Let's face it: Art sucks and so do the people who make it. Everyone thinks they're a genius because once their dad molested them, so they went out and bought some circular stencils and colored pens. Fuck your colored pens. Just turn the TV back on, forget about making a difference, and shut the hell up. No one cares. Now, this being said, every now and then, once in a great while, some dick comes along from outer space that amazes me for a month or so, and I have to make an exception. Despite what you may have heard, Southern California doesn't have a lot of artist; it really doesn't have a lot of anything except traffic and smog. Consequently, there are probably only a dozen or so significant artist contributing anything worth a damn. I, lucky ducky that I am, happen to have met one of them ten years ago in a shitty camp ground somewhere in San Bernardino. Though he never really introduced himself, or even pretended to be nice, he did punch this guy in the face who was holding a screwdriver to some of my friends. We've kept in touch over the years, and I got him to reluctantly agree to an interview.
FAG: I remember first seeing your work spray-painted in a drainage ditch up in Mt. Baldy. I was really impressed, but, undeniably, your work seems to have really matured over the past decade. Describe where you began versus where you are at now and the positive/negative aspects of both.
JS: Maturity is a relative and questionable matter when it comes to my work; I think the pussy and fart jokes are still the same but my delivery is a little more subtle. Its been a long haul since the Graffiti days, but a lot of what I'm doing now is a direct result of those past experiences.
FAG: What does the word "art" mean to you, and what do you think of "artist"?
JS: I had this discussion with Jack Chick the other day. He compared the art world to a plane spinning out of control, and artists today are fighting over whose going to be the one to pull the yoke bringing the plane back to safety. I simply told him that I hope the fucker crashes, I'll be in the back mixing drinks and offering free last minute sex to the art fag passengers.
FAG: I love a good Jack Chick book as much as the next guy, but do you think talking to him is a good idea. Has his homosexuality influenced your work?
JS: It has influenced my art a great deal. Gays have it right; they're not making babies which seems to be where the majority of life's problems begins. Let me explain: If the dumb shit working class stopped making babies then the "MAN" wouldnt have poor people to push around. Only rich fagtard Cardigan wearing, Yacht sailing, Senator kids like JFK Junior Junior would be left. The gays have figured this out. This is why Bush hates gays so much, theyre trying to make sweaty lezbos out of his daughters.
FAG: My mom has characterized your "art" as "the work of the devil". Do you have any other influences?
JS: Satan mostly. I think your mom just has a general bias against me because I drew her with a crack pipe in her butt. If she knew that I hung out with Jack Chick on a regular basis shed probably have a different opinion about both Satan and me. Dodge ball was my other influence but that became gay pretty quick, so now Im onto switchblades.
FAG: Some of your work in the past seems to be pushing thinly-veiled sexual deviance through colorful commercial advertising aimed at fat children. What in the hell do you think you are doing?
JS: I don't really know; it's what I was taught in art school.
FAG: Are you trying to push somekind of political agenda through your "art"?
JS: No I'm not that smart I just steal everything the gays say and support the baby hate campaign. I guess I could say something about Texas Nazis or Terror men but I think 9/11 didnt just create a war of reactionary forces, but it also created a lot of bad art.
FAG: Sure, guy. Anyway, do you even know who Michael S. Dukakis is?
JS: Yeah, he was the guy who played Mr. Belvedere, on Different Strokes. I loved that show they had a train going through their house and Jay Jay was always saying Dy-no-mite to Michael Landon.
FAG: Right. You have an upcoming show featuring your "Transnational Space Race; The Final Moment in Black History" series. Could you maybe give us a brief description/warning about what we will be seeing?
JS: Transnational Space Race; The Final Moment in Black History," is about racism and outer space. Or more specifically, how Bush would go about convincing people that going to Mars is a good idea. Send a black man.
FAG: Where else can people go to view and/or buy your work?
JS: Check out http://web.archive.org/web/20050305042157/http://www.haistar.com/ or http://web.archive.org/web/20050305042157/http://www.scribbletheory.com/ they have a majority of my work. Ill have a site up some day at http://web.archive.org/web/20050305042157/http://www.skankstudios.com/, which will have all of the projects and collaborations that I am doing with other artists.
FAG: What is with your attitude? It seems really bad.
JS: I guess it just comes with the territory; it's hard being poor and getting little respect for what I do. Someone asked Hunter S. Thompson why doesnt he enjoy writing if it's something that he likes to do. He explained that writing was like sex, for amateurs it's all shits and giggles but when it becomes a job old whores arent laughing. I suppose thats where the smug cynicism and sarcasm in my art comes from.
FAG: Poor! You're not poor! Being poor is for jerks! [laughs]
JS: No...really, I am. I don't always get to eat.
FAG: Oh.
Jophen Stein has an upcoming show the first Saturday of November at Scribble Theory from 7-10 p.m. His Transnational Space Race Series will be displayed among fellow artists' work in a group show. There is no cover charge and plenty of free beer and food. For more information and directions try [scribble theory] or [jophen stein].
FAG: I remember first seeing your work spray-painted in a drainage ditch up in Mt. Baldy. I was really impressed, but, undeniably, your work seems to have really matured over the past decade. Describe where you began versus where you are at now and the positive/negative aspects of both.
JS: Maturity is a relative and questionable matter when it comes to my work; I think the pussy and fart jokes are still the same but my delivery is a little more subtle. Its been a long haul since the Graffiti days, but a lot of what I'm doing now is a direct result of those past experiences.
FAG: What does the word "art" mean to you, and what do you think of "artist"?
JS: I had this discussion with Jack Chick the other day. He compared the art world to a plane spinning out of control, and artists today are fighting over whose going to be the one to pull the yoke bringing the plane back to safety. I simply told him that I hope the fucker crashes, I'll be in the back mixing drinks and offering free last minute sex to the art fag passengers.
FAG: I love a good Jack Chick book as much as the next guy, but do you think talking to him is a good idea. Has his homosexuality influenced your work?
JS: It has influenced my art a great deal. Gays have it right; they're not making babies which seems to be where the majority of life's problems begins. Let me explain: If the dumb shit working class stopped making babies then the "MAN" wouldnt have poor people to push around. Only rich fagtard Cardigan wearing, Yacht sailing, Senator kids like JFK Junior Junior would be left. The gays have figured this out. This is why Bush hates gays so much, theyre trying to make sweaty lezbos out of his daughters.
FAG: My mom has characterized your "art" as "the work of the devil". Do you have any other influences?
JS: Satan mostly. I think your mom just has a general bias against me because I drew her with a crack pipe in her butt. If she knew that I hung out with Jack Chick on a regular basis shed probably have a different opinion about both Satan and me. Dodge ball was my other influence but that became gay pretty quick, so now Im onto switchblades.
FAG: Some of your work in the past seems to be pushing thinly-veiled sexual deviance through colorful commercial advertising aimed at fat children. What in the hell do you think you are doing?
JS: I don't really know; it's what I was taught in art school.
FAG: Are you trying to push somekind of political agenda through your "art"?
JS: No I'm not that smart I just steal everything the gays say and support the baby hate campaign. I guess I could say something about Texas Nazis or Terror men but I think 9/11 didnt just create a war of reactionary forces, but it also created a lot of bad art.
FAG: Sure, guy. Anyway, do you even know who Michael S. Dukakis is?
JS: Yeah, he was the guy who played Mr. Belvedere, on Different Strokes. I loved that show they had a train going through their house and Jay Jay was always saying Dy-no-mite to Michael Landon.
FAG: Right. You have an upcoming show featuring your "Transnational Space Race; The Final Moment in Black History" series. Could you maybe give us a brief description/warning about what we will be seeing?
JS: Transnational Space Race; The Final Moment in Black History," is about racism and outer space. Or more specifically, how Bush would go about convincing people that going to Mars is a good idea. Send a black man.
FAG: Where else can people go to view and/or buy your work?
JS: Check out http://web.archive.org/web/20050305042157/http://www.haistar.com/ or http://web.archive.org/web/20050305042157/http://www.scribbletheory.com/ they have a majority of my work. Ill have a site up some day at http://web.archive.org/web/20050305042157/http://www.skankstudios.com/, which will have all of the projects and collaborations that I am doing with other artists.
FAG: What is with your attitude? It seems really bad.
JS: I guess it just comes with the territory; it's hard being poor and getting little respect for what I do. Someone asked Hunter S. Thompson why doesnt he enjoy writing if it's something that he likes to do. He explained that writing was like sex, for amateurs it's all shits and giggles but when it becomes a job old whores arent laughing. I suppose thats where the smug cynicism and sarcasm in my art comes from.
FAG: Poor! You're not poor! Being poor is for jerks! [laughs]
JS: No...really, I am. I don't always get to eat.
FAG: Oh.
Jophen Stein has an upcoming show the first Saturday of November at Scribble Theory from 7-10 p.m. His Transnational Space Race Series will be displayed among fellow artists' work in a group show. There is no cover charge and plenty of free beer and food. For more information and directions try [scribble theory] or [jophen stein].
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