Holy Tokyo Drift! That’s Sung Kang—bigger than life. This mural’s on the wall of Taiwan-based Jump Shoes’ flagship store in SoHo. But how did it get there? Meet David Foox—a New Zealand artist with an eye for Asian symbolism. Plus, see Sung Kang’s last three short films with Jump Shoes and Arowana Films.

I’ve always been interested in visual art—Art Appreciation completely raised my consciousness in college (thanks, Professor Davis!). So when I first saw the Sung Kang mural, as an uncaptioned photo on Sung’s MySpace page, I was intrigued. On the Jump Shoes blog, I learned more about the mural, and the artists—David and Jessica Foox. I emailed Foox to share my appreciation for his work, and whaddaya know-an interview emerged from the mist.

While speaking with Foox by phone, I enjoyed his lilting New Zealand accent and genial manner. Jessica Foox, David’s wife and artistic collaborator, co-created the mural with him. They relocated to New York about eight years ago.

Stevenson: Tell us how the Sung Kang mural came about.
Foox: Well, we really like certain brands at clothing stores…one such is the Jump brand out of Taiwan. It’s a sneaker and fancy shoe company…a small company that’s making headway in a very competitive market. Even their name, Jump, represents the underdog, and a revolutionary concept. They have to be very cutting-edge to beat a much bigger competition.

Once day, Jessica and I were in the Jump Shoes shop, and we overheard Larry Chen, the owner’s son. We ended up talking to him and showing him our art, which included a lot of the happy Buddha. Then, Larry said they’d be excited if we’d enjoy painting their walls.

Jessica Foox, making the magic happen for Jump Shoes

Stevenson: As a writer, I enjoy expressing myself in many genres, including advertising. But many artists, actors, and writers struggle with the concept of “selling out.” As an artist, how do you feel about using your talent in advertising?
Foox: I think it’s great. The power of an image, in my opinion, comes from its symbolism. The artist has complete control over the symbolism incorporated into his or her art. I don’t mind advertising someone else’s product if I can incorporate a much deeper meaning into the image—a meaning that only a few people can understand, grasp, read into, or analyze.

A party at the SoHo Jump Store, where guests enjoy the mural, still under construction.

Stevenson: Not to mention that we all have to pay the bills. I still laugh every time I think of a cartoon posted in the art building at my college. Two artists were sitting around, having a cigarette, and one says to the other, “I wish I had the funding to really say something.”
Foox:
Absolutely. People will say, “Oh, you’ve gone commercial.” But the artist remains credible by doing fun things—avant garde, performance-based.

Stevenson: It also helps to support a product you believe in. I know that Sung Kang wore Jump’s shoes long before he began his current promotional work for them. How did Jump’s identity as a Chinese company, and Sung Kang’s identity as an Asian-American artist, play into the mural’s development?
Foox: It was good…I appropriated the themes that occur naturally in my art—the Buddha, the symbol of the dragon—and built them into my mural, to add weight to this up-and-coming Chinese shoe company.

Opposite Sung Kang, the dragon and the Buddha

Stevenson: Tell us about the symbols in your work.
Foox: It’s a journey of life through reincarnation—a journey towards enlightenment. As you move your eyes from left to right, you see the different symbols. Sung Kang is representative of an entity of life. He’s blowing smoke to the right, and it forms a dragon. The dragon is another representation of life—a magical element. It transforms into a happy Buddha, which represents enlightenment. Ironically, the owner [Jump Shoes CEO Harry Chen] thought the Buddha was himself!

Stevenson: Tell us about working with Sung Kang.
Foox: Oh, he’s great. I first got to know him in the original planning [of the ad campaign], when we were still going back and forth with ideas. On the original conference call, there was me and Jessica, Sung, the photographer, and two guys from Jump. The guys from Jump told me, “Sung is the guy you’ll base the mural on.” I spoke up and told him what I needed: high-contrast pics of his face at full-on, three-quarters, profile…and Sung said, “I’m on it.” From the beginning, he was very professional. I was impressed with his knowledge of the [advertising] industry as well.

Stevenson: I recall reading one interview that called Sung Kang the most identifiable face from among the young Asian actors who broke out with 2002’s Better Luck Tomorrow. To what do you credit his appeal?
Foox: Well, me and Jessica really liked Better Luck Tomorrow. It’s an awesome movie—visceral, impactful. It’s still very vivid in my mind’s eye, and it had a great impact on American film. So, I think Sung’s performance in BLT gave him a great start. But Sung really has a way with people. He builds a bond with people while he’s on camera—he connects with his audience. I would love to do more murals with him.

For more on David and Jessica Foox’s art , visit their website: http://foox-u.com (cute, huh?). And if you’re in New York, you can check out the mural yourself at 89 Spring Street, between Broadway and Mercer.

And for your viewing pleasure, here’s the last three installments of the Jump Shoes short film series with Sung Kang.

Footballer Chic:

Tuxedo Man:

Easy Rider:

Tags: Arowana films, art, Daivd Foox, Fashion, Jump Shoes, marketing, mural, painting, sung kang