PEOPLE OF PRINT //
The latest work by artist and Refueled magazine founder, Chris Brown, is inspired by four things; the reemergence of surfing in his life, his love of beat writer Jack Kerouac, the Pop art movement of the 1960s, and the music of Wilco.
The title of his 36″ x 36″ silkscreen on wood panel piece, I Woke Up as the Sun was Reddening, is derived from Keroauc’s seminal 1957 novel On the Road. It was this quote snippet that sprang forth during one of last summer’s coastal surf trips. “Traveling and staying in different roadside motels and motor courts, combined with early morning surf and meditation sessions can often put you in a extended state of flux” says Chris, “Mix that with the interpersonal and graceful portraits that Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy coats his songs with and bold images can spring forth”.
IN PRINT // CAMP JOURNAL
Stoked to be included in Camp Wandawega's new camp journal. It's an honor to be grouped with such incredibly talented folks. Camp directors Tereasa & David foster a beautiful creative community within those Wisconsin woods, and I feel very lucky to have such an inspirational spot to gather, refuel and create in.
“Having Chris at camp as our inaugural artist-in-residence reminds us what we have this place for - to shine a spotlight on the creative souls whose energy shores up our walls and strengthens our foundations.” - Tereasa Surratt
Photography by @stevenvisneauphotography
IN PRINT // PLASTIKCOMB MAGAZINE
Artist/publisher Chris Brown's work has been featured/interviewed in the debut issue of Plastikcomb magazine. Plastikcomb is a bi-annual publication that features a diverse line-up of artists and non-conventional editorial design.
An excerpt from the interview:
Q: Many of your recent works, including the "Swell" and "Flower Power/Deconstructed" series, beautifully blend the 1960s counterculture in which you root your origins with stripped-down design aesthetic central to much of your art and graphic design. What do you think is the key to integrating the ideas and imagery of decades past into something that is current, fresh and desirable in the now?
A: "I feel something in my gut as much as I see something in my mind's eye - but it always begins with a feeling. True there are strong emotions tied to certain decades in my life and may manifest in my personal work at times, but the intention is never to try and make it be or have it perceived as current or fresh. The surprise or bonus if you will is if someone else feels something or connects to it.
PEOPLE OF PRINT //
Artist Chris Brown’s residency at the Wisconsin creative getaway Camp Wandawega is the subject of a new book and film titled "Surf Camp Wandawega; An Artist Residency with Chris Brown".
Photographer, Director, and Cinematographer Steven Visneau @stevenvisneauphotography captured the Refueled magazine publisher during a week of exploration, fellowship, and the creation of the art piece that now hangs in the camp’s Artist Cabin.
Camp Wandawega @campwandawega is a popular retreat for the creative community and on the National Register of Historic Places. The artwork that Chris created during his Artist Residency uses “Surf” as a metaphor. The artist constructed a mixed media “sidewalk surfboard” inspired by the vintage aspect of Camp Wandawega’s aesthetic, cabins, and history.
STETSON X CAMP WANDAWEGA //
Chris Brown, the founder of Refueled magazine and first-ever artist in residence at @campwandawega in Southern Wisconsin, wears an Open Road in Silverbelly.
We first met Chris when he published an article on our Texas factory. As it happened, the Lone Star State native had been a Stetson fan nearly since birth. “My father always wore a Stetson,” he says. “I have great memories of trying on his Open Road Royal Deluxe while he was at work in the oil refineries.”
“I started Refueled in 2007,” he adds. “After sharing the stories of other artists, musicians, and makers in print over the years, I felt it was time to concentrate more on my own art,” which ended up paving the way for his trip north .”Attending Camp Wandawega for my residency was incredible. The color palette in the fall alone is reason enough for a visit. My Open Road made for a warm and stylish companion during the cold mornings, days, and nights.”
As for the artwork he created while there?
It was inspired by his love of vintage surf and skate culture. “Growing up, I was drawn to skateboarding and surfing. Skateboards began to attract everyday surfers who could use the boards when they weren’t in the water.” So, he says, “using ‘Surf’ as a metaphor, I constructed a mixed media skate deck, ‘sidewalk surfboard’ inspired by the vintage aspect of Camp Wandawega’s aesthetic, cabins, and amazing history.”
IN PRINT // TSPTR JOURNAL
Artist/publisher Chris Brown's art series "Flower Power/Deconstructed" is featured in TSPTR's 2022 Fall/Winter print journal (the Homegrown issue). The series reimagines the counterculture and civil unrest of the late 1960s.
The TSPTR Journal contains art, essays, reportage and photography from an eclectic mix of writers and artists, all infused with countercultural vibrations.
The assembled writers and artists all influence TSPTR, their work and ideas acting as catalysts for continual exploration.
TEDx // 10 YEARS
Hard to believe it's been ten years since I was invited to share the story of Refueled with TEDx in Atlanta.
To be asked to speak about community, heritage and discovery was an amazing honor. That ethos continues to this very day.
To have a platform that offers me the privilege to share is still incredibly exciting. I feel extremely lucky. THANK YOU to everyone who continues to take the ride with me.
Photography courtesy of CNN
FEATURED ARTIST // COMMERCE
Artist Chris Brown presented six sidewalk surfer decks from his "Swell" art series during the 2021 Commerce Man event as the featured artist.
"The spare, pacifying result evinces a wabi-sabi aesthetic—austere and rough, yellowed with impermanence. Transient. Together or apart, their imperfect beauty, deeply rooted in the DNA of a particular place and time, converses with timelessness."
- Will Gillham
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
STETSON STORIES //
Photographer Rambo captured a day with the founder of Refueled Magazine, Chris Brown. Brown discusses publishing, staying creative, his favorite local shops and more.
An excerpt:
Why did you decide to start publishing?
While growing up in the ’60s, there were three forms of media available for experiencing the world outside of a small town southeast Texas: television, radio, and – most influential for myself – print. Television gave me vivid memories of events such as the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Vietnam war, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the debut of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, and the first humans on the moon. Radio gave me Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the Rolling Stones, and The Byrds. But it was LIFE, the weekly magazine notable for the quality of its photography, that set me on a path to publishing Refueled.
IN PRINT // HAIL MARY MAGAZINE
Dad’s Style / Mr. Roughneck
Honored to be included alongside some style heavyweights from around the world in the men’s lifestyle Japanese publication Hail Mary.
GONZ //
Legendary skater Mark Gonzales pursuing the Refueled ONE Series limited edition book "Jason Lee; Vol.01 Instant Film".
"I think that things are poetic when they don't have a boundary. Without rules. My life is poetic."
- Mark Gonzales
FEATURED ARTIST // PABST
A rad project I was honored to be a part of. Fifty artists were chosen from around the country to make coaster art pieces to auction off to benefit @innercityarts in LA.
Inner City Arts is empowering Los Angeles children, teens and the community through the transformational power of the arts.
Presented by @pabstblueribbon & @monsterchildren
