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history of los angeles graffiti art

unkarufusunkarufus 104 Posts
edited April 2006 in Strut Central
This weekend, I was able to check out a panel discussion and book signing on The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art at MOCA. The panel discussion was cut pretty short but,there was a 30 minute teaser of the 3 hour dvd that comes with the book. The book is AMAZING. Anyone else attend? I never wrote so I don't have an extensive knowledge of who's who or who did this or that first but the book is pretty comprehensive with accounts and memories by the guys who were actually out there doing it. A friend of mine, Green, was on the panel and in the book. It's funny, how you know someone as just some dude who writes, and then realize how respected that same person is in the graff world. It's helped me get some ideas for a project I'm working on. I know there's some elder L.A. writers on the strut still right?

  Comments

  • 33thirdcom33thirdcom 2,049 Posts
    I saw the flyer for this and meant to check it out. Got caught up with doing taxes.
  • undertheradarundertheradar 619 Posts
    I heard the book and the DVD are nice. I recently ordered a copy but I don't know, I heard the first 2000 were already accounted for.

    What is Green up to now? I remember seeing those Green, Dream SMD pieces back in the day. They were killing it. Even saw one or two from Green here in San Diego.

    Just saw the Video Graf 3 DVD which is basically the west coast invasion. Dream, Charlie, Frame, classic stuff.


    FirmeRola??
  • crossingscrossings 946 Posts
    what's the book called?... i'd like to check it out.

    edit: nevermind... i thought that title was referring to the moca event.... gonna look into it!
  • unkarufusunkarufus 104 Posts
    What is Green up to now?

    I know he's been painting with Slick recently and also did some designs for Slick's clothing line...Diz Iz It (wildstyle reference)
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    dudes i remember from LA that murdered shit in the early 90s:

    Deploy7 LBOK
    Circus
    Pre
    Sub
    Mear
    Hex (yeah i know)
    SK8

    yall had the weather. try painting a freight when it's 25 degrees out.
  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    That book better have Chaz in it, LA graf begins and ends with the Cholos.



  • unkarufusunkarufus 104 Posts
    That book better have Chaz in it, LA graf begins and ends with the Cholos.



    Sadly, there is not any Chaz or cholo stuff in it, but this book is just the first volume and covers 1983-1988. Supposedly, there's gonna be 4 (originally 7) volumes. Wisk and Relax put the book together. I've only read a few of the narratives and some cats do mention cholo stuff as a precursor in L.A. and seeing it around and being influenced it. Chaz might get name checked, but the book is almost 450 pages!
  • djdazedjdaze 3,099 Posts
    This weekend, I was able to check out a panel discussion and book signing on
    The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art at MOCA. The panel discussion was cut pretty short but,
    there was a 30 minute teaser of the 3 hour dvd that comes with the book. The book is
    AMAZING. Anyone else attend?


    I didn't see you there fool.

    I was there, it was cool, missed the panel discussion but it was kind of a who's who of writers kickin it outside the museum. I ran into an old homie of mine from Chicago, Demon from SB. I hadn't seen him in like 5 years so that was cool.

    The book isn't really AMAZING though. Well...it is, I mean the content and info and narratives are dope as fuck but the layout is MEHHH. it looks like a hardcover version of 40 oz prophet or some shit. Not that there's anything wrong with that zine but you would think for a $50 450 page book compiled by artists ...they'd concentrate a little more on aesthetics. A lot of art books just deserve to be designed well, and this is one of them

    The other thing that annoyed me was that like half the pics in the book are small yet they still felt the need to put them split page dead center. WHY???? I hate that shit. unless a pic is really 2 pages big, why the hell would you split it between 2 pages? and they do that A LOT in this book.

    other than those 2 gripes I think it's a really incredible and detailed effort by these guys and I'm not trying to detract from it at all, just complaining.
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    don't forget about other cats like mek one and skate...cbs crew represent!!!
    amir
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    oh yeah and rob one RIP killed shit too. also my man kyu (chino) too.
    amir
  • unkarufusunkarufus 104 Posts
    it looks like a hardcover version of S>40 /S> 12 oz prophet or some shit.

    LOL. Only when I'm drunk!


    The other thing that annoyed me was that like half the pics in the book are small
    yet they still felt the need to put them split page dead center. WHY???? I hate
    that shit. unless a pic is really 2 pages big, why the hell would you split it
    between 2 pages? and they do that A LOT in this book.


    It's not as bad as you say but I'm guessing a lot of those flicks are actual size
    and they probably didn't want to blow them up too big and get all grainy. We're
    lucky people still kept the flicks. Plus the ones where a small pic is dead center
    is when the guys need to break up the interviews with tons of text. My gripe is that
    some of the interviews and flicks are of cats and pieces post 1988 when this volume
    is supposed to just be 1983-1988.


    other than those 2 gripes I think it's a really incredible and detailed effort by
    these guys and I'm not trying to detract from it at all, just complaining.

    Sante Fe art critics...sheesh! You should share your EXPERT opinion with the
    strut by doing porn reviews here!
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    don't forget about other cats like mek one and skate...cbs crew represent!!!
    amir
    i didnt:
    SK8
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    yeah mek and I used to hang pretty tough back in the mid-90's. I met him thru Byze One in NY in early 95'. Byze and I used to intern at Big Beat in early 95. Had known Rob One for a minute and Rob introduced me to SK8, Mear, and DJ Dusk way back when. I always have love for CBS! Oh yeah, Delay sorry man I didn't see that you mentioned SK8.
    amir
  • sticky_dojahsticky_dojah New York City. 2,136 Posts
    What always interested me was the question if there was a train scene in LA back in the days? There is a subway, right? But I guess, it was more about freights as the system is not comparable to that of NY...are there pictures of old LA (Subway) trains in the book? Curious...

    btw...dream was killin it and also hex was very influential over here with his characters...I remember the Kid Frost vid where he was painting...
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    you know who has maaad knowledge on the LA graff scene is my man Kyu(Chino) who manages the X-cuetioners. Dude can drop serious knowledge on the LA graff scene. In fact, before Fat Beats homie had open store in LA..like waaay before Fat Beats.
    Amir
  • sticky_dojahsticky_dojah New York City. 2,136 Posts
    you know who has maaad knowledge on the LA graff scene is my man Kyu(Chino) who manages the X-cuetioners. Dude can drop serious knowledge on the LA graff scene. In fact, before Fat Beats homie had open store in LA..like waaay before Fat Beats.
    Amir

    I think i met him shortly when I was in Berlin at red bull in 98 (was he already managing them back then?) Met you Amir in Cologne in 04 when you were here with kon...thanks for dropping the knowledge..still have to get back to you on those nabel records (no threadjack)
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    Actually, Kyu was just the road manager back then for the X-cuetioners. However, dude is seriously one of the kings of that LA scene. Ask anybody who is in the know and they will tell you Kyu is the man. U know I think I remember meeting you in Cologne when Kon and I came there. Cologne was our first stop on that tour. We had a ball on that tour..bought maaaad records throughout Germany and sneakers at Mighty Weenie in Munich. It was crazy to see Kanye and everybody's tags all thru the store. They had some serious heat for kicks.
    peace,
    Amir
  • davidwingatedavidwingate 748 Posts
    Yeah, Dusk is the man. I always have love for him.. I mean if it wasn't Rob One I wouldn't have met him. Ask him about the Indian food we had together in NY with Rob. That day was craze!
    Amir
  • undertheradarundertheradar 619 Posts

    LA had a train scene but it was freights, the homie JERO from UFK was killin shit, my man reap who undertheradar used to trade flicks w/ has the most extensive LA train flick collection on the planet, dude used to sit every sat & sun at the main valley yard from dusk till dawn 4yrs straight flickin every single one that rolled through, his flix are 2nd to none...

    Firme, I heard Jero has been painting freights again, any confirmation.

    I remember back in the day, going to Woodman and Bud and catching crazy Jero pieces, along with Big5, Mek, all of them dudes. Thanks to Reap, Izer and Fishlocks showing me crazy spots back in the day and generally dropping knowledge. Ah, the good old days!
  • djdazedjdaze 3,099 Posts
    it looks like a hardcover version of S>40 /S> 12 oz prophet or some shit.

    LOL. Only when I'm drunk!


    The other thing that annoyed me was that like half the pics in the book are small
    yet they still felt the need to put them split page dead center. WHY???? I hate
    that shit. unless a pic is really 2 pages big, why the hell would you split it
    between 2 pages? and they do that A LOT in this book.


    It's not as bad as you say but I'm guessing a lot of those flicks are actual size
    and they probably didn't want to blow them up too big and get all grainy. We're
    lucky people still kept the flicks. Plus the ones where a small pic is dead center
    is when the guys need to break up the interviews with tons of text. My gripe is that
    some of the interviews and flicks are of cats and pieces post 1988 when this volume
    is supposed to just be 1983-1988.


    other than those 2 gripes I think it's a really incredible and detailed effort by
    these guys and I'm not trying to detract from it at all, just complaining.

    Sante Fe art critics...sheesh! You should share your EXPERT opinion with the
    strut by doing porn reviews here!


    hahahaaaa....I really said 40 oz huh? damn, testament to my mindgarden.

    I'm not trippin on the size of the pics just the fact that they're small enough to put on one page or the other yet they're split dead center so you can't really see the pic well because of the page going into the spine...whatever the fuck that's called...the 40 oz part of the book, or some shit.

    man I don't watch porn, I see these bitches every day. most of em get on my last damn nerve so watching their porns would be damaging to my psyche. I call it the 40 oz syndrome.
  • coolchriscoolchris 301 Posts
    What was the name of that Yard on fairfax and wilshire that is now that car museum?I remember watching Miner WCA doing a piece while I drank Gin & Super Socco.Ahh,the good old days.Is Super Socco still on the shelves?
  • G_BalliandoG_Balliando 3,916 Posts
    good thread. whoever said they'd post more flicks if heads were interested, please, by all means. post away. freights are always cool. how about LA city bombing from the way back? Always love to see the loco city spots. especially old school ones. it kinda shows where cats are at these days with it. nothing really holds a candle to skilled balls-to-the-wall crazy illegal graffiti. LA has a lot of history that people don't know about (me included). oh yeah and r.i.p. rob one, that guy was real as they come.
  • dreskieboogiedreskieboogie 951 Posts
    Does anybody know if Seen, UA and Blade from NYC busattack in LA is included in the book? Or the next volume?

    Thanks,

    Dress
  • rElAxrElAx 2 Posts
    Seen and Futura 2000 are in the book. They inspired many when they came to visit L.A. back in the day.

    Thanks for the compliments and criticism. It's all good and noted for future volumes.

    Peace!

    rElAx
  • rElAxrElAx 2 Posts
    What up homie. True, L.A. does deserve props for there contribution to the graff game.

    This site is cool. I recognized it while reviewing the hits to my site.
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