I’m on a roll with art/design related blogs, so I thought I’d share with you a documentary called Beautiful Losers, directed by Aaron Rose. It chronicles a collective of do-it-yourself artists like Thomas Campbell, Shepard Fairey, Ed Templeton, and Barry McGee. Thomas Campbell is one of my all-time favorites, and is responsible for one of the greatest surf-related movies (IMO) in the past 10 years: Sprout. He’s in cahoots with Jack Johnson and Moonshine Conspiracy / Woodshed films, so he’s into preserving the ocean and keeping it accessible to all… all great pursuits.

This group of artists, including several others, have taken their roots in the skate/surf/graffiti/hip-hop/etc scenes and continued that aesthetic in their respective paths. They’ve made art on their own terms, oblivious to the gallery and fine-art worlds… yet in time, their work has been picked up and recognized in pop culture and now respected and featured in galleries and in many publications. They still retain their DIY aesthetic even after their success, and it is this commitment to art for art’s sake… sprung from the roots of counter culture… that still resonates with people.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but that’s because I missed the screening in NYC and it hasn’t been in any cities nearby. I’m hoping for a Nashville screening, or the DVD release soon!

Check out the preview here: