Back from the East

I recently spent some time traveling around Thailand and South Korea. While the latter has hardly any public graffiti the former has a vibrant scene. Many of the most prominent are European and American artists. Ojae, UFO, and Gen II, seemed to have traveled there as a crew and really put in a lot of work. There was just something about UFO's octopus/alien character that really fit Bangkok, though I saw it lurking in other Thai cities as well.

More to come soon.

So much all the time

There is always so much to keep up on. Addicted to watching the election and following the situation in Thailand. It feels the the world is moving so fast right now. I thought I would share part of a letter my dad wrote to me

Instead of covering the boring content of the republican's convention yesterday, the media should have covered the rally yesterday and let the voices of dissent be heard. I was at the rally in St Paul in front of the Capitol. It was good and inspiring. Large turnout, mellow crowd. Code Pink was hilarious, the best. Medea Benjamin was there, and led their narrative. All in feminine pink fluffy dress, including a few code pink guys. One young miss wore a sign that said "I still miss fair voting."

And then, the march, one mile to the Excel Energy Center. Things started to look a bit edgy.
Agent provocatuers (I think), posing as "anarchists," and wearing ominous black masks and black clothing, march in their own contingent, grab metal signs and use them to smash the storefront window at Macy's and smash in police car windows, all in a well contrived effort to discredit the large messages of protest. Both the over-done presence of troops and the over-wrought behavior of the anarchists are part of an effort to create an atmosphere of brutality, generating more fear and anxiety; all to tie extremism and violence to the anti-McCain forces. Eh?

The police actions were equally provocative, all to create an atmosphere and generate extreme behavior. To me, it is all shades of Governor Ronald Reagan and the Berkeley protestors ("Free Speech Movement"), a phenomenon of violent confrontation that he used to his great political advantage.
Dad

Oh and in China...

Recently several American's were sentened to 10 days in jail including a member of the Graffiti research Lab. Boing Boing has been providing excellent coverage.

Utah and Ether Clapped up

Utah and Ether were both arrested recently. I did see their work in Paris while I was there recently. We here at With out effort wish them both well.

Tagging Queens Couple Arrested

Destined to be dubbed the Bonnie and Clyde of the graffiti world, Danielle Bremner (tags: Utah, Dani, Erin) and her boyfriend Jim Clay Harper (tag: Ether) were both arrested for causing $100,000 in damages to city transit facilities, Newsday reports.

The Queens couple had reportedly fled to Europe for three months, "where they dined, partied - and tagged their way through 10 or so countries." So their legal problems aren't just in the city, allegedly France seeks to prosecute them. (Back in 2006 there were conflicting views on whether or not most of the city's taggers are domestic or European.) The 26-year-old Bremner was arrested after deboarding a flight from Europe in Chicago, while 23-year-old Harper was arrested at JFK--both on Tuesday night.

When Bremner is extradited back to New York she faces criminal mischief and burglary charges in a Manhattan indictment accusing them of tagging train yards in Inwood and Harlem. Harper was arraigned Wednesday, plead not guilty and was released. He and his lawyer could not be reached for comment.

Sources said both suspects face further charges for a number of other acts of graffiti in all the boroughs, except Staten Island - including tagging 8 subway cars in Manhattan and about 20 acts of vandalism in the Bronx.

Bremner has been arrested before, both in Toronto and in Boston (where she is "wanted"). One source told the paper of Harper: "He's a big player. He just hasn't been caught. Now he has, and his status in the graffiti world will definitely go up."

Spraying AKs sideways

Buck! Buck! Buck!

A great article about Obama and street art in Boston from the Boston Globe

"The owners of a small South End gallery say they had the best of intentions when they commissioned a famous and often mischievous street artist to install a massive political mural on a construction wall lining one of the artiest strips of the South End."

"Rather, residents, business owners, and even fellow gallery owners expressed frustration, angst, and anger over the way some English enthusiasts descended upon the city, plastering windows, telephone polls, and other surfaces with miniature posters meant to advertise the massive exhibit."

MUTO a wall animation painted by BLU

Pennsylvania - Election Day

So here it is sports fans. Election day in Pennsylvania. Will this fucking thing ever end?

Photo by Miguel.

In the news...

A new article in the NY Post reports that

"The NYPD recorded and unprecedented 81.5 percent surge in graffiti-related complaints from 2006 to 2007.

During the same period, graffiti arrests spiked nearly 28 percent. "

and then goes on to quote Vallone

" "Unfortunately, because of the lack of police officers, the fact that they have to do double duty and combat serious threats like terrorism, minor crime, including graffiti, are on the rise," he added.

Vallone also blamed a pop culture that portrays graffiti as a cool, legitimate form of art. "

what a dickhead.

BK Bridge: aut viam inveniam aut faciam

I know I am bad

Baby: Sorry for not updating the blog like I said I would let me try and make it up to you with this

Bjork

you should see the stereogum.com enjoyed player here if you have flash

There are also a Radiohead cover album.

Vector Tower Defense

Vector TD
The Vectoids are on the move. Can you stop them?

Two sketchy transactions caught on google earth

S Vincennes Ave, Chicago


Filmore St, San Fransisco

Rocketboom

Guest Photoblogger: Big Baby Miguel

Graffiti from the train in Budapest.

Truck of the Faro's

This truck is around every weekend just around the corner from Great Jones Alley. I always really enjoy the view. In many ways trucks serve as the new trains in urban graffiti, minus the whole predictable route thing. That's why when you find one that parks consistently it's a thing of beauty.

New Gridskipper Post - "New York: I Drink Your Milkshake"

Take a look at my new post and first crappy photoshop job for Gridskipper.

Revok

I realize I have been a little light on the graffiti front lately so here is a detail from the a mural in DUMBO by the REVOK and some of the rest of the 7th Letter Crew.

In Which I Visit the Japanese Embassy

Today I had the distinct pleasure to visit the Japanese Embassy in New York for a Sake tasting. The attending group was surprisingly small, the Sake was amazing, and the sushi was some of the best that I have ever had.

One of the most surprising facts that I learned was that the Japanese Sake industry is in deep decline. Before World War 1 Japan had over 60,000 Sake makers in its 38 prefectures. Today it has just over 1,400 with an annual LOSS of 5-6 a year. The culprit appears to be an influx of foreign beverages, Beer, Scotch, and Whiskey especially.

This Fascist American LIfe

From Naomi Wolf: Fascist America in 10 Easy Steps


1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

2. Create a gulag

3. Develop a thug caste

4. Set up an internal surveillance system

5. Harass citizens' groups

6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

7. Target key individuals

8. Control the press

9. Dissent equals treason

10. Suspend the rule of law