Interview with MICO

Free Daze (UK)

Graffiti writer Daze (Gary Shields) from the UK was jailed in March for 28 months at Ayr Sheriff Court. This was for eight offences.

A protest and appeal are aimed at getting this ridiculously long sentence reduced. See the link for details and current petitions.

[Note that this is not the same Daze whose painting appears on Art Crimes' front page this month.]

Time-lapse Slick/Persue/Brisk/OG Able

fun in Southern California

The Gateway project: Crol and Werk with Victor Ochoa

Os Gemeos - pictures from their Madrid show

These photos of the February show in Madrid make it obvious why Os Gemeos are so popular. Their work is just plain fun -- both for them and for the lucky audience.

Invader in Kathmandu

Miss Van

Miss Van has some nice things on show and for sale here.

Graffiti LA

This great website supports the book of the same name. There is lots of LA history online here, and it's a great read. The book is amazing and huge. You must get one. It has more than 900 pictures, including a CD-ROM. The website has additional material and commentary.

Estria's skinny cap (stencil tip) tutorial [updated]

Correct info, from the site: "In 1986 Crayone TWS and Razor KTD first introduced Estria to the Skinny Cap. Razor was the first to conceive of it." (San Francisco Bay Area)

This type of detail cap has spread to Europe and beyond over the decades.

Here's the first public tutorial on home made skinny caps.

Be forewarned: Using these can be incredibly messy. You will get paint all over yourself until you get the hang of it. Wear gloves and trashed shoes. On the upside, you'll have plenty of loose paint for those nice splatter effects.

Twist (Barry McGee) interview

via Rory Ahern - VICE/VBS.tv

London: Ron English billboards

Overnight two RON ENGLISH billboards have appeared in West London.

The exact locations are:

1) the corner of Harrow Road and Hythe Road (next to the Texaco station)

2) outside Willesden tube station.

[please send photos!!]

also, from Elms Lesters Painting room (where they are now showing)

The Adam and Ron show catalogue

Hundreds of fans queued for the catalogue signing, here at the gallery this
morning, with Adam Neate and Ron English.

Unsigned catalogues are still available from the gallery or by post.

Ring the gallery on 00 44 20 7836 6747 to reserve one.

The show continues until Saturday 31st. May.

Opening hours:
Tuesday - Saturday 12 - 6pm
Thursdays 'til 9pm

See the link for upcoming London show info: Delta, WK Interact, Anthony Lister, Jose Parla!

London: Banksy tunnel - this weekend only [updated]

"Graffiti artist Banksy has turned a south London tunnel into a half-mile long exhibition space, but the elusive artist kept its location secret until the last minute, reported the BBC. Banksy marshaled more than three dozen international artists for what he's calling the "Cans Festival" ? and is encouraging visitors to contribute their own graffiti starting Saturday.

Members of the public are being invited to take part in Banksy's latest project in London, as an army of graffiti writers turn a whole street into an art exhibition. "

More: www.thecansfestival.com

UPDATE: on Flickr

Apple photobooks 20% off until May 11 (USA only)

I've heard these are really nice looking, but I haven't made one yet. It's supposed to be super easy to make photobooks with iPhoto and there's a tutorial here on Apple.com

Another article about graffiti innovations

Breakthroughs? You be the judge. Some cool stuff in there for sure, but plenty to get riled about as well. As a commenter put it, graffiti is usually associated with "a certain demographic" but apparently when people of other demographics do it, it's cool. Can you smell the racism there?

Cristopher Cichocki

Tasty. Cristopher's work must be seen because words can't do it any justice.
Tip: the small pictures are clickable.

Benelux B-Boy Battle Winners

See the link above for all the available videos from the battle. Here's a taste:

Sky-High Ads Float Like Clouds

A new kind of skywriting. Foam logos floating around ... hmmm.

via bldgblog

The war that lasts another 6 months, then another 6

MoveOn is a political action committee that is antiwar, pro-environment and active on progressive issues. They make it easy to send email to your Congresscritters and they buy advertising to help educate Americans on important issues. They endorsed Obama this year by popular demand (landslide) from a majority of their members, even though they normally don't pick a candidate. And best of all, they'd rather have your signature on petitions than your money.

Teen falls through roof in Melbourne

"A TEENAGE boy suffered a broken jaw, smashed teeth and fractures to his legs and wrists when he fell through a fibre glass roof while out graffitiing property in Melbourne.

Police said the 14-year-old was seriously injured in the fall in Mentone, in Melbourne's southeast, about 2am (AEST) today.

The boy had been graffitiing the rear sections of buildings in Como Parade at the time, police said. He was walking across a section of fibre glass roofing when he fell through it, about six metres to the ground.

Police spokesman Senior Constable Wayne Wilson said another boy, 13, called an ambulance, and the injured teenager was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital.

Police are yet to speak to the boy and have not charged him. "

Another lucky rotten-roof survivor.

Be careful out there. Never trust a roof. Always have a lookout.

We sure hope he makes a speedy recovery.

Banksy vs CCTV

Fotolog continues to delete writers' sites

I think I've said this before, but it is only getting worse, so I'll say it again: Fotolog seems to have a special hatred for graffiti artists, because it routinely closes their sites without warning (and we hope that's the worst thing they do). I suggest all you folks with fotologs go to Flickr instead.

Wherever you do it, make sure you keep copies of your photos, because most companies can't be trusted to keep them safe, and it's a hassle to download them one at a time too.

LA vs WAR

What if one of the world's most famous violinists busked in the subway?

This will come as no surprise to you, but maybe it will be some comfort.

Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100. Two weeks later, at the Music Center at Strathmore, in North Bethesda, he would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements. But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell was just another mendicant, competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.

Once a woman said to me, "This isn't art. Art is what I buy and hang in my living room."

Pathetic.

DIAR KYT DTC BENEFIT. PLEASE HELP!

Recently, DIAR KYT DTC was in a terrible car wreck and has been paralyzed. He's been clinging to life and has pulled through and is beginning to show big signs of improvement. We are currently organizing art shows and a benefit CD. 

Clout magazine has been spearheading an art show and they offer the best way to contribute on that front. Check them out online at cloutdistribution.com or contact them at myspace.com/cloutmagazine.

Goonie is currently organizing musicians to put out a benefit CD. If you are interested in contributing a track, please hit him up on myspace.com/thagoonie and he can get you more information. 

Those who pray: pray. Those who spray: spray.

---

The first benefit is in Long Beach (Los Angeles) CA: April 11 - 12, 2008
Crime 79 / Cope 2 in California
flyer with the 411

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't)

Civil rights: John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws. 1

Warmongering: According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi." 2

Torture: His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban. 3

Reproductive choice: McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned." 4

Children: The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill. 5

Lending regulation: He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations. 6

Self-control: Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me." 7

Follow the money: McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates. 8

Extremist religious views: McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult." 9

Votes anti-environment: He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0 - yes, zero - from the League of Conservation Voters last year. 10

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out.

Sources:

1. "The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts

2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/

3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/

4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/

5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," February 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/03/mccain.interview/

6. "Beer Executive Could Be Next First Lady," Associated Press, April 3, 2008
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-S1sWHm0tchtdMP5LcLywg5ZtMgD8VQ86M80

"McCain Says Bank Bailout Should End `Systemic Risk,'" Bloomberg News, March 25, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHMiDVYaXZFM&refer=home

7. "Will McCain's Temper Be a Liability?," Associated Press, February 16, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=4301022

"Famed McCain temper is tamed," Boston Globe, January 27, 2008
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/famed_mccain_temper_is_tamed/

8. "Black Claims McCain's Campaign Is Above Lobbyist Influence: 'I Don't Know What The Criticism Is,'" ThinkProgress, April 2, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/02/mccain-black-lobbyist/

"McCain's Lobbyist Friends Rally 'Round Their Man," ABC News, January 29, 2008
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4210251

9. "McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam," Mother Jones Magazine, March 12, 2008
http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2008/03/john-mccain-rod-parsley-spiritual-guide.html

"Will McCain Specifically 'Repudiate' Hagee's Anti-Gay Comments?," ThinkProgress, March 12, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/03/12/mccain-hagee-anti-gay/

"McCain 'Very Honored' By Support Of Pastor Preaching 'End-Time Confrontation With Iran,'" ThinkProgress, February 28, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/28/hagee-mccain-endorsement/

10. "John McCain Gets a Zero Rating for His Environmental Record," Sierra Club, February 28, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/environment/77913/

[source: MoveOn.org]