12ozProphet

Conrats to Chaz Bojorquez on the publication of his new book, The Art And Lifer of Chaz Bojorquez. Can’t wait to get my hands on one. Chaz, you’re work and contribution is an inspiration. 

For those of you lucky enough to be in Milan, go to the release tomorrow night, March 5

Have you seen this???? Just came across it on Boing Boing.

This is insanity. The level of choregraphed thinking, timing, spacing and physics involved here boggles the mind. I have trouble doing a day job, feeding my kids and dressing myself in the morning when I get too busy. Truly inspiring. The machine alone… But then planning the camera pan so its all done in one shot. Insane!!!

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/ask-a-graffiti-artist/

To ask Mr. Quiñones a question, click here. His first set of answers will appear in City Room on Wednesday.

There are some “killer questions” so far. Including this one from TED:
“if a property owner injures or kills a strange person in the act of defacing private property is the property owner guilty of committing a crime or creating art?”

I’ve been slipping on my youtube updates. I tend to stack videos, but don’t get around to editing them for a while. Here are a bunch of European writers who traveled through NYC in 2009. Thanks to Gorey and Grotesk, for facilitating much of the Franco-American relations. And as always, thanks to the writers for sharing a bit of style and knowledge. I won’t say much else, but let these guys make like Smart and the Italians, and let their hands do the talking.

My man, Rob Mars just had an interview go up at Juxtapoz.com His paintings and collages draw on a fading American. Very influenced by Rauschenberg, his textures and storytelling feel familiar and fleeting. Like a dream, or your favorite part of the city that no longer resembles or lives up to your memory. You can also peep his blog here.

His mom dug out some dope childhood artwork from the family archive recently. I love inds like this, I’ll see if I can post some of my own childhood superhero drawings at some point.

On an interesting background note, Rob was also the guitarist for NYHC self mocking straight edge band, Crucial Youth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALpSNACkmWw&feature=related

Artist, Tom Shannon talks with John Hockenberry of NPR, about his artwork and the role of unseen natural (often magnetic, gravitational) forces. Pretty inspiring. Most of his techniques were developed as a way of continuing to make art after the unseen natural forces of disease struck him with Parkinsons.

I got an email this morning from friend, and an incredible calligrapher Luca “Bean One” Barcellona. He has just self published a book with some of his students of Milano Politecnico school. It consists of works from 2008 and back. Not sure yet if there is a way to buy it direct. But I will update if that info avails itself. Great works. Looking to get a copy myself.

As a follow up to my last post. Here are a selection of handstyles by Hence.

Many, many years ago, when I was a young buck on the come up, Hence (NYC, Crates & Freights) was one of the first writers to sit and school me. Building blocks, and methodology. I had a hand before that, but it was a little too all over the place. Hence brought me back to basics. In many ways, those couple of handstyle sessions were the seeds that became what I do today with the Handselecta project. Meeting Mesk (MCAFU) was the other big puzzle piece as he brought the styles from so many different places. I’ve been sitting with writers for 8 years now learning their styles and stories, as they shared with me the little details that culminate and distill into those perfect little 3 second motions of the wrist we call tags. Those stories are piling up… but more on that in coming months. I’m very grateful to Hence (and all the writers who continue to help this project happen) for his time and sharing his knowledge. But mostly for he methodology and inspiration to spark it.