Interviews
THE QUEENS MASTERPIECE By Nigel Clarke
In the late 1970s Andrew Jackson High School spoke failure and inferior education to
New York City. The predominately Black student body was the refuse of Jamaica, Queens.
However, in 1980, a little lady from Philadelphia would draw on her faith in graffiti and request the assistance of a group of kings. These kings would echo a message to the students and the community. While the world was concentrated on style wars in the Bronx, a kingdom was being established. A message that didn’t go all city, would be reverberated throughout the borough and eventually the world. This message gave the borough the confidence to reign supreme during the golden age of Hip Hop and triumph over and epidemic created to defeat them.
This is the story of The Queens Masterpiece.
“Our story starts in a town/ That was not tame/ There was no laws/
Things was insane/ In order to survive/ You had to be mean/
Our story starts in notorious Queens!/” – Show Boys
Abandonment. Indirectly, this was the message New York City gave the students at Andrew Jackson, and to the community of Jamaica, Queens. Rezoning plans, to make Jackson more attractive to White students was not embraced. Parents believed that the Board of Education failed deliberately, preventing Jackson from keeping the 70/30 White ratio found at other schools. The monolithic faded yellow brick structure, located on Francis Lewis boulevard and 115th avenue in Cambria Heights, was an eyesore.
Dr. Evelyn Rich arrived at Jackson in 1980. The school’s physical condition, which included
graffiti, litter around the periphery and unmanaged grounds were symbolic of the attitude and deteriorated education within.
In an article she wrote upon her arrival, she described the students as a group of underachievers and a staff with a lax attitude. Many students, were behind in reading and maths skills. “For the most part, the students who lived around the school did not go to Jackson. They went to the others schools. The Jackson youngsters were students who many other schools did not welcome, because they were not achieving in school — but it was my position that the reason why they weren’t achieving wasn’t because the could not achieve, it was because they were not receiving the proper instruction and support. So I set out to show
them that they were capable of doing anything anyone else was capable of — if not more!” said Dr. Rich.
The new principal realized that the students problematic domestic conditions contributed to their attitude. It was necessary to transform Andrew Jackson into AJ, and create a sanctuary.
She strategized and created a blueprint for education. “Here is the reason/ Why I’m so concerned/ Because you must learn/” — KRS.
Dr. Rich wanted to communicate a message to the students that would change their attitudes, towards their ability “I was looking for something to really motivate the students, to describe the mission that I saw for the school, and for myself and for them. I looked in a lot of places for some slogan which was very simple, but compelling.” said Dr. Rich.
Her educational background directed her to a Latin proverb. After collaborating with her assistant principal, the proverb was translated into English, with a more definitive meaning.
Resulting in WE CAN, BECAUSE, WE KNOW WE CAN.
After studying a Harvard researcher, who encouraged the technique of using visual aids to assist with education, Dr, Rich thought of a creative way in which to communicate the schools new slogan. “I wanted a visual symbol for the youngsters to see.” said Dr. Rich.
Although she didn’t like the unmanaged writing which covered the school. She devised a more creative way for the talented artist to express themselves.
“We had a serious graffiti problem when I went to Jackson. I was very concerned about that because I feel that you have to have a structured environment and safe environment for learning, so I decided that I had to do something about the graffiti” said Dr. Rich.
She put word out, that she wanted to meet with the graffiti artist (aka writers) on the football field.
Dr. Rich, reflected on the conversation she had with the graffiti writers saying “I pointed out all of the graffiti that was on the school and said ‘Look, this is our school, our community and I have a vision for this school and for you, that I hope you will share in the coming months. I propose that I will give you an inside wall on the school, you can draw anything you want on this wall, but you may not draw on any other wall!’ They said ‘That’s not much compared to the whole building.’”
In addition, to the wall, Dr. Rich had one more commission for the future royalty. “We have a wall outside of the athletic field, in addition to letting you draw, I would like you to put over the bleachers, the school slogan.”
“Oh you write for her/ Now that explains it” — Special Ed.
One of the writers in the build was none other than the late and great CER. CER was a member of the infamous Queens graffiti crew TPA (The Public Animals).
“CER was a serious bomber — While everybody else was trying to catch up, he laying it down” said fellow TPA member KAP. Perhaps CER’s motivation was somewhat sparked by the lack of acknowledgement for Queens writers, who some viewed as still living in “Busland.”
KAP, a former Jackson student, recalls the entrance of Dr. Rich, the “champion, I turned tragedy into triumph”(Kanye West) principal. “It was a wild ass school, you could smoke weed, play cee-lo, sex in the staircase — everything you’re not suppose to do. Then came this little lady who shut down the place systematically. Took that school and changed it from trouble to achievement.” said KAP.
“LL COOL J L album cover, photo taken in front of Jackson”
When KAP wasn’t skating through Jackson or writing on the walls, he was honing his skills as an MC. He was overwhelmed when first meeting with another Jackson student, who was one of Hollis’s best MC’s. Speaking of LL Cool J, he described the next level MC, saying “His aura, his charisma, his braggadocio — it was just too much for anyone.”
He also happened to be present the day a young Wendell Fyte, who would later become DJ Hurricane of the Afros and The Beastie Boys, was shot. “When the gunshots went off, everybody was going every which way… it was time to get down” said KAP.
KAP recalls how the Queens Masterpiece was designed. He bumped into CER and
recalled him saying “We’re going to do Jackson.” However, it wasn’t CER who was the designer of the piece. “Cey came up with the sketch” said KAP.
Taken by Martha Cooper
Cey Adams, the Jamaica, Queens graft writer who was active in the 70s and early 80s, would move on to be a graphic designer for Def Jam. His background in graffiti allowed him
to translate the vision of the artsists into a form that was palatable for the young Hip Hop generation.
Cey reflected on graffiti in Queens saying “It was a small scene, it wasn’t the way it is today. It wasn’t a lot of fanfare, we were still just rebels for the most part. We were still writing graffiti and running around and getting in trouble ourselves.”
Cey would explain that in Jamaica, the Queens bus terminal on 165th, adjacent to the library was the Queens writer domain. “That is where the Queens writers would meet and bomb buses. You would go and hit as many busses as you can. All of the Queens writers would meet there. Years later I would wind up going to 149th street writer’s bench.” said Cey.
Cey was familiar with another local writer, who would later become a Jackson alumni, named Hype. Speaking of Hype he said “I knew him as a graffiti artist.” Hype Williams would go on and become one of the most successful music video directors in Hip Hop.
Although Cey grew up in Jamaica, Queens he did not attend Jackson. He explained how fellow TPA writer CER got him involved, saying “CER went to Jackson and he was the one who pulled me in because I was the most popular of the bunch when it came to graffiti.”
I asked Cey to describe the sounds of Queens during the early eighties, and what he was listening to at the time, what he might be listening to while writing. “Anywhere to the 70s to early 80s, it’s almost pre Hip Hop, Run-DMC hadn’t even come out yet. At that time, Maybe you’re listening to Treacherous Three, Spoony G — A guy from the neighbor hood named Sweety G, he was a local rapper.”
Sweety G, was born in Brooklyn, but as an adolescent moved to Queens and was pivotal to the Queens Hip Hop movement during the early 80s.
“Come on New York/ Now it’s time/ Listen to me rhyme/ Guaranteed to do it/
like a drop of a dime/” — Sweety G
Sweety G spoke on his view of Jackson saying “Andrew Jackson was the illest, it was like going to Riker’s island on a social component. If you were smart and you kept you mouth shut, you could defeat the odds and become a doctor, it was the closest you could get to Rikers. If you wanted to test your style, who had the freshest clothes — dope dealers would go there to recruit the girls, stick up kids would go to make some extra money. But people came out of there with an education. People gave Jackson a bad rap, but the teachers were passionate. Jackson was that thing.”
Sweety G spoke on the mural at Jackson and how he drew inspiration from it even though he didn’t attend Jackson saying “When I saw it, I use to say ‘They’re talking about me.’ It affected a lot of us. I didn’t realize it, I found pieces of myself at that time. It did stand – It almost was like, it was in the middle of no where, It was like it was in the middle of Times Square and there were cobwebs and there was a fog and you almost couldn’t see it — you could bump into it and take a part of that passage with you when you bumped into it vicariously, just by accident — whether somebody was arrested, somebody got killed on the block or whether someone made it to the NBA.”
He’d continue with rap until 1985 when things would start to change. Lesson in Hip Hop passed at the lunch room table and graffiti lessons on blue binders were replaced and displaced. Substituted with messages of survival. In the mid 80s, the fun loving poetry of Holmes had died.
Speaking about the beginning of the crack epidemic, he said “You saw your friends disappear, we didn’t know what was going on until that girl you had a crush on — the whole neighborhood had sex with her. We could not see it, we were inside the bubble.” said Sweety G.
Dr. Rich talked about drugs inside of Jackson saying “We had a drug problem. It was marijuana and the beginnings of crack. I had a problem with the drug dealers in the school. I wasn’t afraid of them, they were afraid of me!”
The good doctor may have been successful in keeping drugs out of Jackson, but the rest of Jamaica, Queens wasn’t as successful in dealing with the crack epidemic.
According the the New York Times article A CRACK PLAGUE IN QUEENS BRINGS VIOLENCE AND FEAR (1987), the American dream, which Black residents had hoped to obtain by buying homes in Jamaica had vanished. The territory in Jamaica attracted the supreme clientele of Long Island. The Cross Island Expressway made these areas more accessible and safer than trips to Brooklyn, Bronx or Manhattan. The competition for clients gave birth to the crack wars. The exploits of the kingpins in Jamaica would reach as far as the pyramids in Queensbridge, to the throne of pharaoh Nas.
“They spoke of Fat Cat/ that nigga’s name made bell rings, black/
Some fiends scream/ About Supreme Team/ A Jamaica, Queens thing/” – Nas
Sweet G who had witnessed the transition in Hip Hop and infusion of drugs, spoke of the dealers saying “They’re coming in with the newest fashion and the newest freshest clothes and the newest look. They changed the paradigm. They changed the platform when they came in each week. Who could compete with them? That would galvanize and move the entire community, not to mention the whole generation.”
Crack signified a new era. A new way of thinking. A new generation. At the center of it, was
Andrew Jackson High School. These children were the future representatives of the borough. A borough that was misunderstood.
“Nobody understood Queens” explained King Phade, one of the cofounders of THE SHIRT KINGS, a graffiti inspired fashion store, located in the Coliseum, on Jamaica Ave.
Phade relays stories of getting established and how the influence of Jam Master Jay, and LL Cool J, would speak to him about Jackson and the talent from the school. “A girl I dated was from there. We knew about AJ through the girls. They were like ‘So and so goes here. They go here.’ Looking at AJ, I was like okay, this must be the new rising mecca of Hip Hop stars” said Phade.
After selling Jam Master Jay two shirts at his home in Hollis, he and his partner realized the potential for business. “Jay wore a shirt to Elizabeth street where Russell [Simmons] and them had their first office. Jay wore his shirt — I did a black shirt with a gold chain around it, and I put a name plate ‘JMJ.’ Run and them was like — ‘Yo, where did you get that?’ but he did not tell them. Jay told us, ‘Y’all need to go to the ave and open a store because everybody’s asking about this.’ Jay told us that and we went up to the ave and found the Coliseum in 85. We opened up — that was like the summer of 86″ said Phade.
Style was being created in Queens. The attitude changed as well. Although it wasn’t Brooklyn, Radio Raheem could be seen on every corner. Love and hate. His box spoke about the gloriousness of Schoolly D’s fat cold chain.
“Niggas from Rochdale poppin shells/ Snatching Rings/
Fly from Shirt Kings/ From Queensbridge to 118/” – Nas
Phade elaborated on the early success of Shirt Kings, attributing it to both LL Cool J and Jam Master Jay. “LL came down into the Coliseum, going from booth to booth looking for us. Nike did his first shirt for him and what he did, was wear that shirt to every photo shoot you can imagine. That boosted it to another realm of customers… Jay came down and supported. At the time Hollis and Jamaica was not on good terms. Jay traveled with like seventy dudes and then came to the ave. He came down in to the Coliseum and bought everybody down there.”
For many years, there have been differences or beef between South Side and Hollis. The most visible manifestation for people outside of Jamaica Queens, has been the misunderstood feud between Ja Rule (Hollis) and 50 Cent (South Side).
“I’m light skinned/ I live in Queens/ And I love eating chicken and collard greens/” – DMC
Phade shared his view on the conflict, caused by urban tribalism, saying “Hollis, they didn’t have the same attitude towards life as they did in Jamaica, In Jamaica everybody was Godbody. Me and Kash, we was part of the Five Percent nation. A lot of crazy stuff was going on that side of town. In Hollis, they don’t care, they’re eating pork they was living their life. They were like, we’re Hollis and they were standing on their own. Now they had the top rap group in the world and they was like ‘You gotta respect us! We’re not bending down to the will of 40 Projects, Baisley Projects and all of that!”
Phade, the graffiti writer who left the Bronx, shed further light on the dynamics of Queens in the eighties “Queens was always coke heavy, they had it under control, but crack turned it out of control. To me, Queens was like Brooklyn, but they had money. A lot their parents came from Harlem, Bronx, they were hustlers. They made their money and moved their families out to Queens — some were good working class people, but some of them were hustlers that moved away from the Harlem Scene and the Bronx scene and bought houses.” Indeed, many families who had learned lessons from Barnes, in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx had settled in the Queens during the late seventies. They brought their sciences and hustles with them as well.
King Phade recalls first hearing of LL Cool J, while he was still in the Bronx. “His voice was ill, his demeanor was ill, and his delivery was ill. Nobody in the Bronx knew what he looked like.” said Phade.
The Shirt Kings were a core component of style that was created on Jamaica, Queens.
People forget, that the mid eighties and late nineties gave birth to fly guys, but more importantly fly girls. Fly girls with bamboo earrings, sick haircuts and attitude. During these times, or years, every fly girl was named Roxanne, some time later on — Antoinette — and for a minute, for a second — Chanin.
“Yo, that’s Super Cassanova’s sister!” I don’t remember who said it, but while I was at Linden
Middle School — 192, our focus was on a fly girl named Chanin. My classmate was actually referring to Cassanova Rud, who was partnered with Super Lover Cee. Rud was one of Queens Hip Hop pioneers, who lived in Cambria Heights and later moved to Astoria. He helped paint a picture of Jamaica Avenue and it’s importance in style.
“It felt like Hip Hop. It smelled like Hip Hop, you heard Hip Hop. People forget that Hip Hop is a culture, and it was stewed there” said Rud.
“The Coliseum was the place were the trends were starting for the visuals of hip hop in the golden era. The outfits that people were wearing in certain videos, they were selling those outfits there. Everybody in New York City had a Shirt Kings shirt at one point in time. People
imitated the Shirt Kings!” said Rud.
“You’ll get action/ talking loud/ walking up in Jackson/” – Kool Keith
“Back in those days, Jackson was the toughest schools in Queens. People weren’t going to learn, people were going to be bad. A lot of gangsters came out of Jackson. A lot of rappers came out Jackson. It was tough back then” said Mikey D, the rapper who told a young James Todd — stuck on James Ski — that ladies loved him. Mikey D, whose rap battle skills, still has Melle Mel doing pushups, reflected on further talent from Jackson.
Speaking of Jackson he said “There’s a lot of rappers from that area. Black, Rock and Ron — a lot of Hollis cats went to that school.” said Mikey D. Black, Roc & Ron was a group that released the album STOP THE WORLD in 1989. Although their album was somewhat successful, they group failed to follow up when group member, Lord Black was murdered in the early 90s.
Before his acting skills allowed him to touch stars in Hollywood, Jackson alumni Gilbert Brown’s artistic mind was molded in Jackson. He spoke on the the misunderstood school, and the learning environment that contributed towards creativity. “Jackson had a bad reputation, but it wasn’t all that. There was a lot of positive things going on in Jackson. Mr. and Ms. Jackson, fashion shows — So much was going on that was positive. He also recalled many teachers, intuitively seeing the need to push students further.
Although we both grew up on 197th, Gilbert was a bit older, and his memory of 1985, was more
vivid. We then reflected on that time, and the public service announcement commercial
which showed a young black male running home after school, hopping over fences, in an attempt to avoid the neighborhood dealers who wouldn’t take “No” for answer. “It was like that — When crack happened, entire families were disrupted — that’s when the shut down started.”
I remember getting approached to sell by some guys who lived on the corner and both of them getting killed” said Gilbert.
“Milk’s bodyguard/ Is my bodyguard too!/” – MC Lyte
Gilbert reflected on the visible Hip Hop presence at Jackson. The most visible physical presence was Bigfoot aka Big Jean who was a security guard while working for MC Lyte and Audio Two. Jean is seen on the cover of MC Lyte’s album LYTE AS A ROCK. Lyte would refer to Big Jean in lyrics saying “Then he got bold/ tried to play insane/ So Bigfoot through him off my paper thin train/”
Gilbert also reflected on the many dance teams and squads at Jackson. The most visible is the
award winning Hip Hop choreography duo Cicely Bradley and Olisa Thompson, who have
worked with some of the most influential names in Hip Hop, including G Unit and Missy Elliot.
“Somehow the rap game/ Reminds me of the crack game/ Use to sport Ballys/ And Gazelles with black frames” – Nas
Orville Hall, owner of the Hip Hop museum in Hollis, helped describe Jackson and how Jay gave Run-DMC their essence saying “Jackson was that place. It was a mecca for gangsters, guys who did not go to the school, would just go there to rob people. But Jay going to Jackson, he could wear his Gazelles, his sheepskin — he had his [Hollis] crew” said Orville. Not everyone could floss at AJ. Or even near Jackson. That’s what made Jay so special, or anyone else who established themselves in Jackson. They were respected as someone who made it through what was perceived as the toughest school in Queens.
Speaking on Jam Master Jay and how he gave Run-DMC their tough, streetwise image, which was visible with black leather and wide brimmed hats. “They [Run-DMC] were wearing plaid suits. If it wasn’t for Jay, they would not have been able to present that image” said Orville.
Orville summed up the experience at Jackson saying “An urban phenomenon created by
gangsters.”
Jackson’s toughness helped mold Jam Master Jay. Jay in turn helped mold the Kings of Rock.
Jackson would give birth to further royalty and produce a princess.
“I can remember a time/ Up at AJ High/ You would rap and rhyme” – Princess Ivori
Princess Ivori rose to prominence with her single THE CRACK PIPE CHANGED IT ALL. She recalled the former glory of her kingdom and having a different experience than the one she
expected.
Ivori spoke on Jackson saying “I was fearful, I was scared out of my mind. I had heard all of these horrible things. Jackson was held to me as a threat. I thought it was going to be awful and it was the opposite. It had a bad rep, but Jackson felt like family.”
Ivori spoke further on the atmosphere which contributed to the group of talent that walked through its doors saying “Looking back at Jackson, there was no hate, everybody just supported everybody — anybody who was creative in Jackson, supported everybody else who was creative. In Jackson, we were encouraged to be creative.”
Jackson’s reputation also included a poor education and high drop out rates. However, Ivori spoke of a passionate teaching staff who understood the dynamics of the plague they faced, and answered accordingly. The teachers helped create an environment where the students’s creativity was nurtured. “You’re coming from an environment in Queens where, everybody had crack head in their family. You had a brother, cousin, uncle or maybe a mother, father on crack. You can’t just address academics with a child who’s going through that” said Ivori.
LL Cool J had passed through Jackson four years before, and after she stopped leaving
roses on his front doorstep, she then decided to pursue her career in rap. She reached out to
Jam Master Jay and recalls the method she used to find him, and his attitude towards her.
“Jam Master Jay was encouraging to me. I went through telephone book, there weren’t many Mizell’s in Queens. I called his house and he didn’t hang up on me” said Ivori.
After explaining her interest in being a rapper, she remembers Jay’s response and the type of person he was in helping her attain her goal. “He was encouraging, calling to check on me while on the road. He was always reachable and I can’t say that about a lot of people.” said
Ivori.
In 88, when Jay-Z was getting chased through Marcy, the young princess decided to spend her senior dues on her EP, which was made with legendary Queens producer Paul C. “I’m not in any Jackson yearbook, because I took my money and bought studio time.” said Ivori.
Ivori would help me understand the talent that existed at Jackson, and why many of them were not able to translate their talents to the rest of the world saying “The talent that has hit the surface at AJ is really just and ink spot, compared to the talent that was there. So many people did not have the courage to go beyond those walls. So many people, once they left the safety of the school, they had to become somebody else on the street — and the street ate them up. So many people didn’t have the courage and some of the talent is still struggling to be discovered.”
While attending Jackson, Ivori was friends with a student named Kim, who was Salt’s (Salt-N-Pepa) sister. Both girls had men in their lives, who were only interested in meeting their siblings. For Ivori, guys were constantly trying to meet her brother Shan, who was already an established rapper in Queensbridge. Kim, was the connection that allowed Kid-N-Play to film the video ROLLIN WITH KID N PLAY in Jackson’s gymnasium, which featured Salt-N-Pepa.
Another Hip Hop star would make his mark in Jackson’s gymnasium. DJ Curt Flirt, a Jackson Alumni, spoke on Run (Run-DMC) saying “Me and Run had basketball together. I remember, that I thought it was a stupid name… ‘DJ Run,’ but I found out later that he was always running his mouth in gym.”
Curt Flirt would share music classes with Jam Master Jay and recall that Hip Hop personality Ed Lover was still a security guard at Andrew Jackson, while working at YO MTV RAPS.
Curt also reflected on living through the crack epidemic and how it effected the community saying “With crack, stores start closing and stay closed. When that stuff closed down, it stayed like that for almost the entire eighties.” The thriving Black communities never recovered, the Black business died in the 90s, giving birth to gentrification.
Flirt saw how Run DMC effected Hip Hop from a style standpoint saying “Before Run-DMC, guys were wearing outfits and costumes.”
If anyone stood the importance of style, it was Hip Hop barber Fathead, who also was a Jackson Alumni.
“I’m not so sure what school D (DMC) went to, but he was still hanging at Jackson all of the time because Jay was there. Even for people who didn’t go to Jackson, you had to go through there. Jackson was the flagship school of Queens, the most powerful school in Queens — we felt powerful.”
Fathead reflected on the mural, drawing inspiration from it saying “This is my bloodline, I can do all things! When I leave this planet, they’re going to remember me. I’m a thoroughbred from AJ!”
Fathead then spoke on Hype Williams and the creative vision he had at Jackson.
“Hype was an MC originally and graffiti artist. Hype can spit. Hype was so smart, a lot of cats didn’t understand him. Hype always had a longer vision than everybody else. Hype had a vision of Hip Hop being bigger than it really was. Hype saw videos being a tool, I remember
when he first started doing videos for free, working for Puffy and Ralph McDaniels — That’s the best thing you could say about Queens cats, they didn’t just apply themselves to Hip Hop, they were visionaries.”
Fathead agreed that the essence of Jamaica Ave and the Coliseum has been forever lost. The physical structures still stand, but these castles no longer have the presence of royalty.
“When the coliseum blew up, everybody [NYC] was coming to us — you don’t have any feeling any more. I feel like I’m in a ghost town you don’t have the same smells and feels anymore” said Fathead.
Rapper Cee Rock reminisced, and recanted stories of the legendary Music Building on Jamaica Avenue. This was the very building were LL Cool J recorded some of this first songs. The building was a location that attracted talent outside of Hip Hop. Rocker bands Metallica and Anthrax occupied space there as well. The building would mysteriously burn down in the 90s and music created by Onxy was destroyed although occupying space in Jam Master Jay’s safe.
There are legendary ciphers and records, that never escaped this building’s fate.
The heyday of Jamaica, Avenue is lost. LL tried to help us appreciate it and make a buzz in 2004, but it remained a hush. You might be able to find glimpses of it, on some lost faces who still occupy a space on the avenue.
Several Jackson alums who want to remain nameless, remember a young Curtis Jackson as
always having the thug or criminal demeanor, while Lloyd Banks was a more quiet low-key student.
No doubt, a young Curtis Jackson stood at the gate on Francis Lewis boulevard, looking at the mural, and those words spoke to him, anointing him like Tony Montana looking up in the sky knowing the world was his. It told Curtis, that he was 50 — that he was Queens’ Muhammad –that he had the wisdom to write a Ghetto Quran.
Andrew Jackson High School was abolished in1994 and the prophetic mural was removed.
One of the last writers to touch up the piece, was none other than Hype Williams. Although the structure stands, it has been replaced by four magnet schools, which no longer breed the same pool of talent.
The removal of the writing and closing of Jackson would be the end of the AJ class. This class of individuals who were some of the greatest contributors to the Hip Hop genre. The AJ class existed from 1980 – 1994, ironically, those years mirror or parallel what many to consider Hip Hop’s golden era.
The class of Hip Hop talent produced at AJ, are representatives of their classmates, who contributed to their success and went on to become contributors in society. When society tried to defeat them. AJ, was a breeding ground for creativity, manifested in music, style and life.
Dr. Rich left the school in 1985. Before doing so, she would see am improvement in student standardized testing and more importantly, the children’s attitude towards education.
“They gave me a hard time, but I was up to it — I fought with them the whole time they were in the school, but 25 years later they called me up to be the guest of honor” said Dr. Rich.
Ironically, Dr. Rich never passed the principal’s examination.
Although it wasn’t East Side High, Dr. Rich became the H.N.I.C. She was a rock and told the students LEAN ON ME. The students listened and proved that they could STAND AND DELIVER. Members of TPA, who were graffiti writers, soon became FREEDOM WRITERS.
Their written message inspired a group of children and helped liberate their minds.
This is how it all happened in Queens. A message written on a wall would speak to a generation, telling them that they would overcome a system which had been put in place to defeat them. This message was echoed throughout Jamaica at a time when a message
was needed.
There is not a person who has seen that message, whether a Jackson student or not, who did not draw inspiration in one way or the other.
The children of AJ bought their talents to the world’s stage. They used their creative talents to beat an epidemic created to destroy them and said WE CAN, BECAUSE WE KNOW, WE CAN.
And they did.
http://www.nigelclarke.com
Give Up Interview
By Matthew J
Tell me a bit about yourself and your back-story, so the readers can get to know you better. Who is Give Up? Where are you from? How long have you been writing?
Give Up: I grew up in a chemical town just south of Houston, Texas. I’ve been living in Houston since probably ‘97. I started writing graffiti in the mid ’90s but realized a few years in that my ego was bigger than my ability. I still wanted to get up but wanted to do something I could really own as my shit so i started doing GIVE UP around 2000, 2001.
Every name has a story behind it and I’m sure a lot of people have theories behind the meaning of your name. I want you to tell me the significance to your alias? Where did it come from?
Give Up: I never really thought of GIVE UP as a moniker. When I originally came up with the razor image with the text underneath it I thought of it more as a stamp or identifier than a signature. I thought it was this kind of tongue in cheek thing that was both self deprecating and threatening that my friends might get behind but would be a fuck you to everyone else.
What’s the scene like in your area? How competitive are the artists?
Give Up: Houston is big so there’s a lot of real estate. Everyone wants to get noticed, you know, but there’s not a lot of need right now to go over anyone. There are only a handful of guys doing poster stuff. and even though most ’street art’ guys don’t really know graffiti rules they’re not trying to go over anyone so no one’s really getting mixed up or crossed out right now.
As far as Houston is concerned, who are some of the “illegal” artist out there whom you feel are truly putting in work to help keep the scene in Houston alive?
Give Up: As far as writers go ABELS, LINGO, and all the RTL and DTS guys are staying busy. For wheat pasting and the more ’street art’ stuff DUAL and EYESORE have been really active.
Everybody has their own reason for participating in this culture; whether it is fame, money, or just art for the sake of art. What would say is the main motivation behind your art? What is it about this particular medium that keeps locked in?
Give Up: Writing graffiti was all about getting up and getting noticed. When I crossed over to the GIVE UP stuff it was more about the expression. Being able to cultivate an idea and really push myself visually and artistically without the limitation of the spray can. I just wanted to create this stuff that I was feeling, try to develop more as an artist than a writer but my head was so locked in this graffiti mindset that once I had something it just made since to put it up publicly. Now at this point I think being on the street is as much a part of a particular piece as the image itself. I don’t think I could produce in the same way without the motivation of going out, but at the same time if I wasn’t fucking with art period, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.
Continuing with the subject of motivation: I want to know who are some the artists that have inspired you to write?
Give Up: In the mid 90’s a lot of the skateboard videos and magazines would have graffiti in the backgrounds at skate parks and stuff and then a lot of hardcore bands were using hand styles on their fliers and t-shirts and shit. Being involved with those things, writing just seemed like the natural thing to do. When I was coming into the city around that time the DTS stuff really stood out. Also, I liked what AEROSOL WARFARE was doing with their videos and stuff like it. I remember seeing this sticker in probably ‘96. I think it was from SPACE crew. Everyone was just doing hand styles on postal labels and ‘hello my name is’ stickers, but they had photocopied a picture of some astronauts onto sticker paper. It just seemed so different than anything else I was seeing at the time. That really stuck with me.
For any artist worth their salt, with motivation follows longevity. You have put roughly ten years of your life into this art form. What do you attribute to your longevity? And how would you say your art has evolved over the past few years?
Give Up: I think it’s just that I still enjoy it. If the streets weren’t still holding my interest I’d stop.
As far as evolution within my own art I think whatever has happened as far as themes or imagery has come really organically. I think allowing your style to evolve is important so you don’t get stagnant, but at the same time you can’t force it; you just have to let things happen on their own.
Of all the styles, you utilize (wheat paste, stencil, and designing) which would you say is your preferred medium to work with and why?
Give Up: I like doing the wheat paste posters mostly now because it really allows me to develop the image in a way that might not be conducive with a can. Convey what I’m trying to do within my own art ideas or visuals that don’t fit into the format of traditional graffiti. Since the majority of my work is photo based and then since they’re just paper and ultimately pretty fragile it keeps with the temporal nature of the work. let’s me get on some ‘art’ shit but still feel like I’m getting up.
Let’s go a bit further into the world of wheat-pasting. I want you to explain the actual artistic process you go through when making this art. Some of your pieces are massive -covering full walls- while other pieces are small enough to cover a street sign. How the creative process differs between each individual piece?
Give Up: Other than rollers it all starts the same way. I’ll come up with an idea and then shoot photos that represent visually what I’m trying to do. Then take those photos and manipulate and arrange them with scissors and glue sticks at the photo copier. When I’m finished with that I’ll blow the final work up to whatever size and shoot positives and screen print them from that. more often than not the prints come before the wall since I’ll want to get multiple spots with the same thing, and then I’ll tile them or otherwise make them fit each spot but sometimes if I have a really good spot in mind I’ll work on something sized specifically for it.
Looking back at Houston, Texas. Recently, you were voted BEST ARTIST by the readers of the Houston Press. This is a good look, because few major cities will actually place a non-mainstream street artist’s work on any of the “BEST” list. What does that accomplishment mean to you personally and what do you hope to do with this recognition? Commissioned pieces?
Give Up: Getting that acknowledgment was pretty fucking cool, especially since it was a reader’s choice thing. There wasn’t a multiple choice type ballot or anything, people just wrote in. So it really meant a lot to me seeing that people noticed or gave a shit enough to do that. I didn’t even know it was going on or that I’d be in contention until a friend showed me the paper. I don’t really know what will ever come of it now, but it’s a pretty cool thing to have under my belt.
There is a lot of attention being given to you in Houston; books and other coverage are coming to light. How do you see Houston improving?
Give Up: There was never any kind of goal. There was never a thing that I was working toward other than producing this stuff for myself and then putting it up on the street. It’s really nice to see now that people have noticed and more so that some are into it. ‘Street art’ seems to be becoming more and more prevalent here. Houston graffiti has been going strong for a long time, and produced some writers that have gone on to garner fame in other cities as well. But now it seems more people are doing more other stuff. In the past not a lot of people were paying attention to what’s going on here outside of here. But hopefully now with the STAY UP book and the internet and STICK ‘EM UP that will change.
I’m glad you mentioned STICK EM UP, because I recently saw the trailer and am interested in seeing the movie. I know that you’re featured in it, but apart from that and Houston’s “illegal art” scene, what can you tell me about this film? And who is PRIMO?
Give Up: I met PRIMO, the filmmaker/editor/mind behind the movie, a while back when he was doing a short internet video spot to promote a show I had at aerosol warfare gallery. We kept in touch and he got the idea to do a film on Houston street art. Originally it was going to be like any other graffiti movie, except focusing more on wheat pasting and stencilling. But now it’s grown into this full on documentary. He’s shown me some of the edits and it’s looking really good. PRIMO kills it. We’ve gone out and gotten some good spots. There are some good billboards (and other stuff) so I’m hoping to have a good chunk of the movie. It’s supposed to premier early 2011 and then hit the film festivals.
What is Lonely Days and Wasted Nights book come together? Explain to us the story behind this book. Why’d you do it? What inspired it?? Etc
Give Up: Like I said before, I never had any ideas or intentions other than to make ‘art’ and get spots. at some point I started shooting photos of some of the stuff I was getting up. Mostly for proof of my own existence since sometimes stuff has a short street life and catches the buff real quick. Eventually I had kind of a ton of photos. And since so much of my work is photo based anyway, I had all these other photos of shit I was shooting in the process and along the way. I guess at some point my ego told me these photos needed to exist outside of a cardboard box in my closet and since graffiti and skateboarding and hardcore has always had this DIY kind of mentality I put them together in a book and put it out there. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever worked on but I’m really happy with the way it came together.
You’re expanding your resume more and more each day with t-shirts,prints and books on the go. Along with that you have done some graphic designing, too. How do folks contact you for merchandise or for your designs?
Give Up: I got a website going (www.ingivingup.com) with my contact and stuff on there. I never really had any intention of ever doing shirts or any shit like that, but people asked for it from time to time and it was pretty flattering so I made some. I have prints and stuff too. Yeah, I’m down to do design work for bands or whatever. I never considered myself a graphic designer but I can admit that most of my stuff definitely has that feel. So if anyone is interested get at me and if I’m feeling the project we can work something out.
Looking ahead to 2011, what’s next for you? Do you have any big plans lined-up for the New Year?
Give Up: I feel like I’ve done some work in Houston, now I’m trying to get on the road. Get out of town for a while and try to shit my ‘art’ down the throats of another city.
Ok, last question. I’m going to go full-circle and wrap this up by asking, how you would describe yourself as both an artist and an individual?
Give Up: That’s a strange thing for me. I guess technically I’m an artist. I create art works and support myself thusly. But I don’t really think of myself as the ‘artist’ type. For whatever the ‘artist type’ might mean. I push up rollers and catch tags, but I don’t think I can really claim to be a graffiti writer in the traditional sense. And while I do paint stencils and paste up posters and otherwise put my ‘art’ on the streets, I don’t really align myself with ’street art’. ‘give up’ isn’t a name, so I am not ‘give up’, but ‘give up’ is everything that I am. And from the concept to the execution to the spot on the street, it encompasses every facet of my life. Without it I’m nothing, but it is nothing in itself. I am just an individual and don’t hope to be anything more than that. But I am here now, and when I’m gone I want there to be something more left behind than a check stub.
By Matthew J for Senses Lost Website!!
From what started out as blogumentary to becoming a full-fledged site dedicated to representing the females in Los Angeles’ graffiti scene, LA Graffiti Girls has steadily built a strong following over the years making it one of the sites to keep an eye on. The success of this website can be accredited to its creator Tiffany Evans who is the driving force behind the site. Not only does she represent the culture properly, but Tiffany also studies @ Cal Sate University Long Beach, working towards a degree in journalism (*salute*).
Despite having a loaded schedule of schoolwork, maintaining the website, and life-in-general, Tiffany was gracious enough to give her time and thoughts to Senses Lost for this interview.
You know, there are a lot of people in this scene who talk about all the work they put in, yet have very little to show; truth be told, Tiffany is lapping a lot of you (you so-called “kings” and “queens”, included). To steal a line from Dilated Peoples, “pace yourself, so you can face yourself. Run hard you really only race yourself.”
Be thankful you’re only racing yourself, because whether dealing with graffiti or journalism, Tiffany shows no signs of slowing down. To the victor!
(photo of Tiffany was taken courtesy of Amanda Luna)
Ok, let’s start off with an introduction: Who is Tiffany Evans? What’s her story and how did L.A. Graffiti Girls come into existence? What do you hope to accomplish with this platform?
Tiffany Evans: Tiffany Evans is currently 21 year old senior at Cal State University Long Beach earning a bachelor’s degree in Journalism (with a specialization in Public Relations) and will minor in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies.
LA Graffiti Girls began in 2008 as a “blogumentary” project for an Art History independent studies class (AH 495) .
I had a really great professor, Glenn Zucman, for my Art 110 class, who included graffiti art in his lecture, as a graffiti artist myself I was thrilled to see a teacher that embraced creative art, even as illegal and socially ‘taboo’ as graffiti.
I spoke to him after class one day and he convinced me to do a lecture for his classes about the different elements of graffiti art. (The class took place in the university theater, so there were 200 students+) It was rewarding to see the students’ fascination with stories of my experiences as a writer. I exposed people to a part of culture that is often overlooked. I was thrilled.
Anyway, I eventually became his teaching assistant and gave the graffiti lecture for his classes several times. As a part of the TA program, I had to do an independent project. Originally, my project was going to be a simple documentary video about graffiti in general, but that’s been done so many times. I didn’t just want to mirror what has been already done. I wanted my project to include all of the important and very different aspects of my life: journalism, graffiti and feminism.
Glenn and I coined the term “blogumentary.” A burgeoning blog tailored to internet culture that documents, in this case, Los Angeles women in graffiti art.
And we thought that a website may be more suitable for the project considering our lack of funds for equipment and a film crew.
You’re study journalism, but once that is completed will L.A. Graffiti Girls remain running as a website? Or do plan on going elsewhere with your [journalism] certificate?
Tiffany Evans: Well, my LA Graffiti Girls project officially ended in 2009, but I decided to continue the website because I felt like there was so much more that needed to done. I want to continue LA Graffiti Girls after I graduate and one day write a book that would include a compilation of the interviews, photos, my research, and my own personal experiences as an artist. But I still have a lot to figure out so I don’t think this will be anytime too soon.
Right now, I’m just hoping to get an internship somewhere, preferably doing PR work or writing for a magazine, if I’m lucky. I’m hoping that my work on LA Graffiti Girls will be a stepping stone to a future career and maybe even a book.
This may seem like a silly question, because its obviousness is glaring, but I’ll ask it anyway. In your opinion, how important is it for female writers to get equal shine in the graffiti world? Your site is catching some major buzz, but even with that, do you feel females are getting a fair share of the recognition/acknowledgment?
Tiffany Evans: In my honest opinion, women have rarely gotten equal shine or recognition for achievements in almost every aspect of culture, graffiti being one of them. Unless it’s pink or covered with hearts, almost everyone assumes that bomb, piece or tag was done by a guy. It’s like a default setting society puts in our heads, it’s up to us to see the world through an unbiased lens and question what we see.
Do you feel that existing sites need to wake up and start spotlighting more females? Or is it up to the ladies to make it happen for them?
Tiffany Evans: When it comes to graffiti, it’s up to the artist to make it happen for them, male or female. A major foundation of graffiti is “getting up”. If your art work isn’t out there for us to see, then you’re keeping yourself out of the spotlight.
Who are some of the female writers, in Los Angeles, that you feel are being overlooked as far as recognition is concerned? And who are getting the respect they deserve?
Tiffany Evans: I don’t feel comfortable dropping names.
That’s more than fair. Moving forward! You’ve been steadily building a solid portfolio of artists that you’ve interviewed –Steve Grody comes to mind. As you continue to make more moves and connect with more people, who are some of the people that are on your interview “wish list”?
Tiffany Evans: Omega, Opea, Chalk, Cuddle, Jel, Kair, Meek, Kween, Glossy, Beka, Minx, Sand, Dots, Eris, She, Girl, off the top of my head. I’m sure there’s more.
I’ve seen them all up somewhere. That’s what counts.
But getting in contact with these lovely, yet elusive ladies is the hard part.
Thus far, what would you say has been your personal favourite moment in relation to running the L.A. Graffiti Girl website? It must be great being boss. What moment has been the highlight for you?
Tiffany Evans: One of my greatest moments was actually meeting Evidence (of Dilated Peoples). When he tweeted “@LAGraffitiGirls run shit” I was hysterical (since I’m a huge fan) … and LA Graffiti Girls instantly got 50 more followers. A few months later I met him at one of his shows, he recognized me and said I was a great girl and he respected what I was doing with the project. That was one of the greatest and most rewarding experiences, to be respected by someone I admire.
I want to move away from the website, for a second, and find out what exactly about this culture that attracted you to graffiti?
Tiffany Evans: It wasn’t necessarily the culture that attracted me to graffiti, but just seeing everywhere sparked my curiosity. As a young kid in the early 90’s, I always saw “Armer TRL” up everywhere. I was so fascinated, even by his basic bombs. I told myself that I wanted to do that one day and I did.
Studying to be a journalist is not an easy thing to do on its own. On top of that you’re managing website and living in one of the biggest cities in the world, Los Angeles. I imagine juggling life, work, and a website are not as easy as some people would assume yet you are doing it every day. What’s your secret? How are you able to balance school, the website, and day-to-day life?
Tiffany Evans: I’m going to be honest, I feel like I’ve neglected my website. I guess I could say due to lack of resources, assistance, and school. Not having a car sucks too because it limits where I can go and who I can meet up with and I’m constantly writing for school so by the time I want to edit an interview I feel exhausted. But somehow I manage to spit out an interview for people to read every now and then and hope that I’ve changed someone’s perspective not only of graffiti, but women too.
This is a bit of a generic question, but relevant nonetheless: I was wondering if you could explain to me and the readers -outside of your city- what makes the Los Angeles graffiti and the scene so significant? Living in Eastern Canada, when it comes to graffiti we usually get a “New York overdose” in regards to the artists, styles, and history that we’re taught. Not too often do we get to hear about Los Angeles’ contribution to the culture. So without putting you on the spot, I want to know, in your opinion, what differentiates Los Angeles from other scenes and who are some of the people/events that helped put Los Angeles on the map?
Tiffany Evans: Los Angeles, CA is a very big and culturally diverse city with so much life. It’s an invigorating and exciting place to live and it is the home of west coast hip-hop and graffiti culture and of course Hollywood.
Most people here have that “Hollywood Mentality” (being famous is an important part of life) and it shows, even in graffiti. And I think that is a part of the graffiti culture that differentiates Los Angeles Graffiti from other places.
Some key contributions:
- LA is famous for its freeway graffiti (suicide walls and bridges) and the LA River
- The world famous “MTA” and “Saber” rollers became landmarks and even attracted tourists to the LA River.
- 2007 LA River hosted the worldwide graffiti event “Meeting of Styles”
- 50mmlosangeles.com
- LA’s art galleries display many works of Los Angeles graffiti like Crewest, MidCity Arts
- Books like “Graffiti LA” and “The History of Los Angeles Graffiti”
So apart from your Art History Professor encouraging you to present a lecture on campus, have you come across any other faculty members who have been as open to your involvement in graffiti?? I ask because, often times at a University level, there is NOT a lot of openness to any thought-process that is “outside the box” of tradition; graffiti is definitely outside of that accepted viewpoint.
Tiffany Evans: I’m sure you don’t run around campus proclaiming your love of graffiti, but do you ever worry that your involvement could interfere with your future career as a journalist??
If I was an art student, I might share that information with professors, but it’s still not really a comfortable thought. The only reason I spoke to Prof. Zucman about it was because he was the only professor I knew of that considered graffiti an aspect of art that was worth lecturing about. So I felt comfortable sharing this information with him. On the other hand, I wouldn’t share much with my journalism professors because most people don’t consider graffiti as an art form but rather just an act of vandalism. I have however mentioned my website to some of my journalism professors when they ask about any projects I might have going on, but I emphasize my work as an interviewer and writer, and leave out details about my personal involvement because it’s irrelevant to my study.
Although most people have been supportive I have one friend that keeps telling me that my involvement with graffiti could hinder my chances of getting a job as a journalist and even more so as a public relations practitioner (which is what I want to be) because it’s all about the image. But I’m hoping for the best and working hard.
Let’s look at goals and ambition. It’s obvious that you’re a goal-driven individual, so where do you see both Tiffany Evans and L.A. Graffiti Girls standing within the next 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
Tiffany Evans: In 5 years, I hope my website will be close to fulfilling itself. Maybe have a legit web designer to make it look pretty by then. In 10 years, I hope to have a book out by then. In 15 years, well, I don’t even wanna think about how old I will be… Can we just skip that one?
My final question, for you, deals with MOTIVATION. Where does your drive come from? What’s the driving force behind everything you’re doing??
Tiffany Evans: I love education and I love being able to tell the sides of stories that people may not always hear. Offering a new perspective on something, is what I believe, the real job of journalists are. We give all the facts, and let readers make their conclusions based on this information.
Graffiti is an art that is often misunderstood. Most people base their opinions about graffiti on what they watch on television or movies, or read in newspapers. Their assumptions about graffiti are often one-sided; most of the public doesn’t have the opportunity to learn about it from the “other side.” But this is changing. Today, there are numerous websites about graffiti (growing in popularity) and many have in-depth interviews with the actual artists, therefore, providing the public with the “other side” of the story. BUT since the graffiti art scene is mostly male-dominated, most people learn about the men’s perspective of the art… not women. This is where I come into play. I think it’s important to educate the public from every side, every perspective of the story… This need to tell the story by providing the most accurate information is my motivation.
To more information and articles on LA’s female graffiti scene, check out: www.lagraffitigirls.com
Well start off a good intro: Who is Patrick Martinez; the man and the artist? Whats your back-story like? Where are you from? And why should people read an article centered on him?
Patrick Martinez: I’m a laid back dude that loves the arts. I grew up in Pasadena, Ca which is like 10 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. I started drawing at a young age. I would copy comic book / cartoon characters into my sketch book almost every day. Robocop, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Smurfs, and the whole Marvel roster. I got into graffiti at the age of 12 going to local yards with cheap ass paint trying to get my can control up to par. I would draw pieces in my black book with sharpies and markers me and my brother would rack from Office Depot. I was silk-screening my own t-shirts with my pops in our garage with a one color homemade silkscreen set up, I was 13. I was young and now that I look back, I was always producing art. I get my work ethic from graffiti. The fact that you had to bust a sketch or draw your piece; then get the paint for it and finally produce it illegally, at the age of 15, it takes a lot of initiative to produce a piece. I carried that type of work ethic into my present career with my fine art. I still value my graffiti roots and keep that in my arsenal for sure. I think my visuals are more interesting than what I have to say. I speak with visuals; thats my language. So with that being said, just look at my art. If you are reading this, thank you.
The legendary Los Angeles photographer and director, Estevan Oriol once said that you are one of his favourite artists. Now thats must be a huge boost to your self-esteem considering all of the well known artists whom [Estevan] has worked with. What does it mean, personally, to have that man supporting your work?
Patrick Martinez: Estevan is a big asset to Los Angeles. He has done so much to push L.A. culture out to the world. His name is synonymous with Los Angeles street culture and art. He has developed a style of photography that has been bitten and continues to be taken from even now with the advancements in digital cameras. Estevan and his father, Eriberto are always pushing me with their positive words. I mean every time I see them they have kind words of wisdom for me or even when we are at a gallery opening or something they are telling people that they are talking to at that moment “Do you know Patrick’s work?” then they introduce me to that person. It means a lot to have someone like Estevan with such raw talent say, “I like your shit.” It’s better than a paycheque to have your peers gives you an honest positive critique on your work and I know lots of people can co-sign on that. Estevan doesn’t just doesn’t give props to anyone.
Will there be any type of Patrick Martinez x Estevan Oriol collaborations in the future?
Patrick Martinez: He is taking photos of my big head for my Juxtapoz Magazine feature which will soon be out. Other than that … we will see what the future brings.
As far as visual art is concerned, what do you hope to accomplish through this medium? Do you have a definite long-term goal in mind? What is the mission statement of Patrick Martinez?
Patrick Martinez: I wanna grow as an artist, not just in terms of skill but really digging deep and capturing peoples imagination. Connect with them in a real way…you know make the viewer feel some kind of emotion. I wanna leave a mark on this earth and also with the people on it with my pure unfiltered expression and ideas. I want my personality to shine through the art that I create so people can view my images and visit me even after I’m gone. Keep the money and the cars; I want the museums and books to feature my work so people can continue to visit my visuals. Thats the long term goal. I don’t really have a mission statement. I wanna keep it organic so I can grow with the art.
Your work is beginning to catch a buzz here in Canada. I know that Torontos Show & Tell Gallery is showing you some love. How did you initially link up with them? And what kind of reception and feedback are you getting from the crowds here? How would you compare that audience to the ones in your native California?
Patrick Martinez: Well, Show and Tell hit me up last year for a group show that never happened because of schedule conflict. It was a group show which featured: Greg Lamarche, Stephen Powers, Justin Green, Above and myself. They enjoyed the work and I love what they are doing with the gallery so we continued to build. Naturally it just blossomed into them representing my work in Toronto, the East Coast and beyond. I am really glad to be working with Show and Tell Gallery and hope to bring my work out to Canada early next year for a Solo at Show and Tell.
Also, I heard that youre working on something with Known Gallery? Care to speak on that or is it too soon?
Patrick Martinez: Yeah. I am doing a solo show next year at Known Gallery, sometime in April or May. I’m excited to be showing in that beautiful gallery. Known Gallery puts it down and always produces top of the line shows that never disappoint. They are definitely taking it to the next level for Los Angeles in terms of street inspired art as well as contemporary art. If anyone has a chance to check out a show at Known Gallery in person be sure to do so. It really doesn’t matter what show it is about, you for sure won’t be disappointed.
Check out the rest of the interview at:
http://senseslost.com/interviews/patrick-martinez-interview/
Click the Link!!! http://graffradio.com/blog/
After you are done reading this article you must go to http://senseslost.com/interviews/make-one-interview/ for the comments on this interview!!!!! History lesson on LA and NY Graffiti, no joke…..
When people speak of the L.A. scene, names such as Saber, El Mac, and Retna are quickly mentioned (and rightfully so, they are talented) but what about the people who came before them? Enter MAKE ONE, a legend and pioneer not only in Los Angeles, but Mexico, as well.
Los Angeles’ brand of graffiti has always interested me, so I felt it would be appropriate to interview Make One and get his view on such topics as [his] roots within L.A. and Mexico, the many contributions of female writers, the immigration debates in America, his evolution as a writer, and the importance of competition within the graffiti culture.
SPOILER ALERT!!: While on the topic of competition, Make One issued a challenge to NY graffiti icon, Cope2 for a graffiti battle. Legend vs. Legend?? Imagine that. Will Cope2 accept?? Keep your eyes open … in the meanwhile, absorb this Make One piece.
Starting off, I want to treat this like a job interview and simply get you to introduce yourself to the readers and educate us on the story of Make One. Who is he? When did you start? What crews are you affiliated with? Etc.
MAKE: The name is MakeOne from Los Angeles, representing the following crews: WCA (West Coast Artists), LOD (Loks on Dope) and AM7 (Angelz of Madness). I am co-founder of the legendary LA crew STN (Second To None). I started writing in 84′ and like many writers, have had different names. Names such as: Fraze, Axis, Mine, and Time (as featured in Spray Can Art). One day, while watching Style Wars, I saw Mare139, I liked his style and demeanour and so I swapped the “R” for a “K” and MAKE was born. I have been writing Make or FakeMake since and also rock my real name, Galo or LoveGalo.
I am a proud born and LA raised native who’s of Mexican/Ecuadorian descent.
According to www.makestn.com, your last documented exhibits were in 2005. What is the reason for the time off and will you be doing any new shows in 2010?
MAKE: Actually my last show/event was in June of 2009 in LA. The show was titled Fin De Semana (Weekend) and it featured LA’s very own FDS crew (From Da Streets). In 2007 I also did two large shows. One titled Karan Koron which consisted of nearly 80 artists from Japan, Mexico, LA, USA, Europe and even Canada. The theme of the entire show was all Japanese and each artist featured painted on Getas and flipped them as they wished.
The show had tremendous success and received a lot of media attention. Some of the likes that attended the show were: Robin Williams, Vincent Gallo, rock legend Steve Jones, Justine Bateman, and even Dylan and Cole Sprouse.
That same year, I organized and was the curator of another art show at Border Gallery in Mexico City www.border.com.mx. The show was called Abriendo el Border and it was tied in to the book The History Of Los Angeles Graffiti Art. It showcased writers from LA who were featured in the book and it included a live graff demonstration and the screening of a trailer to a documentary. The show was also followed by a large graff expo that was held the next day with nearly 250 artists that came from all over Mexico. We all painted a permanent mural that was approximately three miles long at a historical cultural center called El Faro De Tlahuac. In addition to the live mural installation we also had a panel discussion discussing the book and history of graffiti in both Los Angeles and Mexico.
That show also received massive media attention from, news media, newspapers, art critics and historians from Mexico.
You’ve had the opportunity to travel and see some of the different graffiti scenes. What would you say differentiates the L.A. graffiti scene from other North American scenes like New York, Toronto, or Philadelphia?
MAKE: If I had to, I’d say that aside from the hardcore life style and culture, there’s the style influence. Although many credit NY or Philly as the originators of the movement, LA or west coast style, I believe, is highly more influential globally than any other style. I personally have not lived in other cities long enough to have in-depth knowledge and opinions about the scene but I am certain it is filled with the same politics and beefs as any sub-genre, scene or culture in any other city. I’d rather be oblivious to it and just paint and enjoy the city.
Throughout the history of this culture women have played a pivotal part in sustaining graffiti and yet they still are not receiving the proper respect/coverage deserved. Despite the fact that so many articles are being written about women artists, I feel they are getting slighted.
With that being said, what is your feeling on female representation within the culture? Are they getting fair treatment?
MAKE: I am glad you ask. Unfortunately women in any culture or genre, has had either the need or felt the need to work harder at what ever it is they do, whether it is graff, skating, snowboarding, music etc. Women always seem to have to push the envelope harder in order to prove they are as good or as “down” as any other guy doing whatever it is they’re doing.
For approximately a hundred years, women have been fighting for the same rights or respect as men. There is no difference in the graff game. Women writers still get frowned upon by some male writers. Men discredit them immediately upon knowing that a dope writer or artist is a woman. You’ll hear comments such as: “oh she is good for a girl” or “wow, doesn’t even look like a girl did that” and I am like “what you mean it doesn’t look like a girl did it? How can you tell whether it is a girl or not?” (laughs) I find it funny and absurd at times. Styles of graff or any art have never been gender specific, but rather talent specific. Some graff writers/artists don’t realize that by saying the above comments, they are making our culture the same as the corporate one. In art there are such things as freedom of speech and expression and to limit our female artists or even suggest there is a difference because of gender, is like finding the least common denominator for a whole number! There is no need to further divide a culture that has worked so hard to evolve and grow with the times, with stagnant thoughts.
Ok, now going a bit further with the topic of female writers: who are some of the ladies in L.A. that truly representing this culture properly?
MAKE: There are quite of few I can mention. Some of these writers are more down or even doper than some of the male writers I have seen. Shoot, I can say, some of these ladies are even fresher and more down than me (hahaha).
But for LA, women who are dope to me, are down and put in work are: Perl-FDS, Envy-FDS, Opea-FDS, Timoi, Muck, Summer, Sherm-COI, Jeyd, SandOne has been putting in some mad work lately. I also like Jel’s work too. She is perhaps one of the most all-around woman writers I have seen. Style, flow, can control, bombs, tags, characters, legals, illegals etc…she can handle all.
Of course there are others not from LA I respect too such as: Vik from NY, EGR from Canada, MadC from Germany, News, Tiza, Natsue, SheBasic from Mexico, Volr, Shiro, & Belx from Japan…just to name a few. There is mad talent out there and they need to get the shine they deserve.
L.A. has produced some very influential graffiti artists such as El Mac, Retna, Chaz Bojorquez, and Saber. What differentiates you from those individuals? Where do you rank your significance to the culture?
MAKE: I can’t really compare myself to them or to any other writer/artist for that matter. I personally do not like comparing myself to any. I can be influenced by a writer/artist but attempting to compare myself to another writer may either be a bit pompous or a sign of insecurity. The need to feel I am better or gage myself as better or feel I am perhaps not as good or as well known as another writer may not have a positive affect on me. On the other hand, I actually compare myself to only one other writer/artist and that is me.
I see myself and rank myself as an individual and that’s it. To place my own personal value of significance in the culture is not a job for me but a job for those that know, should know and have been involved in the culture.
So how would you describe your style?
MAKE: I don’t. Attempting to describe my style is categorizing myself or boxing myself in. I actually believe my style to be more “the style of having no style”. I believe that achieving the totality of a graff writer is the ability to not being defined or recognized by one particular style. Albeit, many graff writers have awesome and maybe unique styles and are globally known for it but that is it. Often time you seen one piece and you seem them ALL.
There are those whose style is perhaps a conglomeration of many styles but still fall under limitations. Their structures may cover all the possible lines and angles but why are there some who use only straight lines, others round lines, some only do 3D and others only characters? To me a system clinging to one style is actually in bondage, trapped, limited. I consider myself free, fluid-like and adaptable. Much like Bruce Lee once said. “Be shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend”.
In this case, I see myself more as “Being Style-less” – I like to rock a wall that may spark the question “Did Galo do that?” Be unexpected.
Being that you are one of the originators in L.A. graffiti I am sure you have seen a lot changes (positive and negative) to the scene. Outside of your work and contributions, what are the most memorable moments in LA graff; both good and bad?
MAKE: LA has definitely gone through some major ups and downs. From people not caring about your social status, economical background, color of skin and only caring about one common ground — GRAFF; to people shooting you for being associated to a particular crew or for simply crossing out a name.
Another thing, many so-called new writers appear to have no true love for the art of lettering that graff is fundamentally built on. Many youngsters just go out with a can in hand and plaster their names around. OK, they are “getting up” or may be getting up but where is the sense of style? Where is the fruit of laborious sketching and practicing? Where is the flow? There is none. It’s crap and then they get all butt-hurt because they get no respect. That’s because you need to learn the fundamental structure of a letter, the rules of lettering in order to flow or manipulate a letter without compromising its integrity.
Anyways – getting in to another topic there. For me the most memorable aspect of LA was the early years. When graff was fresh and new in LA. When buses were mobbed, when writers would meet at writer’s bench. When everyone was innocent, got along and handled beef on walls. The early years of graff…not that it is bad now, but I like them years better.
Many people, within the culture, have called graffiti to be a “competitive sport” and like anything where competition levels are high there is the possibility of beefs sprouting up. How do you feel about the competitive nature of graffiti? What role does beef have in the culture?
MAKE: Awe man…I think graff battles are lacking in the scene. I mean real graff battles. Like the old days. It is definitely a component that is missing in the graff culture today. Everyone is too busy wanting to paint with X, Y, Z and have neglected the battle aspect of graff. The taking of one’s name, the burning of that one person on a wall. Any beef being settled on a wall or walls – with no the need to get physical. That, aside from the gratification of seeing one’s name up, was or is the beauty of graff.
This may seem as a contradiction of what I recently said about comparing and ranking one self but in reality the competiveness aspect of graff brings out a more pure and sort of healthy element of comparison. Much like if I want to be a basketball player, I can’t nor may not compare myself to the likes of Kobe, MJ, Carter or Garnett but I will definitely take’em on one-on-one battle…feel me? Then and there you can gage yourself…not against your opponent but yourself.
So is there anybody in this game whom you’d like to go one-on-one with and battle? In other words, do you have beef with anybody?
MAKE: Yeah man – I want to battle Cope2. I think he is over-rated and jocked waaaaay too much. I think he needs to bring it and do something different than the same piece he does over and over and over again. I ain’t trying to battle him on spots cuz he has NY on lock, or used to. But I am calling him out to a friendly battle. Old head to old head battle. LA vs NY…come on now…let’s take it back to the old school days. What ya think?
A battle against Cope2 would be great for graffiti; maybe it could help inspire artists to be more creative (people say, “steel sharpens steel”). Do you think Cope2 would accept your challenge? And if he were to accept, what kind of rules would you want for this battle?
MAKE: Well I hope he accepts my challenge. I have emailed him, myspace’d him, twittered him and have also spread the word around a bit and in addition sent messages to him through like T-Kid etc about battling. He never replies. I don’t know…is he afraid to a little? Not sure. Does he think he does not need to battle?…not sure of that either. Does he think I am not known enough or am a good opponent? Well then come out and burn me. Regardless of his reasoning, – eventually people are gonna get wind of it and sooner or later he will have to answer to the call.
What kind of rules? I’d say traditional rules – style, colors, execution, overall production, background, characters…whatever…will speed be a factor? I’d say yeah, but I too would paint hella fast if I’d did the same pieces for like 10 years.
Okay, now I’m going to play devil’s advocate and do some shit disturbing. Earlier, you mentioned not comparing yourself to others, yet we now have challenged issued, so I wonder is this challenge based on beef or bragging rights? Lets suppose that Cope2 does accept your challenge. Do you see him as a worthy opponent, stylistically? Do you feel he can legitimately compete with you?
MAKE: HA – like I said I have no beef with the dude. Just for clarity, it would be a friendly battle. Plain and simple. It ain’t like he slept with my girlfriend or anything. All it is attempting to bring that element of graff back and choosing an opponent. And he just happens to be whom I choose to battle. Bragging rights? Nah, I don’t care to brag about stuff…I never have really. The bragging, whether I win or lose, will be done by other peeps and they will talk about it.
I know what I am up against. The dude bombs, can paint, and paint fast too, has major fans and jockers who will support him and will probably be the favorite, etc but I am up for it.
Aside from graffiti what are some of the side-ventures you have going on in your life?
MAKE: I have quite a few. I speak at schools and universities about graff and art. I work with at-risk youth and also teach art or urban arts at schools and non-profit organizations. I juggle hearts…that keeps me quite busy too. Hahahaha –
A lot of my life has been surrounded and/or built around graff. It ain’t my life nor is the source of my individuality or persona but it does play a significant roll in it. I can drop my graff life and return to the “normalities” and routines of everyday life at any given time….But this is the life I chosen and have given up a lot for it. no regrets too.
I find what you just said to be very interesting because I know certain artists who have put so much of their life energy into this culture that any thought of them walking away is non-existent. Despite all if the time and energy you have poured into graffiti do you really think you could just walk away? And what anchors you to make that decision, if needed?
MAKE: Well, I think I can but I choose not to. I can usually walk away from anything simply because I do not attach myself to anything. I have mad love for the art form and as mentioned above, have sacrificed a lot to be an artist and although I have anchored myself to the art and lifestyle I can cut loose at any given moment. I have, although, invested a lot of myself and may yet to see any long term profit but I’d rather move on attempting and not giving up then given up too early.
The reason I continue is because as an artist I believe I have made an impact, have influenced, have changed or saved a life perhaps and that alone brings gratification and assures me of my purpose and decision to remain.
What can we expect from you 2010?
MAKE: More graff I hope. I am also looking into coordinating some shows this year. One of them is with the crew EYOS (Evolve Your Own Style) from Mexico. Hopefully mid-year or near end of this year. I am also considering doing a show about my self – but we will see. I still have to work out the gist of that show. But I am one who usually does not talk about what I be doing or am gonna go until I do it and it is like BAM. That has usually been my MO.
Before we end this interview, I want to take an opportunity to stray from graffiti and discuss politics. Currently, in America one of the big political issues is the whole debate concerning the immigration and arrival of people from South of the US border. The mainstream media has aggressively presenting Mexicans, especially, in a negative light. Being that you’re of Mexican descent, what are your thoughts on the media’s portrayal of Mexicans and other Latinos trying to enter America in search of a better life?
MAKE: Well no matter what, the media, “intentional” or “not”, will always perpetuate stereotypes. Although we may have seen a declination of negative depictions of Mexicans over the years, stereotypes are still being nourished and reinforced. Unfortunately many, who are naïve and ignorant, will always be susceptible to these type of portrayals and lies.
Let’s look at some of the wording choices used to define immigrants. “Illegal aliens” – that alone already has a negative connotation. This country has always had this so-called “patriotism” that I believe has only truly bred hate and division. Isn’t this supposed to be the country of opportunities? The land of the free? Many immigrants, not only those of Mexican decent, have built this country, have contributed to this country more so than perhaps those so called patriots.
These “immigrants”, whom many have come to this country to make something of themselves, sacrificed themselves to seek a better life for themselves and/or their families has every right to do so as any human being living here.
To continually be portrayed as dissidents, leaches, indolent, savages etc by mainstream media is a complete lie rooted in hate that we, as the “minority” ourselves need to help change too.
Anyways – this can lead to a long winded answer. But I leave you with this quote: “The great masses of the people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.” – Hitler; Mein Kampf.
Graffiti: these days everybody seems to have their own definition of what it is (crime or art). How do you define graffiti?
I don’t. I get tired of getting asked that too. (laughs) I am fed up with the same rhetoric of 20 years. What is graffiti? Or is graffiti art really art? Even amongst practitioners of the art form it is a topic of debate. I am over graffiti writers or graff artists trying to define what real graffiti is or who a real graffiti artist is and who is not. You can’t define it man. It is so ambiguous. Graffiti has a life of it’s own. It is a quagmire, an oxymoron…graffiti art is abstract. How one defines it ten minutes later another or even that same person will define it differently. Why not ask about the corporate ads and billboards? Is that graffiti? Most certainly? Specially those erected illegally. That is graffiti street tactics being applied by corporate America. Why are they not being questioned? Punished? Criminalized?
Anyhow – my answer to how do I define graffiti is “How do you define it?
You have called yourself a “pioneer” of graffiti in LA and Mexico. Do you feel people recognize the contributions you’ve made to both scenes? Are you getting the respect you feel is deserved?
MAKE: Hmmm…perhaps not as much as say others do or could but I think that is purely my fault. I didn’t maintain myself relevant to the scene for many years. And upon retuning to the scene, I used to expect that recognition or respect. I felt merited, deserving of that recognition, almost demanding it. But I would only set myself up for disappointment, resentment, even bitterness. I‘d blame fellow crewmates too for not keeping me alive or supposedly telling the truth. Blah blah blah -
As I began on my own spiritual journeys, I realized that stuff like that just comes naturally. I just had to paint and do my thing wholeheartedly without the need or approval of anyone. As I began to come around more and more, people began to show me love. It gave me a different perspective and I let go of clinging on to a history of my “glory days” or becoming a “has been” and just be doer.
Don’t get me wrong, I still get the “who are you again?” when I introduce myself but then like it when they find out who I am after and approach me or email me to let me know they were glad to meet me. It’s a good feeling…much better than having me shove my history down their throat and attempt to convince them of what I did and who I am. I get much more love from peeps now than before.
People who are aware of my contributions in Mexico, specially in Guadalajara city, always give me mad love and respect.
Basically, I deserve the respect or recognition I give to others as individuals – that is it.
Last question, when all is said and done, what sort of legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you hope people will say when they mention Make One?
Just that I had love for the art. That is mainly it. That I influenced one or two writers. That I inspired a kid to pursue art. That I changed one person’s life, as cliché as it sounds. But I know that one person’s life whom I may have changed will always keep me alive…and that my friend, is being immortalized.
Who are you?? and who you repping ??
I write Atomik from Miami, Florida. I represent TSC (Top Skills Cru), 28 (Miami’s police code for vandalism) & B50 (Broward County’s notorious Buk50 Cru).
Whats your favorite Thing to paint ?
Letters. Characters are a pain in the ass. I enjoy painting on steel, concrete, brick, glass, plastic, wood, just about anything that will stay still long enough for me to hit it.
What’s The Crazyiest Shit You’ve Seen ?
Death. For instance, I was painting here in Mexico City yesterday and heard a bang then a dog yelp. I turned around a saw a little pooch laid out in the middle of the road. It’s feet were in the air shaking and blood was leaking out of it’s head. I’ve seen more gruesome death shit but it’s too personal to mention.
WHATS YOUR MOST FAVORITE PLACE TO PAINT ?
I’d have to say any train yard. There’s a feeling you get when painting in a yard, it’s a mixture of feelings because you know things could go great or terribly wrong at any moment.
Any Good Fight Stories over the years ? ? ?
One time I went shopping for paint at Walmart before going on a mission. We were taking our time eating shit because it was around 2am. Out of nowhere our rival crew shows up to get paint as well. There was 3 of us and 4 or 5 of them. We told them let’s go out front and throw down but they were a little tore up and wanted to fight right there. So my dog grabs a gallon of paint and socks one of the dudes right in his face and paint spills everywhere. I punch one kid in the mouth and turn around to keep fighting and get hit in my forehead with a gallon of paint (on the pigs report it said they used a stick but I don’t think so). I saw stars, blacked out and woke up when I hit the floor. I tried to get up and run but kept slipping on paint! Finally I made it on my feet and blood was gushing from my dome, so I ran. Imagine me running through Walfart leaking blood from my head with paint all over myself! Some how we didn’t get arrested, the other crew did. I got taken out of the store on a stretcher (most embarrassing moment of my life) and rushed to the hospital. They stitched me up and I jumped out of the bed and got into my ex-chicks car. A nurse comes running after me saying they need to run more tests. I went back in and went through the crazy brain analyzer test machine. A month later I got the bill, that fucking test costed $4,000. I still haven’t paid it. For the record I received court notices for months, to go and testify against the cats that fucked me up, I never went. So y’all want to say I’m a snitch, suck my dick motherfuckers.
Alcohol or Ganja ? Why ?
I would say Ganja. Alcohol has plagued me and my family for years. A lot of people drink too much then start sniffing, popping and injecting, not a good look homies. But even trees lead to more things such as mushrooms, acid, hash, opium and whipettes. I prefer Indica over Sativa, I get too paranoid off of Sativa.
Hows the future of Graff Looking ?
Great! More paint, writers, trains, money, traveling and fame. One of the downfalls is digital cameras though, nowadays no one has flick books, they just have photostreams, blogs, misplaces and websites.
Everbody has Chase Stories!!!!! whats a GOOD one ?
I was in Madrid last year painting clean trains. We fucked up in 2 ways, first we tried exiting through the same station we entered and secondly we stayed painting past the hours of operation. So when we entered the station there was only one security, we went down into the tunnel, did our thing and came out. When we were exiting there was four security! We tried inserting our tickets into the turnstile and it denied us because you can’t exit through the same station you entered. Then as we’re standing there like idiots a can rattles from our bag. That was the security guards opportunity to scream at us. We hopped the turnstiles and ran out of the station. One of the guards kicked my little homie in the chest, he threw a can at him and kept going. Another one of my homies dropped his wallet somehow, got surrounded, ran back into the station, broke his arm falling down a flight of stairs, ran through the underground train track tunnel to the next station and got roped. Meanwhile I’m running out of breath through hills, valleys, under bridges, through sewers until we got to a resting point. We’re chilling for 30 minutes and see flashlights coming from the mouth of the sewer we just exited through. So we split up and took off running. I ran with my dog for another 30 minutes through hills and valleys until we couldn’t go anymore. We waited for the sun to come up and walked to a gas station, called a taxi and went to where we were staying. Thankfully everyone was there waiting for us. Even our homie who got bagged (he slick talked his way out of a nasty charge)!
WHATS SOME MUCH FUN ABOUT PAINTING TRAINS ? ?
I get hated on a lot in my hometown. Everything I do usually gets toyed within a month. So after years of getting gone over I said fuck it, they can’t get all of my trains. So I started hitting the yard almost daily with my dog Normel. That’s when I got hooked, graffiti started on trains and that’s where it should be for the most part. There’s a certain mystique of seeing trains rolling in the night covered in graffiti. I progressed from standing on the floor, to standing on milk crates, to standing on loading docks and finally bringing out the monster ladder to climb and paint wholecars. I’m addicted to Flickr, I check that site probably 20 times a day to see if my freights have been caught. It’s a rush knowing that you can paint a train in your hometown and it can travel cross-country and be seen by the world via internet! My first wholecar even crossed country lines and entered Mexico, what the fuck?!?
ANY LAST WORDS ? ? ?
I wanna say thanx to the International Smuggler for hooking up this interview, I appreciate it homie. A big shot out goes to all my homies in Miami, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Oakland, Newark, Madrid, Pesaro (Italy), Rome, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. All graffiti writers world-wide, keep doing your thing! Rest in power Phil, Nes & Merk. Free Whie & Care! Check out my site www.theatomikbomb.com Peace out.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You love Day in the Lyfe.
I love Day in the Lyfe.
Remo’s got a new book about colorful drains in Japan.
So yeah……. enjoy!
DITL- Had you been to Japan before you met up with Suiko in Hiroshima?
REMO- Nope – i contacted Suiko through the internet after finding his work online and thinking it was great.
DITL- What was the impetus for your fact finding mission to Japan in the first place? Was your intention clear at the start, what I mean is, did you know you were gonna put this book together? How did the book, Graffiti Japan, even come about in the first place?
REMO- Nothing was clear at the beginning. Being a photographer, film director and urban visual artist all my work revolved around these things, but I hadn’t made any books yet. In 2005 a new book by my now publisher Mark Batty Publisher appeared on the market place. It was called Melbourne stencil capital of the world. I was living in Melbourne and am from there myself, so upon checking this book out I thought it was beautifully put together and also I felt my photographs were of similar standard. So I wrote to MBP suggesting that I do a book for them and showed them my photos. They loved my worked and asked me what subject I would do. I knew that Japan had no books on the subject at the time, and I wanted to go to Japan – so i said Japan Graffiti. They loved the idea and that was the beginning of the Japanaphile book craze.
DITL- Tell us about the roots of modern graffiti in Japan.
REMO- Well all Graffiti in Japan stems from New York and LA. All of the styles you see there resemble these beginnings in one-way or another. Even down to English lettering used, a lot of the kids even go to the USA and paint and hang out with painters over there. Then they would bring back the style to Japan. Of course eventually it evolves into their own style – but it all came from the USA in the early 1990s.
DITL- What makes Japanese graffiti different from Western style graffiti?
REMO- Manga and Kanji. The Japanese are brought up on Manga comics from and early age. That’s all they read when they are kids. This is prevalent throughout their graffiti. It is very animated and character driven. But not western characters – no – More Japan style – intricate characters. Look at Phil and Fate and Shizentomotel for some of the best characters from Japan. Also Kanji – the use of japanese lettering – the letters are already highly visual, so when used in graffiti it becomes something entirely Japanese.
DITL- Your new book is a fascinating study of sewer drain covers. I had no clue they were so decorated in Japan. Do you know much about the history behind how they ended up painted like that?
REMO- My new book – Drainspotting, is due to be out in March – and for me there is a definite link between Graffiti and this industrial design. Well they came about because each city or prefecture wanted to pretty up the city a little by making these colorful manhole covers.. Also – sewer covers makes one think of dirty water so this is another reason – to brighten up the thought of sewage and sewer water. Then of course once this trend started – in the 1970s-80 – then each prefecture wanted to out do the next prefecture with a better design. So the designs became more intricate and decorated. Today we have designs of many things, flowers, birds, animals, ninja, firemen, shrines, dragons, godzilla and space crafts. There are over 6000 designed manhole covers to date with many Drainspotters the world over dedicating websites and museums to manhole covers. Mine is the first book on the subject.
DITL- What was it that first got you interested in graffiti?
REMO- I have been stenciling myself for many years now. Since art school back in 1992 my work has been highly pop and graffiti like using stencils to paint with and iconic imagery, but I think the Stencil boom from the early 2000s really got me back into bombing the streets of Melbourne again and also got me looking at the rest of the world too. Now my books are in Museums around the world and hey i couldnt be happier.
DITL- If you had to pick one area in Japan with the best graffiti, which one would it be and why?
REMO- Well- that’s a tough one – BUT one can take the train down to Yokahoma and there under the train station and on the street there is a legal wall that stems for 2 to 3 km. It’s amazing – all the best painters get out there and paint at one point. It is a wall of fame and you can spend a whole day walking the length of it. The exact name of the station is in my book- Graffiti Japan – with some photos from it there. Check it out – its worth it.
DITL- What’s in the cards for 2010? More trips to Japan? New projects on the horizon?
REMO- Well I live in Japan now. Yes the making of the book Graffiti Japan changed my life – now I am married to a Japanese girl and live and work there. I have 2 more books coming out with MBP – Drainspotting which was mentioned earlier and another one on Japanese game cards from the last 100 years. These cards are amazing works of art containing all sorts of anime and characters – from astro boy, to samurai to Batman. amazing stuff. I will continue directing films and video. Besides that I will be having some art shows – painting at Upfest in the UK and doing some photography/Book launch shows in NY and LA. On top of that, with my company RAVEN, I have a Graphic Novel Titled SCAR – this should hit the shelves this year. Its also coming out on Iphone very soon as an interactive comic through one coin comics. This is also a feature film and will be made into the film version hopefully this year too. So a big year in 2010.
You can check out my on going work at these sites – www.whitewallstudios.net www.raven-books.com www.graffitijapan.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdVzboF2E2Q
DITL- Anyone you want to say Hi to out there in cyberspace?
REMO- Big shout out to my beautiful wife and partner Hisa and the team at RAVEN and the great guys at MBP and of course my folks – without all of whom none of this would be possible.
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