Censorship Is Weak As F##k Art Show

 

Led and inspired by World co-founder Steve Rocco, the McKee/Cliver collection of original skateboards demonstrates how World Industries set itself apart from its competitors by using a totally uncensored approach in its deck designs. The World Industries attitude embraced once-controversial subjects, one after another, covering issues such as religion, pornography, gun control, sex, profanity, racism, drug-use and copyright violation, all within the span of a skate deck.

 

McKee and Cliver started working on the 'Weak as F##k' art show in late July 2007, putting together a pitch to present to potential sponsors. Red Bull came on board right away to sponsor three California stops including: FTC Skateshop in San Francisco, the Fairfax gallery that is currently running the exhibit in Los Angeles, and a TBD third stop.

 

The idea of doing a show featuring skateboards from the early 90s was conceived by McKee and Mike Hill, the director of “The Man Who Souled the World,” the documentary about World Industries founder Steve Rocco.

 

McKee, who worked as art director for 'The Man Who Souled the World' thought an accompanying art show depicting art work from the same era as the film would be a great tie-in to the movie. McKee felt the retrospective was important 'especially since the artwork on the early World boards was one of the most visible and identifiable ways World Industries changed the way things were done within the skateboard industry up until that time.'

 

McKee, a California native, started doing graphics for World Industries shortly after Rocco launched the company. In addition to doing art for World, he moved over to become Editor for Big Brother skateboard magazine in 1992, another Rocco venture. While serving as Big Brother editor he became involved with Big Brother videos that would form the basis of the pilot of the MTV series, Jackass. McKee then took on the additional responsibility of editing Blunt Snowboard Magazine when Big Brother took over managing the Ken Block/Damon Way publication. He left the magazines when they were sold to Larry Flynt Publications in 1997. Other projects have included logo design and illustration for TV, films and books. McKee continues to do graphics for Blind and World Industries skateboards and will be traveling to the next stops of the “Censorship is Weak as F##K” tour in Europe and Australia.

 

Cliver, who hails from Wisconsin, came to California in 1989 when he won an 'art contest' to become an in-house artist for Powell-Peralta Skateboards, based in Santa Barbara, CA. When Cliver was laid off three years later he was hired by Rocco at World Industries to create illustrations for their decks. Cliver also joined the Big Brother editorial staff in 1992 even though he never wrote anything for anyone prior. When Flynt acquired Big Brother he was promoted to Executive Editor. Cliver became involved with Big Brother's skate videos and in 2000 he stumbled into television by becoming a Segment Producer for MTV’s 'Jackass'. He also authored a behind-the-scenes 'Jackass Movie”'book. Cliver also co-created and co-executive produced MTV’s 'Wildboyz', and wrote and collected material for the best-selling art book  'Disposable: A History of Skateboard Art' (2004). Cliver was a Co-Producer on 'Jackass Number Two' and is currently working on a follow-up book to 'Disposable' scheduled for release in 2008 as well as working as an editor for the JackassWorld.com website.

 

If you live in Southern California and you’re a fan of skateboard art or the classic World Industries boards then you should make a stop at the 'Censorship is Weak as F##k' skateboard art retrospective.

 

Exhibit Details: 

Censorship is Weak as F##k

435 North Fairfax Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Dates: Saturday December 15, 2007 - Monday, December 31, 2007

Hours: Daily from 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

 

 

'Censorship is Weak as F##' Upcoming Dates (http://www.myspace.com/censorshipisweak)

• January 19-20, 2008 – BRIGHT Tradeshow, Frankfurt, Germany (http://www.brighttradeshow.com/)

• February/March 2008 (dates TBD) - Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast of Australia

 

 

Exhibit Sponsors: Boosted, Red Bull, The Hundreds, Brooklyn Projects, Dwindle