Vans, Dave The Chimp Collaboration

Press Release

• August 26 2008
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According to SOURCE:
This capsule collection includes a reworking of the Mid Skool Pro alongside two t-shirts utilising bright neon colours and Chimp’s instantly recognisable characters and cartoon eyes. Special attention has been paid to detailing including tattooed toes on the inner footbed, which are mirrored through the trademark Vans waffle sole in crystal clear rubber.

Chimp believes the majority of people go through life asleep and it’s been his mission for over a decade through fanzines and street art to wake people up, switch on their brains and get them thinking for themselves! Walking his own path, but keeping one beady eye on what’s happening in the streets. Chimp’s first shoe for Vans also relates to today’s club kids, whose eye catching dress sense evokes a reaction from the rest of society – a way to prove they exist, to show they are really alive, really living.
On sale September 2008

Who is Dave the Chimp?
Born in an egg on a mountain top, Dave the Chimp paints graffiti without his name, and makes fanzines to switch on your brain.
He formed the 243rd Skateboarding Support Battalion to promote skateboarding in east London, helped create Big Cheese Magazine and was a founder member of Finders Keepers Crew (along with D*Face, PMH, and Mysterious Al). He is head designer at Hessen Metal Skateboard Hardware and was Artist in Residence at design/advertising agency Fold7 from 2001 to 2008.

His work has been published in over a dozen books including “Scrawl 2 - More Dirt”, “Zines” and “Blower” (Booth Clibborn), “Chemistry” (Laurence King) “The Art of Rebellion 1 & 2″, “Izastickup”, the Dazed and Confused book “Annual”, and the Wooster Collective books “Hollywood - The Remix”. He is about to start work on his first solo art book for the publisher Publikat.

His illustration work has appeared everywhere from children’s books for Hodder, tour posters for MTV and number 1 UK singles, to the bottom of Burton Snowboards.

He has exhibited in London, Tokyo, Portland (Oregon), Hamburg, Munich, Milan, Luxembourg and Barcelona. He frequently works on collaborations with Flying Fortress (under the name Visual Rock Stars) and large abstract posters and wall pieces with the likes of Ekta, Nomad and Product Two.
He has worked as a video and commercials director with Badly Drawn Boy, Robots In Disguise, and the Puppini Sisters, and created the world-wide tv advertising for Led Zeppelins platinum selling “Mothership” compilation.
He continues to bomb the streets under a variety of secret identities.
Painting and skating keep the noose from around his neck.