At From Here to Fame Publishing our roots are firmly set in urban culture. Not only do we produce literature about graffiti, street art, design, Hip Hop and the scenes and phenomena that surround it, we live it. Our team comprises of an international, assortment of urban culture activists, with backgrounds in graffiti writing, art & design, scene involvement and documentation. The initial idea was to create engaging and relevant books “from writers, for writers” that document and preserve graffiti history and legends at work. Inspired by how expressions of urban art evolved, this concept expanded in time to include all areas of urban culture, art, typography and design. All of our publications are collaborations with international artists, writers and researchers who have been personally involved in shaping or documenting the development of their respective scenes. The relationships formed with many of these artists and activists have been nurtured by individual members of our team throughout more than twenty-five years of involvement in the global urban art movement and through numerous off shoot cultural projects, exhibitions, and publications. This inside perspective not only gives us our edge, it means that our readers get the lowdown directly from the source. Through our collective experience and knowledge we promote the history, development and influence of these urban cultures in our society—with a keen focus on a young generation that is learning from its beginnings, and contributing to its future.
MURALISMO MORTE
The Rebirth of Muralism in Contemporary Urban Art
NEW
Jens Besser Language: English 200 pages, 21 x 28 cm (11.2 x 8.3 inches), 300 photos Hardcover / 24.95 € / £ 24.99 / US $ 34.95 / ISBN 978-3-937946-29-0 Author: Info:
Muralismo Morte reveals the vibrancy of a new type of muralism as it rises from the shadows of urban spaces in metropolises worldwide. From much celebrated pieces in prominent places to those hidden in anonymous, decayed ruins, it features the large-scale murals and small interventions of some of the most exciting international artists associated with this movement. Muralist and art activist Jens Besser uncovers these treasures and offers special insights into the emerging scene that is coloring our urban experience.
MURALISMO MORTE
MURALISMO MORTE
II.
ABAnDOnED SPACES
Shut down factories, crumbling apartment buildings, single fragments, huge, rusting steel containers and abandoned wooden shacks. The muralism of abandoned buildings thrives in the most varied atmospheres and places. Muralists can work freely since they are not accountable to any owners. That’s why their styles and subjects are particularly diverse. While the spanish muralist aryz creates large-scale comic characters (see pages 66 – 69), using huge walls as practice surfaces, the French artist iemza (p. 80 – 83) integrates whole spaces. He covers the walls with drawings and incorporates the ground and ceiling in his site-specific paintings. an atmosphere of decay permeates his work.
aryz and iemza work with clear outlines. Their artistic interventions are clearly defined. kim köster’s interventions (see p. 84 – 87) integrate themselves into their surroundings to the point that the boundary between art and location blurs. His poetic works are quiet additions to the abandoned idyll. They show tranquility and isolation.
ful everywhere. in denmark people sometimes seek out abandoned underground rooms. in Belgium the search seems to be easier; the northern village of doel (p. 102) is almost completely empty and has waited for decades to be torn down. it’s paradise on earth for muralists. The muralism of abandoned buildings has been the focus of many exhibits. The Milanese project centosette (p. 72) took place illegally at an abandoned site in the south of the Lombardic metropolis. Within hours, huge factory buildings were painted; all without a curator and outside of institutional limits. The organizers spoke of a performance in which everyone could participate. With the exhibit ‘Muralismo Morte’ (p. 92), the muralism of abandoned spaces entered the art world. The exhibition took place in a center for contemporary art and was split into authorized and unauthorized sections. While murals, sketches, videos and photos were displayed in the official exhibit space, art was also produced in an empty hall in saxony’s government district – the Muralismo Morte Museum of dresden.
The Tuscan artist Moneyless (p. 120 – 121) gives form to contrasts. His clearly defined, geometrical constructions seem like foreign objects. and yet the quietude of the location reflects the walls and they merge together. left page:
The text ‘going underground’ (p. 112) shows how complex the search for available walls is. abandoned factories aren’t plenti2
3
‘HoMe oF THe HoMeLess parT 2’, Fokus Festival, görlitz / germany, 2009 51
canovelles / spain, 2009
granollers / spain, 2010
next spread: Aryz,
granollers / spain, 2010 top:
Sepe, Saiko, Esze, Warsaw / poland 2010
bottom: right:
66
67
Sepe, ‘WaiTing’, kluczbork / poland, 2010
Sepe, ‘He(LL)aVen’, kluczbork / poland, 2010
98
99
II. ABAnDOnED SPACES
II. ABAnDOnED SPACES
top left:
Resto, ‘keep iT spor-T’, Belgium, 2010
bottom left: right: left: Kim Köster, right: Irgh
86
görlitz / germany, 2009
next spread: Zonenkinder,
II. ABAnDOnED SPACES
II. ABAnDOnED SPACES
top left and right: Aryz, bottom: Aryz,
50
Resto, ‘carToad’, Belgium, 2010
Resto, ‘Foooood’, Belgium, 2010
next spread: Seize Happywallmaker, ‘MeMoire exTra TerresTre’, Bayonne / France, 2009 “a coloristic alien invasion.”
cheb / czech republic, 2009
(Wurstbande), Berlin / germany, 2010 87
106
107
II. ABAnDOnED SPACES
top: 108,
‘BLack TriangLe’, zaragoza / spain, 2007
top right: 108 & Moneyless, bottom right: 108,
116
‘BLack & WHiTe / BLack TriangLe’, genova / italy, 2009
‘BLack sHape’, Fame Festival, grottaglie / italy, 2010 117
CALLIGRAFFITI
The Graphic Art of Niels SHOE Meulman
BESTSELLER
Niels SHOE Meulman & Adam Eeuwens Language: English 144 pages, 23.4 x 23.4 cm (9.2 x 9.2 inches), 200 illustrations & photos Hardcover / 19.95 € / £ 19.99 / US $ 29.90 / ISBN 978-3-937946-21-4 Author: Info:
Artist Niels “Shoe” Meulman explores the contours of words as images in Calligraffiti – his hybrid art form which blends calligraphy and graffiti. This impressive publication showcases a fine selection of artworks by Meulman as he presents for our viewing pleasure a wonderful series of fast phrases and upbeat witticisms in the form of captivating typographic masterpieces. Every spread offers two interacting visuals. This interplay of contrasts, such as ‘black-white’ or ‘rise-fall’, makes this volume much more than a collection of the artist‘s best work; it unveils the basis of all graphic art.
MALE FEMALE WE ARE ALL LIVING PROOF THAT 1+1=3 46
47
MIND MATTER THE MIND DOESN’T MATTER BECAUSE THE MATTER DOESN’T MIND 4
5
KING CALLIGRAPHER A story is told of a king who summoned the nation’s best
76
envoy to the calligrapher was curtly dis-
of jars, picks up a brush and, within two
missed with the same information; that
minutes, has executed the most wonder-
living calligrapher and demanded of him
the drawing was not yet complete. After
fully sinuous design to represent the
to make a drawing to symbolize the king-
years had passed, the king could no long-
kingdom.
dom. The calligrapher reassured his lord
er contain his impatience and stormed
of his loyalty and left to undertake his task.
off to the calligrapher’s studio himself…
77
The king can scarcely control his rage, ‘If it is so easy, why have I had to wait this
Days passed; then weeks. The king sent a
The king bursts in and sees the calligra-
long?’ Still maintaining his silence, the
messenger to the calligrapher’s remotely
pher sitting there quietly, and evidently
calligrapher goes to the back of his studio
located studio to find out what was hap-
quite at ease. He is furious, ‘Where is
to a large alcove with doors reaching from
pening. The messenger returned with the
my drawing?’ he shouts. At this the cal-
the floor to the ceiling. He opens the
report that the drawing was not ready.
ligrapher bows silently, pulls a large sheet
doors and out pour thousands of study
Months arrived and departed. Every
of paper towards him, sets out a variety
drawings.
RURAL URBAN THE LOWEST AND VILEST ALLEYS IN LONDON DO NOT PRESENT A MORE DREADFUL RECORD OF SIN THAN DOES THE SMILING AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE 8
9
114
115
SOBER INTOXICATED CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER! CRIED ALICE
PAGE 110 You make us proud, 2008 Digital vector art for brand manifest and campaign for MTV Networks Benelux. PAGE 111 Everybody else is wrong, 2008 Black permanent marker ink on poly-
PAGE 112 Strike a Poser, 2009
PAGE 114 Not on a road, 2009
PAGE 116 Clock, 2009
Digital vector art for Unruly scarves.
White permanent marker ink on glass,
Limited edition, printed on pure silk.
50 x 70 cm. From the exhibition Le Miroir
The original piece was done with brush
was taken from a crappy GPS device.
polypropene film, 60 x 60 cm.
Grand-touring on the Autobahn, it would
exhibition Different Strokes, Amsterdam,
PAGE 113 Crest, 2008
keep on displaying ‘Not on a road’. It is
Digital vector art for a T-shirt print. The
PAGE 117 nielsshoemeulman amsterdam, 2009
idea for this T-shirt came about when
PAGE 120 The End, 2007 Pen on paper, 30 x 20 cm. Shown in the exhibition Calligraffiti, Amsterdam, September 2007.
to meet starchitect Frank Gehry on his
PAGE 121 knockknock, 2009
STRICT LOOSE There are two kinds of people.
private jet. After an interesting exchange
Digital vector art, silkscreened on grey
of ideas he conclusively said to her: ‘You
cardboard packaging for a promotional
Digital vector art, proposal for a clothing
an adequate description for people with-
don’t. Usually, the ones who don’t have a
know me now, use that.’ Because she is
CD by music production company Mu-
brand. Art direction by Cathal McKee.
out purpose.
watch, are the ones who have time.
not the type to randomly throw such
sicmusic.
SOCIAL SOLITARY When you want to be alone
OFFENSE DEFENSE Victory can be achieved in
PAGE 115 Shopping List, 2009
facts into a conversation, Shoe designed
END BEGINNING To realize that every end-
when you are with company, you prob-
many ways but if you haven’t got it, you’ll
Digital vector art for Heineken campaign.
this T-shirt for her. Now she can show
ing is immediately the beginning of
ably want company when you are alone.
never get it.
The original piece was done with a parallel
off her membership to this dubious elite
something else is to conclude that these
pen and India ink on paper, 20 x 20 cm.
circle without bragging about it.
One of eight designs for a streetwear
PAGE 119 Chico, 2009
Whenever you hear someone say ‘the
range aptly titled Shoe for Heineken.
Digital vector art for a tattoo. The origi-
beginning of time’, stop listening because
RURAL URBAN ‘The lowest and vilest alleys
nal piece was done with brush and India
in London do not present a more dreadDay and night are in constant battle. Twice a year it’s a tie.
they are full of shit.
ink on paper, 20 x 20 cm. People always say, What the hell does
and beautiful countryside.’ Quote from
that mean? P for the people who can’t
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir
Brand bible for MTV Networks. Graphic design by Ward Graumans.
two commonly used ideas do not exist.
MAN BOY ‘PSK, we’re makin that green.
ful record of sin than does the smiling
understand. How one homeboy became
Arthur Conan Doyle.
25
designer Rebeca Méndez was invited
brush and India ink on paper, 20 x 20 cm. Those who wear a watch and those who
December 2008. The title is taken from a track by Hudson Mohawke.
Logo for Musicmusic, 2007.
a man.’ From the song PSK, What Does it
Angle shot of Home Entertainment, a track by Carl Graig.
24
PAGE 118 I know Frank Gehry, 2009
Digital vector art for a watch company. Digital vector art. Original piece with
Vivant, Amsterdam, May 2009. This title
and black permanent marker ink on
propene film, 50 x 70 cm. Shown in the
Unruly scarf design with all four Chic Shock designs, 2009.
Not on a road, on a wall. 140
Some have time on their side, others have Beesmunt on their tits.
Mean? by Schooly D.
Accessories: a silver necklace handcrafted by Annemee Struyk.
A farewell to blank arms. Tattoo by Tycho Veldhoen.
141
Silkscreened, signed and sealed CD packaging for Musicmusic.
ON THE RUN BOOKS # 11
NEW
SABE – FYS CREW
Amber Grünhäuser English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 250 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-22-1 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-23-8 Author:
Language:
Sabe is a true master of styles. Adept on many levels, he is able to switch between advanced mechanical compositions, bubble styles, throw-ups, characters and photo-realism with ease. With a ‘paint now, think later’ attitude he mixes up these styles to suit the occasion, leaving a legacy of playful hybrids that sit left of mainstream. Never one to be called a slacker, he has an execution rate that leaves most gasping for air.
The first time
I went to the
the cap I was still putting GHOST trains with him like, ‘damn’. his piece. I was
”
“on the can and he was outlining
2005
BYE / Copenhagen / 2004
SABE / Copenhagen / 2004 50
51
GHOST, BYE / Copenhagen / 2003
left: SABE / Copenhagen / 2005
64
65
I was a kid I used to play chess a lot “andWhen with chess you have to think one step
further: ‘how do I go from this point to another and what will happen when I do that?’ When I do mechanical wild style pieces I think, ‘I’m here now but how can I make this work so that the start is working with the end?’ SABE
”
BYE / Copenhagen / 2002
BYE / Copenhagen / 2002
BYE / Bronx, New York / 2006
BYE / Denmark / 2006
BYE / Copenhagen / 2005
CRES, SABE / Copenhagen / 2007
me Sabe is a very good and generous friend and an outstanding writer. “He’sTolike a symphonic orchestra, a virtuoso at every instrument he picks up and there is always a lot of good rhythm in his work. He’s truly a master and has been a great inspiration to me over the years, he’s probably the most dedicated and productive graffiti writer Denmark ever produced. He’s simply a world class heavyweight graffiti-fighter. CRES, WHAP GANG
”
92
I see Sabe as a musician when it comes to writing, “because he challenges the strict language of writing, while many other writers I see as technicians since they are more focused on the technical aspects of the art of spraying. CAvE
”
know everybody can do letters that look wild but “withYoua wild style the letters really need to have harmony like a big band, they have to work together. It’s not like doing a straight letter and then just putting a lot of arrows on it, that doesn’t work. SABE
”
writer: trains, trucks, walls, canvases, Sabe even puts his fresh colors “intoTheyourultimate skin. Most of his burners are done straight out of his crazy, abstract brain. I mean who else does complicated wild styles without the need for using a sketch for outlines? After 25 years of bombing, Sabe is a living legend who controls all the elements of graffiti with his significant original flavor. The ultimate writer—what else can I say? Chill homeboy, and let’s go grab a beer! SKETZH
”
93
82
PESTO, BYE / Copenhagen / 2005 83
ON THE RUN BOOKS # 10
NEW
GHOST – RIS CREW
Alain “KET” Maridueña English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 230 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-24-5 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-25-2 Author:
Language:
Ghost is one of the last purveyors of the New York City train writing era. He has developed his own funky letter styles that defy convention. A mad bomber at heart, he thrashes out a few hundred throw-ups without a second thought. His styles possess that same casual blast, with a combination of loose letters and psychedelic cartoons that drip off the wall with his boogaloo charm.
GHOsT and sAsH RIP / Bronx, New York, UsA / 1983 Boo (GHOsT) and PEAk / Queens, New York, UsA / late 1981
GHOsT / Bronx, New York, UsA / circa 1984 / photo by WANE
GHOST: I saw a few people painting spraycans so I had to try and paint my own Jiffoam cap.
LOsT and GHOsT / Brooklyn, New York, UsA / 1983
GHOsT / Brooklyn, New York, UsA / 1987
GHOST: This was from an old 1984 sketch. I wanted to finally do it on a train but didn’t get to finish it.
GHOsT and Joey (sTRIDER) / Manhattan, New York, UsA / 1983
GHOST: Joey was hanging out and asked Strider to do an outline for him. Strider wound up doing the whole piece. 14
15
74
75
GHOsT, LOsT and sAINT / Queens, New York, UsA / 1987
rOCKin’ it sUCKers I’ve never claimed to be king, I’m just “a vandal doing my thing. ” GHOsT
LOst came up with the RIS crew in 1983. He came up with the name from a breakdance crew called Rock With Style. After some discussion we changed it to Rocking in Style. At the time I was a recruiter. We wanted to keep the crew small and consisting of writers that got up instead of having a crew filled with people that didn’t bomb. It was Lost, Neo, Dutch, Dasher, and I that started it off. Later on we added Ingy, Visa, and EA One, who were all also from Queens. After some time we realized we didn’t have much style so we changed the name of the crew to Rocking it Suckers. Since we had a lot of beef at the time, the word “suckers” represented anyone who was against us, whether cops, the MTA, or other writers. I never really looked at us as a gang or anything like that, it was just something that I wrote because it represented my attitude—that we are the RIS crew and you suck. 20
Untitled / Mixed media on paper / 2009
Between 1985 and 1986 I slowed down considerably but in 1987 I met up with Saint and Cro who got me back into it since they were very active at the time. One night’s mission turned into another and so on. It just flowed; the timing was right. Eventually Neo introduced me to Ven, who asked me to paint with him at the Shuttle*. The first pieces I painted at the Shuttle sucked: it was too dark and they were ugly. So I came back again to do a better piece and that turned into more. Lost used to say that we would never be satisfied because we always wanted to do one more. One more led to another and that momentum lasted for over two years. Then it wasn’t just about doing it to catch pictures. ‘Cause all of a sudden we were at war with the MTA painting clean trains, at war with people on LOsT / Manhattan, New York, UsA / 1983 GHOST: Lost was the president of RIS. the streets—it was just non-stop. This block letter was done along with the *Franklin Avenue shuttle lay-up
hope that writers like him continue to “putI really up pieces and throw-ups in wild places that
shock people and make them mad, especially in this time when the movement has become so commercial and boring. I understand that a lot of writers think they deserve to earn a little money off of what they spent so many years doing but the question is if we want the movement to be something that just pleases society or if we want a part of it to stay rebellious. CAVE AIs
”
‘Ghost-Joey’ car.
Untitled / Mixed media on canvas / 2009 21
122
Untitled / Mixed media on canvas / 2009
123
ON THE RUN BOOKS # 9
JEPSY – THE REAL DEAL Amber Grünhäuser English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 250 photos & illustrations Softcover 9,95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-66-5 Limited collector’s edition 14,95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-67-2 Author:
Language:
This book is the long-awaited and fully revised edition of the legendary Jepsy On The Run black book. Jepsy of TRD (The Real Deal) made a name for himself in the mid 90s by setting the European transit lines ablaze with his classic New York City styles and elaborate characters, executed with clear-cut precision. Full aesthetic production like this on trains was and still is a rare and wondrous sight. Naturally, Jepsy gained international fame. Now, back by popular demand, this edition is a musthave for all die-hard fans of steel burners. Its predecessor became a much sought-after collector’s item after its initial success in 1997. Get yours now before it disappears again... InTRODUCTIOn Blackbook Vol.1 – Jepsy’ really had a great impact around “the‘OTR world. It delivered what people expected after the first On The Run magazines blew their minds. Those were the times before the Internet and when graffiti books weren’t published on a weekly basis. This one was a real must-have for every writer’s bookshelf. Wherever I went traveling, it was already there... Stone
”
In the last ten years, since the original ‘OTR Blackbook Vol.1 – Jepsy’ sold out, it has become a much sought-after collector’s item; at times changing hands for triple-digit prices for those lucky enough to still find one of these rare gems online or elsewhere. Even today we are inundated with requests from all over the world asking for this book. This demand, combined with our own fancy, prompted the decision to keep the Jepsy legacy alive with a completely revamped new edition. ‘Jepsy – The Real Deal’ revisited and revised, is both a tribute to the artist and to the humble beginnings of the On The Run book series. left page: JePSY / Mainz / 1997
ZEBSTER: The classic On The Run graffiti magazine stopped in 1992, and after a sleeping phase of five years, the first On The Run black book came out in 1997—Jepsy. At the time Jepsy pieces were really advanced: classic semi-wild style panels with European color schemes and crisp outlines. He definitely owned a place in the German graffiti hall of fame and therefore was a suitable candidate for an OTR book. While other magazines worked on the idea of publishing as many pictures possible from random writers, we thought it was time for a change. The concept of this new OTR series was to concentrate on the body of work of one writer and present his art in big photos. The idea for that format came from Kotthoff aka Topic One, who was editor in chief and layout designer for the MZEE magazine and also my partner at MZEE at the time. Topic took
care of the whole project management, artist liaison and layout. I was already busy on other projects and was happy for him to take the lead. The ‘OTR Blackbook Vol.1 – Jepsy’ was the first publication ever to concentrate “only” on one graffiti artist. The book became very successful and the whole print run of 8,000 copies was already sold out one year later... Topic then started work on the next OTR books. In 1998 he brought out ‘OTR Blackbook Vol. 2 – Bates’ in the same format, followed in 1999 by ‘OTR Blackbook Vol. 3 – Seen’, (which by then already had 138 pages with gluebinding). Also those print runs of 8,000 copies each were sold out within the year.
CLAY, GIPSY / Mainz / 1996 49
5
both pages: JePSY / naples, Italy / 2008 120
121
GePSY / Mainz / 1996 86
right page: KLAY, GIPSY / Mainz / 1996 87
ON THE RUN BOOKS # 8
THE EXCHANGE Amber Grünhäuser English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 230 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-64-1 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-65-8 Author:
Language:
Acclaimed graffiti collective The Exchange has created a stir with a dynamic online style dialogue. The idea behind the project is for members to pair up, trade letter styles and rock diverse styles outside of their usual comfort zones. These experiments are then posted online to be applauded and critiqued by members. A verbal and visual style assault from some of the finest active writers across the globe: Ewok, Revok, Rime, Persue, Yes 2, Pose, Stae 2, Snow, Bates, Serch, Poet, Kacao 77, Scotty 76, Askew (just to name a few). This book is jam-packed with expert style antics. You might want to get your sketchbooks out and start taking notes.
MeMber PersPectives round 3 I think overall it’s positive to have “dialogue within the arts, no matter what the catalyst is. ” ASKEW
Los AngeLes
Host 18: Swapping outlines or sketches with others is something writers have always done, however The Exchange has created a more in-depth look into personal style and execution through these swaps. By picking what I believe are some of the most stylistic and innovative writers with sometimes vastly different approaches to style, we are forced to take a look at what we offer as individuals. This project has brought personal style to light. When taken out of our personal norms or comfort zones, we are made to take a closer look at ourselves. The true challenge is seeing outside of our own box and then removing ourselves from the constraints we have made. It takes a person who can go with the flow and switch out of what they normally do. It can be a struggle to create a certain shape or lean that someone else has drawn out for you, your first instinct is to change it to what you would normally do. I guess the ideal thing is to be able to put your own twist on someone’s sketch without using your personal touches as a crutch. I would feel more compelled to accept the challenge of painting something that is not programmed into your usual motions by years of painting or drawing a certain way.
EWOK, AROE, REVOK, RIME, ESTEME, SEVER, SERCH, PERSUE, KACAO 77, YES 2, SNOW, BATES / Los Angeles, USA / 2007 by ESTEME
When we arrive in LA, we get some greasy Mexican food and scout out wall possibilities for the next day. We settle on a big wall at 2nd and Gary Street. Everyone is excited because we are going to stack pieces, a nice contrast to the overlapping free-for-all in San Fran. We wake up, set up scaf-
folding and get busy. Two days later, the scaffolding-moving, paint-carrying and eating too much Subway pays off. The pieces show the signature elements of everyone’s individual style. Kacao ties it all to together with The Exchange Logo and we run to our show at the Ghetto Gloss gallery.
The real highlight was the tour. That was “something I’ve never experienced, you know?
Boards are already set up and the European contingent of the trip (Bates, Kacao and Serch) get busy for a waiting crowd. This was the largest crowd of the tour, as many members are from the area. We drink, hit books and talk to girls until the sun comes up.
Every city we went to we were treated like graffiti superstars. Bizarre, you know? It was more than nice, it was amazing. I think that’s a once-in-alifetime experience. I can easily say. SERCH
”
56
57
Hesoe: The more I paint and travel and get to understand writing from people that have lived through the different stages of it, the better I know my history and can appreciate the foundations of style. I had been looking at The Exchange as the only ‘style college’ out there, so when I got the scholarship it felt awesome. To be able to see different outlooks and structures applied to my letters is priceless study material. sWK: Being invited to participate in The Exchange was a huge surprise, as well as a great honor, because this is a serious project recognized world-
wide and one which I had previously been following. Even though I felt a little unsure because of the language barriers, I decided to embrace the opportunity fearlessly. Everything so far has been a unique experience, as well as a constant evolution for me. AsKeW: I followed The Exchange since it started and I won’t lie, I actually hoped to get involved… This project came along at a very interesting time for me. Just because in the past 2 years I have been so determined to break free from my influences but still draw from the lessons that rang true to me. The Exchange represented a chance to play with new letters, see what had perhaps been missing in my own graphic conclusions and at the very least was a bit of fun. At first the whole thing threw me completely, I was thinking to myself, “shit! I have really bad letters!” and then I started to see how much more individual my stuff had become without even realizing it. I even learned something quite unexpected with this whole thing. I’m going to come out and say it, I think I learned to identify my own strengths from seeing where others struggled with my sketches. Although I don’t want that to be taken out of context or seen as arrogant. Also, I had a lot of personal battles with this project. It was amazing how The Exchange could push you either into a very receptive state or even make you feel totally the opposite. There were days when I just really wanted to paint my own stuff for the sheer indulgence of enjoying my own ideas instead of working with other people’s.
ENSOE paints a SIRUM style sketch / Vancouver, Canada / 2009
Pose: Actually I see The Exchange as a way to further validate the graffiti movement by highlighting the universal importance of style, letters, technique and structure to graff writers. How much work, history, tradition and experimentation go into a writer’s work. I feel that the general public and even many less experienced writers might see a toy piece next to a master piece and as long as it’s got colors, some techniques and general movement, it’s fairly equal in their eyes. Getting them to take a deeper interest in seeing the differences might educate people on our craft and history.
It’s probably impossible to paint a piece of graffiti today that’s 100% original. It is however possible to have integrity with your craft and contribute to the culture by being innovative. Work hard, honor your history, and then write your own history. Understanding the rules doesn’t mean you have to follow them, just make it yours and make it hot, point blank. To be honest I didn’t get into graffiti to hear people’s opinions or be thoughtful. I got into graffiti to be completely lawless and free. Rules and tradition are a slippery slope, ’cause in essence the forefathers of this movement con-
The Exchange pushed me to activate my “mind. After 20 years of painting, it’s not easy to just step out of your shadow. ” POET
stantly broke rules and traditions set before them and that’s how history was made. So sometimes it seems strange to say “woah bro, you’re crossing the line”, or “that’s not graff anymore, that’s some other next shit”, cause essentially graff has always been some other, next shit. 99
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SERVAL paints a STAE 2 style sketch / Geneva, Switzerland / 2009
STAE 2 paints a SCOTTY 76 style sketch / New York City, USA / 2009
Jurne: I think the main project aim is to generate a dialogue about the choices each graffiti writer involved makes before and throughout execution of the sketches. In doing so, a heightened awareness of style, technique and the process of making graffiti is created. Involvement in The Exchange has broadened my appreciation for a variety of styles. To be honest, I didn’t immediately understand some of the sketches I was given. However, upon painting these sketches, there were critical points where I had these “AHA!” moments, something clicked, and I realized how dope the sketch was… The act of painting the sketch, moving my hand to create a line in the same way that the original artist did, allowed me to understand the style in a way that I could not have as a passive observer.
revoK MsK; Los AngeLes, usA
riMe MsK; Los AngeLes, usA
unLeAshing his wrath on a myriad of US cities for over a decade, Revok is the quintessential urban artist at the dawn of the 21st century. The tales of his exploits have reached cult status within the graffiti world and he is arguably considered one of the most prolific practitioners in the genre. With a revolving door of style, he has left an indelible mark on Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta, not to mention dropping gems in 20 other US cities as well as Tokyo and Europe. His skills have helped shape the image of clients including Toyota, MGM, HBO, Dickies, Red Bull and several recording artists.
KnoWn for versatile, adventurous letter style, Rime (also known as Jersey Joe) has dedicated his life to traveling and painting graffiti since 1991. Joe began painting graffiti on Staten Island, and spent the next years developing his talent in different areas of New York City, New Jersey, and various cities in Europe, earning international recognition under the handles Rime and Jersey Joe. Expanding his focus from outdoor paintings in risky locations to also produce work for gallery shows,
Joe found himself simultaneously pursuing both graffiti and fine art, and has come to use both terms interchangeably in reference to his own work. Joe’s pieces combine vivid colors, precise lines, and bold, playful concepts that truly stand in a class of their own. To date, Joe has painted graffiti in countries around the world, where many of his works are still exhibited in original form for public viewing. Aside from being featured in a variety of private and corporate design projects, books, magazines, and videos, Joe was hired by non-profit organizations in Los Angeles to create a curriculum for a graffiti program taught to kids at inner-city public schools. Joe is currently based in Los Angeles and represents the Mad Society Kings. As an answer to a personal need for evolution in the stylistic approach to his pieces, Joe founded The Exchange in 2005, which developed from Joe’s initial idea and casual e-mails between friends, into a worldwide project featuring dozens of artists. RIME / Los Angeles, USA / 2009
A lot of young writers think that they become “better when they buy their ‘Swedish semi fat cap’,
STAE 2 sketch by JURNE / 2009
ASKEW: I kind of imagine Jurne being like the studious cataloguer of styles. I noticed hints of early Dutch flavor in his pieces and wondered if he was the sort of guy that could identify specific regional styles or graffiti from certain eras as individual font sets, like typography, and could cite them off like ‘Oh, that’s a 1987 Amsterdam style’ haha! I don’t know him personally but that’s the character I made up for him in my head. 110
or the newest paint on the market. You become better when you practice! SERCH
”
REVOK / Los Angeles, USA / 2007
STAE 2 paints a JURNE style sketch / New York City, USA / 2009
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ON THE RUN BOOKS # 7
GRAFFITI TATTOO – KINGS ON SKIN
BESTSELLER
Alain “KET” Maridueña English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 230 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-62-7 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-63-4 Author:
Language:
Graffiti Tattoo – Kings on Skin documents the transition that graffiti writers are increasingly making into the tattoo world. These spray paint technicians are making a splash worldwide with their color mastery and wild styles, creating a new visual language on skin that includes letters and boldness, burners and characters. Join us in celebrating the artwork of the best artists who have made the transition from the streets to the tattoo shops around the world, including Jason Kundell, Mr. Went, Ces, Sabe, Timmi Mensah, Circle and many others.
Jason Kundell
In God I Trust / 2007
PoRTland, oReGon, usa
Tattoos have become so widespread, I have clients these “days from all walks of life, and all ages. I have fifty-yearold-plus government workers to eighteen-year-old college students and everything in between. JASON KUNDELL
”
When I was about thirteen I started writing graffiti. Back then, at least in my group of friends, most of us got into it. It was just sort of what you did at the time in Southern California. You skateboarded or surfed, listened to punk and some Hip Hop, and you did graffiti. Or you were a jock and you didn’t do any of those things. For me there was something really fucking cool about going to a blank wall and making it into something so much more so quickly. It’s hard to say exactly what got me into it but once I was exposed I couldn’t stop thinking about it. My very first tag was Sync. But it turned out there was already someone who wrote Sync from the TCF crew in the valley not too far from me. After a year or two I just sort of got the name Bles. Not exactly sure how it found me or me it but we have been together ever since. left page: Dragon with blossoms back piece / 2009 62
I’d say my style is kind of between older traditional graffiti and the really good, crazy stuff that other guys are doing. People like Revok, Krush, Saber, Zes, and Aloy—to me these guys look like they have the future of graff. I think everyone in AWR would describe my style as meat and potatoes, in a good way though. Good meat and potatoes. I got into tattoos really early on. When I was a teenager I couldn’t wait to get tattooed, so as soon as I turned eighteen I started getting tattoos. Vision from Venice gave me some good people in the Bay Area to get tattooed by so that’s what I did. I had such a great time and right from the start I knew that’s what I needed to be doing. I began tattooing towards the end of 1996. I had a good friend who had recently started working with AWR (Paco Excel), and he and his partner at the time (Adrian Lee) offered to teach me. One of the really big challenges was that most of
what I drew was just lettering; in tattooing you have to learn how to draw everything. Also no matter how good you are at graffiti you have to start from scratch in tattooing all over again. No matter what, that’s it. You suck all over again. For me there are a few similarities between graffiti and tattooing but I think my background as a writer helps me best with things like lettering and fonts. That type of stuff, along with coloring and putting together color schemes, comes very naturally from all the graffiti. Aside from that I don’t think there are too many similarities between them. These days there are a lot of people who inspire my tattoos. Some of the main ones are the people I have become friends with or worked with over the years. I have had the good fortune of working with some amazing people all over the world and they have all helped my tattooing a lot. In the beginning, when I first started tattooing or even before I started, it was mostly all the people in the
Keepers of the light / 2009 63
Clown brain / 2007
War in the streets / 2006
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Various back pieces / 2000-02
A selection of letter-based tattoos / 2000
both pages: European interpretations of Asian styles / 2007-09 72
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ON THE RUN BOOKS # 6
New York City – Black Book Masters Alain “KET” Maridueña English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 230 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-60-3 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-61-0 Author:
Language:
Black books are not just glorified sketch books; they are the lifeblood of a writer, a communication tool and a source of pride. Within the pages of their black books, writers try out styles, plan their next pieces, create colorful burners and collect signature styles from other writers. New York City Black Book Masters pays homage to the black book with an intimate collection of personal drawings from some of New York’s finest old school and new school writers, the likes of Riff 170, Noc 167, Case 2, Chain 3, Dondi, Erni, Daze, Iz the Wiz, Lady Pink, Zephyr, Ghost, Freedom, T-Kid 170, Cope 2, Nic One, Ewok One, Zimad and many more. It is an honor to be able to share the candid thoughts and styles that find their way into a writer’s ‘visual diary’—the black book. I like to use my black books is in catego“ries:Theyouwayhave one for signatures, then you have one for throw-ups, and one strictly for hot shit. The black book has been around since the beginning of my career and still exists as a staple for any real writer. It’s a tool of the trade. It just started out as a tool to get your peers’ autographs but then as time progressed, it became a staple for preparation; somewhere you could document work, draw in at any time and get really, really explicit in. You can always use it as a reference for whatever you want to do. I’ve mastered the black book technique through years and years of constantly lighting them up. My drawing style is simple, I like to get nasty! PART ONE
”
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Soul by SHAME 125 / Collection of the artist / year unknown
LAVA 1 & 2 / LEED
Mr. 6 by RIFF 170 / LEED
3’s black book / 1974
good taste, who is looking to fill the pages of his book with the finest names and styles he can acquire. The second and more telling purpose of the black book is to use it as a ‘training ground’ for new ideas and works that might one day be realized on a larger scale (e.g. on a wall or train). Here you will see styles develop and morph—pieces that work well and others that do not and will never be seen by the public. Color experiments, biting, scribbles, and notes about the works to be painted are all included in these books. And then there are a select few people who are true masters. Master illustrators are what they might be called in a school setting, but we know them as black book masters. These artists may or may not be the most prolific on the streets, but in the books they are amazing. Their craftsmanship is top-notch and their use of markers as good as the highest paid cartoonists in the business. Some only do letters, but these masters turn the page into a canvas and realize full concepts that are 55
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3’s black book / 1974
more advanced than pieces on the average street wall. For these artists, the black book is the work of art itself. Within these pages we are honored to present to you the work of my peers, the people who in New York City paved the way for many of us and who continue one of our favorite traditions. This book is dedicated to the memory of IZ THE WIZ who contributed his drawings to the book before his death. May he rest in peace.
ZEBSTER: When I visited NYC in 1989, I met BIO and NICER plus some other TAT guys and for the first time I had some original black books in my hand. I was really amazed by their detailed drawings and took some photos. While our black books were more in the style of scrap books and were filled with sketches, photos, train maps and even Hip Hop concert tickets, I understood that New Yorkers only used their books for drawings. That was really interesting for me to see. While going through my NYC slides to look for some materials for this publication, I felt totally disappointed that I only took a handful of photos. Those black book drawings were the best stuff I had ever seen in my life.
OE 3 / Collection of the artist / 1980
Drake by COS
207 / Collection
of Ket / 1979
ZEBSTER: In April 1981 a German art magazine ran the first ever feature about the New York writing culture, simply called ‘Graffiti’. I can’t remember when I got a copy in my hand, but I still remember that the photos of the writers with their black books blew my mind. The letters and colors were extremely powerful and a big inspiration. I studied those thumbnail big pictures for weeks. Those photos of SLAVE, DONDI, GREG 167 and their black books by Marty Cooper encouraged me to put much more energy into my own sketches. 7
ON THE RUN BOOKS # 5
Smash 137 – Smash Proof Amber Grünhäuser English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 230 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-56-6 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-57-3 Author:
Language:
An in-depth look at a style in flux, Smash 137 – smash proof traces the various style excursions and developments of Smash 137— one of Europe’s finest contemporary style writers — as he chases the elusive ‘perfect style’. Never content with resting on his reputation or accepting in-vogue styles, Smash keeps busy mixing it up and pushing his forms to the limit. He is renowned for executing complex transitions and ideas under the guise of a simple veneer. Don’t be misled — behind the bubbly persona and swing of these so-called ‘simple’ letter styles is a subtle but powerful punch. This is a work in progress full of interesting twists and turns. Watch as Smash takes the art of writing to another level… STyle MUSING ChaSING The PerfeCT STyle
Firstly, what is style? I mean, style is just about character—it’s about the personality you give to the letters, and style development is about sharpening the personality of these letters. SMASH 137
“
strength of any piece lies in its style execution; the writer’s personal interpretation of the letter forms; how they interact and the charisma they possess. It’s the writer’s personal stamp. When you take away the glamor of a finished piece, the colors and the design details, this is what you are left with. The raw form. When your style is not on point, your piece will tumble and no amount of tricks will fix it. If your style is lazy and built only on tricks, then who are you trying to fool? You need to school your style. When your style is educated and informed it can stand on its own even without unnecessary gimmicks or crowd-pleasing techniques. The style in its pure state is something that serious writers work on, refine and perfect. To become accomplished in the play between letters and word structure is a work in progress that keeps writers like Smash in shape; tweaking, pushing and progressing, not
left page: SMASH 137 / Barcelona, Spain / 2009 4
left page: SWEET, CRONE & SMASH 137 / Basel / 2008
SmaSh 137: With ‘cracking’ I had to stop after a certain point; I got fed up and I just went too loose. But I feel that as a result of all of those paintings you really see that I became freer. This one—it’s probably one of my favorite ones. Just look how much I opened the letters to one another. I mean this gives you so much space for your own interpretation. But I feel it’s still totally clear to everyone looking at it how it works. I would say that it wasn’t until after this crack thing, that my ‘letter kama sutra’ became cool. It at least reached a point where I could say this is something really interesting, and maybe even new.
”
The
content to just settle for proven but well-worn styles. He, like many others before him, is driven by the allure of the elusive ‘perfect style’. Smash muses, “The perfect style, according to Smash? That constantly changes—everyday actually. It’s hard to say what the perfect style is because I’m looking for it every day. Everything I do is kind of an experiment. Once I walk up to the wall, I’m curious myself what I’m going to write. For me it’s so interesting to see where it goes. So I’m glad that I don’t know what the perfect style is. I feel like that it’s not really important. It’s the path that interests me, and not the goal. It’s like in life, you almost don’t even need to say it. My style is quite simple, it’s raw, and it has a lot of swing. At the same time it’s really important to me that the style is honest. Even though I do it
by heart, people still have to understand that there are no accidents. I try to find interesting forms in my style. Lately I have been trying to have parts where it is really calm and your eye can relax—and next to it, have a lot going on. I try to find a really interesting combination between those. The balance, or the right play, between busy and calm areas. This could explain a ‘perfect style’ actually. And if people can’t read my name, it’s the only mistake I can make. It has to be legible. It is a relationship between them [the letters] and me. I feel I should know them well but actually… I don’t know them so well. I write them so often that I should—but I feel there is still so much to learn about them. I’m quite confident I can spend the rest of my life painting those letters and it won’t get boring.”
above: SMASH 137, SMASH / Zwolle / The Netherlands / 2008
SMASH 137 / Basel / 2008
pages 108 / 109: SMASH 137 / Salerno, Italy / 2008 / Photos by Ruedione
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right: SMASH 137, BAZOOKA / Basel / 2007 78
ON THE RUN BOOKS # 4
Part One – The Death Squad Alain “KET” Maridueña English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 260 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-58-0 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-59-7 Author:
Language:
Part One – The Death Squad is truly sensational! The first book to document the artistic impact of Part One – TDS, one of NYC’s most influential graffiti style writers, from the developmental years of mid 70s subway style writing until now. Jam-packed with exclusive stories and images from a bygone era; growing up in Spanish Harlem, subway graffiti in the 70s and 80s, The Death Squad years and more recently the Hall of Fame.
SUBWAY WRITING 1970S fRoM BRooklYN To The BRoNx
There was nothing like painting on trains, it was a once in a “lifetime deal, it happened, it will never happen again. ”
PART ONE
”MY first piece (on a train in 1973) was a light pink with a gray outline and it was really busted. I didn’t have no type of style, I was a toy. I did it with some neighborhood friends (JT, Blizzard, Kree-J, and Tan 5) but they just looked out and copped tags. This was on the 6 train line.” The number 6 line was closest to Part’s family home and became his line of choice for piecing. By late 1973, when Part was 14, many of his neighborhood friends had lost their interest in writing, which led him to connect with other local writers like Sly 108, Puma 107, and Hydra, who had the desire to burn. “Sly 108 a.k.a. David Centron (RIP) was a local cat and a Savage Samurai from 108th Street and Second Avenue. We were introduced by neighborhood friends and
02_PART_by KET_016.jpg
PART: This was my first top to bottom done in 1978 in Harlem with Noc 167. My style was mechanical and Noc’s was just plain wild. He went ballistic with the cosmic explosion. I believe it was also Noc’s first top to bottom as well. 26
KINDO, PART, JR. KINDO (all outlines by PART) / 1975 Photo by Harv Kahn 27
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shortly thereafter about eight of us attempted to do two whole cars but were raided. Sly 108 provided all the paint; he was a professional thief and a bombing machine. I remember he used to steal clothes, moped bikes, all kinds of shit. With Sly 108 I did a lot of stuff in the 6 yard.” Like most writers, Part had his run-ins with the police and occasionally got caught. One such story comes from early on in his career, on a Saturday afternoon while he was painting a train at the St. Lawrence train station lay-up in the Bronx. “I knew Hydra from when I got arrested with him, Sunrise, and Tan 5. We weren’t together, but painting at the same time. I was in the middle and Hydra was at the end with Sunrise. Eventually the cops rolled in on us as we waited on the platform for the train to pass to continue painting and we were caught.
I received a ticket to go scrubbing stations but I never showed up since my parents sent me off to Puerto Rico for the summer. This was the first time I got busted and I remember my parents going ballistic. Puerto Rico was supposed to be a deterrent.” Part’s parents, like many other working class immigrants, dreaded contact with police and were even more concerned that their son would end up a statistic: in prison, a junkie, or worst of all—dead in the streets. His sister Elizabeth remembers; “I have to say my parents were never really crazy about his desire to paint. They were more concerned with him having job security. They always thought this was not a good thing to do because they would hear that a lot of kids were getting caught and were afraid that it would happen to him.” But it was too late... Part was just getting started. 13
PANIC, Pab 2 (PART) / Harlem / 1980 / Photo by Henry Chalfant
Friggin’ dude is a MONSTER! He got style for miles. “When you piece with Part TDS, you gotta bring your
PART: The pieces are legible and tight. I like that the remainder of the car is clean. It is a classic window down. Mean 3 was also a Harlem writer who painted with Dez and Skeme. Panic and I grew up together; he is one of my longtime partners. I did a stippling effect around all the pieces to make it look like they were trying to break off the train. I did the outline for the Hard piece, and Kool 131 provided the outlines for the Part and the Panic. I ended up executing them on the train from his sketches.
‘A’ game, nothing short of that. My dude is on another level. He pieces with such ease and such nonchalance that it’s disgusting. SYE
”
right: Mural by CYCLE, BIS, PART, MICKEY, PINK, SMITH, and others / Brooklyn / late 90s MARTIN and SPLASH piece by PART / The Graffiti Hall of Fame / New York / 1990
Hard (MEAN 3), PART, PANIC / End to end train / New York City / 1980 / Photo by Henry Chalfant
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ON THE RUN BOOKS # 3
Cubabrasil
Don M. Zaza aka Stone English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 230 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-54-2 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-55-9 Author:
Language:
Cubabrasil was the first-ever attempt to bring aerosol art to the tropical locale of Havana. This book documents the creative fusion of Latin American aerosol stars like Os Gemeos, Vitché, Nina and Joana with German graffiti writers Won, Neon,Cemnoz and Stone, alongside some of Cubas best muralists and the German video artists BerlinBeamBoys. The fruitful outcomes are captured in a series of exclusive essays and pictures from beginning to end, which make the book an important read for those interested in street art’s international story.
BRASIL 2005 SAO PAULO NO PARAISO Early in the morning, a thunderstorm pours rain on the South of the city. Cars, trucks and even houses trickle away in the mud. People drown. The northern part however, witnesses a nice and dry day. Not many mega cities on this planet exist where a situation like this is normal. São Paulo is one of them. At least 18 million people meet under its skyline, which has already grown behind the horizon. It will take you about 45 miles if you want to get from one end of the city to another. This includes all the other little cities and favelas (shanty towns) that have merged together with São Paulo. The immense ocean of skyscrapers includes everything, from vertical built slums to high tech palaces of the capital market. On the outskirts, huge
disconsolate favelas are located. For years, downtown has been moving from one point to another so that the short living architecture does not have time to take care of historical buildings. Nevertheless, there are some niches, which will give you an insight into the former splendour In São Paulo, you will see eight year old kids with their heads in plastic bags filled with glue, who lie on the street vomiting. Some 100 meters above, helicopters take the bank managers to their work. Cocaine seems to be omnipresent when it comes to violence, which shapes this city’s profile in the media. Theft and brutal crimes are common, but most of them are related to the drug trade. One part of downtown São Paulo goes by the name “Cracklandia” and it is a place which should be avoided, especially by tourists at night. Last but not least, the massive environmental pollution needs
to be mentioned. The rivers are polluted with any kind of fluid mankind produces. Still, people settle close to these muddy waters as part of the poorest favelas. Kids are playing soccer right next to chemical litter while smog transmits a rusty colored cloud, sometimes even up to the stratosphere. Favelas, Brazil’s slums, are wildly built settlements with strong communities and complicated social structures. Claiming their right for shelter, they are digging deep into the cities and will never stop existing. Mostly, they consist of raw, wobbly houses without any sewers, many have satellite antennas instead. In São Paulo, you will often find favelas built from cardboard or simple boxes of wood. Sometimes, not even this, you will find. If you ask, whether São Paulo is a beautiful city, there is one answer: It is not! Taking a look at the city from an ordinary point of view, it is more like an ugly di61
BARBARITO ANd hIS 3-wheeLS mOTORcycLe The younger brother of Jesús named Barbaro had a 200 cubic centimeters motorcycle with room in the back for – well, five people. It had 3 small tires and a roof and was actually more suitable for three passengers. It served for one month as the main official and only transportation unit for Cubabrasil’s artistic adventures. Especially Os Gemeos enjoyed every trip on that thing and made a big friendship with Barbaro. “Barbaritoooo!!!”, everybody was calling him all the time. On response he was always laughing and working hard to make the motorcycle move with his charismatic passengers. And working this meant: one or two flat tires a day was a rather common occurrence, and while the team jumped off to paint somewhere; Barbarito very often had to work on the engine or resolve some other technical problems. However, they traveled all over Havana to as far places as Santa Fé, the small fishing town on the west coast and up the North to Alamar. For the German punctuality of Stone, Barbaro’s motorcycle was not always exactly on schedule, but he understood every time that this was Cuba, so sometimes they just walked. But when Barbaro was riding high on his saddle, with the wind blowing in everybody’s faces, there was happiness and a lot of fun all along. Barbarito was honking the horn for every nice girl he spotted from behind his huge dark sunglasses. Since this was Havana and he was very thorough with it, the
Cubabrasil Mobile turned out to honk consistently most of the time of every trip. Really, a great vehicle to discover, explore and conquer Havana it was! Barbarito later said: “this was the best work I have done in my life”, in the end Os Gemeos painted for him a little canvas with his face featuring his remarkable moustache. They also designed the whole bike, making the Cubabrasil Mobile an infamous motorcycle in Havana for years to come… 51
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ON THE RUN BOOKS # 2
Logan – Seville’s Finest English 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 260 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-52-8 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-53-5 Language: Info:
Logan has established his reputation as one of aerosol art’s worldwide heavyweights, specializing in murals, characters and illustrations. Having bridged the gap between spraycans and tattoo machines, Logan has become a master in graffiti-influenced tattooing. Check out this Sevillan’s résumé as he takes the world by storm! The book comes with a ton of exclusive texts and pictures.
Joe, Srg, logan Seville, Spain / 2003
Joe, logan Seville, Spain / 2005
aFTer having been chased away from an unfinished wall by police, Logan and his co-writers decided to paint a new mural in his neighborhood. When the police turned up there as well ordering them to stop painting or face arrest, the writers simply waited out their departure, and returned to finish the piece.
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His tattoo artwork is really graffiti-inspired and precise, “which is terrific! It’s amazing how he is able put the same amount of detail into his tattoos as he does into his murals! reSo (Ckt, VmD, SP, lCF, DSk, am) / toulouse, France
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to convince Logan to take part in this competition. “TheI had temperature was 40º Celsius (104º F)
in the shade. I didn’t feel like painting while Logan could not be stopped. That taught me what an orderly person he is when painting graffiti. In the end, we won. Joe (SPl) / Seville, Spain
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ON THE RUN BOOKS # 1
Sento – The Fantastic Partners Alain “KET” Maridueña English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 535 photos & illustrations Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-50-4 Limited collector’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-51-1 Author:
Language:
Sento, the self-proclaimed ‘king of swing’ has consistently pushed the boundaries of style writing to create a unique slant that references the history of graffiti all rolled into one Sento-centric mash up complete with comical letters and interesting connections. These colorful masterpieces with quirky designs have inspired generations. Sento was always a prolific train writer and continued to paint trains well into New York City’s clean train era.
SKETChES
SENT, damp, TENTh, WERd, ERB ...
S
COlE: I met Sent somewhere in Brooklyn, I think. Not sure what year, probably 1987 or thereabout. At the time, I was still very much learning how this whole graffiti thing worked. He introduced himself as Damp. So in the mind of a toy, I’m thinking ‘ok, that’s the dude Damp I’ve seen up on the 2s & 5s’. A few months later I ran into him again. I’m like ‘Oh, what up, Damp’, he’s like ‘Nah, I write Tenth’. I was not at the point of questioning elder writers, so I said to myself quietly ‘That dude told me he wrote Damp like two months ago, what the fuck is up with this?’ Over the next couple of years I had the honor of running into this Tenth, Damp, Sent person often at various spots throughout the city. From him, I learned that it is sporting, wise and tradition to have many names. It helps keep the toys and the authorities in suspense. I used to talk to this dude for hours while benching and the dude’s grasp of everything, from graffiti history to the kind of paint the transit authority used to make subway station signs, was so in-depth it was almost scary.
BURNING papER
are full of details and meticulously done “withHisthedrawings patience of a seasoned illustrator. ” KET
SKETChES in black books, on napkins, scrap paper, anything that can be drawn on or doodled on is how most writers practice style. Sento is one of these writers who in his early years practiced styles before blazing them onto the side of the wall or a train somewhere. His black book work was nothing short of amazing and a highly desired item for writers like myself. His drawings are full of details, and meticulously done with the patience of a seasoned illustrator. His full page or double page blackbook drawings draw inspiration from psychedelic rock ’n roll and heavy metal music album art, mixing with his gritty urban environments and, of 68
course, his name – rocked and funked out to the maximum. His sketches for letters are precise and show his style morphing and changing through the years. His early Damage Incorporated years show styles with 3-dimensional extensions, kicks, and bends – a style he mastered and placed on subways worldwide. His recent sketches show his development into his wall style: a wild throw-everythin-and-the-kitchen-sink-into-the-piece including a random eyeball or skateboard if it’s around; a loose but square funky side of this master. Here are a few selections of his sketches from collections around the world.
‘Oh, what up, Damp’, “he’sI’mlikelike‘Nah, I write Tenth’. ”
SENTO: Silvers again, but working with more style now. Trying to put a little more funk into the t to b style. I like the way Sear’s piece came out. 69
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102
COLE
STAK: I was watching the news one day and heard about a shooting on the J train. The guy they had in custody for the shit was my boy who lived on Broadway (Bushwick, Bklyn). Turns out he was on his rooftop next to the J line shooting at the train with a shotgun for fun. A man got shot in the eye and the cops and medics came and shit hit the fan. Anyway, the train the man was on was the one with the Erb T2B and it was all over the news. That really bugged me out.
ERB top to bottom / Brooklyn / 1987
SENT top to bottom / Bronx / 1987
DAMP, KAv (CAv), BiK (SEAR) top to bottom whole car / Bronx / 1987
SENTO: I was trying another name (Werd) in 1986 and was digging these letters for a while. I did a couple of these. 29
PURE: I remember in 1985, Sento had done a throw-up on Tremont with Haz and my boy Bae had taken a picture of it. That was around the time I had just left Art and Design high school (kicked out for tagging on a desk) and wound up in Evander Childs high school. I used to run into Sento every morning outside my English class when he had the Jesus pony tail, but we never really spoke. Bae eventually introduced us. SENTO: I resented Pure a little bit because he had the shit all intact after learning from more established cats. I was still trying to figure shit out. But once I got to meet him, we became cool and he became my man.
like Comet and Blade; it was Sent and Cavs. Even though I am older than Sent, I am “hisWeson;were he is my mentor. If it weren’t for Sent, I wouldn’t have got up as much as I did. ” CAvS
CAVS: I met Sent back in 1983 on Matilda Avenue in the Bronx. A lot of writers used to hang out on that block. Sent used to hang out with this dude that wrote Blest. I think he’s the one who brought Sent to the block. Way before he lived in my building, I lived between Matilda Avenue and Richardson Avenue on 238th Street. I would also run into Sent while I was motion bombing, so I remembered him from the block. Everybody back then used to say he looked like Jesus. Haha. Sento was partners with me, Key, Sear and he got up several times with Wane. I started getting up with Sent with pieces in 1985 and he was my first real graffiti partner. We were like Comet and Blade; it was Sent and Cavs. Even though I am older than Sent, I am his son; he is my mentor. If it weren’t for Sent, I wouldn’t have got up as much as I did. He also introduced me to freight trains. DAMP, CAv / 1986
SENTO: DAMP, NEON, SCUM in Germany, 1990. The mission was to bomb where no crew had bombed before.
GERmaNY
Early SENT pieces
10
on the Broadway
line and corresponding
sketches.
SENTO, NEON unfinished wholecar / Munich, Germany / 1990
SCUM: This was the first time SENTO came to Munich, Germany, and the first time we met. The winter in Bavaria was cold as ice and we froze to death during night actions. We did the SENT NEON T2B whole car in a platform lay up on the first night. Still, we had to run and couldn´t finish both outlines and highlights. The second night, we went to a big yard on the other side of town, armed with a heavy wooden ladder. As we were crawling between the rows of parked trains, we saw the unfinished SENT NEON from the night before again. We painted the DAMP NEON SCUM T2BWC on an opposite train and then finished the SENT NEON
afterwards. So, on Monday we had two trains running. What a fantastic premiere. MILK: International travel got to a point, where I would be in New York with Sento, then Atome would arrive from Australia. Two weeks later we would all meet up in Dortmund again for a hip hop jam, sneak away to do some whole cars in Amsterdam, then travel on to Munich to do a bit more, and then Sent went on to Italy and Atome up to Sweden. NEON, SENTO / Germany / 1990 103
ON THE RUN BOOKS
LIMITED COLLECTOR’S EDITION
For the connoisseur we present the expertly crafted silver embossed hardcover edition with dust jacket and stitch binding. Print run limited to 1,000 pieces.
Limited colle ctor’s edition 14.95 € / £ 14 .99 / US $ 19 .95
COLOR ME GRAFFITI GRAFFITI AUSMALBUCH
NEW English, German 48 pages, 29.7 x 21 cm (8.3 x 11.7 inches), 32 illustrations and photos 6.95 € / £ 5.99 / US $ 8.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-19-1 / English ISBN 978-3-937946-20-7 / German Language: Info:
Color Me Graffiti – How to Color Like the Masters is a coloring book that aims to educate and entertain, providing the next generation of writers, art enthusiasts and children alike with the chance to color their world in graffiti style, with a range of illustrations, characters and styles from the crème de la crème of the international graffiti and street art scene. In addition to fresh outlines, the book includes special coloring tips from the masters. Interactive and good fun, here is a book for urban culture aficionados of all ages to enjoy.
BACKJUMPS The Live Issue #3
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Willem Stratmann, Don M. Zaza Language: English / German 320 pages, 16 x 23.5 cm (6.3 x 9.25 inches), 600 photos & illustrations Softcover / 14.95 € / £ 14.99 / US $ 19.95 / ISBN 978-3-937946-27-6 Author: Info:
Back Jumps – The Live Issue #3 documents Berlin’s original, most authentic and lively street art exhibition. In addition to showcasing the artwork, installations, and urban interventions from twenty-four international street artists, the book includes related essays, numerous photographs and an extensive visual and written report on the first two exhibitions of the series.
SCHWARZ AUF WEISS Style needs no color
Style Needs No Color English Info: 128 pages, 23.5 x 16 cm (9.25 x 6.3 inches), 220 photos & illustrations Hardcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-18-4 Author:
Language:
Schwarz auf Weiss (Black on White) seeks to make style the true center of attention and rightly so. Within the pages of this book is a fine selection of characters, styles and vector graphics by international graffiti and street artists who work with the philosophy that ‘style needs no color’. Abstaining from color really highlights the true essentials. Black on white rock on…
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THE NASTY Terrible T-Kid 170 Julius Cavero English, French Info: 200 pages, 22.5 x 30 cm (8.9 x 11.8 inches), 200 photos & illustrations Hardcover 34.99 â‚Ź / ÂŁ 34.99 / US $ 34.95 EU / ISBN 978-3-937946-11-5 / English USA / ISBN 978-3-937946-10-8 / English ISBN 978-3-937946-12-2 / French Author:
Language:
The Nasty Terrible T-KID 170 is an uncensored Bronx Hip Hop story. This autobiography chronicles the life of Julius Cavero, aka T-Kid, a gang member turned graffiti writer and style writing mentor. It retraces his colorful life from the early 1960s to 2005. Alongside his artwork and painted trains are written accounts of a ghetto childhood, his gangbanging years and daring feats of graffiti. T-Kid won fame early on with sharp styles that have inspired generations since
HIP HOP FILES
Martha Cooper Photographs 1979-1984
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Martha Cooper English, German Info: 240 pages, 22.5 x 30 cm (8.9 x 11.8 inches), 500 photos & illustrations Softcover 29.90 € / £ 29.90 / US $ 29.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-05-4 / English Hardcover 39.99 € / £ 35.00 / US $ 39.95 EU / ISBN 978-3-937946-02-3 / English EU / ISBN 978-3-937946-03-0 / German USA / ISBN 978-3-937946-00-9 / English Photographer: Language:
Hip Hop Files – Photographs 1979-1984 is Martha Cooper’s highly regarded reference on the emergence of Hip Hop culture. Fortunately, she was in the right place at the right time to capture on film the young people at the forefront of this movement, those who were creating the music, dance and art that later became the worldwide phenomenon known as Hip Hop. Her photographs document the scene unfolding and icons in the making.
PUBLIC WALL WRITING IN PHILADELPHIA
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Megawords Magazine English Info: 96 pages, 24 x 34.2 cm (9.4 x 13.5 inches), 100 photos Softcover 9.95 € / £ 9.99 / US $ 14.95 EU / ISBN 978-3-937946-07-8 Author:
Language:
Writing culture celebrated at the place of its birth, Public Wall Writing in Philadelphia is a collection of photographs that chronicle the history of wall writing in Philadelphia from the late 1960s through to the early 1980s. As youth discover the power of the written word in public spaces, they scrawl social commentary, political swipes, declarations of love, names and basic signs of existence across the city. The book captures the zeitgeist of that period of writing and a fragment of Philadelphia’s urban life. Foreword Philadelphia in 1975 was a strange and wild place- so far from today and yet so close. We were enjoying the international spotlight for the first time in over 150 years for reasons both good and awful. At the top of the good chart was Gamble and Huff, two songwriter/ producers who started Philadelphia International Records. With their in-house musicians (MFSB), they created “The Sound of Philadelphia” - also known as Philadelphia Soul. Right below Philadelphia Soul were the Philadelphia Flyers, better remembered as the Broad Street Bullies. They won back-to-back championships in 74 and 75 by beating the crap out of everybody in the league. Their ‘Old Style’ of hockey was deplored by everyone west of the Monongahela River, but it was good enough for us. The top billing on the awful list was Mayor Frank Rizzo, a man loved and loathed in equal amounts amongst Philadelphians like no one since Columbus. To say he was divisive would be like saying the Liberty Bell had a scratch in it. Frank was a real old-school copper - bash first, ask questions never. He became police commissioner and then rose through the ranks to become mayor for two terms. But at least he had personality. “They make a faggot outta me, these fucking politicians. Be nice to everybody. Smile, shake hands, make peace. Fuck that peace stuff.” He wasn’t kidding. The spotlight on Philly was going to be brightest on July 4th, 1976: The bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia was throwing a party and the whole world was ready to come and celebrate the moment. The party goers were planning to take advantage of the spotlight to call attention to a variety of social injustices. Frank asked President Gerald Ford for 15,000 federal troops to secure the city against the potential trouble. While his request was denied, just asking put a serious damper on the party for Philadelphia. The celebration went to New York, and our moment in the spotlight, at first good, then awful, was in the rear-view mirror forever. Wall writing was good and awful too, depending on your understanding of the language. Initially, nobody except Cornbread knew what to make of it. The Evening Bulletin clumsily called it “doodling”. Rizzo wasn’t a fan, but a lot of people were excited by this new form of expression. The initial impression made by wall writing was that it was a unique language of the street and it was em-
About Public Wall Writing in Philadelphia Public Wall Writing in Philadelphia underwent many different manifestations and was the subject of much discussion before we settled on direction. At one point we wanted to create graffiti typography book, that didn’t focus at all on Philadelphia. Ultimately we decided what we didn’t want to do was make a history book, or some sort of taxonomy of of graffiti writing. We didn’t want to catalog specific dates, style, people and locations; but instead to present a collection of photographs that we found interesting, and that created a picture of certain time period in Philadelphia, and to capture the zeitgeist of that period focused around wall writing. In the process of choosing these images, from literally the thousands of photographs that we went through, the thing that struck me was how varied the subjects of the photographs were; ranging from documentary to fashion and everywhere in between. And somehow wall writing always found its way into the frame. The photos themselves were taken by many different photographers over a time period of 20 years between the late 60’s and early 80’s. Most of them were found in an archive at Temple
braced by the media as a positive phenomenon. It was definitely all good compared to the all awful epidemic of corner gangs beating each other down citywide. Soon hundreds of kids stopped gang banging and started getting up and getting famous for it. I saw news footage of Rizzo walking by the Liberty Bell building in the early 70’s and it was covered with names. I think people were relieved to see the youth of Philadelphia do something better than killing each other. Of course, after Kap tagged the Liberty Bell and painted a piece on the front of the Art Museum, people stopped being so cool about it. The population went from impressed to depressed about graffiti in five years, which was about how long it took them to hate disco. But like disco, it’s still here. Today, #2 on the awful list is racism (murder now has a lock on the top spot, previously held by such chart toppers as gangs, dope, crack, and dope, which over the years have come and gone and come again). For being so far above the Mason/Dixon line, Philadelphia is a very segregated town. Recently, Dan Murphy and I stood on a corner in Mantua and an older black guy looked at us and said, “I never seen anything like that in my life”. We just shrugged. If that’s the reaction a couple white guys in a black neighborhood inspires today, then I can’t imagine what it was like 30 years ago. I’m sure having a Mayor at the time who was internationally famous for raiding the local Black Panther offices and making the occupants line up outside naked didn’t help race relations much. What did help was graffiti; a place where youth developed on their own, where race was put aside and people only fought for good reasons like “you wrote your name over mine”. It’s dumb, basic, and profound. When youths play together, they get along better. In turn, the world gets better too. Of course, youths become adults and develop all types of bad energy. But as youths (even overgrown youths) writing graffiti, we get along great. It’s strange and wild. This book is a visual record of one pure good. The first generation of Philadelphia youth who developed a language of their own. They used wall writing to communicate across every neighborhood, every barrier and every wall that kept us apart. Read it and see us doing as youth what we have such trouble doing as adults–deal with each other.
Public Wall Writing in Philadelphia
Stephen Powers aka ESPO
University, some were acquired on our own, and others through our personal contacts. Each photographer was shooting with a different purpose, and through our editing we were able to freeze a moment in Philadelphia forever. For me its much more than just the graffiti that makes these photos interesting. It’s that the people doing the wall writing are asking questions and making some noise with their actions. They are doing something, anything, and expressing their emotions through their activities. Be those emotions fear, anger or hope, I’m not sure. A mix of those and more I’d wager. But their expression and declaration of self, their declaration of existence, is what is important. We live in a time where our personal freedoms are at stake in many ways, where we are constantly overwhelmed by advertising and messages that our not our own. It may have never been more important to remember to ask those questions, and make as much noise of your own as possible. Anthony Smyrski Megawords Magazine 15
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STREET PLAY
Photographs by Martha Cooper English 120 pages, 21 x 24 cm (8.3 x 9.4 inches), 100 duotone photographs Softcover 19.90 € / £ 19.90 / US $ 24.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-15-3 Hardcover 29.95 € / £ 29.95 / US $ 29.95 ISBN 978-3-937946-16-0 Language: Info:
Martha Cooper’s Street Play is a captivating collection of heartwarming photographs of children at play in the harsh urban wasteland that was New York City’s Lower Eastside in the 70s. It shows the creative and indomitable spirit of NYC kids as they turn their inhospitable environment into an adventure playground.
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