Bob Kronbauer
By jen selk on Feb 1, 2006 in Art
Pro photographer, designer, skateboarding aficionado and art golden boy Bob Kronbauer made a splash in 2004 when his first book of photos, Beach Glass hit the market and a lot of people decided he was the next big thing. Suddenly, Bob K was everywhere. But he’s not the sort of guy who likes to dwell in the past. He says he’s “talked the hell out of Beach Glass and Girl Skateboards” (a former gig), and he’s ready to share “stuff that’s in the future and in the now that nobody really knows about.”
Okay, Bob. Get to it.
So, you’re keen to talk about all things new. Like what?
I’ve recently launched an online market – Umbrella Market with Matt Irving, Jeremy Fish and John Trippe. It’s a place where all of our independent brands are available and where we offer other small label/hard to find stuff. Art, clothing, books, things directly or loosely related to art and clothing and books…
When you say “loosely related” what do you mean?
I mean companies that are owned by the artists who created them. Three of my friends from San Francisco and I came up with the idea because we all have our own small, art-influenced companies, and we were each spending a lot of time managing mail order crap. We figured we’d bring our online shops together so that we could focus more on what we do best - the creative stuff.
Is it just you guys?
We’re taking on other labels as well as our own so we have a bunch of other small brands that our other friends do. There’s rarely a sales person or a CEO type of dude breathing heavy down the necks of their designers and it allows the type of freedom that can really get something special out there. Clothing companies like Stacks, Dark Room and Delphi Collective, magazines like Arkitip, The Drama and Hamburger Eyes. Companies like that.
Is it already online?
We did a soft launch in December and the official launch for it is March 1.
Okay, so what else?
I recently signed on to be represented by the Elliott Louis Gallery here in town. Also, over the past year and a half I’ve been working on a series of photographs similar to the ones that appeared in my book. Beach Glass was shot over a three-year period in LA; this new series will be shot over a three-year period in Vancouver. I’d like to get somebody to publish it when it’s done.
What kind of stuff have you shot for the Van book so far?
I can’t say much but I can say that they definitely won’t be ‘photos of Vancouver,’ just like the works in Beach Glass aren’t really ‘photos of LA.’
Secretive. But it’s sort of a Beach Glass sequel?
I’d call it another chapter. The next one will likely be shot in Paris. My aim is to be able to spend time exploring and dissecting these cities, isolating things that I enjoy shooting that often go overlooked. The work itself is a form of isolation for me. Like any art form, the process is really meditative. It’s therapeutic.
Okay, so will Elliott Louis be displaying some of this stuff?
Yep, right now they’re showing eight from Beach Glass and they’ll have 16 more later this year. They’ll have the Vancouver series when it’s done too.
On to Crownfarmer [Bob’s tee-shirt line. www.crownfarmer.com] What’s new in tee-shirt-town?
Crownfarmer’s been going for about five years now as a t-shirt line, but it feels like it’s gone as far as I can take it. Like, t-shirts are fun but it’s either time to step it up or bow out… so I found the perfect business partner in Paul Higgins from Tenille Clothing. We’re developing a full clothing line right now.
Are you going be sketching dresses like Lagerfeld? Where will it sell?
It’s men’s and women’s street wear, available in skate shops and boutiques. Paul’s in charge of the technical side of the line and he’s a lot better at the business crap than I am so I’m trying to get him to take over that stuff too. He’s also an amazing designer and he’s done the production for a bunch of popular brands that I probably shouldn’t name. A lot of the pieces we’ll be introducing come straight from his head.
Got any other news to share?
I got a dog.
Name?
Frankie Peabody Irving.
That’s kind of a weird name.
My girlfriend and I got him in October. She came up with his first two names and I tacked on his last name in honour of our friend Matt Irving who has been talking about getting a dog for as long as I’ve known him… like a decade. Now I’ve turned into one of those weird dog lovers, it’s like I’ve joined a cult or something. I’m not as bad as Paul though; his nickname is the Puppy Pervert because he’s always checking out dogs while he’s driving. He’s almost crashed a couple of times perving on pugs when he should’ve been watching the road.
You’re more careful?
If you could call having Frankie sit in my lap everywhere that I drive “careful,” then yeah.
-Jen Selk
Jen Selk’s Website