News / Photography

Photographer Anton Corbijn collaborates with skateboarding high flyer Tony Hawk

Words by Josh Baines, Monday 21 January 2019

Corbjin-hawk-collaboration-photography-itsnicethat-01 — Anton Corbijn

If you headed down to the skatepark recently, you may have in for a big a surprise. One of the scene’s most respected figures, Tony Hawk, has collaborated with one of the best-regarded photographers around, Anton Corbjin.

Anton – the Dutch snapper famous for his portraits of everyone from Siouxsie and the Banshees to Stephen Hawking – was recruited by the star of the best skateboarding video games ever to help promote Tony’s new clothing range showcased in Paris this past weekend.

The pair evidently settled on showing a rarely seen, side to the skate star. Anton’s resulting images are as striking as you’d expect from the veteran photographer, taking intimate portraits of Tony alongside a group of skateboarders presenting “a rare glimpse of Tony as a multi-faceted self-made man and mentor.”

Corbjin-hawk-collaboration-photography-itsnicethat-02 — Anton Corbijn

Corbjin-hawk-collaboration-photography-itsnicethat-03 — Anton Corbijn

Corbjin-hawk-collaboration-photography-itsnicethat-04 — Anton Corbijn

Corbjin-hawk-collaboration-photography-itsnicethat-05 — Anton Corbijn

More like this:

Work / Photography Sam Gregg's latest work uses photography to rediscover his hometown of London

Last time we wrote about photographer Sam Gregg’s work, it was his series See Naples and Die which formed the basis of our conversation. At the time, he was living in the city, teaching English over the course of a year. Prior to this, Sam had spent three years in Bangkok, working for an international film company. Upon his return to the UK in early 2018, he realised that his time away, “coupled with the present, constant rhetoric about nationality”, meant he was experiencing a disassociation with being British. With this in mind, he began exploring his hometown of London in an attempt to reconnect to it the only way he knew how, with a camera around his neck.

Ruby Boddington — 15 February 2019
Work / Photography Lucy Pullicino documents the personal adornments on motorcycle-taxis in Arusha

“I was apprehensive at first about doing a photography project in Tanzania,” explains the photographer Lucy Pullicino. “Coming from a place of white privilege and being an outsider to the community” the photographer consciously questioned her position on the project before embarking on the beautiful series titled The Bikers of Esso Road; documenting motorcycle-taxis in Arusha.

Jyni Ong — 14 February 2019
Work / Photography Issac Lam and John Yuyi remind locals that Hong Kong is not a “dying” city

For those of us who have never been to Hong Kong before, it sure does look like a cool place to visit. An amalgamation of culture and ideology, the financial hub seems almost unimaginable to those who have never walked its busy streets. The Hong Kong-based photographer Issac Lam, and Taiwanese artist John Yuyi, teamed up to present two varying sides of the city in their latest project. Through a series of photographs, they explore the city as an inhabitant and tourist, colliding their vision of a “really really special and unique style of culture.”

Jyni Ong — 13 February 2019
Work / Photography Marton Perlaki explores public space and boundaries through photographing 1950s dance, the twist

London-based photographer Marton Perlaki has an impressive record of accolades under his belt. Originally from Budapest, Marton was shortlisted for the Paul Huff Award, nominated for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, and was one of Foam’s New Talent’s, all in the same year of 2015. With clients stretching from the editorial gems of Time Magazine, Vogue and AnOther, the photographer has also documented many fashion campaigns for the likes of Dior, Helmut Lang and Adidas.

Jyni Ong — 12 February 2019
Work / Photography Richard Kovacs’ experimental images of Albania reflect the ambiguity of the country

“Photography makes me even more curious,” explains Richard Kovacs, a London-based photographer for who travel and exploration is paramount to his practice. Last time we wrote about Richard it was his highly stylised images taken on the beaches of Lagos that caught our attention, but this time, it’s Albania that Richard has turned his lens to.

Ruby Boddington — 12 February 2019
Work / Publication Felicia Honkasalo uses objects, photos and notes to imagine who her grandfather was

Grey Cobalt by Helsinki-based artist and photographer Felicia Honkasalo, is a book that takes place around a set of objects, photographs and documents that the photographer inherited from her late grandfather. A man unknown to her when he was alive, Felicia used these objects as a springboard for what would become not only an attempt to recreate who she thought her grandfather was, but as a way to tell a larger story about historical and geological narratives.

Ruby Boddington — 11 February 2019

Work / Illustration Minet Kim’s illustrations explore the unconscious through symbols and colour

Minet Kim’s illustrations are not just easy on the eye in their quirky sense of fun. As well as being brightly cheerful with a hint of the surreal, the Seoul-based illustrator’s practice is founded on emotion, as well as conceptual thought. She tells It’s Nice That: “There was nothing to do in my hometown when I was little.” From a small countryside village called Yeosu which is by the sea, Minet spent her childhood drawing, watching a lot of animation, and collecting seashells with her grandfather near his ship.

Jyni Ong — 15 February 2019
Work / Graphic Design Kay Kwon’s graphic design practice arose from his love of rock and hip-hop music

Seoul-based graphic designer Kay Kwon attributes much of his career to his love of rock and hip-hop growing up. “I’ve always been interested in album artwork and covers,” Kay tells It’s Nice That. “Exposed to the Korean indie scene, I felt a big discrepancy between the quality of album artwork and the quality of the music,” explains Kay. “The music would be quite exceptional, but the album artwork wasn’t always the best reflection of it.” Kay speculates this “discrepancy” was down to “a lack of readily available design resources” and as a result, the designer pursued the industry with the hopes of one day, contributing his designs to the music scene.

Jyni Ong — 15 February 2019
Work / Photography Sam Gregg's latest work uses photography to rediscover his hometown of London

Last time we wrote about photographer Sam Gregg’s work, it was his series See Naples and Die which formed the basis of our conversation. At the time, he was living in the city, teaching English over the course of a year. Prior to this, Sam had spent three years in Bangkok, working for an international film company. Upon his return to the UK in early 2018, he realised that his time away, “coupled with the present, constant rhetoric about nationality”, meant he was experiencing a disassociation with being British. With this in mind, he began exploring his hometown of London in an attempt to reconnect to it the only way he knew how, with a camera around his neck.

Ruby Boddington — 15 February 2019
Work / Graphic Design Joel Evey tests the visual boundaries of Gap through his “under-the-radar” work

When asked to recall a brand with a reputation for continually pushing and redefining its aesthetic choices, we have to admit that Gap wasn’t at the top of our list. But, now, thanks to the work of Joel Evey, the clothing retailer’s senior director of the global creative studio, that may be about to change.

Ruby Boddington — 15 February 2019
Work / Art Madelynn Mae Green’s paintings explore themes of memory, family and domesticity

“I love painting because it requires a combination of analytics and intuition,” says artist Madelynn Mae Green. Born in Milwaukee, Madelynn began painting at the age of 14 and continued simply because she “enjoyed it”. In 2017, she decided to continue this enjoyment, moving across to the UK to pursue an MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins.

Daniel Milroy Maher — 15 February 2019
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Department of New Realities on using VR and AR to give pixels personality

The final speaker at January’s Nicer Tuesdays was the Department of New Realities, a collective based within Wieden+Kennedy’s offices in Amsterdam. Joining us from DPTNR was Anita and Geoffrey, who “come from a crazy suburban hell in America and Australia," they explained to the audience. "Places where we had to create our own worlds and our own cultures.”

It's Nice That — 15 February 2019

Work / Animation Caitlin McCarthy's new film features coldsores, boner humour and a new female hero

“I wanted to make a high school movie that was in line with my own adolescent experience as an internet dweller who nobody wanted to get off with,” says Caitlin McCarthy, a London-based animator who is definitely our creative crush this valentines for her new film Coldsore. Telling the story of the sweetest and shyly smiling teen, Coldsore documents Caitlin’s protagonists quest for a cold sore after the coolest girl waltzes into school sporting some blistering friends surrounding her lips.

Lucy Bourton — 14 February 2019
Work / Photography Lucy Pullicino documents the personal adornments on motorcycle-taxis in Arusha

“I was apprehensive at first about doing a photography project in Tanzania,” explains the photographer Lucy Pullicino. “Coming from a place of white privilege and being an outsider to the community” the photographer consciously questioned her position on the project before embarking on the beautiful series titled The Bikers of Esso Road; documenting motorcycle-taxis in Arusha.

Jyni Ong — 14 February 2019
Sponsored / Digital Dropbox launches new blog vocalising its unique point of view on work culture

As a tool, Dropbox has always encouraged communication and collaboration. It attracts creatives, in particular, to utilise its services to further their work, whether it be sharing ideas through files or providing a platform for conversation via Dropbox Paper. To continue and elevate this work, its new blog, Work in Progress, provides insight into its product updates as well as sharing stories of new creative projects, overall vocalising its unique point of view on work culture.

Sponsored Content — 14 February 2019
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Jonny and Will on taking techniques back to basics in directing and puppeteering

Joining us at January’s Nicer Tuesdays was director and puppeteering duo Jonny Sabbagh and Will Harper, otherwise known as Jonny and Will.

It's Nice That — 14 February 2019
Work / Illustration Everpress’ “slimy love slug” inspired Valentine’s campaign is a wide-ranging vision of love ‘n’ lust

This year, to mark the beloved Saint Valentine’s Day, ethical fashion platform Everpress has asked nine of its favourite artists, illustrators, animators and designers to respond to the day in the form of a T-Shirt. Everpress recognises that there’s a range of responses to Valentine’s Day, from unbridled joy to tears or bitter laments – and “it’s come to be defined largely by overpriced menus and empty Hallmark sentiments”. As a result the collection, titled Love is the Message, takes it back-to-basics, “observing the day as it is and was, as a celebration of romance”.

Billie Muraben — 14 February 2019
Work / Graphic Design Heat by David Loy uses coding and thermochromic ink to educate on climate change

“Daily, through our screens, we see accumulations of information overload about climate change,” states graphic designer David Loy. “Our visual landscape is full of climate disasters, political debate and global warming impacts. It gave me the unusual sensation that it had become almost commonplace.” Spurred on by this fact, David created Heat an in-depth project which explores global warming and its long-term effects away from mass media.

Ruby Boddington — 14 February 2019

Work / Publication FatBoy is the new loud and proud zine dedicated to Asian food and culture

Inspired by his relationship with food stemming back to when he was a child, Christopher O’leary, alongside photographer Emily Leonard, has created FatBoy Zine, a new magazine acting as a tribute to the wonderful world of Asian cuisine and culture.

Daniel Milroy Maher — 14 February 2019
Work / Animation Temple Caché’s animation for new Gérald Toto track explores love and loneliness

Temple Caché, an award-winning French video production company has joined up with fellow French musician Gérald Toto to animate a track from his latest album Sway, titled You Got Me.

Daniel Milroy Maher — 13 February 2019
Work / Art Evie O’Connor on her intimate portraits that explore class and politics

Evie O’Connor’s paintings are intimate, elegant and some are even downright funny. On first glance, the pieces that really grab our attentions are the painted ashtrays of Theresa May and Boris Johnson, captioned with “Prime Twat” and “Lying Twat” respectively. She professes how her work can be “crass and political at times” as part of her larger exploration into symbols of privilege and wealth.

Jyni Ong — 13 February 2019
Work / Publication Klasse John Morgan takes Virginia Woolf’s Solid Objects through a variety of translation processes

“Raum 106 is a class, a studio, a library, and a publication,” says John Morgan, of the publication designed and produced by Klasse John Morgan, at the Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf where he’s been professor of Entwurf, Typographie und Buchkunst since 2016. “Typographie und Buchkunst” translates as typography and book art, but there isn’t a direct translation for Entwurf: “today it typically means ‘to sketch, design, draft, plan, outline’”, John tells It’s Nice That. It’s previously been translated as to form a picture, design, out-throw, throw-open and to throw forward: “This etymology is useful for us to underscore the role and practice of an artist as a ‘conceiver-projector’, working across disciplines.”

Billie Muraben — 13 February 2019
Work / Photography Issac Lam and John Yuyi remind locals that Hong Kong is not a “dying” city

For those of us who have never been to Hong Kong before, it sure does look like a cool place to visit. An amalgamation of culture and ideology, the financial hub seems almost unimaginable to those who have never walked its busy streets. The Hong Kong-based photographer Issac Lam, and Taiwanese artist John Yuyi, teamed up to present two varying sides of the city in their latest project. Through a series of photographs, they explore the city as an inhabitant and tourist, colliding their vision of a “really really special and unique style of culture.”

Jyni Ong — 13 February 2019
Work / Graphic Design Practice Theory embraces the funereal in its exhibition design telling stories of love and death

For Between Love & Death: Diary of Nobuyoshi Araki, presented as part of the sixth Singapore International Photography Festival, Singapore-based design studio, Practice Theory, designed the exhibition identity, publication and collateral with Araki’s work and philosophy in mind.

Billie Muraben — 13 February 2019

Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Illustrator Joey Yu on the need to stay active, communicate and seek collaboration

“I’m really interested in people and places and how they interact with each other,” explained illustrator and animator Joey Yu, addressing the crowd as she began her talk at January’s Nicer Tuesdays.

It's Nice That — 13 February 2019
Regulars / Bookshelf Which books inspire the beautifully considered work of Querida studio?

Based in Barcelona, Querida is one of those studios that can make any graphic designer or art director drool. Working across websites, publications, film, photography and branding, the studio’s output is beautifully considered; each part subtle and adept. Its practice is born from the city it inhabits, resulting in a fascinating combination of contemporary and classic elements which have garnered the studio a client list including Solange, Dropbox and Tate Modern.

Ruby Boddington — 13 February 2019
Regulars / Nicer Tuesdays Design studio B.A.M. on the process behind creating a new identity for White Cube

B.A.M. a London based design and art direction studio founded by David McKendrick and Lee Belcher, joined us at January’s Nicer Tuesdays to discuss its rebranding of White Cube.

It's Nice That — 12 February 2019
Work / Art Hiejin Yoo's paintings are reflections on the details of daily life

For Los Angeles-based artist Hiejin Yoo, painting is much more than an act of creative practice, instead describing her process like writing in “an intimate journal and meditations on self discovery,” she tells It’s Nice That. Combining both personal experiences and details from the world around her, the result is a body of work that is touching in its detail, however simple the objects she is painting may be.

Lucy Bourton — 12 February 2019
Work / Graphic Design Connor Dickson's typeface is inspired by the grid system of a digital roadside information board

For London-based designer Connor Dickson there wasn’t really any other career choice than graphic design. From a young age, Connor could be found around the back of his dad’s shed, spray-painting designs onto the wooden panels, or tucked up in his room making typographical posters for his favourite bands. His early love for layout and type was encouraged by the fact his school offered an unusual and interest-piquing class in pre-GCSE graphic design.

Lucy Bourton — 12 February 2019
Work / Graphic Design James Vinciguerra on the instinctive process that results in his energetic compositions

James Vinciguerra’s drawings of what he identifies as “stupid looking people” with wiggly type and layered montages of drawings, are most often seen layered up as tour posters or band T-shirts; for the band he plays in, Total Control, as well as for Parquet Courts and Thee Oh Sees. “I don’t make work based off the actual music and the feeling it may give me,” James tells It’s Nice That. “I’m more likely to get ideas from maybe a lyric or song title, and of course the people you are working for will have their ideas and it also helps to consider their existing visual output too.”

Billie Muraben — 12 February 2019

Work / Publication Provence magazine sheds a light on the "underrated profession" of art criticism

Over here at the It’s Nice That office, we see many a publication championing art and design through beautifully laid out pages of text and image. Though it’s always refreshing to see, and read new stories arising out of the creative world, we are seldom enlightened by editorial pieces around art criticism, and that is where Provence magazine really makes its mark.

Jyni Ong — 12 February 2019
Work / Photography Marton Perlaki explores public space and boundaries through photographing 1950s dance, the twist

London-based photographer Marton Perlaki has an impressive record of accolades under his belt. Originally from Budapest, Marton was shortlisted for the Paul Huff Award, nominated for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, and was one of Foam’s New Talent’s, all in the same year of 2015. With clients stretching from the editorial gems of Time Magazine, Vogue and AnOther, the photographer has also documented many fashion campaigns for the likes of Dior, Helmut Lang and Adidas.

Jyni Ong — 12 February 2019
Work / Photography Richard Kovacs’ experimental images of Albania reflect the ambiguity of the country

“Photography makes me even more curious,” explains Richard Kovacs, a London-based photographer for who travel and exploration is paramount to his practice. Last time we wrote about Richard it was his highly stylised images taken on the beaches of Lagos that caught our attention, but this time, it’s Albania that Richard has turned his lens to.

Ruby Boddington — 12 February 2019
Work / Illustration Takeshi Miyasaka is “interested in contours and shapes rather than objects”

With the painterly moodiness of Edward Hopper and the soft colours of David Hockney, Japanese illustrator Takeshi Miyasaka creates powerful images of people and their relationship with urban architecture. Having worked as an illustrator for the past 20 years, Takeshi’s illustrations possess elements of realism through highly detailed shading and a sense of perspective that overlooks every day passing moments.

Jyni Ong — 11 February 2019
Work / Illustration Liisa Kruusmagi’s new works encourage viewers to take some time out on the couch

“A year and a half ago I got a big studio space and now I finally have a room where I can paint, paint bigger works and actually, I’m just happy,” Estonian artist Liisa Kruusmagi tells It’s Nice That. The reason behind Liisa’s happiness, other than the fact that she’s now settled “in a nice creative house” with other artists, is the fact that she’s got room to paint and breathe, culminating as the bulk of her new portfolio of works.

Lucy Bourton — 11 February 2019
Work / Publication Felicia Honkasalo uses objects, photos and notes to imagine who her grandfather was

Grey Cobalt by Helsinki-based artist and photographer Felicia Honkasalo, is a book that takes place around a set of objects, photographs and documents that the photographer inherited from her late grandfather. A man unknown to her when he was alive, Felicia used these objects as a springboard for what would become not only an attempt to recreate who she thought her grandfather was, but as a way to tell a larger story about historical and geological narratives.

Ruby Boddington — 11 February 2019