bastard blog

A bunch of new and old interesting books has just arrived at the bastard store; among them Everything That Creeps.

Elizabeth McGrath, LA angel-faced artist, collects in this book some of her most creeping, bloody and repulsive creatures.

An irriverent sculptress who has created a fantafreaky world, populated by odd and freaky characters meant to be hung on your wall or to be displayed on your nightstand (she has her beloved dead and stuffed chihuahua on hers).

On the one shelf on which you put your childood relics, next to Goldrake, you could also put a McGrath’s sexy doll with bloody legs, or some drunk miniature insects or, if you really love animals, a chopped hare head.

The deep-dark iconography of Elizabeth shocks, amazes and amuses, her sculptures are full of truculent details and they evoke disturbing atmospheres “a la David Lynch” but thanks to the wise mixture of kitsch, irony and horror they come out excessive yet refined.

Here’s a video recently featured on Boing Boing tv in which David Pescovitz meets Liz McGrath.

The bastard store, well represented by Edo Paris, Daniele Galli and Marco Lambertucci, has just participated to the Vans Bash 09, the european final of the “Battle of the Shops”, held at the Zumiez skatepark in Kortrjik, Brussels.

Having won the Italy/Canton Ticino round, the lazy riders had direct access to the semifinal, but unfortunately did not go any further.

As expected, the level of the contest was top notch, and the win went to Hawaii Surf Shop from Paris, that had the craziest team, Bastien Salabanzi, Marc Haziza and Adrienne Boullart.

The Zumiez park is awesome and despite the cold that penetrated inside too, the session was shockingly amazing.

Enjoy the little gallery of videos and photos that i made, also thanks to the help of our friend Elliott Vanderbroeke, who was also our driver/fixer for the event, and found the time to also work at the shop and to take some pics. Nothern efficiency.

To watch a video report of the event, click here: video 1, video 2.

Hmm… I would describe me as an artist who tries to inject human pathos into robots. Trying to breathe life into robots. That’s what I do. At least I try to. [...]“

That’s what Eric Joyner thinks about himself. He is a californian artist, author and main character of “ROBOTS & DONUTS“, the last arrival at bastard’s Bookstore.

All the drawings inside this book portray improbable robotic scenarios: robots shooting laser beams against mega killer donuts, pirate robots, robots fighting on a ring, space candy but also romantic robots in bucolic contexts. An amazing visionary collection of pure surreal Pop Art…

The curious selection of more than 50 titles that you can find at the Bastard’s Bookstore, has nothing to do with  classic fiction, we decided to give room to  photography, design, graphics and illustration, music, street-art and obviously skateboarding.

P.S. I’m Ambra and I’m the newbie at bastard store. I work here with Edo paris and I answer to mailbox/gtalk store@bastard.it