Van Neistat is an artist that sells himself as a craftsman. The thing is, however, his craftsmanship is subpar to the standards of most that make a living with tools. He knows this, but never really reveals this self awareness to his audience. He’s a brilliant film maker and I absolutely adore his work.
Anyway, he recently did two short films that I thought some of you guys might enjoy. The first covers his idea of the perfect “Get-Started” tool kit:
Pretty great production work, no? I love shit like this… But also, I’m a Swiss Champ guy as well. I own no less than three of them.
And then, a few weeks ago, Van released another short film about the basic tools every man needs to get started in life. The advice is shaky at best, but it’s the visuals and actual film making that draws me in. It’s gorgeous and if it gets even one guy out in the shop for the first time? Well then…
If you’ve followed my work in the shop at all, you might know that I am heavily influenced by another artist – Tom Sachs. Van actually worked with Tom for years and you can see that in his own work. These guys are artists – not workshop craftsmen, but I find it really interesting to use some of the ideas they (Tom in particular) have with a higher standard to finish quality.
The end product I often end up with isn’t as inspiring from an artistic standpoint as the stuff Tom and Van output, but it’s just an enjoyable process and something I highly recommend. Find an artist you like and think about them while you make shit. You’ll be glad ya did…
