thatsthespot.com Matt Barnes photography blog

Jim Phillips

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.