The Selby and the PAPERMAG Present: At Home with Ben Ospital
A PAPERMAG Exclusive
By Kim Hastreiter
Photographs by The Selby
Ben Ospital, alongside his sister and business partner Chris, has been bringing high-fashion and up-and-coming local designers to San Francisco for years with their boutique Modern Appeal Clothing. The shop was the first of its kind to move in to San Francisco's Hayes Valley area in 2004, and, in recent years, led the way for other clothing stores, restaurants and businesses to move in as well. In March, the Ospitals will open a second MAC location in S.F. arts district Dogpatch. Here, photographer the Selby takes us inside Ben Ospital's amazing San Francisco residence and Ospital chats with PAPER's Kim Hastreiter about his home, art collection, and new Dogpatch project.
The rest of the Selby's series on Ospital will appear on his website, theselby.com, in the coming weeks (see also his photos of George Lois, Vladimir Kagan, Albert Maysles and Ford Wheeler's homes for PAPERMAG). Until then, you can get a sneak peek with the photos above.
What do you do for a living? How do you describe your profession if someone asks?
I've been partners in a clothing store called MAC, which stands for Modern Appealing Clothing, for 30 years with my sister and my mom (who is now retired). I tell them we sell clothing to proud proletariats!
Where do you live in San Francisco? What do you like about living there?
I live with the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill in North Beach, home of the San Francisco beatniks and punk culture. I love San Francisco because we're a city of free thinkers and self-invented misfits. We have women-owned porn shops and organic farmers with phD's who wear nose rings.
Do you have any collections? What do you like to collect?
I love anything, high and low. I just found a beautiful, wrinkled piece of paper on the sidewalk with the word "Goodwill" scrawled on it while my dog was pooping.
Describe your art collection.
It's very heavily influenced by Creative Growth Art Center and I've collected hundreds of amazing pieces since being on the board there. I know many of the artists and staff and count them as friends. Being a little bit of an outsider, my collection of art has always reflected that point of view.
What are your favorite things in your house?
Eric Skollon's white porcelain vase with a Delft blue cock ring, and Creative Growth's William Scott's "Popular Guy" self portrait, and Cindy Sherman's "Untilted" film still photo.
What does something have to have in order for you to think it's great?
Soulfulness. The energy that lies from an object's creator, you can't fake it, and that moment of discovery is visceral. For instance, Amaryll Schwertner fixing breakfast at [San Francisco restaurant] Boulette's Larder, a wild Walter Van Beirendonck sweater and Jeff Canham's art are very great and soulful to me
You mentioned that you have a dog. Tell us more about her.
I have a dog named Sylvie, I love her! I live in the animal world.
How do you think your home reflects your personality?
My personality, shop and home are all the same. I think these photos the Selby took are really the same as me in my underwear! My home is really everything I want in a garment that we sell at the shop, and the shop sells all the things we want other people to wear to be like us. It's very tribal.
I hear you have a big new project in the wings that has to do with the color yellow. Can you tell us about this?
Yes! We're opening a new store in the manufacturing and art district in San Francisco called Dogpatch. The project is called Yellow Building and opens in March. The 170-year-old space was formerly a stable and we share the space with Piccino restaurant, Blue Bottle Coffee Cafe and a wine store called DIG. What's exciting for us is that we're partnering with [San Francisco philanthropist] Ann Hatch to create a residence and workspace for visiting designers to make unique product, utilizing creatives from NYC to Tokyo and elsewhere to manufacture in San Francisco.
The rest of the Selby's series on Ospital will appear on his website, theselby.com, in the coming weeks (see also his photos of George Lois, Vladimir Kagan, Albert Maysles and Ford Wheeler's homes for PAPERMAG). Until then, you can get a sneak peek with the photos above.
What do you do for a living? How do you describe your profession if someone asks?
I've been partners in a clothing store called MAC, which stands for Modern Appealing Clothing, for 30 years with my sister and my mom (who is now retired). I tell them we sell clothing to proud proletariats!
Where do you live in San Francisco? What do you like about living there?
I live with the wild parrots of Telegraph Hill in North Beach, home of the San Francisco beatniks and punk culture. I love San Francisco because we're a city of free thinkers and self-invented misfits. We have women-owned porn shops and organic farmers with phD's who wear nose rings.
Do you have any collections? What do you like to collect?
I love anything, high and low. I just found a beautiful, wrinkled piece of paper on the sidewalk with the word "Goodwill" scrawled on it while my dog was pooping.
Describe your art collection.
It's very heavily influenced by Creative Growth Art Center and I've collected hundreds of amazing pieces since being on the board there. I know many of the artists and staff and count them as friends. Being a little bit of an outsider, my collection of art has always reflected that point of view.
What are your favorite things in your house?
Eric Skollon's white porcelain vase with a Delft blue cock ring, and Creative Growth's William Scott's "Popular Guy" self portrait, and Cindy Sherman's "Untilted" film still photo.
What does something have to have in order for you to think it's great?
Soulfulness. The energy that lies from an object's creator, you can't fake it, and that moment of discovery is visceral. For instance, Amaryll Schwertner fixing breakfast at [San Francisco restaurant] Boulette's Larder, a wild Walter Van Beirendonck sweater and Jeff Canham's art are very great and soulful to me
You mentioned that you have a dog. Tell us more about her.
I have a dog named Sylvie, I love her! I live in the animal world.
How do you think your home reflects your personality?
My personality, shop and home are all the same. I think these photos the Selby took are really the same as me in my underwear! My home is really everything I want in a garment that we sell at the shop, and the shop sells all the things we want other people to wear to be like us. It's very tribal.
I hear you have a big new project in the wings that has to do with the color yellow. Can you tell us about this?
Yes! We're opening a new store in the manufacturing and art district in San Francisco called Dogpatch. The project is called Yellow Building and opens in March. The 170-year-old space was formerly a stable and we share the space with Piccino restaurant, Blue Bottle Coffee Cafe and a wine store called DIG. What's exciting for us is that we're partnering with [San Francisco philanthropist] Ann Hatch to create a residence and workspace for visiting designers to make unique product, utilizing creatives from NYC to Tokyo and elsewhere to manufacture in San Francisco.
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