July 22, 2010
Donny Miller's book Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings is Bradford Shellhammer's favorite art book ever. Shellhammer tracked down the artist to discuss the cult following for that book and his new line of shoes for Vans.
How did you initially start working with Vans?
Steve Mills [head of Vault] called me up and asked if I'd like to do a collaboration in the Vault category. I used to be an art director there a long time ago. R. Crumb, Rick Griffin, and Robert Williams had just done a Vault collaboration, and I thought that would be great to follow as well as a tough act to follow. I'm a very big fan of theirs. They influenced me a lot.
Where did you get the idea to print laces on their slip-ons?
I had the idea for a while. One of those "That would be cool if ... " thoughts I had. It all came together at the right time.
Originally, your shoe was not a mass release, but now Vans is mass-producing it. What prompted that?
It was the highest prebook that Beams in Japan had ever ordered for a Vans shoe, or so I've been told. Right off the bat that was good news and a market indicator. Then it really took off on all the blogs, along with the commercial I directed for it, and people just wanted a pair. As far as I know, most of them are gone from the first release. I made slipupshoe.com to show the colors and where to buy them. It's just a site with information and links.
There is an obvious humor to these shoes, and to your other work. What makes you laugh?
After I get really depressed, I think about how upset I was and it almost always makes me laugh. Oh, watching people at a bar act really sexy. That is comic gold. You know, making sexy eyes and looking all serious-sexy. Sometimes tossing their heads back in an overexaggerated laugh, only to bring their heads back down and cock their eyebrows. Recently, watching people sleep really cracks me up, their subtle facial movements. Also, people with a lot of McDonald's in their pants are very funny.
Your Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings is my favorite book. I swear I have given it as a gift 30-plus times. Are others as obsessed with it as I am?
I have been blessed with an intelligent fan base who aren't very pushy. I get people e-mailing me saying they like my stuff, but they've been very respectful. Since I'm married now, I don't get any more marriage requests. I have a friend who knows Ed Ruscha (I had sent Ed a book; I'm a big fan of his), and she told me one year Ed gave my book to everyone he knew and told them this is the funniest book you'll ever read. That was one of the best compliments I've ever received in my life.
Will there be a follow-up?
Yes, I am working on one right now. I don't have a name for it yet. I was thinking of calling it The Hardest Thing to Do in Art Is Something Original.
You're a fine artist, a commercial artist, an author, and a designer. What's more fun?
To be honest, it's all the same to me. I really love immersing myself in a project. I usually work really fast and sometimes I don't come up for air. Maybe for a coffee. I usually know what I want to do before I start. I like directing things a lot. I just like making stuff, being creative. People who I've worked with in the past will attest to how hard I work. I'm grateful. I'm not a prima donna.
You've put your art on skateboards and snowboards. When is the surfboard coming?
Hmm, I haven't really pursued anything like that, but you know what? The next time I see Kelly Slater, I'm going to say I want to do the art on his next board. I will make that happen.
Any other fashion collaborations in the works?
I'm doing stuff with RVCA, and with TOTT [Tools of the Trade] for a toy that should be out in December. More about that later. I have some other things in the works, but they're a little too early in development to really talk about. I have a show at the University of Tennessee later this year. Directing a commercial (can't mention the name right now). Lots of stuff. I'm just keeping busy.
