Hardback.
208 Pages.
Rizzoli New York 2020. ISBN978-0-8478-6870-4
An intimate portrait of the iconic skateboarder Mark "The Gonz" Gonzales through the eyes of Spanish photographer Sem Rubio. Creativity, freedom and fearlessness inform every move that The Gonz makes and this volume from Rizzoli explores how that bleeds into his skating, art making and life.
Featuring contributions with Mark's contemporaries, collaborators and friends including Spike Jonze, Ed Templeton, KAWS, Tony Hawk, Tommy Guerrero, Gus Van Sant & more.
ABOUT MARK GONZALES & SEM RUBIO
In Transworld Skateboarding Magazine's 30 Most Influential Skateboarders Of All Time there was no contender for the top spot, it belongs entirely to Mark Gonzales and it probably always will. No other skater has had such a drastic impact on the culture of skateboarding. Hailing from the eastern edge of the sprawling mass that is Los Angeles, Gonz started his skate career on the Alva team and got his first Thrasher cover shot at the tender age of 16. Shortly after he won the Oceanside street contest with his own high explosive take on the tricks of the day. It was clear from this early stage that his impact was going to be felt, as he and fellow Southern Californian Natas Kaupas proceeded to push what was possible with a skateboard and the city's urban furniture. They were the first to grind handrails, ollie down flights of stairs and 180 over gaps. However it wasn't just physical feats that made sure the Gonz's legacy was assured, his creativity and fearlessness on a board also informed his life outside of skating, a publisher writer and poet, he is respected and held in almost as much esteem in the art world for his paintings, sculptures and installations as he is by skateboard culture. The Gonz is a true original and influential individual and he is a constant reminder that playfulness, creativity and exploration are great tools for innovation.
Sem Rubio is a photographer from Spain. Starting from a blueprint of skate photography, Sem has developed a beautiful and idiosyncratic style whose use of texture, atmosphere, light and shadow easily elevates action filled street shots into the realms of fashion and editorial photography. Currently based in Berlin, he has been a long standing contributor to Adidas Skateboarding where he first started with working with the legendary Mark Gonzales.
