graffiti:
The graffiti artist Swoon and her crew are bum rushing the Venice Biennale this week on a boat assembled out of pieces of NYC trash. A part of me wishes they were crashing tomorrow’s 140conf instead…I’m also hoping Russell Simmons (@UncleRush) will show up after all. I’ve been tweeting into the wind hoping he’d answer. It felt like destiny when I imagined him at the conference—it seemed so RIGHT that one of the main innovators behind the cultural ascendancy of hip-hop should join the crew brainstorming the next level of the Twitter revolution.
This is not to say that the conference is not already super star-studded…last I heard a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model had joined the eclectic mix. I just always like the possibilities that open up when even the best parties get torn along the seams…I like the idea of fences being jumped and tickets discarded. Like Woodstock…that great event that’s a part of a story that’s been handed down from generation to generation of a revolution built on peace, love and happiness. A story about the people vs. the state, David vs. Goliath—the many vs. the few.
It was a story we were told had already ended—but in reality is only just setting sail…
“Andy Kafka”—a one-of-a-kind graffitied work of art #FTW shirt that I created for a Twitter peep based on a telepathic reading of their Twitter feed. This one is a remix of a vintage SEVERYN design. Click on the PayPal link in the title box to buy one at the early adopter price of $22 plus 2 bucks shipping.
Several years ago I was greatly inspired by Lacan’s psychoanalytic reading (and Derrida and others’ subsequent critiques) of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Purloined Letter.” In the story, a letter is hidden in full sight on the mantle while the police turn the house inside out looking for it. My experiments have shown that this is also the best way to do graffiti— right out in full view of everyone during rush hour. I dress in business casual, like I just got off work. I sport a wig in the latest generic woman’s hair style—lately it’s been the Rhianna pompadour—jet black and very chic. It’s amazing how the right pair of shoes will make the world get out of your way and let you do whatever you want. More specifically I mean expensive Italian ones that I can run like hell in without making any noise. Tod’s are always a good choice. They match my laptop bag filled with spray cans. The stencils are tucked in the fake fur-lined front pouch.
I work methodically—at a steady pace that’s neither too fast nor too slow. My earbuds are in but my iPod is off and my glasses are on as I focus on positioning the stencil upon the wall I’m going to spray upon. It’s at this point that I often attract a few onlookers. Sometimes they ask me what I’m doing and I answer “PR”.
“The purest art is the most useless. In today’s world nothing typifies this better than blogs. Graffiti is also a good example, especially if it’s illegal and is painted over the very next day.”
—TRUEBOY, one of my three fictional alter-egos on BTB, circa 2006
One of the questions I often return to ponder is which happened first: did Elvis eat America or did America eat Elvis? Is resistance futile? Is it possible to turn the giant BLOB of capitalism upon itself—or is a blob by definition something that is always already sucking out its own insides?
Whatever the answer, this is one of the stencils that I’m cutting out today for the first batch of FTW Shirt orders. Click here to find out more about this art and business project in which I make one of a kind graffitied t-shirts for peeps based on what I know of them from their Twitter stream. Werrd
A Giant Robot t-shirt is about to get mixed with one of the flygrrrls. What will your T-shirt look like? Order now and let me create an original design based on yr Twitter feed.
I can imagine putting this stencil flush against the collar—the perfect T-shirt to wear as an accessory to your fly new bandana.
My Colbert stencil is hot shit.
I tested my Muddy Waters stencil out with copper and black paint on the bottom of a souvenier T-shirt I bought in New Orleans
When it comes to making stencil street art, where you put the design is just as critical as what you design…
The same holds true for making stencil art on vintage T-shirts. It’s all about vibing out on what’s already there and not adding anything unnecessary.
