can in the community not only because it is the right thing to do but it’s also good PR. We’ve been doing an event every First Thursday for 5 years. We bring in a live band, free beer, and an art exhibit that changes every month and have a charity that shows up and they get a percentage of the proceeds. We try to give back in everything we do. It’s just good business to be a part of the community.

What about local brands?

BD: “We try to carry brands that are local as much as possible. Craft, artisan brands like Tanner Goods and Harding & Wilson. With Shwood, not only was it a very interesting product, but they were local guys making it craft in a small place somewhere so it was really natural for us. We try to do that with any brand we can find that’s more local.”

You’re most recognizable for your text & typography prints. What initially drew you to this type of design?

Using words is a very direct way of communicating. I love the simplicity of a short truthful phrase. You can reach people very quickly with a few carefully chosen words. Less really is more. It’s hard to make work that looks simple, you have to leave out a lot of stuff. When it works it’s very exciting. I make my prints using traditional woodblock techniques, I think that is what give sit it’s unique warm feel. You can see that it’s been produced mechanically, by hand. It gives the work a warmth and humanity that people respond to.

You’ve held many lectures and workshops around the world. Is community important to you? How does it influence your work?

I like people and love meeting new friends. Communication is so easy now, we can keep in contact with a much wider group of friends and acquaintances than ever before. People are generally the same wherever you go. We all want the same basic things, to be happy, to have a nice life. I’m conscious of the messages that I put out in to the world, my aim is to promote a thoughtful and positive approach, there’s enough bad stuff out there and I don’t want to add to it. I’d rather fight it with positive actions!

Do you have a body of work you’re most proud of? 

In 2010 we printed a poster using oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico. The poster simply read ‘OIL & WATER DO NOT MIX’ – it was a simple statement, because of the way it was produced you could see that it was making a big statement. The poster became very popular, people responded to the idea, the way it was produced and what it said. Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that have most effect.

At what point did you recognize your success?

I had a show in London 2009, lots of people came to the opening, there was a queue to get in! That’s when I felt that people had discovered me. I’m in the position now where I can pick and choose the projects I work on. I’m very lucky to have such freedom, it took a long time to get here, but definitely worth it.

Much of your work is highly optimistic. Is this reflective of your personal attitude?

Yes it is, I’m generally chirpy and upbeat, I’m happy with who I am and feel fortunate to be able to live my life the way I do.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could offer aspiring designers? 

Make work that you have a connection to, make work that you care about and don’t just do it for the money, that will never make you happy!

Head over to Dead Oceans after the video to learn more about the band’s recent happenings and, if you’re lucky enough to be in Portland this weekend, catch them live at Mississippi Studios September 15th along with AAN.

Mural and show at Carhartt Europe

GB: For those who do not know, who are you? Where are you from? How old are you?

Ripo: I’m an artist who grew up in New York City and now lives in Barcelona, Spain. My parents gave me the name Max Rippon, and I later gave myself the name Ripo (pron. Ree-po). I’ve been the owner of the former for 29 years and the latter for the past 9. I’ve also been known to go by a few other names along the way.

“An old tobacco factory in Madrid seemed like the perfect place to paint a tribute to the classic Optimo Cigars sign that I grew up seeing all over NYC. And even for those people who won’t know the context it’s at least an Optimistic word. Madrid, Spain” -Ripo Photo by Dug Da Bug

 

GB: Can you explain your artistic background? When did you first start getting serious about art?

Ripo: I’ve been drawing, painting, and generally making artwork for as long as I can remember. I first started making what I consider “artwork” when I was about 6 or 7 years old. This came in the form of my “Invenshun” books (I didn’t know how to spell yet, but I winged it). They were sketchbooks that my brother and I used to fill with drawings of inventions that we wanted to have, or see exist in the world.  Each drawing had a matter-of-fact title written next to it describing what the machines did as well as a made up price for each one. I invented “a-pans-pulr-upr” that pulled up your pants for you. Or “An-Amocanchrol-Toy-Pikrupr” that picked up your toys (via remote control, of course). You could say I’ve always taken my art seriously.

A very early drawing by Ripo

GB: What inspires you to go out and paint, and what do you look for in a wall or location?

Ripo: I honestly get stressed out if I don’t paint for a while, so first and foremost my motivation has always been internal. Having good, smart, and creative people around me is also important and a strong motivator.

I don’t have a set of any rules for what walls I decide to paint. It depends what I’m looking to do, and usually it goes the other way around; that I’ll adapt what I’m going to paint depending on the spot rather than looking for a specific spot to execute an idea. I like exploring abandoned locations, places with decay that have a visible history to them. Sometimes it’s just whatever surface happens to jump in front of me at the right time.

Cabron Ink, watercolor & enamel on handcut paper 70 x 50 cm

GB: Do you prefer working in your studio or working outside in the streets?

Ripo: I need both and they both need each other.

“(Je Suis) Arrivé. Translation: (I have) Arrived Painted next to the front door of a housing project Vitry-Sur-Seine, outside Paris” -Ripo

 

GB: What does an average day look like for you?

Ripo: “Average day” is a relative term for me. It constantly changes depending on my priorities, or where I am if I’m traveling. Lately, it’s been drawing and painting in my studio in the daytime, getting out in the evening to see some friends, then painting in the streets at night or retreating back to my studio.

Your Name 3D

GB: How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it?

Ripo: Aesthetic, alphabetic, poetic, phonetic, analytic, dualistic, realistic, idealistic, vandalistic, sarcastic, and sometimes gigantic.

“A big Word on the side of a library. Barcelona, Spain” -Ripo

 

GB: Your work really utilizes negative space to enhance each piece of art, was this a conscious choice?

Ripo: In 2006 I started painting on mirrors and installing them on the streets. The paintings would change completely with whatever was reflected in them.  The negative space was where they really came alive. As I started to teach myself more about lettering, I realized that one of the keys to mastering letters is to master their negative space. I’ve also been inspired by other artists who work amazingly with negative space and letters, such as Smash 137 and Tauba Auerbach.

Scheisse (Shit in German)  Ink on paper 70×50 cm

GB: How do you keep yourself motivated to create new work and experiment with new styles and techniques?

Ripo: Wouldn’t you get bored doing the same thing over and over again?

GB: Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what artists or genres inspire you to create?

Ripo: You’ll be hard pressed to find an artist who doesn’t listen to music. You can catch me listening to a whole mess of different things depending on the situation. Sometimes I like hip-hop: Wu Tang, Naughty by Nature, Dre, Biggie, Gangstarr, & Beastie Boys, of course. Other times I’ll be in the mood for Caribou, The Knife, Yacht, Diplo, Spiritualized, Mazzy Star, Metallica, The Cramps, Sonic Youth, or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Some music and rhythms are more fitting for certain activities than others.

“For years this was a spot to go paint with friends with little stress except the wind blowing our pieces across the wall. Hundreds of artists had painted this kilometer stretch of cement (front and back) that separates the Barcelona port from the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the construction of a luxury hotel next to this wall came the biggest wash of grey paint I have ever seen. The entire wall, front and back, was erased to a boring grey slab. So Much History had been Erased so that those at the hotel can feel like we were never there. Barcelona, Spain.” -Ripo

GB: Do you have any upcoming projects or shows that you would like to talk about?

Ripo: I have a solo show coming up this August in your neck of the woods- at White Walls Gallery in San Francisco. In the Fall I’ll be traveling around Spain and then Paris to paint walls and set up another show in Paris in November.

“This abandoned hotel was not Historic and I can’t say about the piece itself. This is just a commentary on the act of painting and putting in time and effort into a forgotten place, unquestionably giving it a history that is new and unique. Near Barcelona, Spain” -Ripo

 

GB: Do have any parting words?

Ripo: Thank You.

Ripo

Interview by Greg Bemis

Photos by Ripo