There is a lot more going on in the world of JK5 then you may be aware of. We caught up with the 5 to see what the deal is for the '05-'06 season, talk t shirt, and find out what he thought about episode III, among other things...
A Silent Flute: Ok, so you opened your exhibit at Kid Robot, can you tell us about it?
JK5: There were 8 new works in the show, the rest had pertaining character material as well as larger and more complex personal narrative works from a group show at Capsule Gallery in November. There were 18 works total wrapping around the space above the ill spectrum of products at the Kid Robot shop. There were 6 new paintings (acrylic on wood panel), one of each of the FLOWBOTS...the cast of characters that will become toys, scheduled for mid 2006 release. Also, there was a larger nature/nurture diptych behind the register, and some other framed drawings. Two of the paintings were from 1977, Saint Michael slaying the devil & VINcent from The Black Hole. All of the work stars or introduces the Flowbot family of archetypes. Check it all out at kidrobot.com (JK5, news +events section).
Lay some more on us about the whole Flowbot project you are working on with Kid Robot.
Well, since the alife show in �03 we've been cultivating this project. Over the last 2 years I�ve been focusing & developing these 6 characters; preparing them, through extrapolation, for 3D realization. Paul & Chad from Kidrobot saw that I had a whole world of potential toy translations, and we've been building ever since... they are wonderful to work with. It�s been quite a growing process. This is the co branded introductory set, and following suit of my love of synthesizing and wordplay, it�s called JKIDFLOWBOT5: THE PIX SIX FUN FIX NEVEREVER WACK PACK!
The 6 characters are called:
KID KRECTIVADER FLOWVEX
WIKKIE WIKKIE WIKKIE
CUTIE CANE
DOGBOY REDNEKK
SIR OSCAR CLOUD (RAINFLOW)
PRETTY PECULIAR PEPPERMINT PONY
They each have a symbol and metaphor, plus the box is hand drawn in full color and comes complete with a lyrical bio for each dude. I�m stoked for it developing from here. Stay tuned.
Word dude, it�s fucking far out that there is an extended concept to the figures, it�s not just �Whee! I made a robot!� You know? How was the opening itself though? Party central?
It was dope. All my friends & family were there; even the Super Sucklord as Boba Fett. I sold a bunch opening night which made me very happy, plus the crew in the NY store is awesome. Good times, great vibes, and an overall electric response to the workworld. The energy & palette of the work really flowed well with store. I�m honored to have my shit up in there for a while this summer... it was packed and everyone had fun... a crew of us went out afterwards & got well fucking knackered.
Art
Some might say your work is �trippy,� have you ever done acid? Got a good acid trip story? I guess that�s not really an art question...
Funny shit; ever since high school I�ve been accused of being aided by hallucinatory drugs while drawing. Honestly, they were never the drug of choice... no way. Those doors of perception have been off the hinges since the womb ride for reals. I did do some acid at RISD though. One night, 10 of us dropped acid and went out to explore the city of providence. I think I only took like half a hit or sumfin... at one point, I started bugging hard. At like 2am we all decided to lay down in a row in the middle of the street near the capital building, for those that may know Providence. The road was a slick rainbow, blinking & sparkling from the recent rain... all of a sudden, my horizontal world went completely vertical, and I felt like I was sliding down some crazy mad high Blade Runner building; 20 stories up, on some back to the wall, hands & feet clinging to the surface Spiderman type shit.
Ha-ha, yes, that is a good one. I�ve never done acid, but I always love to hear people�s acid tales. Yo, what about mushrooms?
I've done mushrooms a bunch. The last time was New Years Eve 2000. I kept eating the ones I had in my pocket, thinking I wasn't getting effected enough; within an hour, I got caught in that "holy shit, I�m in this mad loop/time warp circle of making a drink, putting it down, losing it in the vast crazed saturated surface camo of a kitchen after an all night party, going outside having a smoke..." I literally repeated this for 2 hours straight, or at least it felt that way. On the mushroom clock, it probably was only 20 minutes... hehe. I haven�t done �em since, but I do like weed a lot...
I guess that wasn�t an art question either. OK, wait, here�s one: you do tattoos in addition to your multimedia type stuff, so you gotta have some good stories from doing tattoos in the city...
I've been tattooing for nearly 12 years, and every piece/client/day is an interesting story, such a spectrum of folks and ideas. I did a heavy piece on a social worker a while back; he wanted "Simico beat cancer" in a nice simple font on his inner bicep. Simico was his wife, and this was his hopeful tattooed meditation for her, you know? She passed away a bit later. It can get quite deep. Tattooing embodies so much, so many facets instantaneously. I consider the vocation and practice an ever opening portal of creative exercise, style and aesthetic exploration, while dancing with the highs and lows of human experience... there's endless stuff to say about being a tattoo artist & tattooing...
How did you get into doing it in the first place?
I got into it while at RISD in 1993 my junior year. That September after I graduated with no job, wanting to do nothing but personal, creative work, I started an official apprenticeship in a shop. Four and a half years later, I opened my own custom shop/gallery called JK5. I had that for 5 years. Now I tattoo twice a week while doing a bit of everything, nurturing all applicable facets, staying ever free and creative...
Obviously the whole tribal thing is beyond played, what else is played out, or about to be played out in tattoos?
I think most "styles" in tattooing are played out. I�m inspired by technically proficient craftsmen who innovate in the realm of tattooing with unique approaches to already tried and true formulas; tattoo artists that are fueled by the myriad of other art forms and design- most of what you see is regurgitated crap. I stay in good touch with what I consider interesting and fresh; the rest of that microcosm can carry on without me.
Who's a good example of these type of artists?
There's a shop in Williamsburg called SAVED. I'm friends with the owner Scott Campbell, and he and his crew are doing amazing work. He�s on some antique/design/type-driven work, then marrying that with some really progressive and inventive visual languages... true next level stuff.
Killer. Aside from the tattoo scene, are there any new or upcoming NYC artists who you�re feeling?
I'm thankful to be tight with the large family of seminal creators in the NYC. So many cool people growing and working independently yet together... all doing our own thing. Way too many to name. Right now I�m tripping on Anthony Goicolea, Tim Hawkinson, Tiffany Bozic, Andrew Guenther, Matt Houston, Devon Ojas, Kenzo Minami, Wes Lang, Dan Kopp, Beau Chamberlain, Billions McMillions, Duke Riley... most of whom I know well... it�s endless. There are new people all the time... in all disciplines.
With so many quality folks, how would you describe the NYC art scene currently?
Moist, ever fertile, now & assimilatory.
How about any artists/brands/magazines that you have had a good experience working with?
I love the peeps I�ve just grown with and am friends with... that�s who I�m working with... The Barnstormers, Surface 2 Air, Nom De Guerre,
Kidrobot, always Houston...
Did you read the recent New York Times article about Sperm, McGinley and those cats? Any thoughts?
I haven't read the article, but I love Ryan McGinley�s work. I almost bought his new book the other day.
T Shirts
A Silent Flute first mentioned JK5 with the recent Star Wars bootleg shirts you designed. When did you do these shirts? How did the release come about? Through who, and any reason it became Japan only?
I did the Sar Wars silly stoner stuff in sketchbooks back in 1996-ish. The other designs are from newer work. A distribution company from Japan approached me through mutual friends. This particular collection, including a spring collection that I�m working on now, is for Japan only. However, I�m currently working on my own, more personal, poetic line celebrating New York. I�m doing the line with 2 friends, with whom I just formed a creative agency called MAKE BELIEVE. This line will be close to my heart, the line I�ve been working towards. It will crystallize the best of what I�ve made in the last few years...
Sounds on point, now, were these Star Wars joints your first line of shirts? Any other t shirt work in the past? I know recently you designed a shirt for BBS�s line, which has some really hot shit collabos like Surface 2 Air...
I've done some t shirts for JK5, and some random ones in the past, but this was the first official collection. They'll be "pop� lines in Japan under the name SUBCONSCIOTHESAURUSDRESS, for the kids to bug on season to season, but this one coming will be the truth. I love the S2A guys, I was stoked to be in the mix on the BBS line...
The Star Wars shirts instantly took me back to Mad Magazine (Sergio Aragones, Al Jaffee, and Mort Drucker), National Lampoon, and even parody movies from the late 70s like Kentucky Fried Movie and The Boob Tube. Were you into that stuff growing up? Personally, I grew up reading Mad, and my mom used to buy us old National Lampoons from the 70s- she didn�t know they had titties in �em. She even let us watch The Boob Tube, which is pretty fucking raunchy for middle school kids... anyway these were big things to me...
Of course man, I grew up on all that shit too. I looove that stuff. I've been doing my thing with those influences forever. Those artists were like a drug to me in grammar school. I used to practice drawing Don Martin style feet... remember the flap over foot style?! Ill..
God damn man, that is awesome. Yeah I used to, like, even read Groo cuz I dug that shit so much. Back to shirts for a bit... Seems like pretty much everyone has their own t-shirt line out, or soon to come out. What do you think about it all? Good thing, bad thing? Any thoughts on who�s the best, who�s line you are a fan of?
Most vehicular markets and corporate collabo concepts are super saturated right now, and becoming a bit bastardized. Like all things, the most interesting and communicative work will weather the storm and grow into its own larger self (or "larger world", Kenobi). There�s cool, new shit popping up all the time. It�s a matter of ratio. There is always the slim faction of righteous creation, art & design, while the rest just kind of smells funny. I'm a fan of Houston (who will be dropping some hot rocks magic soon). All of my friends in the global community are doing rad stuff... we are the music makers, the dreamers of dreams...
Star Wars
What did you think of Episode III? Let it flow dude, cuz I know how folks like us can get about Star Wars...
I loved it man. You can hate, analyze, and scrutinize endlessly, but fuck all that. Lucas came thru for the final installment. I was blown away. It was genuinely emotive & moving to me. We, as the ill crew at the Ziegfeld, were interviewed by mad TV crews (our fresh costumes and customized light sabers caught �em in the tractor beam); they asked us how long we'd been waiting on line...we all said "since 1977!" It�s true. This was the full circle cycle arc of the better part of our lives... what we've all waited for. I was choked up through the whole movie; from the evolved design language and minutia, to the infinitely viewable otherworld scapes, to most fucked up, gruesome, painful, timelessly Dante's Inferno-esque mythological imagery of Anakin�s last moments of humanity. That shit was so powerful and tragic. I'm working on a new series of drawings that cull those moments... I thought it unified the trilogies quite nicely. My favorite scene was by far Yoda entering and cold force-tossing the two crimson guards. He's straight gangster mack, and does not fuck around. I�ll see it for the 3rd time soon... this will be the blazed time...
Word man, I dug the poop out of it too. Haven�t seen it with Mary Jane yet though. The Anakin lava scene was one of the more intense scenes I�ve seen in a flick. Seeing how Vader became Vader was pretty fucking intense in and of itself, adding in the actual gruesome circumstances was just, I don�t even know, heavy. Also, I gotta admit, I got a little emotional over the final shot, whaddaya call it.... veklemped. Now, what about the other half of the Star Wars coin: Have you copped any of the new Episode III action figures? I picked up a couple, they are kinda nice, I�ve always been into the alien characters mostly, and there are a few good ones.
The Sucklord got me Grievous and a few others... I like �em, although I must say, as much as I want the whole collection of Episode III toys, I really don't like the extra diesel, hyper,over-designed packaging & style of it all. They need to go back to some semblance of the original Kenner figures. I think some balance is in order.
Favorite bounty hunter?
Boba Fett. He�s my favorite character created of all time, in every way. The king.
What�s your favorite music from Star Wars? I�ve always liked the music from Jabba�s lair and barge, you know, Sy Snoodles and those cats. I�ve been banging the MP3 for the song in the lair, �Lapti Nek�, but never been able to find the song from the barge...
I love all the John Williams scores, from the original theme, to the Imperial march, to dual of the fates. My classic fave is the cantina theme, I can't front.
The Breeze
What kind of music do you listen to while you work, or just in general? Any good albums past or present you are big on?
I listen to everything from every phase in my life... I go from Madvillian, to Sea and Cake, to Genghis Tron and Old Man Gloom, to Tibetan monks, to Os Mutantes, Harry Nilsson, LCD Soundsystem, Pixies, Mars Volta, Quannum, Tarantula, Deltron 3000, Van Morrison... on and on and on...
Word up, Tibetan monks are the shit- so slept on. Any guilty pleasure albums or songs you like to put on? I�ve been listening to New Kids and Ru-Paul this week...
I love Carole King, The Carpenters, James Taylor, The Bee Gees... my girl I were just singing "What Kind of Fool" verbatim... that duet between Barry
Gibb and Barbara Streisand. I'm a schmaltzy German Jew; I can vibe with it all...
Other than Star Wars are you into any other science fiction? Any other movies you dig?
The classics: 2001,Close Encounters, Blade Runner,thx1138, Barberella, Logan�s Run, Flash Gordon, The Last Starfighter, even the cheesy sci-fi stuff. There�s always one good alien glyph on a ship or something. I groove on the details.
Yeah, you just rattled off some of my faves, although I would like to shout out John Boorman for making Zardoz a reality. OK, what�s the best movie to watch weeded though, in your professional opinion?
DUDE, THERE�S SOOOOO MANY! Brazil, the brilliant documentary about migrating birds... My girl and I just watched The Incredibles again, very high... that�s a good movie... I end up watching The Karate Kid every time it comes on. I'm high a lot of those times. I love TV & movies, always have.
Word, one time I got a huge kick out of watching The Life of Brian after some tubes; the shit was super fucking deep; you know how it gets...
How about in other media though, what are your favorite websites? Ready any blogs regularly?
I don�t really get into too many blogs, although I�m an obsessive surfer. HOUSTON ruled. It�s coming back, rebirthed soon: wehaveaproblem.com. I read the Kidrobot blog for kicks sometimes, Beinghunted is cool... A Silent Flute is my new shit...really dope plus you know what�s up... ha-ha.
Word, thanks homie, that�s real talk. Any �peace out� type things to say to wrap it up?
Thanks a lot for the interview! If anyone wants to contact me, my email is ... For more work/projects/associations just Google JOSEPH ARI ALOI, and check out jk5nyc.com. LYTENESS PEEPLES>>> JK5
Proper thanks to JK5 for shooting the breeze, and keep your heads up for all the ill-type shit he mentioned, you might see it here...
JK5.COM
asilentflute.COM
