San Francisco Artist’s OSU Tribute Delivers Kinetic Meaning
Growing up, I was a pencil artist, which is something that plays deeply into my own creative roots and adherance toward supporting creatives. I say this with no allusions in mind when I bring attention to the latest inspired work surrounding filmmaker and action director Vlad Rimburg’s shortfilm endeavors with Osu since 2014, and some newly viral artwork surrounding the latest release of Osu 2.
For this, we look to Steven Yu, an actor and stunt performer currently living in San Francisco where he can also be found dabbling seriously into his craft as an artist since 2012. His latest erection is now online with several pieces of inspired artwork for Rimburg’s new shortfilm which aired online a few days ago as another poetic tribute to Shotokan forberarer, Funakoshi Gichin, with Brendon Huor, Tony Vittorioso, Nate Hitpas and Micah Karns.
I spoke to to Yu on Tuesday to help provide a better perspective and understanding behind his images. “They’re kinetic art,” said Yu in further building on what he says of his art as “loose, impressionistic” and driven on narrative. “I saw [the first] Osu only two or three months ago and it is one of Vlad’s works that really made me emotional. He’s got great stuff, but this one felt epic; Osu 2 feels like a return of that epic feeling, only more muscular and done with precision and the work of a true craftsman, and Osu feels more poetic. Both, I feel, are a love letter to a specfic genre and martial arts.”
Yu probably isn’t wrong there considering the first one and its vision; Anyone who saw Nagasaki Shunichi’s 2007 period drama, Kuro Obi, can probably relate, and so with Yu’s abstract artistry, we get another sample of just that same type of inspiration, which I thought would be worthy of sharing below. Of course, and in timely fashion, Rimburg’s Osu and Osu 2 are available in the subsequent playlist beneath, with the second also on display at this week’s Hit List exhibit.
Yu currently stars with Rimburg in Dennis Ruel’s Unlucky Stars now available on VOD while his artwork can also be found via Instagram as well as his online portfolio at Cargo Collective.
Native New Yorker. Lover of all things pizza, chocolate, pets, and good friends. Karaoke hero. Left of center. Survivor. Fond supporter of cult, obscure and independent cinema - especially fond of Asian movies and global action cinema. Author of the bi-weekly Hit List. Founder and editor of Film Combat Syndicate. Still, very much, only human.
