Although most of these will be my favorites, as opposed to the "best" - the recipient of this, was clearly the best last year by almost any measure - numbers (given a run for the money by APER though), visibility, in your facedness, etc..
His tags were the talk of the town last year - prominent, annoying, getting conversation and media coverage. Always large, usually in spray paint, not usually marker, always in plain view on the streetfront.
So - Best (Biggest) Ups for 2007 - another easy one - SAME
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
2007 Awards - Favorite Place to See Graffiti
From my perspective this one is easy - BC Silver School has lots of space, and therefor lots to see. The turnover rate was fast, so there was always new stuff up, each trip I made out there. Given the quiet nature of the area, and its status as a 'legal' wall for graffiti, time was taken putting up some great pieces, including going to the length of bringing staging in to add a second storey of pieces..
Sadly, it's all gone now, torn down to be replaced with who knows what. On the other hand, "The Pit", coming a close second for this has the inside track for 2008. Thanks to SPACE of ADICT for telling me about BC Silver - I'm glad I got to see it before it was no more.
Favorite Place to See (have seen) Graffiti in 2007 - BC Silver School
Sadly, it's all gone now, torn down to be replaced with who knows what. On the other hand, "The Pit", coming a close second for this has the inside track for 2008. Thanks to SPACE of ADICT for telling me about BC Silver - I'm glad I got to see it before it was no more.
Favorite Place to See (have seen) Graffiti in 2007 - BC Silver School
Sunday, February 17, 2008
2007 Awards - My Favorite Tag
It's awards season (SAG, Academy, Grammies etc..), and it's also cold outside (less new graffiti, and more importantly, my hands get painfully cold while shooting it). What better solution than some awards for the best (and possibly the worst stuff I've seen over the past year). My opinion only mind you...
What better place to start than with a Tag - given that Tagging is the entry point to graffiti for most writers. A can of paint, some initials, a bit of style, a few thousand repitions, and someone may develop enough respect to progress to bigger things.
The following is excerpted from How To Read Graffiti - "How does one judge the quality of a tag? I believe that similar criteria to the critique of calligraphy should be used. A tag is a calligraphic form and volumes could be written on the calligraphic qualities that this work has introduced. The artist Ramellzee introduced the use of calligraphic naming devices and his own personal extensions of these terms to describe features of tagging and piece styles. These language he developed is a deeply personal one and almost illegible to outsiders. Flow is a common term, applicable both to tags and pieces. It describes the harmonic usage of curves and the ability of the letters to flow into each other when reading. A good tag or piece is said to 'flow'. The flow of a tag or piece is broken by excessive ornamentation, disjointed lines and line work or poor paint work. Writers also describe flow as 'funk' in certain groups. The opposite is also true though. Innovation is just as important to the tag form as other forms within graffiti art."
So - My Favorite Tag in the past year - Easy - "The Artist Formerly Known as YOOPZ" - the Tag was ubiquitous early last year (less common now as he has moved on to a new Tag), it's flowing loopy style was indecipherable to me until I found an readable early version, and suddenly it was clear it read "PopStarz" rather than YOOPZ. (which also perhaps explains the subsequent transition to a new Tag)
My Favorite Tag 2007 - "The Artist Formerly Known as YOOPZ"
If you have suggestions for categories, just use the comments...
What better place to start than with a Tag - given that Tagging is the entry point to graffiti for most writers. A can of paint, some initials, a bit of style, a few thousand repitions, and someone may develop enough respect to progress to bigger things.
The following is excerpted from How To Read Graffiti - "How does one judge the quality of a tag? I believe that similar criteria to the critique of calligraphy should be used. A tag is a calligraphic form and volumes could be written on the calligraphic qualities that this work has introduced. The artist Ramellzee introduced the use of calligraphic naming devices and his own personal extensions of these terms to describe features of tagging and piece styles. These language he developed is a deeply personal one and almost illegible to outsiders. Flow is a common term, applicable both to tags and pieces. It describes the harmonic usage of curves and the ability of the letters to flow into each other when reading. A good tag or piece is said to 'flow'. The flow of a tag or piece is broken by excessive ornamentation, disjointed lines and line work or poor paint work. Writers also describe flow as 'funk' in certain groups. The opposite is also true though. Innovation is just as important to the tag form as other forms within graffiti art."
So - My Favorite Tag in the past year - Easy - "The Artist Formerly Known as YOOPZ" - the Tag was ubiquitous early last year (less common now as he has moved on to a new Tag), it's flowing loopy style was indecipherable to me until I found an readable early version, and suddenly it was clear it read "PopStarz" rather than YOOPZ. (which also perhaps explains the subsequent transition to a new Tag)
My Favorite Tag 2007 - "The Artist Formerly Known as YOOPZ"
If you have suggestions for categories, just use the comments...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Cool (literally) New Stuff at the Pit
Much to my surprise, there has been alot of activity at the Pit (the Old Cunard lot at Water and Morris Streets) over the winter, despite the cold days.
My hands were hurting just taking these pictures on a clod day - I can't imagine painting in much of the weather this winter - But clearly the ADICTs, ENDER, and APER et al can and do.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Isn't it Ironic Part 2
Graffiti/City Scourge/Urban Blight
A sign of Halifax's deterioration according to some
Meanwhile, in London at Bonham's auction of Street Art - a Banksy Stencil was knocked down for 228,000 Pounds (yep - almost a half million dollars.
Check out some of Halifax's Blight thru new eyes... The Parking lot across from Electropolis or Dartmouth Cove are great places to start.
Laugh Now - Banksy
Moona Lisa - Nick Walker (sold for 54,000 Pounds)
A sign of Halifax's deterioration according to some
Meanwhile, in London at Bonham's auction of Street Art - a Banksy Stencil was knocked down for 228,000 Pounds (yep - almost a half million dollars.
Check out some of Halifax's Blight thru new eyes... The Parking lot across from Electropolis or Dartmouth Cove are great places to start.
Laugh Now - Banksy
Moona Lisa - Nick Walker (sold for 54,000 Pounds)
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Isn't It Ironic...
It seems that Alanis Morrisette has been let loose with a spray can in the South End recently - "Town Pride" has been cropping up all over the place. I had seeen the pictogram (which looks like Christ in a cradle to me - but that just may be my cultural hemline showing). Now both are showing up together, as tags and stickers, around the Southend.
As Borat would say - "Town Pride.....NOT!"
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