161. ART AND LIFE: THE STORY OF JIM PHILLIPS (2025) dir. John Makens

Jim Phillips is an artist whose cartoonish mosaics of California outdoor life have informed public understanding and appreciation of skateboarding, surfing, hot rod and rock music cultures.In ART AND LIFE: THE STORY OF JIM PHILLIPS, documentarian John Makens tells his story, from the times when Phillips sketched for fiberglas companies amidst a surfer party lifestyle to when Santa Cruz Skateboards & NHS brought him in to develop the first full-board designs that would first cement skateboarding's devil-may-care attitude and rebellious public perception in the '70s-'80s. The "red dot" Santa Cruz Skateboards logo and the Screaming Hand are Jim's claims to fame, instantly recognizable to a subculture. However, Phillips, the artist, is not, despite also producing rock posters for the likes of The Beatles and Neil Young. Watching Phillips dig through drawers and cabinet to pull up old surfer magazines and prints is akin to traveling through time; the man is an anthropological nexus point, bringing together punks, skateboarders, hippies and gearheads alike.What a life. ART AND LIFE: THE STORY OF JIM PHILLIPS showtimes: https://artandlifemovie.com/---Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠& ⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠Financially support the podcast via the ⁠⁠tip jar!