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Introducing Graff Cal NYC

Writing this blog has turned me into an avid follower of graffiti and street art culture here in NYC. I enjoy checking out new work and meeting artists, so I try and make it to as many exhibitions and other events as I can. It’s not as easy as it sounds, though. As hard as I try to find out about them, I find myself missing things only because I never heard about them. There is no unified source of info about street art and graffiti events on the web. This is why I decided to create Graff Cal.

Graff Cal is a super simple website with a calendar of graffiti and street art-related event listings. It’s mission is to compile all of these into one place and we’ve teamed up with Fresh Paint NYC to make it happen.

The site is still a work in progress, so look for big updates soon. See you at an opening!

nyc.graffcal.com

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Flashback Friday: John Conn

Throughout the Subway’s history there have photographers whose work incomparably embodies the spirit of New York City at a given time. One such photographer was John Conn.

While working as a freelance photographer in the late 1970s Conn captured a unique part of New York’s history. His iconic black and white photos depict an underground covered in graffiti and plagued by crime. Because of their artistic and historic significance, the series has become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

Infotainment

This ad alteration was caught by ANIMALNewYork yesterday. No word on wether the Poster Boy movement is behind it, but we have a hunch!

Category: Rider Report  Tags:  One Comment

Black Book: NOXER x DAM GIRL

I originally met NOXER and DAM GIRL through another member of the NYC graff crew DOD (Department of Defense). The crew’s refined style comes from decades of experience in the game. NOXER alone has been writing graffiti for a total of 23 years. He is probably most well known for his appearance in the bombing documentary, State Your Name.

More DOD after the jump. more »

Flashback Friday: Howard Thain

Howard Thain, Grand Central Station, N.Y.C., 1927

Black Book: OPTIMO NYC

Today I’m experimenting with a new feature i’m calling Black Book. For each entry in this series, I’ll show another page in my own book of graffiti signatures and talk a little about the artist. For the first, I’d like to talk about NYC graffiti writer OPTIMO aka WERDS aka NO SLEEP.

OPTIMO’s distinctive top hat character can be found on walls all throughout NYC. I caught up with him during Art Basel week festivities in Miami, where he hit the Wynwood walls hard. He’s also made with a name for himself with several shows in the New York area at venues like Revolution Studios, Brooklyn Fireproof and Culture Fix. OPTIMO’s latest show opens tomorrow, February 15th at Diva in SOHO. Check out this flier for the details!

More work after the jump! more »

Superman to the Rescue

These new alteration-friendly Mad Men ads have been making rounds on all the New York blogs. I flicked some new ones to add to the mix, including this subtle-but-awesome Superman version.

More after the jump! more »

Category: Rider Report  Tags:  One Comment

Flashback Friday: Mark Rothko

Mark Rothko, Untitled Subway, 1937