NYC graff writer Cash4 seems to have been making his way underground as of late. Cash is most well known for his large paint roller pieces as seen on the side of a building near you. We are excited that he is exploring new venues for his work!
Tag-Archive for » Graffiti «
Sunday, July 17th, 2011 | Author: Jowy Romano
When it comes down to it, graffiti and advertising are not all that different. On the most basic level, the goal is the same: trying to get your name out there. Of course the difference is advertisers have billions of dollars behind them and graffiti writers are mostly individuals working on their own with minimal cost.
When I spotted this at 23rd Street the other day, I had a suspicion that it might be a the work of a graffiti writer, but I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t the handiwork of some viral marketing firm. After all, the poster is made of the same material as other subway ads, with air bubbles and all.
With a little research it became clear that there is a graffitist that goes by TAEK and a NYC based crew that goes by AA MOBB. They were responsible for one of the Showpaper distribution boxes unveiled last week, as seen on The Street Spot.
Props to TAEK for quality and scale; and for blurring the lines even further!
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 | Author: Jowy Romano
Jim Joe is still quite active, but hasn’t done all that much work in the subway lately. Hence I was surprised when I spotted this new tag at Carroll Street on the F/G line. I can tell it is recent because of the style. He has been developing this new line-heavy style over the past several months. I hope this is the beginning of his underground comeback!
Have you spotted any Jim Joe tags in the subway? Please send in your photos!
Friday, May 20th, 2011 | Author: Monica Trombley
Hope you men don’t get too lonely in Heaven.
Monday, February 28th, 2011 | Author: Charles Reinhardt
The graffiti-covered subway train is fixed in our imagination as an icon of New York culture. Indeed, newcomers and visitors are often somewhat dismayed to discover the semi-pristine condition of present-day MTA subway cars.
To remedy this, Smart Crew, a graffiti outfit based in Queens, created a nostalgic tribute to the lost art of train tagging: a tractor-trailer painted like a subway car from the 7 line, replete with old school 70′s style tags and bubble letters.
For greater verisimilitude, the “train” even has an American flag and train number, the latter corresponding to last year, when the train design was first painted.
The design of the graffiti is distinctly old school, and presumably a real treat for graff connoisseurs.
With luck, clever ideas like this will continue to flourish, providing alternative outlets for those who want to keep the memory of traditional subway graffiti alive.
The truck belongs to a Greenpoint pallet company.
Photos courtesy scoutingny.com
Friday, February 18th, 2011 | Author: Jowy Romano
What you see above is an extremely rare sight. Whole-car pieces like this used to be fairly commonplace in the 80s when subway graffiti was reaching its prime. Nowadays, if substantial graffiti is found on a train it will not even be put into service; so if it even happens, it is seldom seen in the wild. This is why this piece is a special one. It is labeled 2011, and is quite possibly the first of its kind made in this year. Cheers to Tats Crew for giving NYC a blast from the past.
Update: It has been brought to my attention that this is actually a memorial piece for Bleu made by Tats Cru. RIP Bleu.
via hurtyoubad.com
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 | Author: Jowy Romano
I noticed a few fresh tags when I hopped on to the F train at 23rd Street the other day. This writer goes by the name JA. I saw the tag again just a few days later in an unexpected place—Joe Rivera’s book called “Vandal Squad: Inside the New York City Transit Police Department, 1984-2004
JA, VEEFER WKS, NEMZ?, JAONE
ABLO
JA is one of the graffiti writers Rivera recalls catching in Vandal Squad:
In 2003, JA caught a stupid tag on a gate out in Brooklyn and got collared by a couple of patrol officers in uniform. We went to the precinct just to talk to him.
“Hey, what’s up?” he said when he saw us. “I know you guys. You guys are Vandals! I ain’t saying nothing about nothing. I know you guys—you’ll put me through the bookings!”
Ultimately, Rivera says they did not have enough of a case to lock up JA, because they had no hard evidence of him in the act, like photos or videos.
JA, or JAONE as seen above, has been active for a long time! In Vandal Squad Rivera says he had some convictions for graffiti from as far back as the 80s.
Check out more of JA’s work on Luna Park’s flickr!
Update: Luna points me to a really great Rolling Stone article from 1995 in which the author details his experiences tagging along with JA and friends.
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 | Author: Jowy Romano
For this week’s Tuesday Tag, let’s talk about SURE and FAUST—graffiti writers whose tags appear next to each other so often that they are often mistaken for one person. The two were originally drawn to each other because of how much they had in common—stylistically and beyond—and met in 2001 through mutual friends. In the years to come, they had become a duo; they drew upon the same influences, developed related styles and hit the streets together.
SURE and FAUST are well known for their sticker work (which can be found on just about any Manhattan street if you are looking for them) and their distinctive handstyles.
“Often times on the street, one of us will write both names while the other looks out so a lot of the time they are done by the same person.” -FAUST in Martha Cooper’s book Name Tagging.
Name Tagging
Courtesy SURE and FAUST’s joint flickr page.
In December 2010, FAUST announced tragic news on the Brooklyn Street Art blog—the passing of his partner in crime and close friend SURE.
From the post on Brooklyn Street Art:
Last night he was killed in Afghanistan where he was stationed as an Intelligence Officer in the United States Marine Corps. Sure was born and bred in Brooklyn and recognized for his exceptional handstyle which brought together elements of classic New York graffiti with ornamental calligraphy. His script signatures could be found throughout the city and were a major influence on myself and countless others.
Many prominent writers paid tribute to SURE, like in this piece by SMART Crew.
“Sure was like a brother to me. He was my partner-in-crime and my best friend. I am grateful for the time we had and that everywhere I go in New York City I see his name and know that his presence will be felt by many long after his passing”.
-FAUST
Find countless other works by SURE and FAUST on their flickr page.
