The last graffiti artist

- Ruskig and Angest, in Malmo

Color - It's okay to express yourself, in the closet or garage

Just ask the Swiss Embassy.

"Perhaps we need to follow the example of the Swiss embassy in London, where a recent much-publicized party revealed a secret that its staff had enjoyed privately for years - its underground parking garage is not a dull white wasteland but a place full of colour and commentary.

"In 2001, then-ambassador Bruno Spinner had invited local graffiti artists to create what was supposed to be a temporary installation, but it proved too irresistible to whitewash."

[...]

"Back at the Swiss embassy in London, one of the contributing artists, Banksy, has become so famous in the seven years since the graffiti installation was created that his part of it (which includes 21 profiles of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin sporting a Mohawk and a Mona Lisa with a rifle range stencilled on her forehead) is estimated to be worth £1-million."

"Which is, no doubt, a lot more valuable than all of the granite, marble and embellishments in the embassy's front hall put together."

Of course, there's no photo in the article. And the article goes on about the adventures of conservative people painting bright colors in closets for secret thrills. London does seem the perfect place for a Banksy in the old pantry or a perky little painted car park.

Go ahead ... live a little. Gray is for battleships.

Daniel Dociu - Guild Wars artist

Extraordinary game illustration you really should see, in an interview with its creator, Daniel Dociu on BLDG. As you marvel at the deep worlds he's created, consider that he's doing it with little more than his big imagination, a little charcoal, and Photoshop.

Blek le Rat - new book

Blek le Rat - Getting Through the Walls, published by Thames & Hudson.



Blek le Rat is one of the most influential figures in the world of street art, who is said to have inspired Banksy.

Also, photos of his installation from May 7 at The Conran Shop, Fulham Road, London, by Paul Jenkins.

These look to be pasted up stenciled material of some kind.





Thanks to Mark and Amy.

Interview with MICO

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.

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

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.

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

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

Mission Graffiti

Some great historical photos here.

Do schools kill creativity? Sir Ken Robinson - TED 2007

For the ADHD kid in all of us. You'll be glad you watched it.

If you have trouble playing this video, go to the link above and download the video for smoother playback.

Munk One X Barack Obama - limited edition prints

Upper Playground has a few signed limited screen prints of Barack Obama done by Munk One of L.A. and Sam Flores.

[Update: This is not the Munk who writes graffiti in L.A., but instead is the artist holding down Munkone.com. Confusing, I know.]

Scullphone billboards LA

Not sure I believe he paid for these, but I guess that would be the easy way to get up.

Interview with Vulcan

Vulcan's got a solo show at 111 Minna, San Francisco in April 2008 too.

Copyright for artists, in a nutshell

I get a lot of questions about copyright. This blog article at emptyeasel.com explains the basics and links to the US gov site for copyright details and forms.

Copyrights are for individual expressions. Trademarks are for goods and corporate identity. Some copyright law is international and some is for your own country only. This info pertains to the US but might also apply somewhat to you if you live in another country.

Tip: If you are printing your name on products, you need a trademark also to protect against other people using your name or making counterfeits, but it's $$$$$ to do it, and you might need one trademark per country of interest. If you need a trademark, you probably need a trademark attorney, if only because they can do the big database searches for you.

Speaking of Obama: The Mac's print

Nicely done, as are all The Mac's pieces. Sadly the limited editions were all gone instantly.

In related news, Move On is having a contest for voter-created Obama video ads.

Banksy's new wall quickly covered in plastic

You know you would.

Factory 311 - Art and Design Dream Team

Check this out. Factory 311 has assembled an amazing group of artists into an international design team. Way to go.

Parallel Strokes - New book by Ian Lynam

"Parallel Strokes is a collection of interviews with twenty-plus contemporary typeface designers, graffiti writers, and lettering artists around the world. The book is introduced with a comprehensive essay charting the history of graffiti, its relation to type design, and how the two practices relate in the wider context of lettering.

Interviews within include conversations with pan-European type design collective Underware, Japanese type designer Akira Kobayashi, American graffiti writer and fine artist Barry McGee/Twist, German graffiti writers Daim and Seak, American lettering artist, graphic designer and design educator Ed Fella, among others. Parallel Strokes is an enquiry into the history, context, and development of lettering today, both culturally approved and illicit.

Softcover, 244 pages, printed in glorious Canada First 100 orders ship with a limited edition 17 in. x 20 in. two-color Parallel Strokes poster
us $25 + Free shipping worldwide.

[Check the link for sample pages and a full list of interviewees.]

Usugrow and Chaz

Usugrow's blog has some nice action shots of him and Chaz performing live in Japan recently.

Graffiti Research Lab - Interview and upcoming event in Mpls

If you've been watching GRL and thinking WTF? This is your article.

Interactive graffiti wall

Hamburg, Germany: Daim, Tasek, Daddy Cool, Desur, and Seak have again found something new to do -- this time with Quick Read (QR) codes and "mobile tagging."

QR codes can be snapped by your phone camera, interpreted by software, and then translated into words or websites, or whatever they mean. Plus they look cool.

You can make your own, print them onto stickers and join the fun wherever you are as well.


This one says http://graffiti.org

The StayHigh149 controversy

stayhigh149.com
butter

luisart.org
margarine

Bio and TATs have asked me to publish this letter publicly.

---
Regarding the StayHigh 149 wars
 
First, I would like to point out that I usually would not involve myself in internet gossip but this has become a real problem. I have too much respect for the graffiti culture and admiration for the old school to allow this to continue. I have just recently learned that you are using my name as well as Per in supporting your claim to be StayHigh149. I will not speak for Per I can only speak for myself.

I cannot say who wrote what first because I was not there. I have been writing for 30 years so I cannot comment on what happened in the 70s. I can only go by what I learn from the old school writers who were there. I know that when we first met you told us you were StayHigh149 and we were like "no way." We even asked you if you were the guy who painted the stick figure smoking a joint and you said yes.

We had no reason to doubt you back then we weren't around in the early days to know and StayHigh had not been heard from in years we took your word for it. I have to say maybe you did write StayHigh149 first (your claim) but you are definitely not the one that people are referring to or the one responsible for all the photos we have seen published throughout the years. What I'm saying is that whether you were first or not you are not the guy who made the name famous.

No one would even be talking about any of this if it were not for the efforts of StayHigh149, Voice of the Ghetto. The man who brought us the smoking stickman. I don't have anything against you personally, you were a cool person but I cannot support you in this matter.

I now know the truth and have since met the original StayHigh149. I look back and realize that we were fooled -- the signs were always there but we just ignored them. I remember Seen UA bringing you some photos of some StayHigh pieces on trains and you said you didn't remember doing them. I found that strange but let it slide. I also noticed that the tag and stick figure you use to tag looked a little shaky but I dismissed it thinking you might be rusty. I also remember speaking to Phase 2 and he told us that the original StayHigh was black.

I remember we were starting to doubt that you were StayHigh then you went and got a StayHigh tattoo and I remember thinking damn I doubt anyone would go to those lengths if he wasn't the real person. I remember going to a Hugo Martinez gallery show with you and all the old school writers saying that the original StayHigh149 was a black guy. At this time I realize that we had been fooled.

I don't think we made a big deal of it at the time because we had become cool with you. I'm sorry that I have to speak about this publicly but you have made it a public matter. I am not attacking you but I cannot allow my name to be used in an effort to change history when I know that you are not the StayHigh who made graffiti history. Bg183 who also painted with you feels the same way. I have nothing to gain by discrediting you but I will not let history be distorted. I'm sorry but credit goes to where credit is due. I wish you much success in your other artistic ventures.

Bio Tats Cru

Graffiti at the National Portrait Gallery

Way to go, Con and Arek!


- via Karl and Boingboing

Fuzz One needs our help: Buy his book now

Sadly, Fuzz One's mother just passed away and he is trying to raise funds to cover her funeral costs. So if you were thinking about buying one of his new books, this is the best of all possible times to do that. Here's the info:

Fuzz One
The Last of the Old School
by Vincent Fedorchak

This one you have to buy directly from Fuzz because it's not available anywhere else.
Info: myspace.com/fuzzone
djfuzzone@yahoo.com

Fuzz says:
Book is 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Heavy and almost 400 pages. All raw text of hardcore NY history.

US customers: No PayPal at all. Only checks allowed from a U.S. bank. Check or money order only. For one book only and extra artwork, the total to send is $40.00. All shipments get sent with Priority Mail and include new artwork I am doing. If you want more than one book, e-mail me for prices.

Any other country: No personal checks. Only International Money Order or U.S. dollars in cash. No Euros or other currency for now. This gets you one book and Priority Mail shipping (airmail). You can send it certified mail so you know I got it, but that is an extra expense for you. It's US$ 50.00 for one book to get sent to England. I have had a few customers from there already. It should be close to that for other European countries but I ask that you e-mail me first from where you are in order to determine if it will cost more. Send inquiries to djfuzzone@yahoo.com

I will sign each book and in most cases will add my own graffiti artwork by doing something for you and include it with the book. No other authors do that.

More than one book: If you want more than one book, send me a note to tell me how many you want and where you are. New shipping prices will be given to you.

Not doing business with any bookstores or distributors. Write your name and address neatly so I can read it when sending your payment.

Send any payments here:

Vincent Fedorchak
PO Box 111
Port Jervis NY 12771
USA

Retna, Dame, and Werc

Sacred text

Hotel in Prague enhances workers' space with graffiti

"Graffiti art attack for Prague hotel "
11 February 2008

"In attempt to upgrade the back of the house areas and meet the new generations taste and expectations, General Manager of five-star hotel Corinthia Prague, Christian Grage invited local Graffiti artists, Lukáš Fokt and Zsolt Farkas to take charge and 'turn the place upside down'.

"Overall, six different designs for departments such as Maintenance, Training and Kitchen have been chosen to add 'spirit' to the otherwise white walls in the traditional back of house areas. The largest piece of art is over 4 meters high and 5 meters wide and decorates the lift landing of the two lifts for back of the house transportation.

"Christian Grage, General Manager commented:

"We agreed with both artists that it's great to do such graffiti pieces on unusual places such as the back of the five-star hotel as well as being a fantastic opportunity for young people to avoid illegal graffiti on facades of buildings.

"Employees love the new art initiatives and many more departments are now putting in requests for their own personalised Graffiti pieces. I have seen so many pictures taken by proud employees in front of those new images in the back house.

Grage, who has worked with a British graffiti artist before continued:

"We must enhance employee areas and keep their smiles going. The graffiti initiative is only one small aspect of many other initiatives driven by the creative management team of Corinthia Towers Hotel.?

corinthiahotels.com

Graff Comic

50 strips on your favorite topic.

Topr - new recordings

Dude can rhyme up a storm. Have a listen. Check out the sick Alex Pardee covers too.

A message from Bukue

It's a new year, it's time to ride the wave and utilize are insights to stay ahead of the curve of change. For years and years in the music industry the majority of money for artists was based on album sales. All of your promotions and tours were tools to you promote your album in hopes to increase your album sales.

Now, with the internet and the ability to download albums the minute one person gets and uploads it, things are changing. A lot of artists get really upset and scold fans for downloading their music. I feel them on one hand but from an independant artist's standpoint i look at it like: they are still downloading and listening to YOUR music!

They can easily not download, share, listen, support your music... That's the sign of the times. I'm not saying downloading is great and not buying albums is the bomb, i'm just saying, it is what is today. We can utilize it as a tool or fight it till we are left behind. On one hand i think it's great for hip hop! ( yes actually i do!) peep.

Back before hip hop/rap was popular in the mainstream, there wasn't much focus or chance of anyone blowing up off their music.

That's when folks who really made music, made it for the love of the music and culture 1st! Once you found out you could bubble off music, the art got diluded a bit. Cats who didn't really love the art, got involved because it was a legal hustle, then followed the gangsta ( which was cool), but then came the gangsta rap trend. Cats who weren't gangstas, just folks who found out that if you rapped like a gangsta then you could sell records. BOOOOO! So now that it's almost like the early '80s all over again when it comes to artists being able to become filthy rich off of rap/hip hop, a lot of the artists who were in it just for the $$$ will fall out of the game and look for other ways to bubble and not off our art.

Not saying it's impossible to make a good living off of your music or that it's a bad goal, just that it's a little harder than before. It requires waay more hustle and learning how to use our current tools i.e., internet, FREEE DOWNLOADS, etc.

These are all ways of getting your music heard and name out, without it costing you any money! just sweat capital! good ole time and energy! (sorry for the lazy, supa star type rappers.. all real cats report to the trenches!!)

Before you would tour to promote your albums, now its getting to the point where you use your albums as a promotional tool used to promote your tours, merchandise, and all the other skills and talents you possess.

I'm with it. I'm all about the cleansing of the culture by making it harder to make $ off of it. I wouldn't have wished it upon anyone but since it's hear, note the pluses and turn them stones to gold!

So here are my last 3 albums FREEEEEEEE! yes FREEEEE you can just download it, bootleg it, share it. actually I encourage all of those! Here is my paypal if you would like to donate, break bread or contribute. Anything, nothing, all good, just optional.

You can PayPal to mrbukueone@yahoo.com No matter if you pay through props, showing up at shows and buying merch, actually paying cash or just bumping it. I am grateful for it all, I know there are millions of other artists you could be listening to :)

Respect and here are the tunes.

Rebirth of the lastarfighta (tracks 17-33)
Intromission
Bukue aka Mr Generous "Hustlin like raindrops" vol 1

[Try these d/l links at night or check out Bukue on his site and iTunes, because the download links above seem to be timing out at the moment. - Susan]

Artist interviews - original videos from On Point

Delta, Martha Cooper, Sozyone Gonzalez, Stak, and more.

Alex has some podcasts on this site too.

Making original content is so much better than chopping up someone else's videos. Yay Alex.

Murakami takes Augor / Revok billboard back to Japan

via BoingBoing and Karl

Who wouldn't want that billboard, it's gorgeous.

Style animation, political satire

This is supposedly by IGT/Phase2. Nice styles in any case.

Tony Silver - Style Wars filmmaker - RIP

UPDATE: 149th St has posted an obituary. See the link above.

---

"We lost a beloved friend this weekend and respectfully mourn with his family and the thousands of kids, artists and fans who took inspiration from his classic film Style Wars.

"I've been a close friend of Tony's for many years and have had a special attachment to him as a person who had a great depth of intellect in all areas of his life. As a mentor and friend I have known him for his appreciation for the art of life and the life of art in others, that is why he made Style Wars and Facing the Audience a film about Marshall Arisman.

"Many of you know that I have sought to extend the legacy of his work online with the website, a labor of love I have been doing since the beginning of the internet. It was this collaboration between him, Henry and myself that helped bring more people to know and support the film. It is this collaboration that will continue on as the website goes into its next phase, realizing the enormous effect of his work and legacy on the global graffiti community.

"You can post any comments and condolences at myspace.com/stylewars

"Thank you Tony, and thank you Lisa Silver for caring for our friend.

Mare139


A terrible loss for us all.

Obama posters by Shepard Fairey

News flashes:

The posters sold out within a day.

The candidate, Barack Obama, is worth voting for (this Tuesday, if you can), because he represents our best hope for something different and better going on in the White House and for the future of the US. Plenty of great presidents in our past had far less political experience than he. Let's elect someone with a brain, a conscience and, we can hope - integrity - this time. The world depends on us to do that.

Shepard Fairey has been putting a finer point on it lately. Perhaps he's got something to say after all. Here's another example.

Online art sales - busiest sites

Monthly traffic in the online art market.

Os Gemeos paintings in Lithuania

Alex Grey exhibition in NYC

See psychedelic artwork like no other, until February 8 at the Microcosm.

See more stuff online and in NYC at Cosm

Hire An Illustrator

This site hosts and promotes your illustration portfolio for $7 per week.

Secretwars

This looks like fun.

Slick painting a low rider in LA

"Slick and Danny D combine the world of graff with custom low-rider culture on this paint scheme for Ford's pre-production prototype of their latest model 'Flex' due to drop summer '08 (paint scheme not included!!)"

New Mear limited edition

They go really fast, so don't hesitate if you want one.

"Dare to Defy? by MEAR ONE
3 color screen print
Size: 18? x