J.Romero and his fucking pot pourris
We all have friends who knows another friend… This is true. This is the case with J.Romero with whom we share lot of friendship and mutual interests. A long time ago we have been started working together on differents collaboration.
The last to date is « Planchettes – Exhiibiton » which also drove us to Anglet last summer and enabled us to test and approved his sofabed.
Recently this yobbo was in Nantes for an exhibition. A few hours before the storm, slumped on the sofa, he answered to some of our old questions.
Photo / La Vie Sauvage
My dear Juan, it’s time! Let’s start by a classic one, can you make a little presentation about yourself?
So I’m Juan I usually sign odd jobs as a graphic designer by the name of J.Romero in honor of my grandfather who was called Juan Romero. I started in a graphic design school in Bordeaux, then I went on to work at Biarritz Surf Rider Foundation as a graphic designer and at the same time I was blogging for Disillusionment which allowed me to go to Australia and meet one of my all time idols : Ozi Right. For the last 2 years I have been in charge of marketing and communications for OBEY in Spain, Portugal and France. Alongside all of this a small group of friends and I have come together and created the Switched Kickout Surf Syndicate to organize all kinds of events (exhibitions, parties, concerts and the famous Svrf Pvnk)..
All that is now well structured, but were you not working from a garage?
Yes, last summer we found an old garage with 3 crew mates living together which we spruced up and called La Palette. The concept was very simple, we emptied the garage, we made a small bar, a bench from palettes and covered the wall in palettes so that we could display a lot of things. Basically we needed an adjustable space where we could easily hang what we wanted! Marynn, MLCK, Tony Malecky and Pierre Delorue, came and exposed their stuff and it was transformed into an ephemeral garage gallery. I won’t hide the fact that it also served us as a party venue. The adventure lasted for a period of 3 months until the owner realised this and sent his lawyer round.
I’d like to go back to the Svrf Pvnk and its history… why did you decide to create this event?
I’m not at the origin of Svrf Pvnk but to tell you the story we created the collective SKSS, and one of the active members of the Crew Charles, a very good friend and Krylay who is the Rythmn marketing manager, went on a delirium during an evening of booze, “we will make an event and call it the Svrf Pvnk that will run at the same time as the anniversary of the collective”. The first year the Svrf Pvnk with Rhythm was really put together with not a lot. We wanted an event without rules and just something where we could meet with friends at the beach and be idiots! So the first year we had 1 beach day and 1 group. 2nd year 1 beach day and 2 groups and 3rd year 2 nights, 6 groups, 1 day at the beach and 4 Tattooists. Year after year it has developed!
So the SP is a bit of an anti-competition?
I don’t know if we can say it is an anti-competition, we just wanted to make an event that resembled us. It is true that some could say that we do not have the right to be punk but we just wanted to make an event that represented us, I love garage rock, I love tattoos, I love surfing and being stupid in the water and the Crew is also reunited around that. After these factors, it’s also a glimpse of everything that can happen now and it’s why we do it a few days after the Quick Pro. This is in contrast to all what we call the classical competition but really we havent created anything new, we have just taken everything we loved it put it into a blender to get this great event. The Svrf Pvnk creates strenght and unity, which is essential to make this event succeed in!
Photo / Maxine Pennington
Did the Svrf Pvnk celebrated its 3rd edition with an ever increasing crowd?
That’s right, this year we had almost 1,000 people across the 2 nights! The closing party was just monstrous and there were maybe 600 of us with the 3 groups, the Gang Bang Tatoo, who arranged a musical chairs game. A huge circle formed around the participants, it was like we were in an arena and the 12 guys were ready to battle it out to be tattooed by 4 artists at the same time! Many people said that it was extreme but it was more of a performance! Ok, it’s true it was extreme, but for those who saw the pictures, it’s still something! Guardef a blogger cited this as Human Centipede, for those of you who have seen or more like those who have managed to watch it.
What is the thing that made the biggest mark on you in the last 3 editions?
The thing in the first year that marked me the most was my naked surfing session and we now give a trophy for the best naked surfer each year! It all started from a simple delirium, I did not want to wear a costume, and so I went naked! And believe me naked surfing is pretty funny! This year one of our friends Kyle enjoyed making a duck by stacking all the cans of beer he had drunk together. Personally what impressed me most this year was the arena that was formed for the Gang Bang Tattoo artists. 300 people circled round to encourage 12 people playing musical chairs, it was quite crazy! Oh I also had two friends who were extremely drunk at 9 am, they had bought two liters of vodka which was quickly dropped after one of them persisted in shouting: “It’s Pvnk or is not Pvnk! “They were really silly but damn it was funny! haha
You participated in our last exhibition. Can you tell us more about your Planchette and it’s history?
This board is a portrait of a friend, called Laguille, and his portrait was made after a surf session in the winter, at a time when I was taking a lot of photos and I loved doing portraits. When I took this picture the shot distorted as my friend Laguille was cold, hunched up with his face transformed and he looked like the Hulk ! I found this to be an incredible portrait. When this guy drinks he changes, when he surfs he changes, he has many personalities. As a physiotherapist a Dj in the deep house, when he drinks he totally switches… he is a real character! This was at a time when I was experiencing a lot of different things like icing pictures on a surfboard, and I printed the photo on Japanese paper and then glazed it giving it a different finish. Having seen the boards, the ones that stand out the most are those either in the process or because of the graphic quality. Anyway for this board we kinda got annoyed, fortunately Booki of Woodiart helped me!
What did you want to do when you were between 10-15 years old?
Basically I wanted to be a veterinarian. Then I wanted to be a marine scientist, because what I liked was being in the sun, going surfing when I wanted and being in a boat! Then I finally found myself at uni but I soon realized it was not for me, we are a drop of water lost in the ocean! I have always preferred to get into small friendly circles with people I like. I once thought that I had a scientific profile but it turns out in the end where I blossomed was in the arts.
I see that you get more and more tattoos. Are there any that you regret today?
No, no I do not think so. Yes actually there is one that was pretty funny, it looked like a dick in fact! I have a kind of knife tattooed on my knee, by two friends who tattoo me regularly called Koopa and Michel that have opened a tattoo parlour in Bayonne. Michael tattooed me a barber’s knife which opened at the joint of the knee and one day with my leg bent, my friend started looking at this knife and it’s strange round end which looked like it was a limp dick! So I changed it!
If I told you that I had bought you a ticket to go to the other side of the world and you have the right to take three things … you would take?
My vinyl tray that I couldn’t imagine living without, my computer to stay connected and camera to catch the memories!
What is the band that turn you crazy
THEE OH SEES who are from San Francisco, led by John Dwyer, a psychopath, the guy doesn’t wait to produce, he just produces and it’s often unique to the garage culture. These guys have made 8 albums in 6 years! What makes me crazy with THEE OH SEES is the energy they convey when playing, you can’t stay focused for over 2 minutes to take a photo or to do something!
