Saddle up to a honky-tonk-treasure from Matt’s archives and a jingle-jangle set of country & western, fuzz, bakersfield sound & rhythm & blues! New work from Matt to come later this week, which should put a smile on even the saddest lil’ cowboy ‘round the ‘ol ranch - y’all come back soon now, ya hear?
There is a fine line between fan and fanboy when one comes across an idol; a line approached by Matt when he was invited to the studio of iconic artist Jim Phillips, inside his Santa Cruz home, to not only document the artist at work, but to hang out and listen to a few tales - so it be known, Matt is an admirer to the extent that he went and had his favourite Jim Phillips creation, that of the “Screaming Hand” symbol of angst and rebellion, inked onto his arm by tattooist David Glantz. Phillips, whose CV includes skateboard design for legendary skater Rob Roskopp, art direction for Santa Cruz Skateboards, and poster design for the likes of the Doors, the Beatles, & Jerry Garcia, has been heavily involved in the cool West Coast surf and skate scene since the sixties. His work, from the design and art direction to illustration, is as graphic as it is vast, and he is firmly cemented in the roots of Matt’s cultural influences. For that reason, Matt was deeply honoured when he found out that his portrait of Jim, the main image shown above, was selected to appear in a new book of surf graphics entitled, well, Surf Graphics. A pat on the back is always nice validation, but it’s exceptionally sweet when it comes from somebody like Jim Phillips - surf the jump for the series in it’s entirety.
One last hurrah, yes, the final throe, before Summer begins to fall and cold winds blow…
She embraces you with the knowledge that you’ll see each other again. Her affection drifts from an unrelenting heat, to a benevolent warmth, before you are met with the kind of distance that chills you clean through. It’s a numbness that can make you forget each sun-kissed freckle, each hazy afternoon lost to heat, as she blinds you with a whiteness as far removed from a tan line as a poodle is to a pick up truck. Sightless, you stumble onward, because it’s what is expected of you; society doesn’t wish you to dwell on her, even as her memory becomes dim…dim enough to forget the freckles, those lost afternoons - but her’s is a flame that lingers. Belatedly, you’re bound to notice the numbness lifting, as feeling returns from limb to loin. Her wanton embrace will assure you that she’ll never leave you cold again - you’ll be met with such a staggering sultriness that you’ll have no choice but to believe her…
A long kiss goodnight to summer, featuring Kristie Taylor, Kyle ‘Papi’ Topping & Matt’s recently acquired ‘71 Chevy Van, the Black Widow. Dig the rest of the series, as well as a few summer jams to savour, post-jump.
A hirsute herd of rock n’ rollers grace the Passing Shot today, in the form of Saskatoon’s the Sheepdogs, who took to the depths of the wilderness to shoot with Matt - whose beard and ever-growing mane were two steps toward fitting in with the bewhiskered bunch. Winners of Rolling Stone’s “Choose the Cover” competition, the Sheepdogs have just released their latest LP (their first full-length release post-Rolling Stone), a self titled, fourteen track, bluesy-boogie rocker of an album, produced by Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney and Boz Scaggs’ son, Austin Scaggs.
A hashish haze, giant schnauzer and sixty year old androgynous assistant all played their part in Matt’s photoshoot with Jason Collett, precisely the sort of motley combination that doesn’t shock me anymore - with trannies, tigers, & gorilla-themed-threesomes previously on the docket, I’ve become far too jaded to be surprised…
Jason Collett evidently made quite the impression on Matt, who, quite romantically, compared him to “that really cool older guy in high school - the one you’d love to befriend and share a joint with in a big old Mercedes station wagon.” Funny enough, Matt was precisely that character for me during my formative school years, but quite thankfully I shied away from such a shady scene as entering into an old vehicle with him.
Record label Arts & Crafts, home to Jason Collett, has collaborated with Matt on several occasions and they’ve become quite a favoured client of his to work with. If my memory serves correctly, Bloc Party, Gentleman Reg & Zeus are all A&C artists that have spent time behind Matt’s camera, though not always at A&C’s behest.
Reckon, the new album from Jason Collett, is out on September 25th, and you’ll find a top tune from that record, along with the rest of the photoshoot, after the jump.
Matt first came across Toronto floral designer Sweetpea’s when he typed coolest flower shop in Toronto into Google - a title which has turned out to be the gospel truth. He was instantly won over when, on his first visit to the shop, he was greeted by a cat, a great dane and beautiful girl stood underneath a vintage neon florist sign - simple pleasures, right?
Matt’s love for the shop is well documented (collabs on Uno & Zombie Boy for the uninitiated), but a recent email from owner Sara proved that the affection wasn’t one-sided. In a nice change of pace, Sweetpea’s wanted to hire Matt, rather than he hire them, and armed with a bit of guiding reference, he was given free reign to make the image his own. Taking influence from both the shop’s aesthetic and his own tattoo fixation, Matt got tattoo artist/muse Tara Zep involved (coincidentally both Sara & Matt share a common artist in David Glantz, who recently designed Matt’s logo) and turned to his wife Shelley for a bit of bohemian styling, straight out of her own closet. Completing the glamour gang was jewellery designer Roslyn Griffith, who became aquatinted with Matt through a recent commercial gig, and was to provide the natty necklace that features alongside the Sweetpea designed bouquet and headpiece.
The icing on the cake was the the warm sun that fell as Matt shot, which capped Matt’s latest, but certainly not last, bit of work with the coolest flower shop in town.
With the end of summer drawing ever nearer, Matt’s island shoot with surf/trash/lo-fi hepcats Brews Willis felt more topical than ever. Post-jump you’ll find the rest of the series and, if you like the look of the lads, why not splash a little cash on their bewilderingly-baptized-but-worth-every penny LP, Nerped By a Zircon; surf rock, with a vengeance.
A honeyed slice of recent commercial work bedecks the blog today, in the form of the personalities behind SugarStars, the Food Network’s latest candy-coated offering. Centred around the partners of Toronto-based confectioner Petite & Sweet, the program follows the trials and tribulations that arise while running a unique business, one that is built around the sweet table creations that prettify some of the most eminent events in the city.
Follow the jump for more of the candied cast, and be sure to tune into SugarStars, premiering August 27th at 10pm, on Food Network Canada.
Adult up-and-cummer Raven Bay graced us with some bravado recently, brandishing her own style of badass for Matt Barnes’ camera. The starlet was only in Toronto for the day (despite the best efforts of a rather crusty custom agent, who had preferred to keep her home), but, as Matt likes to stay cocked and ready for action, a day was more than enough time.
Ride the jump for three more ravenous Raven Bay beauties!
It’s rare that a commercial client lets Matt roll with his over the top, kitschy, campy side, but telecommunications company TekSavvy is a rare breed indeed. TekSavvy teamed with Milestone and Matt for their new ad campaign, which showcases a cast of characters that epitomize the low cost, unlimited bandwidth creed which the company is built upon. It’s a marauding romp, from desperate housewife to leather-panted Lothario, and a brilliant BTS video from Mike Rybinski is the icing on the cake. Ride the jump for the entire series.
