Finally Home.

After exactly 12 months living in Los Angeles and snowboarding for 6 months in Colorado I am finally back home in good ole Brooklyn. The year I spent in LA saw its ups and downs and my time snowboarding in Boulder, CO may have changed my life, but I have to say it's good to be home and there's no place like Brooklyn.


After 6 months in Colorado I missed my family in LA so decided to fly to the west coast before making the long drive from Boulder, CO to Brooklyn, NY. Look at my nephew Sean's face. How could I go back to New York without paying him a visit?


I called up Les from Disney's Bloc 28 and he hooked my family up with a day at Disneyland. I was a hero for the day. Thanks again Les.




Toontown was pretty trippy.


My mom stole like a case of Disneyland napkins, so that we can use them for dinner. Yeah that's right- my moms steals napkins. We're classy like that.



I was in Los Angeles for a week. I think that's all I needed. How can you possibly live in LA after being surrounded by this for 6 months:


So I was back in Colorado and getting ready for the long drive across America to get back home to Brooklyn...

I'll continue this entry tomorrow.

Add these songs to your playlist.

Smith- Baby It's You

Burt Bacharach song recorded by The Beatles, The Carpenters, The Shirelles, etc., but Smith is the only one that performs it and means it.


The Guess Who- These Eyes

Probably got a revival from the movie, Superbad, but this song will always be one of those "roll up your windows while driving down Flatbush Ave. because I'm going to sing along at the top of my lungs" songs.


Journey- Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'

Really Steve Perry? Really? Are you seriously doing that with your shirt? Really?

2 New Prints by Kenyon

Pin The Tail & Pinata
Enjoy your stay in sunny Guantanamo Bay. Might as well take advantage of those hoods, eh?



Limited Edition of 60 each
4 color screen print
12 " by 18"
100 lb cover weight

Get one for $26 or both $40.
Price includes shipping for US orders.
Now available in the $HOP.

PS- Thanks to Juxtapoz for the post.

Luckiest Snowboarder

You may have seen this already on myspace.com or youtube.com but even if you have it's definitely worth another look.

The Day Taos Froze Over, Part III.

The big day was finally here. Reminiscent from Braveheart's war scene the riders raised their boards in the air like the barbarians from the movie. Even the long time Taos skiers later told us how the energy that day was nothing they've seen before. I couldn't think of any place I would of rather of been that day.


The line was a litttttle long for first chair.


This guy had the right idea and slept the night in line to make sure he got first chair.

Satellite crew Ben Lynch, Dan Downing, JG Mazzotta, Mark Kelsic, James Mammele, Raul Pinto, James Frederick, Dots from Transworld Magazine in front of the same sign as the day before when most of them posed as skiers.


Raul and a hottie named April on the lift. I asked April if she wanted to ditch her family and hang out with us that night. She politely refused.

Ben Lynch and Mark Kelsic.

These guys are unreal:







These pictures do not do them justice since I took them with my simple point and click camera. As soon as the pro pictures are up I'll add a link.


Back at the lazy village after a long day.


More Mexican food. We ate Mexican for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No joke.


Remember that guy who slept out in the cold to get first chair? Well, we had dinner with him later that night.He just sat down next to us at the restaurant because he recognized us. Apparently he sleeps out in line at all major resort openings. I forget his name, but he definitely added to the whole experience of the trip.

I guess we had too much Mexican food because things got a little hairy afterwards:

Not that Ben was acting out of the ordinary...




We ended up back at the Taos Inn drinking stale ass 5 day old green beers left over from St. Patty's day.

Mark called it quits early.

I should of called it quits as well.

We all decided to go to the Indian Casino to meet up with the Burton guys...Yeah, the night kept getting weirder.

We come back to the Snow Mansion to find a fight breaking out...weirder and weirder.

That was too much excitement for us so we all decide to drink on the side of the road with a guy who calls himself, Bruce Taos...weirder and weirder.

We come back to the house drunkity McDrunk drunk to find cops arresting one of the guys who was in the fight. We finally pass out around 3.


Finally heading back to colorful Colorado.

The state of Colorado making sure we know that it's colorful.

Phewwww. That was some trip. Special thanks to the Satellite guys and Red Bull for making this all possible:

The Day Taos Froze Over, Part II.

Here's part II of the trip to Taos, NM with the Satellite kids.

So we finally made it to Taos, New Mexico after a fairly short 4-5 hour drive. We roll up to the place that Red Bull set up for us at the Abominable Snow Mansion. (Yes, that was the actual name of the place we stayed.)


The interior of the digs.


It was in the village right outside of Taos Ski Resort. All of the stereotypes you may have in your mind about a sleepy Western village is exemplified here. Can you hear that whistling soundtrack from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?



Look at this village. Look at this car. What else would I be drinking BUT Jack Daniel's?


This cottage is for sale if any one out there is interested in getting away from the citylife.


You can take Yoga classes in this town as well.


So we actually arrive two days before the official day that Taos opens its resort to snowboards. We got up early the next morning to do some recon work posing as skiers. I have to say that it was a brilliant idea.


Like ninjas, we blended in with the general population of skiers.

LIKE NINJAS!!! No one was the wiser...

...well, except for the reporter from Vail who wanted to interview the guys, but besides her no one guessed that we were snowboarders.


After a day of skiing we all hit the town for the nightlife...Well, yeah so the nightlife at Taos was as mellow as its daylife minus the skiing/riding, but just as interesting:

Taos Inn is pretty interesting. Apparently Anthony Quinn, Robert Redford, and Greta Garbo have been spotted here. The place is pretty cool in the historic way.


The sloppy nachos were killer.

As you can see some of it was on James's beard for later.

I seem to be enjoying them as well.



Back at our room getting ready for the big first day of snowboarding at Taos.



TO BE CONTINUED... The BIG day is coming up...

Kenyon Profile in Juxtapoz

Flipping through the pages of the Juxtapoz April issue, you might recognize a certain illustration of Stephen Hawking maxin at a strip club. And if you didn’t, then shit... I knew I should have picked another illustration.

Anyway, I’m happy to have another piece featured in Juxtapoz and this time I got a chance to write a few words. You'll have to pick up the issue to read it. And if you do, please don’t be the one millionth person to ask if I have seen the movie Superbad. Because yes, I have seen it. And no, I didn’t (and do not) keep my drawings in a lunch box.

The Day Taos Froze Over

Taos Ski Valley was one of the last 4 resorts in America that banned snowboarders on their mountain. Taos marketed itself as being snowboard free and skiers reveled in this exclusivity. Urban legends circulated that the former owner and founder of Taos, Ernie Blake, asked his children on his deathbed not to ever allow snowboarders onto his mountain. Nineteen years after his death, due to pressures from locals, the growing snowboarding population, and (most importantly) the lack of money coming into Taos, they finally opened the chairs to everyone on March 19th, 2008.

Red Bull decided to send Raul Pinto, JG, and some members of their Satellite Snowboarding team down to New Mexico to commemorate this historic occasion. Raul was kind enough to invite me to come along since they had room on their roof rack. I have to say that it was one of my best experiences here in the Rocky Mountain region.
Professional snowboarder Raul Pinto with business partner JG opened a local skate and snowboard shop called Satellite back in 2002. Within a few years they established themselves as the best board shop in Colorado with a roster of some of the elite snowboarders in the state.

We made a pit stop a few miles outside of New Mexico for target practice.

Raul happily volunteered as the target, but we all soon got chased away by a local who worked in the building.

New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment...More like the weirdest state in the Union.


TO BE CONTINUED...

Sexism vs Racism

I read an interesting article a while ago regarding sexism and racism in the race for the Democratic nomination. Can’t remember where I read it or I would post the link for you, but it spawned the idea for this drawing.

We all know what the Republicans are thinking- Nobody will vote for a Democrat.

Spyder

Spyder has been a force in the industry since 1978, making the most functional and stylish jackets and pants for all types of riders/skiers using the latest technology. Their background may be ski-centric but there is no doubt in my mind that they make the best gear for anyone on the mountain.

The current season is no exception. I had the opportunity to test out the RB Down Jacket and the Alpha Component Jacket with matching pants thanks to Lori, who works with Spyder and is a fellow New Yorker.








The Alpha Jacket has a 3 in 1 feature with a track jacket zip-in component that can be worn as an insulating layer or alone. It has multi functional pockets for storing goggles, mp3 players, season pass cards, and any other necessities. The available color schemes and streamlined cut of the jacket makes it a very wearable item in your closet besides using it for the slopes.



The RB Down Jacket is made up of goose down feathers for those artic days. It is accentuated with custom screen prints and leather Spyder patch.



What also makes this jacket a must have is the custom energy drink pocket on the side. I know that I definitely need a boost in the early morning trying to catch first chair at the lifts or hiking up the mountain side to hit the backcountry lines for virgin powder.

All their jackets come with special features like: a custom chamois lens wipe to clean off your goggles, powder skirts to keep snow from crawling up your backside, ventilation zippers, clasp in your pocket to keep your keys in place, and a rubber loop to keep your day pass.

They also use a waterproof breathable technology, the XT.L and XT. The “L” in XTL refers to lamination, whereas XT is a coating.

XT.L™ is an ultra-thin membrane that delivers superior waterproofness and breathability. This "thin" technology results in pliable fabrics that are lightweight yet durable. XT.L benefits include stretch recovery, which maintains the integrity of the fabric after seasons of hard-core use.

Only from Spyder, XT™ coating penetrates the fabric in such a way that it forms a honeycomb structure with billions of micropores. The pores are too small for water droplets to penetrate (making it waterproof) but large enough to allow interior moisture vapor through (making it breathable).

Being so functional never looked so good. I'm wondering how I survived the streets of New York during the winter without Spyder jackets.

Streetwear and streetart alive and well in Boulder.

Streetwear and streetart is alive and well represented in Boulder, CO. Installation, a shoe boutique and art gallery, had a new artist opening last night. Unlike other boutique/galleries usually found in Los Angeles and New York, Installation completely changes the entire space for each artist. The artists' works become a ubiquitous addition to the products being sold in the boutique.

Jon Strieby is the latest artist to have an "installation" at Installation. He is a local artist residing in Boulder. His work delves into the relation of lines, space, light, and texture through multiple mediums of plywood, paint, glass, and welded metal, all contextualized with portraits of faces and hands. It is definitely worth checking out:




Patrons enjoying the work.


This triptych is my personal favorite.






One of Jon's welded pieces in a door window frame.


Great turnout, proving that streetwear and art isn't just centralized in SF, LA, and NY.


The man of the hour, Jon Strieby. (I would add a link to his website, but he doesn't have a website. He's old school like that.)


Raul Pinto, pro rider for Unity Snowboards. He's also the owner of Installation and a skate/snowboard shop called Satellite Boardshop.


Anthony Hull and his lovely girlfriend, Shaina Miller. Anthony has become my bridge to all of Boulder's streetwear world. He has welcomed me with open arms and I can't say enough good things about him. He is also a internet persona with his own show called ManiaTV. He is a natural in front of the camera and can hold his own with the likes of Aesop Rock and Bone, Thugs, and Harmony, just to name a couple.


Tim from Akomplice. For some reason I always thought that Akomplice was an East Coast brand. The label's name has always floated around the same circles during my days at doing Future Relic, so I've been following them for years and the peps there threw love our way when we decided to discontinue FR. Who would of thought I would of connected with Tim out here in the Belly of the Beast, CO?


The afterparty.


Duffy and Casey at the afterparty. If you can't tell, Duffy is lit.


Somehow Raul got stuck on Bar duty at the afterparty. He made the drinks stiffer than a schoolboy with his girlfriend on Prom night, but I can't be mad at that.

Installation has so many things going on that I can only scratch the surface in this blog:

They have an extensive New Era program (as seen here). They also have collabs with Dekline Sneakers and Unity Snowboards (not pictured).


Anthony threw me a couple of shirts hot off the shelf.



He also hooked it up with this ColoRADo New Era. I have to say that this hat is sicko. Everywhere I go everyone asks me where I copped it.

This has been one of my longer posts, but I guess that happens when I get excited and want to show love. Stayed tuned. There's definitely more to come from these guys and hopefully I can come along for the ride.

Hieroglyphics in Boulder, CO

I went to one of the best hip hop shows the other night in Boulder. Hiero (who rarely come to New York) came to the Fox Theater and just killed it. It was my first chance to catch them live and they definitely didn't dissappoint, despite the fact that Del tha Funkee Homosapien wasn't part of the act that night.

I also was introduced to a great group from Seattle called Blue Scholars. They were one of four opening acts for Hiero. After their performance I had to show my support and bought all 3 of their albums on the spot. (F*ck Limewire!...well, f*ck it if it has to do with independent music.)

Here are some pics from that night. Apologies on the lack of pictures of Blue Scholars performance.

KENYONB Tees

Like Rakim said, it's been a long time... but I finally have tees for sale on my site. 4 brand new deigns. Some of the references may not be obvious for some, but don't worry, I have taken the liberty of spelling it out for those of you who need the help.

Each tee is 100% preshrunk cotton, polybagged and shipped in a box to stay crisp and clean. Sizing info is also available, so please check yourself, before you dress yourself.

Go to the $hop!

Juxtapoz Perspective

Flip to the back of Juxtapoz March issue and you'll find my World Police screenprint featured as this month's Perspective piece. So for those of you too cheap to buy a print, you can tear it out and tape it to your wall.




PS- you can call me Kenjon.

Still fighting the Cold War?

Last night I went out to a few bars in Boulder, CO with some of my snowboarding friends after a day of riding. It happened to be Valentine's Day, so I guess this made some of the local people a little angrier than usual because they were being reminded that they weren't getting their fair share of female companionship.

We were all leaving this one bar and pass this table of meathead frat kids who spend more time in the gym than in the classroom. One guy yells at me and says,

"Get the fuck out, you Communist!"

Yes, he actually calls me a Communist! Granted I was wearing my vintage Adidas CCCP(USSR) track jacket, but I thought it was 2008, not 1985. I've had this jacket since 2002. Wore it every chilly day in New York and Los Angeles. I never got heat over it. If anything I got compliments for it. I guess there's still parts of America that believes the propaganda machine from the Eisenhower/Kennedy/Johnson/Nixon/Ford/Carter/Reagan Era. In case you were wondering, only two of those people are still alive- and just barely. How can you be mad at Russians?

So I reply, "The Cold War ended 20 years ago."

They look at me with dumbfounded faces. They soon feel there should be a response to my statement, and being the intelligent well-mannered White suburban college kids they are, they all stand up to start a fight. The bouncer jumps in and kicks us out. We wait outside for the rest of our friends to come out when the table of meatheads get escorted out by the bouncer.

They begin calling me a "Communist" again and upon hearing my South African friend's accent, start telling him to go back where he came from. Tom, the South African, in his nonchalant South African way just calls them ridiculous. That enrages the one guy and he takes a swing at Tom. I step in with my arms open and tell everyone to chill out. I guess that enrages the well breed gentleman, so he takes that opportunity to sucker punch me in the face and they all promptly run away while I'm standing there with a gash above my eye from my broken glasses and checking for a broken nose or knocked out teeth.

Who are these people? Are Middle Americans really as retarded and ignorant as people in New York City and San Francisco say they are? I would maybe half way believe this shit would happen from dumb suburban kids if I was wearing a turbine and a "I HEART Bin Laden" t-shirt, but I was wearing a jacket representing a defunct country from a bygone era.

I guess people in America still watch Rocky IV and think McCarthy is a hero.


This is the Adidas jumper that started all the mess.


My roommate patched me up at 2 in the morning. That glistening under my eye is from Neosporin-don't get it twisted.


The country that Tom should supposedly go back to, because he's so un-American.


The picture of the guy who punched me and ran away. If you see anyone matching this image please report him to Homeland Security. I think there's a medal waiting for him or something.

Another day, another resort.

This winter is coming and going in such a blur that I'm finding it hard to find time to update my blog. Most of my time consist of snowboarding during the day and drinking at night (if and only if I'm not passed out by 8PM from exhaustion). I just came back from a long trip to Steamboat, CO.
Here's just a quick update:

The obligatory shot of me overlooking the village in Steamboat, ranked number 9 as the best ski resort in North America by Ski Magazine. Steamboat has already received over 400 inches of powder this season. They normally get about 330 inches of snow this season. With 2 months still remaining of snowy weather I can understand why so many people take the long ass drive here.

Here's another image from Steamboat for good measure.

Some of the motley characters that I ride with. (L-R)Peter from Florida, Tom aka Ziggy from South Africa, Mike from Florida, Tad from the big C-T, Nigel aka Joe Namath from California.

Tad. He ran into a rope line in Winter Park a few weeks ago while riding the out of bounds back country tree runs. The rope knocked out 2 of his front teeth. He seems to rather enjoy showing off his new dentures, so I guess things could of been worse.

Nigel back at the hotel room. I guess I'm not the only one that gets exhausted.

This might also help explain why we were all passing out.

Anyway, I'll try to keep everyone updated and hopefully I'll have more pictures to go along with some of the crazy shit that goes on with these hooligans.

Artist For A Day

Geoff Pitchford, et al. run a rather admirable web site, Artistaday.com, which does just that. It shines the spotlight on a different artist everyday. And I’m not just saying that because I am the artist of the day, I think any artist can appreciate the web site’s objective:

Artistaday.com’s goal is simple. We feel artists are under-valued, under-exposed, and generally under-appreciated. We want to bring attention to artists that otherwise don’t get the attention they deserve. If we can bring their art to one person that would have otherwise missed the opportunity to see it, we feel like we have made a contribution to the art community. If you like the artist’s work, take a second to leave a comment to tell them so. If you don’t, feel free to tell them that as well (constructive criticism is always appreciated). We don’t intend to showcase all the artist’s work, in fact we only show one or two images by the artist. Be sure to continue through to the artist’s website to find more of their work.

Well said and kudos to their unselfish endeavor.

Another day in Colorado

Saturday morning at Keystone with my roomies, SeJin and Ian.

On the 2nd mountain at Keystone. Check out the view. It's awful what they did to it. It use to be full of Starbucks and Walmarts and strip malls. But they tore them all down and put trees and hillsides up. Damn shame.

On the 3rd summit of Keystone.

Lunch break. It was close to 40 degrees out. Felt like it was spring.

Base of the resort at the end of the day.

The next day we all went on a hike in Boulder. The weather was even warmer than the day before.

Three Drunkity McDrunk Drunks at the bar on a Sunday afternoon...Life is good.

Geico Parody

Another lost but found gem from my college video art class. This one is also a commercial parody. I always thought the Geico ads were clever and I was always interested in stop-motion and animation. So what happens when you put the two together with a big ol' cock and a hammer? (Click the video to find out.)

This one was also presented to the class. I can't quite remember the response, but I think it sounded something like crickets chirping.

Plop plop, fizz fizz...

Here's a shitty video (pun intended). I was digging through some archived photos and projects from college and found this little gem. I was interested in video and 3D animation and spent most of my free time downloading and learning all sorts of new applications for my old beige PowerMac (RIP). And as you can see, my fondness for potty humor and parody has always been present. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, photographing my excrement for a month, or showing the video to my class. I think Paul was in my video art class. And I think he might have been the only one who thought it was funny. Anyway, enjoy and I'll see if I can find some more stuff like this.