Arcane Candy

The Clouds Caught on Fire is a sumptuous, self-published art book by Rich Jacobs and Billy Sprague, two visual arsonists who currently claim the San Francisco Bay Area as their accelerant. Spanning the years 2006-2008, this feral work is a tour de force of wild abstraction, offering up a seemingly endless procession of vivid color and layers of intricate line work that rejoices in a collision of influences ranging from ’60s psychedelia, avant garde LP covers, and folk art. Occasionally, Rich’s well-known distorted and disembodied heads are thrown in the mix, as well. As stated in the forward, the artists’ modus operandi was simply to hang out, listen to obscure music, throw caution to the wind, and push each others’ work into new places it wouldn’t have gone in a solo setting. Indeed, Rich and Billy’s efforts intertwine in such a natural manner that it’s sometimes hard to tell exactly who drew what. In other words, it’s pleasantly clear that an entirely new beast is afoot.

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Needles and Pens
San Francisco, California
February 9-March 31, 2008

There is Xerox on the Insides of Your Eyelids is number 15 in a series of art shows called Move curated by Rich Jacobs. It explores the original wave of 1980s skate zines and Xerox art, featuring Garry Davis (Skate Fate), Tod Swank (Swank Zine), Thomas Campbell (Joke), Chris Johanson (Karmaboarder), Andy Jenkins (Bend), Bernie McGinn (Tiki), Kevin Wilkins (7 Zine), John Dettman aka John Lytle (Naughty Nomads), Mark Waters (408), Rich Jacobs (Skate Edge), Jocko Weyland (Elk, Revenge Against Boredom, author of The Answer is Never), Dennis Remsing (REM), Dan Esabrook (Contort), Tim Kerr (Big Boys), Chris Shary (Burly Obsession), Ron Cameron (Dope, Skate Slate), Mofo (Thrasher), Rodger Bridges (Grim Ripper, Powerhouse, Dancing Skeleton) and more.

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New Image Art
Los Angeles, California
January 22-February 11, 2006

Think That Thought a Lot was a three-man art show featuring the work of Rich Jacobs, Rick Froberg and Rob Leecock. Rich’s work was the main focus, as it filled all of the main gallery in the new, larger space that New Image Art had recently moved into on Santa Monica Boulevard. Rick and Rob, on the other hand, were represented by just a few works each in a small side room. Since Rick’s were displayed in glass frames, glare prevented me from taking any usable photos. But, you can view a few pics of his ink drawings, featuring people and animals in surreal situations–plus some of Rob’s, too–on the New Image Art site.

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New Image Art
Los Angeles, California
January 8-February 28, 2005

Read Listen With Your Eyes first. In 2005, Rich Jacobs belched out a flurry of art shows. Raw Dogs, a group effort, was the second one. As its title suggests, the theme of this show featured rough-hewn skateboard-related art penned, penciled, photographed and sculpted by the likes of Bruce Bickyard, Ben Clark, Larry Clark, Garry Davis, Leo Fitzpatrick, Pat Graham, Rich Jacobs, Chris Johanson, Tim Kerr, Matt Leines, Mofo, Neck Face, Rambo, Rot Gut, Allison Snackenberg, Melanie Standage, Ed + Deanna Templeton, Josh Wildman, Tobin Yelland and, as they always say, “more.”

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Four x Four
Los Angeles, California
January 7-February 25, 2005

The friendliest person you’ll ever meet, Rich Jacobs (born 1972) is an internationally acclaimed artist who has exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. He is also the curator of Move, an ongoing series of group art exhibitions that originally started as a homemade art / music ‘zine and record label in the early 1990s.

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Rich Jacobs at the Move 2 art show opening at New Image Art in Los Angeles, California, 1998. Photo by Pat D.

What do you lust for?
Wow. Maybe nothing or something simple and mundane, like looking at interesting photographs, older printing processes, design and different approaches to designing things, layouts, funny or strange fonts, good cropping jobs. Bad choices are fun sometimes, too. I go to record and bookstores to try to see as much as I can, on purpose. I guess, really, the answer is I have to see new things constantly, or I have to at least look at things, so I would probably say anything visual that looks earnest, amazing, interesting, dull, extra-boring, accidental, handmade things that have imperfections or traces left of humans having had contact with them.

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