Street Legacy - So Cal Style Masters

Way back in 1992 (I think it was that long ago) I had moved down to San Diego to live with a high school buddy of mine, in Ocean Beach. I don’t recall how we were introduced but someone introduced me to Bobby Ruiz and Carl Arellano who were owners of an upcoming streetwear brand called Tribal Streetwear. At the time “streetwear” was a relatively unknown label in the fashion world and Tribal was one of the first.

After chatting with the guys for a while they asked me to create a t-shirt graphic with one of my characters. That one t-shirt graphic put me on a wild ride of incredible experiences meeting some of the most talented folks in the Graffiti culture, seeing parts of the world I thought I’d never see, and learning life lessons from Bobby and Carl that I will never forget. To say that I am forever grateful for their respect, their vision, and their passion in my work and life would be an understatement. To watch Tribal Streetwear grow from a Southern California streetwear brand to a worldwide streetwear brand that features real art by folks who have shaped the cultures Tribal represents has been absolutely beautiful.

2022 marked thirty years of Tribal Streetwear so Bobby and crew got to work planning something big. Working with Jim Daichendt and the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, Bobby wrangled as many artists as he could whom Tribal has worked with to present art in celebration of thirty years of Tribal Streetwear. The only request is that the artwork had to be representative of Southern California. Having lived there for a while and gone back for many visits, the one thing that has always stood out to me has been the incredible sunsets. So I used that as my inspiration for the two new pieces I would show.

I created two paintings - Crepusculum and Vespera - both letter E studies, and both with fading colors inspired by the setting sun along Mission beach and Ocean beach. I showed these two new paintings alongside two of my Ascendance pieces to fill out my section of the wall as those piece hadn’t been shown in the US yet. Opening night was really fun, and I enjoyed getting to see folks I hadn’t seen in a long time as well as meeting new ones.

The following day was a lowrider car show on the grounds outside the museum that showcased some beautiful cars created by some of the best car clubs in California. The attention to detail, the craftsmanship, and all the different styles was very cool to see in one place.

Here’s some photos of some of the art in the show…

And here’s some of the beautiful cars and motorcycles…