"I swear there were times we got so carried away with ourselves that we really thought we could bring down skateboarding with one terrible idea."
- Julien Stranger on Todd Francis
After the artist monographs WARNING: The Art of Marc McKee and I HATE: The Art of Todd Bratrud, comes the third book in the series LOOK AWAY: The Art of Todd Francis. LOOK AWAY examines the career of skateboard artist Todd Francis and his knack for provocation, pigeons, bums, eagles, vengeful nature and more.
While most people are familiar with his barrage of classic graphics for Antihero, Real, Stereo and Element, Todd Francis reveals in this book a wider palette of styles and techniques. In 96 pages and over 200 reproductions of classic and never-before-seen decks, illustrations, paintings, sketches, and even suicide-themed Christmas decorations, LOOK AWAY strolls through a 20-plus year career built upon one motto: behind the gruesome, tell a deeper story. Or, as Francis sums it up: "It might be one step too far, but it's never the easy step too far."
