April 2010: San Francisco Part 1

This week is dedicated to last week's trip to San Francisco. I could probably go on for weeks about how amazing it was, but I'll limit myself to three posts. First stop: the Mission.

Located next to the Castro, the Mission is filled with graffiti and street art. While main streets like Valencia and Mission have the occasional piece, it's worth it to take a wrong turn and wander alleys.

In addition to old school mural art, new artists like Barry McGee and the late Margaret Kilgallen spearheaded the Mission School. Banksy recently hit the neighborhood and placed a piece up on Valencia.

If you're hungry, stopping by the Mission is an excellent idea. When we ordered Mexican, I asked for a small bowl of guacamole and received a salad bowl full of it. My cousin, Matt, also took us out to an Indian restaurant for dosa and samosas. Walking around is a necessary post-meal ritual.
Once your food coma kicks in, stumble into Dolores Park and chill for a bit. No doubt there will be a couple of unemployed hipsters spending the day there. On my visit, I bought a tangelo and checked out the skyline. There was also an interesting photo shoot involving a woman dressed as a princess and a man in silver spandex wearing a glitter mask. I'm not sure of the effect they were trying to achieve, but I was definitely impressed.

Another stop on the tour was 826 Valencia, the tutoring/bookstore/pirate supply company spearheaded by Dave Eggers. The organization hosts countless workshops for teachers and kids, but you can also pick up a kickass patch and pirate flag.
Photo tours exist, but you've really got to check this neighborhood out for yourself. Tomorrow, I'll share more graff and weird stories from my week away.

November 2009: Ritek1 in Ukraine

First, my pretties, I need to ask a favor. We're going to try something and see if this works. The 2010 Bloggie Awards are currently accepting nominations, and I think it would be cool if Illicit was in there. If you click on the link, you can stick us under the "art, craft, and design" heading. The nomination period ends January 12, and I would be ever so grateful if you and your friends could help us out. Now, on with the post!

This summer, I hope to get around and photograph some serious street art. With so many recent submissions from Eastern Europe, the region is definitely at the top of my list. Today, we hear from Ritek1 in Sevastopol, Ukraine. He tells us a bit about the thought process underlying his gigantic lettering. He writes:

"When I started doing graffiti is difficult to tell because I was already engaged in classical graffiti and stencils. I started doing roll-ups at the end of 2008 and I liked the originality and new forms. It was something new to me and it was interesting to me."
"I developed my style so that visually it looked very mysterious and unusual; I don't want to be the same as all the rest. I like harmony of forms and sometimes an idea for a font design comes to mind. When that happens, I try to make a sketch. It is very important to select suitable colors which will combine well. I paint my geometric fonts in two different directions. Sometimes, when I need to quickly make a stylish font, I make thinner letters. In general, I try to learn from different branches of art. It is good to be able to draw and to study it independently."
"For painting, I choose my locations very carefully. I like picturesque places that will make photos of my work look good. For this purpose it is necessary to travel and search for many such places."
"Sometimes I work alone, but we create interesting things together with KLMF. He knows how to do roll-ups correctly and both of us like the way they turn out. I am ready to paint with someone if he or she can show me something special. It's always desirable to try to mix styles and to create a whole visualization that is pleasant to look at."
"I recently finished my last project and I have many new bright ideas which I am going to realize in the near future."

Thanks, Ritek1! For more Ukrainian gems, check out his Flickr.

November 2009: Loomit in Munich

When he was 14, Loomit experimented with his first piece. Since then, he's never stopped. His art took him to Saravejo, parts of Australia, and all around Germany. Today, he checks in with some background and a little news of what's to come. He writes:

"I started in 1983 with graffiti and have done it ever since.""Generally, I like to work with colleagues, especially on large walls. For medium-sized pictures, I also like to be alone to paint.""My style is characterized by much travel and painting with colleagues. My favorite place to paint is South America."
"The craziest places I ever painted was on the North Brazil Tour in 2006 with Os Gêmeos, Isi, Nunca and Coyo. We hung out on the platform from morning til night; there was lots of music and you could see the whole city."
"Right now, I am working on a tour of China."

Wow, Europe, South America, and Asia! You're hitting all the majors, my friend! Thanks for checking in. For more photos and info, take a look at his website.

November 2009: Scheme in Moscow

I'm too much of a wimp for Russia in the winter. Three hours of sunlight a day and subzero temperatures would throw me into a deep depression. However, I'd love to explore the country in the summer; there's so much street art to see! Perhaps if I make it there this summer, I'll give Scheme a call. The Moscow-based artist toys with mediums and shapes to create fresh new pieces. He writes:

"Hello, I'm Scheme, a graffiti-artist from Moscow. I have never really made normal street-art so much. I'm more of a graffiti-artist trying not to limit my art. I did my first piece in 2004 and have been painting graffiti for about five years."

"Lately, I prefer to keep my style separate from others. Sometimes it's a good experience to collaborate with different artists, but not permanently. Painting together demands a lot of organization and the result often doesn't justify costs. When you are alone, you feel freedom; it's important in art. As for pieces with common colors and background, it's hard to call that 'collaboration.'"

"My style is develops on paper. Sometimes I need more sketch time for realisation. In my way, I try not to copy forms which already exists. I'm like piggy bank which needs something new every time. To be honest, the best place for work is canvas. When you paint on it, you control everything and don't worry about any external factors like weather. Of course, good painting environment makes it better, but in my way it's important to concentrate on style. Also, sometimes after painting on walls, you find some marks on photos and already can't correct it. As for canvas, it's free for finishing anytime you want. Sometimes I also use digitals, but it looks not as fresh as handicraft."

"As for being caught by the police - I can't say that in Russia you can have big problems. Lately, I stopped painting illegally. It's better to concentrate on style than on the place where it can be realised. The craziest adventures were meeting and painting with or just spending time together with artists from my Top 10 list."

"One of the last events I took part in was in Nantes, France. It was called '20 Years Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall in Nantes'. Artists built the wall from cardboard boxes in city-center and made pieces on it. Afterwards, audiences destroyed it just like Berlin 20 years ago. The topic of my piece was 'Freedom'. You can see video and photos of my project. Ciao!"

Thanks, Scheme! For more photos and information, visit his website.

Friday ProFile: Keflione

Most people think law enforcement is the most dangerous enemy for a street artist. For French artist Keflione (Kefli is French slang for ‘cop), his paradoxical nickname pokes fun at the police. In his experience, it’s not the cops he worries about. “Wild animals are more dangerous than cops!” he exclaims. “I was in the jungle in Brunei on Borneo. I went on my own to abandoned houses in the jungle. Suddenly, a boar which was a meter away in the grass ran towards me. I was alone: no cell phone, no weapons, just a camera. I felt stupid. I didn’t move.”

In 2001, Keflione got into graffiti through skateboarding. “We didn’t know about graffiti first,” he says, “but it was a logical way to do something in the streets exactly like skateboarding. We bought spray cans and started painting. I wasn’t drawing before that, but I started copying letters and fonts. Then I started creating my own style when I chose what I liked best.” His interest in art led to graphic design and fine arts degrees, but Keflione keeps his work on the street. “I only work with my friend Shygun,” he adds. “He’s the guy I started with. We understand each other and develop concepts together.”
Currently based in Rennes, Keflione’s painting takes him way off the grid. In the past, he’s bombed France, Germany, Malta, India, Borneo, and Greece. “I was in India with two friends last December,” he recalls. “We were painting in the Kathputali slums in Delhi and there was a wedding in the street at the same time. In India, weddings are really important, so there were a lot of people. The groom who’d just gotten married was drunk and throwing money at the crowd. A group of poor kids fought to get the bills. There was lots of music, color, people, and smiles. The streets were full of kids everywhere, inside houses and on rooftops. It’s something amazing that you have to see for real once in your life: a mix of colors, violence, party, poorness, and thrown money. We added a bit of paint to it.”
Other painting experiences were less than pleasant. “When I started, the main place to paint in my city was an abandoned slaughterhouse close to train tracks,” he explains. “It was full of colorful graffiti. We didn’t know anything about it, so we decided to go there at night. We discovered this massive place of graffiti culture in the dark. It was really scary with butcher spikes, tiles, cold rooms, broken glass, and savage cats. When we realized it was possible to come during the day, we noticed some big holes in the floor where they used to throw the carcasses.”
In the future, Keflione worries street art will be less about art and more about money. “It’ll turn into a reality TV show or an iPhone application, but a business for sure,” he predicts. However, he doesn’t have any inclination to stray from his roots. “Street art means free galleries in the street,” he insists. “I’m always pushing back boundaries in design, street art, and typography. I love always being different. Currently, he’s working on a “Call Me Majesty” exhibition. The black and white pieces vary in design, font, and graphics but communicate “the same ego-tripping message,” he says, adding, “I’d like to develop my work in bigger formats with better fonts and to get more exposure in the streets. I want to keep traveling and doing my work everyday. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m going and I know there will be streets and fonts in it.”
Cimer, Keflione! For more fantastic shots, peep his website. That's all for now; have a great weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday.

September 2009: OFFK Around the World

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, crews aren't confined to one set space. OFFK represents what's possible when a crew goes global. Comprised of many artists from around the world, these guys (and maybe ladies, too?) stick by the motto "It's not about what you can do for you, it's about what you can do for your crew. Crew member Efrain gives us a taste of what OFFK is all about. He writes:

"OFFK is a graffiti krew with the mission to have a piece in every part of the world. Here are some pics. This guy is named Rolas. He lives in Mexico and has been an OFFK member since 2009."
"This guy's name is Fungi. He lives in Puerto Rico and has been the leader of OFFK Puerto Rico since 2009."

"This guy is named Kazer. He lives in England and has been an OFFK member since 2009."

"This guy's name is Fly. He lives in Puerto Rico and has been a member of OFFK since 2009.""This guy's name is Seemstar. He lives in Los Angeles and has been a member of OFFK since 2008."

Thanks, Efrain! For more info, check out their MySpace page. We whitewashed some walls in New Britain last night. Stuff is looking good for the mural slam!

Friday ProFile: Artful Dodger

Back in the day, graffiti was all about getting up, hitting unique spots, and making your name known. Armed with Sharpies, spray cans, and whatever other tools they could afford, these stealthy assassins plastered their names on anything with a visible surface. In the dark of night, they braved cops, dogs, and abusive street characters that tried to intervene. In the beginning, graffiti writers loved their art but found little acceptance in the outside world.

From the jump, Artful Dodger’s talent didn’t jive with his parents’ expectations. At first, his interest in art entertained them. In school, lessons on Van Gogh, Rubins, Michaelangelo, and Da Vinci piqued his interest in art as a career. As a child, he says, “I loved to draw cartoon characters as a child. Whenever relatives came over, my parents told me to go get my pictures and show them. They’d parade me around.” However, his parents were less than thrilled when their son decided to pursue art as a career. “They wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer, something respectable and academic. Saying I wanted to be an artist was like wanting to be a street busker. It was seen as an embarrassment. It was difficult to deal with.”
Born and bred in London, Artful Dodger fed his love for hip-hop culture with a constant diet of Rock Steady Crew, Futura 2000, Le163, and Phase2. His interest in aerosol art was augmented by his middle school art teacher’s calligraphy lessons “No one really took to it,” he recalls. “Everyone was more interested in flicking people with ink. After the lesson, I went up to him and told him I was sincerely interested. He gave me some alphabet slips, ink, and pens, and told me to see what I could come up with. From there, I got hooked.” In 1983, he hit the streets with a vengeance, spraying everything in his path.
Finding a support network in PLAZ, a South London crew, Artful Dodger spent his time bombing or sketching new pieces. “It was cool because it’s good to have someone watch your back. It wasn’t until about 6 months after that that we hooked up with a crew of really great South London writers. It was great because we were all on the same page. It was kind of like what you hear with bands and musicians where all the talents come together and collaborate.”
Connecting the tags on New York’s subway cars and old gothic penmanship, Artful Dodger’s hybrid style spawned an unusual tag. When people saw his tag for the first time, they didn’t believe it was graffiti. In 1985, Weetabix approached Artful Dodger for an ad campaign. “My quest was to get my name on it, so I thought, ‘Wow, instant fame, I’m in!’ ,” he recalls. “Ironically, they didn’t let me do it in my gothic tag because it didn’t look like it’d been done by a writer. They just wanted a stereotype image and my tag was subversive. It played with the whole perception of what writing and vandalism is.” Confusing viewers with his illegal yet artistic pieces,

Today, Artful Dodger keeps it legal. When he’s not DJing or spending time with his kids, you can find him out in the community. For the past 22 years, he’s organized workshops for youth clubs. Starting this month, he’ll spearhead a multifaceted project combining different aspects of hip-hop culture. “It’s a six-week program that encompasses aerosol writing, digital graphics, urban music, and creative writing. This is our pilot project so there are three classes with twenty persons in each class. Next year, I want to start B-Write, a program teaching women how to write. It’s kind of weird because you’d think that women would be out there getting their voices heard more. You’d think there would be more equal representation.”

No doubt, D! While he doesn’t get up illegally anymore, Artful Dodger insists that graffiti is here to stay. “No matter what, I think people will continue to get up the traditional way because that side will always appeal to someone. The harder you push them to go legal or accept it in the mainstream, the harder they’re going to push back.”

All images courtesy of Artful Dodger, except fourth image from Rocking the City. For more info, check out his video stash, website, or Flickr. Thanks, D! I'm off for Labor Day weekend festivities, but I promise to bring you all the headlines on Monday.

July 2009: Senyc Lies in Newark Part Dos

I love my Jersey girls. My friend Jess recently embarked on a master's program in art history at American University. (Congrats, girl!) Alex, a fellow class of '08-er, is in my boat studying for the GRE. Diane, a Jersey by way of Connecticut transplant, just earned her master's in public affairs at Princeton. Damn! No matter how you slice it, those Jersey girls know how to hustle. But don't forget about the Jersey guys! A while ago, we heard from Newark graff man Senyc Lies. Today, he's back to share his pieces and plans for the future. He writes:

"Hey Meg! So guess what, dude? I got some more pictures for you! Hope you enjoy this batch! :-) These first three photos were taken in Newark, New Jersey in late July 2009."

"I found myself trying something new, but definitely working with the same vibes as my recent pieces. I thought I'd test my self with time and limit with this whole piece. Working within an 8 feet high and 35 feet wide space, I made sure to max it all out in about 3 hours tops."

"It was a beautiful day- not to hot for a summer day in Jersey- which made it a perfect paint session. I think I found myself getting even more abstract with my work."

"These last two photos were taken in Newark in early August 2009. Where do I start with this one? I'd been prepping my mind for a good couple of days for this piece. I wanted to really try something wild and new, but I still wanted to see my style in it."

"I came up with the weird arrows and shaped letters with little monsters inside. This piece actually took about 5 hours. It had a lot more lines and coloring than the first. I had a lot of problems with the tips for the cans which actually happens to me a lot. Finally, it came out to be a pretty damn good piece. My style is evolving rapidly just like a stream of water. This day was another beautiful day. It's great to free my mind and lay out what goes on in it."

"Enjoy these sets of pictures and stay tuned. I'm planning on doing a huge project as soon as I get everything put together! Peace, Senyc Lies."

Thanks, Senyc! Keep those e-mails a-comin' and good luck with that master plan!

July 2009: Senyc Lies in New Jersey

I've driven through New Jersey many a time, but the only time I've ever spent there was at a rest stop. However, I'm always down for a good graffiti hunt. Senyc Lies is, too, apparently. A few weeks ago, I received a random e-mail filled with his photos. Apparently, they're pretty fresh paint. Here's what's happening in the Garden State's fourth largest city.

"Hi,Meg! Senyc again,I Got a few more shots for you!!! hope you like these as well as the last I sent you. All of these shots were taken in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This ended up being a two day project, but it was well worth the two days. I work on all of my pieces alone and paint with other people next to me while they do their thing. It is a fun thing to do do; I just free my mind and explore through the colors. That's how I see things when I'm painting. The idea for this piece was all freehand. There wasn't any sketch work or plans on how the letter structure were suppose to go together. The colors were a wild pick, but I wanted it to be very colorful and to pop out of the wall. The people in the neighborhood gave me a lot of great feed back on this particular piece. I was so ecstatic with all the remarks that I received. Right now, I'm working on a few logos on the computer. I'm also designing a few drawings for shirts and looking into legal walls so I can do greater and better pieces. If you know of any walls, let me know."
"This piece was painted in May 2009. My style kinda went with my mood that day. I felt very cartoony that day. I spent that Sunday off looking for a place to paint."
"This photo was taken in May 2009. I really enjoyed this freestyle piece. It was a nice sunny day. I used some of my scrap cans and tips on this piece."
"The last shots were taken around April 2009. The piece took about an hour, maybe less. It was a freestyle thing without sketches. I wanted the piece to map out in my mind."

"I will be sending you some more flicks.... I'm not done just yet! But enjoy these photos and please share your thoughts."


Thanks, Senyc! Does anyone know of any legal walls he can hit up? If so, shoot me a note or leave a comment.

November 2006: San Antonio

This blog receives a lot of traffic from Texas, so it's only fitting that my favorite Texan would report on the state's graffiti scene. Nick and I met abroad (see last week's Amsterdam post) and have since kept in touch. Last week, he sent me a note about the unexpected turn of events that piqued his interest in San Antonio's transient graffiti. While the photo quality is not optimal (the images are film stills), the pictures offer a glimpse at what the Lone Star State has to offer. Nick writes:

“In November of 2006 I was developing a short documentary for a production class at Trinity University.  Since I was completely devoid of ideas, my film involved following around my friend Phil, a fellow classmate, as he made his documentary about TUVAC, Trinity's community service organization.”

“At the time, TUVAC participated in a city initiative called Graffiti Wipe-Out, which was exactly what it sounds like.  Initially, I took no issue with the project, assuming it involved painting over gang tags and other crude forms of vandalism.  This couldn't be further from reality.”

“This particular day involved whitewashing two long walls filled with extremely skilled and meticulous street art.  Each mural was the work of a different artist, and varied in subject matter and style, but never in devotion or skill.  The artists obviously came from all over the state (or country), and put a lot of thought into each work, often inserting local subject matter and topography.  One featured a detailed overhead map of downtown San Antonio, with its famous Riverwalk snaking through the center.”

“My objective quickly switched from recording Phil's process to documenting as much graffiti as I could before it was destroyed forever.  I covered as much ground as possible with my DV camcorder, but it was impossible to record everything with the limited time frame and overabundance of material.”

“As I filmed, a middle-aged man snapped photos with a disposable camera.  He lived in the area and was also disappointed that the city was painting over these masterful pieces.”

“My favorite work was Tron (from the movie Tron), featured beneath the underpass.  It contained the right combination of artistic skill and nerd cred which sets street art, and pop art in general, apart from other mediums.”

“While watching Phil interview the woman in charge of the initiative, I could understand her intentions.  The Graffiti Wipe-Out sought to beautify the city and improve the lives of its residents.  I only take issue with the complete lack of thought and consideration in deciding what should be destroyed.  These were amazing works, and the city should have celebrated them instead of having them removed.” 

“The raw footage is all that remains.  I hope that street artists continue these types of projects in the future.  Even if the city council doesn't appreciate them, a vast majority of the citizenry does.” 

Thanks, Nick! For more photos, check out his Photobucket. Also, if you're interested in cheesy films, take a look at his blog, Your Stupid Minds, where he reviews all things corny, tasteless, and tacky. Fabulous!