OLD SO KOOL
80s UK GRAFFITI
PAUL PILGRIM & STEVEN O’HARASupported by
Published in Great Britain, 2022
By Banovallum Books an imprint of Mortons Books Ltd. Media Centre Morton Way Horncastle, LN9 6JR www.mortonsbooks.co.uk
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-911658-98-6
The right of Paul Pilgrim and Steven O’Hara to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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Preface 5 Introduction 7 North 8 South 90 East 184 West 202 Midlands 250 Still Rattlin’ On 326 Rest in Eternal Paint 360 Conclusion 375
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Contents
Preface
A quirk of fate brought Paul Pilgrim and Steven O’Hara together, but they soon discovered both a mutual appreciation for the tumultuous 80s and a desire to celebrate and commemorate the godfathers of UK graffiti. They realised that this era and lifestyle, those Halcyon days, deserved to be remembered and preserved for future generations. An original artist from the 80s graffiti era, Paul grew up with a genuine love for the UK scene. He has developed a vast network of contacts in the graffiti world during his 37 years of experience and involvement in it, both through his career as a DJ and through his world renowned 80s Old Skool Graffiti Facebook group which connects 80s artists all over the world and gives them an opportunity to share art, photographs, memories and a wealth of experience and creativity. Through this group and its followers, treasures thought lost and gone forever have been rediscovered and can now be shared with a new generation of aspiring writers and graffiti artists.
Steven grew up in the 80s and is a lifelong fan of graffiti art. Now running a publishing business, and always on the lookout for new stories and new ideas to offer readers, on meeting Paul he quickly realised that there was one story in particular that needed to be told – one that resonated strongly with his own life and experience. He believes that UK graffiti of the 80s deserves to be recognised with a book of its own and alongside Paul has produced exactly that.
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IntroductionThe graffiti artists of the 80s painted the backdrop to our youth. Walls, underpasses and trains were adorned with their dazzling, stylish creations and we loved every inch of it – even if the powers that be did not.
The secret world of these mysterious iconoclasts was beyond most of us but we knew they were out there somewhere, breathing colour and fresh life into the weathered grey concrete and rusted steel all around us.
The 80s were a car crash of rampant consumerism, vibrant music, extreme fashion and urban decay. Every day the TV news was full of strikes, economic turmoil and terrorist bombings, but we also had the A-Team, music videos, BMX bikes and video games.
It was a time of change – in some ways it was the true beginning of the modern world we live in today – and through it all the graffiti artists were there in the background, lighting it up. Old So Kool is designed to take readers right back to this unforgettable era, those better days, when legendary painters skulked in the shadows with rattle cans, ready to craft their latest masterpiece and bring beauty to another brutalist monstrosity. They were not menaces or criminals, but rather the harbingers of a new cultural age and heroes to a generation of young people disillusioned with the grim authoritarian establishment. This book is a celebration of their lives and their work – of their world. Enjoy.
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Chapter 1 NORTH
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Mist1 Sheffield 1989 Mist1
Icea Manchester Old Trafford Park 1989 Haych
Old So Kool CHAPTER ONE: NORTH 9
Easy Manchester 1988 Feud
Easy Manchester Old Trafford Park 1988 Meds
IceA Manchester Trafford Park 1989 Care KGB Easy Manchester West End Flats 1988 Meds
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Safe DTR Crew Sheffield Tinsley Yard 1987 Azerox
Post Grafix Sheffield 1989 Dee HMV
Sidz & Dash CAW Sheffield Victoria Hall 1988 Azerox
Wild Side York Bustin Loose Competition 1988 Hear DMN
Seph MTV Never Sketch York 1988 Stig HDS
Eazel Character Sketch Sheffield 1989 Eazel
Sec2 Manchester Shaky Bridge 1988 Feud
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Risk ACT Sheffield Meadowhall Sidings 1987 Cost TCM
A lot of classic art case 2 tfp dondi skeme Dez seen UA seen tc5 quik Sach aeron CIA FBA crew kb TSS daze cya chain3 noc167tds p jay UA dust UA ECT
– Caswell Procope
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Popz100 Manchester Trafford Park 1988 Stig HD
Cre8 & Jesta Stain Devilz Walk On The Wild Side Sketch Halifax 1989 Cre8 Cre8 Jesta Insane & Cover USA TFA Halifax ATS Wall 1988 Cre8
Cre8 Jesta Insane & Cover USA TFA Halifax ATS Wall 1988 Cre8
Cre8 & Jest USA ROC Halifax Jubilee Centre 1988 Cre8
Graff for me back in the 80s was everything, it was different from anything else, the buzz of piecing and bombing tracksides, doing all-nighters, car plan, dupli and that smell of bunty paint racked from the art shop... Davie (zak)... Glasgow
– Davie Dilligaf Niven
Old So Kool CHAPTER ONE: NORTH 13
Zee Newcastle 1989 Rich SNC
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Year NCD Sheffield Trackside 1989 Dee HMV
IceA Skate Shack Character Barrow In Furness 1989 Lee Fitzgerald (Mr Dee) Most MTV Vapors Halifax 1989 Jem MTV Part2 Sketch York 1989 Care KGB Karm MTV & Black Book York 1986 Karm MTV MTV Crew In York 1988 Jem MTV
Sheffield 1988 Dee HMV
Ask Sheffield 1989 Dee HMV
Mist1
