I'm keeping busy with music, art, photos, fashion and life. LA lets me wear flip-flops year round and has given me an appreciation of Mexican food! Check my Hall/Fame.
I'm British-born Chinese from Bristol, home of the true sound of UK dance music: Trip Hop and Drum & Bass and adopted home of Dubstep. After 15 years in London I moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue a new career and outlook on life.
Last month Tangent Books in Bristol released a set of eight Bristol graffiti postcards by photographer and artist Frank Drake.
"The cards were originally produced in the 1980s in association with the city’s Arnolfini gallery and feature the first graffiti works to appear in Bristol by artists including 3D and the Z Boys."
These cards take me back in time...when Virgin Records was still in Broadmead and stocked European vinyl imports where I found two copies of the original to Peter Piper when Roni and I were out beat-hunting. Grant was still working in Revolver Records/Rough Trade where I bought the "Wild Style" film soundtrack and John was working in Sidetrax on Park Street. Those were the days!
If you want a more contextual description, then I copped this from the Tangent Books' website ;)
"Set against the background of the St Paul’s riots and the fusion of the city’s funk, punk and reggae factions under the influence of Mark Stewart’s The Pop Group, hip-hop emerged as the counter culture champion. The four strands of hip-hop were breakdancing, DJ-ing, MC-ing and graffiti. Any self-respecting crew needed each element and Drake’s photographs capture the very first public expressions of hip-hop inspired street art."
"In Massive Attack’s world, “Heligoland” is as close to cheerful as it gets, and, once your ears adjust, you can hear a deliberate kind of celebration winding through the music. There are no fast numbers, though. Plenty of bands can do that." New Yorker
Read about how Massive Attack came into being in this New Yorker article. Sasha Frere-Jones did her homework with only one small error: Willie Wee was an M.C., not a D.J.! For an interview with Massive Attack about the making of Heligoland go to BBC 6Music.
A slew of West Coast (LA, SD) and East Coast (Miami) graffiti writers are congregating at Mid-City Arts this weekend for "On A Sunday Afternoon."
Some of the artists were due to paint as early as Friday with a live mural installation by Retna and a closing reception on Sunday March 7 from 2pm-8pm.
Not sure how those plans will work out since as I write it's raining cats and dogs in LA.
If you are down with New York graffiti then you'll know some the TC-5 (The Cool Five) crew members...Claw Money, Doze Green, Kaws, Lady Pink and Mr. Wiggles.
But, there are unsung heroes who slipped by me, so I spent time at Crewest Gallery's pre-show opening for "Revolutions" to speak with "Shirt King" Phade, Keo and Aevon, who schooled me on TC-5.
The show runs til March 28th with the opening reception and “Piecebook: Reloaded” book launch (featuring many of the Tc-5 members) on Saturday, March 6th, 2010, 6pm to 9pm.
On Saturday, March 20th, 2010, 6pm to 9pm there's a fashion show featuring garms painted by TC-5 as well as live painting on t-shirts and live music by The Milky Way and a special set by DJ Computer Jay.
The last chance to see the show will be at the closing reception on Saturday, March 27th, 2010, 6pm to 9pm will feature live painting and surprise guest D.J.s.
The Crazy 5 Blade was in the original TC5 (The Crazy 5) from the 70s. Later management was handed to SEEN (TC-5's SEEN is not SEEN from United Artists...who was first is a matter for those in the know!) @149th St. has a brief history. Aevon said that Phade was passed the presidency, but it eventually accepted by SEEN. You may have seen his work under the name TWICE or his other "nom de plumes."
I'm not sure when The Crazy 5 converted into The Cool 5, but I do know the Crewest Gallery show has works from some of the pioneers of the New York Graffiti scene. I got myself one of three Doze Green original drawing in wax crayon on paper. Other work are on mixed media: wood, paper, metal and canvas and all pop with the same energy of classic old skool graffiti.
Garms If collecting art ain't your thing, then Crewest has a dope TC-5 limited edition t-shirt for you. As long as you're a size L and above then this shirt has your name on it!
Going back...This video copped from TC-5's website was directed and produced by Henry Chalfont of Style Wars fame. Hear the breaks and check the style (Spank's glasses are pure sci-fi!) This documentary really captures the energy and excitement of the time.
Brim's words explain why hip hop lost some of its passion in New York, but luckily that energy lived on in Europe and Japan: "Like, a couple of years back it...the whole hip hop culture stuff wasn't organized like it's organized now...now you walk down the street...you see kids breakdancing, like they see it in the movies, you have graffiti in the movies, you got breakdancing in the movies, you got posters in the train about breakdancing, you got albums of rappers...this whole hip hop subculture of the ghettos is about to get big."
"...we painted day and night using imported spray paint and 3 scissor lifts to create the 20 x 100 foot semi-grayscale mural located in the parking lot of the former Pic-n-save/Big Lots." Kofie
Hollywood and Vine The huge mural was commissioned by Yosi Sergant as part of "ManifestEquality.com" to raise awareness of civil rights issues of Proposition 8. The timing of the show will ride the Academy Awards media-fest as the "Oscars" roll into town this Sunday and will hopefully attract a few industry-types and celebs to help challenge the Prop.
"Los Angeles is one of the epicenters of creativity in the world," Sergant says, "And with the Academy Awards approaching, it seemed like an excellent opportunity to take advantage of the heightened energy and attention and start a conversation of substance."
Manifest Equality is a temporary art show running through the weekend exhibiting "hundreds of well-known and emerging names, including street artists Robbie Conal, Swoon and Shepard Fairey, and illustrative painters Barry McGee, Gary Baseman and Elizabeth McGrath ." Even L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa got involved as he helped choose five artworks from over 1,000 entries to the Manifest Equality art contest.
Sergant is best remembered for his work in creating the grassroots "Manifest Hope" art shows and involvement in the "Hope" poster images done by Shepard Fairey.
Sometimes you see at-shirt slogan that could last more than a few washes before it gets played out!
The latest garm' sold by Digital Gravel is one such shirt because it's inspired by a dedicated artist who was convicted in Melbourne, Australia after a AUS $20,000 graffiti bombing spree. Revok, from the infamous Seventh Letter, got cold busted after tweeting his whereabouts as he was leaving Australia, but escaped with a 9 month jail sentence, suspended for two years. Let's not mention his travel visa...Revoked! ;)
Catcha on the flip side The reverse of the t-shirt has the words "Very Remorseful." A classic t-shirt inspired by a soon-to-be legendary urban story! As someone's grandma has said: "Use those smartphones wisely and don't tweet in real-time unless you wanna be on TV and have a t-shirt dedicated to you!"
A bit slim on real revelations. Nas says "you get to go behind the scenes, get behind his mind and see what's going on and what makes him tick..." But the video doesn't deliver. Still interesting.
The rain and general dreariness kept me away from the LA Art Showeven though LA's most talented street artists 'come art gallery converts were painting live as part of FADA's (Fine Art Dealers Association) "VOX HUMANA.". Lame I know! So instead of sharing my pics, I've found some great ones from Mr. Satoe.
Redemption But, to represent I'm planning to head downtown to see the closing show entitled, "Street Legal", featuring Mear One, Kofie, Retna and El Mac this coming Weds 3rd March. May be see you at the Rivera & Rivera gallery. If not check back for photos.
LA Art Show reprise Until this year, the LA Art Show had never shown any street art! Surprising, when you consider the number of Californian graffiti and street artists (yes, I'm going to lump them together ;) ) who have become household names locally and internationally. In my own random order (with credibility or verification given): Obey, Seventh Letter/AWR/MSK ( Revok, Retna, Saber, Push, Rime, Zes and many, many more), El Mac, Buff Monster, Mr. Brainwash, Shark Toof etc.
Bryson Strauss, curator of VOX HUMANA, compares Mear One, Kofie, Retna and El Mac timeliness to art world celebrities. “Shepard Fairey and Banksy show at art fairs like Art Basel, but they’ve already been validated and vindicated and selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s easy to hang [their work] on your wall and say, ‘Now, I’m cool and I’m hip.’”
Kim Martindale, producer of the Los Angeles Art Show, added that VOX HUMANA offers street artists credibility and takes the illegal tarnish off of street art. “Graffiti art is part of that latest movement,” says Martindale. “It’s kind of gone through a transition from where people had pushed it aside and said, ‘Let’s not even look at it. That’s an evil thing for our society.’”
For some fans of street art, VOX HUMANA might be the beginning of the end. This fear seemed best expressed by LA Art Show visitor Marta Avellaneda from Galeria del Paseo in Montevideo, Uruguay, "...They’re muralists, but muralists on canvas. To me,...the fact that...a street performer...becomes part of an art collection -- it loses its feeling.”
I'm sure that the artists disagree. I heard that the exposure from VOX HUMANA got Mear One, Retna, El Mac and Kofie representation to go to Art Basel in Europe. One irony that wasn't lost on me was LA
Convention Center prohibits the use of aerosol paint. That meant Mear One painted with a brush and El Mac’s - the middle-aged woman - was painted in advance of Retna's live letter painting.
The Human Voice I discovered that VOX HUMANA is Latin for “the human voice” and came from David Bayles and Ted Orland's 2001 book, Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. It's gained a cult-following as an artist's survival guide exploring the way art gets made, the reasons it doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way.
"To all viewers but yourself, what matters is the product: the finished artwork. To you, and you along, what matters is the process."
I'm keeping busy with music, art, photos, fashion and life. LA lets me wear flip-flops year round and has given me an appreciation of Mexican food! Check my Hall/Fame.
I'm British-born Chinese from Bristol, home of the true sound of UK dance music: Trip Hop and Drum & Bass and adopted home of Dubstep. After 15 years in London I moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue a new career and outlook on life.
"I love it when she calls my phone
She even got her very own ringtone
If that ain't love then I don't know what love is"
"Cupid's Chokehold," Gym Class Heroes
"...We give a f*&@ about status, who you are tomorrow, whether you beg or borrow or if you hit the Super Lotto, whether your girl looks like a minger or a Supermodel..."
"Wonderful Night," Fatboy Slim
"I wish I was little bit taller,
I wish I was a baller,
I wish I had a girl who looked good I would call her,
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat and a '64 Impala"
