COLLISION - FILM x SKATE
When Apple Computers, Inc. delved into the world of mobile music and communications devices, things changed. We see the results of their adaptive strategy and now they're just called "Apple Inc."
Similarly, 120 LOVE experiments with ideas that aren't directly related to medium-format photography, but extends the culture of analog culture to fit the mindset of the new generation of creatives; hence, skateboards. Skateboards and film?! Yes. Why not? Also, 120 themed-skate decks offers another medium to present images and concepts that we don't normally think of in classical photography. This is nothing new. Photography and skateboarding have always gone hand-in-hand; from photographing skateboarders to designing skate decks with photographs.
The legendary Plaubel Makina 67
No explanation needed.
5 deck collage
So, you (hashtag) believe in film. Question: do the big film and camera manufacturers believe in you? Do the icons like Hasselblad, Ricoh (Pentax), Mamiya (Phase One) FujiFilm, Canon, etc.) produce new film products? No, because they're not profitable, and you can't really blame them because they exist to produce new products using new technology and to keep their stockholders happy – not to put a roll of film in that Pentax 6x7 you got off from ebay. That said, you decide whether or not they believe in YOU!
FUJIFILM not only makes film. They make digital cameras, medical equipment, and cosmetics. FUJIFILM thrives because they thought out of the (film) box, and Kodak is just coming out of the rubble of bankruptcy. Fortunately, Kodak recently stepped up and re-ignited the Super 8 craze, and other organized groups like the Impossible-Project, Ferrania, and Cinestill, to one-person outfits like Bellamy Hunt / Japan Camera Hunter are doing their part. Not only is he selling film cameras, but making the damn film to put into them!
Leica teamed up with graffiti artist, Stash, to fuse classical aesthetics with the urban jungle and its inhabitants. Now how would some of those Magnum photographers think about that? Again, why not?
Until the major companies that have the finance and marketing power to reinstall film products into their line-up, "film guerilla sustenance units" must be organized, new ideas must be hatched to literally introduce film to the consciousness of the newer generation of image makers. Lomography has been doing their thing for years, but film users either love them or hate them. You can hate them, but at least they're keeping the craft alive. Holga, well done. R.I.P. Ilford, Foma, and the countless numbers of other companies big and small, bloggers, and film communities that contribute to the film ecosystem, keep it up.
Hip hop and rap have made a huge impact on street fashion and culture. Not only because the music is cool, but hip hop has the fashion and bling-bling to continue that experience. The people who wear The North Face products, are they really into hiking and planning to climb Mt. Everest in the near future? Probably not (think SUPREME /TNF collabo). But who cares. They like it, and of course, so does the company.
Adapt. Evolve. Investigate. 120 LOVE aims to spread analog aesthetics and culture via our apparel and skateboards. We've combined our products with non-photography brands, and this has been educational to say the least. We plan to take an even more aggressive approach to film propaganda with our sub-series currently in development, INFERNO.
Skateboarding is a culture of movement and pain. 120 LOVE digs that. Skaters are fearless and risk-takers and we want to thrive from this energy for our initiative of keeping film culture alive.
Medium-format film photography is and always will be 120 LOVE's driving force. At the same time we are not naive enough to "not love" and celebrate 35mm, large-format, Polaroid, 8mm, Super 8, and 16mm motion film. A camera (film or digital) is for image making and storytelling and not only for (hashtag) camera porn. 120 LOVE evangelizes this point through our creative team like a skateboard company has a skateboard team; the members are our "shot squad" for what we stand for – to make beautiful images using a beautiful medium, film. Period. Will it work? Who knows. As long as we're doing something out of the (film) box, we're having fun.
