12ozProphet

http://www.stylewars.com

Many of you are fans of or have seen Style Wars the documentary filmed by Director Tony Silver and co-Produced by Henry Chalfant. Its been many years and so many changes have taken place with the advent of new technologies and media that it has become increasingly urgent to preserve the film for future generations. Public Arts Film has relaunched the website http://www.stylewars.com to raise funds to help preserve and digitize the film and outtakes. This is important work that needs to be done in an effort to save the film from erosion and other damages. I would ask of all my friends and fellow bloggers to donate anything they can, there are special incentives for donors as well, spread the word too. Any amount will help save the film and its legacy. Read more below—-

In the early 1980s, Mayor Koch, enraged about graffiti, began buffing the city’s colorful, painted trains. In the end, he may have succeeded, but not before Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant captured the magnificent first wave of graffiti in their pioneering documentary, Style Wars. The film is seen around the world as an important footnote in hip hop culture and New York City history. Today, that history, too, is threatened. The original footage is damaged and fading. A new kind of buffing is taking place – a “celluloid buff” – that threatens to eradicate the record of the first brave and indomitable writers who took the world by storm.

You can help preserve that history!

Public Art Films is currently on a fund-raising mission to restore the original print, and to create a new high definition master which will preserve the record of the first painted trains to its original vivid colors. We’re inviting you to take part in this historic enterprise.

The Restoration Project

Twenty five years after its initial release there is still a strong, global demand for the film. In an effort to keep up with this demand we must be able to offer the film in the the most up-to-date formats. We are embarking on a project to restore STYLE WARS and bring it up to the highest technical standards available today in order to create a High Definition edition of the film. We will be transferring the original 16 mm negativeinto full HD 1080p while cleaning and restoring the film during the process. The HD master will be better, sharper and more brilliant than the original. From it we can strike new prints, author new DVDs and participate in the digital economy.

We have looked at the original negative and discovered that it was damaged during the many years it has been in storage. Fortunately, it will be possible to repair it, using digital technology, painstakingly working on each damaged frame. The restored film will have unprecedented sharpness and clarity and the vibrant colors of the painted trains will be revealed in their original intensity.

Outtakes

One of the questions people always ask us is, “What’s in the outtakes?”
STYLE WARS was originally edited to its 69 minute length from about 30 hours of 16 mm film that we shot in 1981 and 1982. We have been able to visit the storage facility at the Academy Film Archives in order to look through some of the outtakes. It was very exciting to see wonderful scenes in the extra footage that didn’t make it into the finished film. There are many shots of trains and some surprising masterpieces rescued from oblivion. There are more scenes from the B boy battle at United Skates of America between the Rock Steady Crew and the Dynamic Rockers and there are interviews with Skeme and his mom, Dez, Kase 2, Shy, Seen, Dondi and all the other kings and characters that people have grown to love.

http://www.stylewars.com

Eric Deal who along with his brother Spar run the famed http://www.at149st.com website was just interviewed for the New York Times about Graff. His book Graffiti New York can be found at most major book sellers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/nyregion/05graffiti.html

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/02/05/nyregion/20100205GRAFFITI_index.html

Im going to spin some of my favorite White Boy Funk jams on Forty Deuce Radio with Team and Geebee at http://www.eastvillageradio.com online live from 6-8pm.

1978 look

I have to give it up for Forty Deuce Radio- Team and Geebee Dajani who hold court weekly on air live @

http://www.eastvillageradio.com/shows/nowplaying.aspx?contentid=1350&showid=55678

>>>SELECT the January 27th Show Link.<<<<

Here is the exclusive rebroadcast of the Jester 1 interview with Team Go Club! Capital P was on the 1s and 2s. >>The interview is about an hour into the show. << Jester is one of the top Style Masters of the writing culture, he ranks high on many lists including mine as one of the great handstyle and throw up writers of his generation. Most of modern handstyles are built off of his, you name the writer and likely his influence was built into their tags. This includes all you new writers in the last 20 years.

Team Go Club and Jester! C’mon for real this is an all time classick! Listen, Learn something.

Photos courtesy of http://www.AT149st.com ©2010

I took these photos while in RIo de Janeiros Playa Flamenco at the Nike Elementos event.

All photos © 2010 M139Design, Ltd.

Dissizit Brand has teamed up with Adidas to produce a really hot line of original OG Slick designs for 2010.

Slick’s latest work has teamed him up with adidas as part of their artist series. As part of the pairings Spring 2010 Collection, Slick has reworked a number of adidas Originals pieces. Part of the collection will include two fresh colorways of the Artillery Mid. The first is a classic combination of black, white and red and featuring Slick’s famous “nametag.” Another version of the Artillery Mid was done up in a combination of blue and yellow. Matching gear in the form of hoodies, windbreakers, and adidas t-shirts will also feature design work from Slick. The Slick x adidas Originals Collection is available at select retailers now.
-words by_Nick Engvall of solecollector.com

GO TO SLICK’s BLOG for more info.- http://dissizit.com/blog/

I just went to Todd Reas opening tonite and managed to snap off a few shots. The work was really quite good and captured the cacophony of modern war fare and sexuality in his uniquely twisted sense of humor. Unlike most of his contemporaries who do ‘cartoon art’ this wasnt trying to be ‘cute art’ which has been overbearing and limited in these times of big issue subjects as war, money and oil. Im not a huge fan of ‘cartoon art’ perse unless it expands beyond the realm of cuteness and trickery, here I have to say I was invested in the excruciating weight of his subject, the layers of our own demise and desires, one could read it as a cartoon strip colorfully and explicitly indicting you of your sins.

From Leo’s vantage point

Help the cause and find a cause or a friend and get the word out in how we can help in Haiti. Crazy Legs has started this initiative so lets get behind it.

http://www.crazylegsworkshop.com/

The past meets the future-

Via Tools of War comes this info about a really scratchy issue Music Copyrights.

COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS, a documentary produced by Benjamin Franzen and Kembrew McLeod, examines the commercial and creative value of musical sampling, including the ongoing debates about artistic expression, copyright law and money.
COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS showcases many of Hip Hop music’s legendary figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul and Digital Underground along with emerging artists such as audiovisual remixers Eclectic Method. The film also provides an in-depth look at artists who have been sampled, such as renowned drummer Clyde Stubblefield, the world’s most sampled musician, best known for his work with James Brown, as well as commentary by Funk legend George Clinton.
JAN 19: Broadcast & DVD Release Party with ECLECTIC METHOD, MR. LEN & DJ SPOOKY
FREE with RSVP at IndiePix Evite. Doors at 8pm. Broadcast Premiere on Independent Lens at 10pm. Brooklyn Bowl 61 Wythe Ave Brooklyn NYC 11211. Facebook Event Page

View the Trailer and promo video for the Broadcast & DVD release party at copyrightcriminals.com.

Watch on JAN. 19th PBS TV!
Check local PBS listings for the COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS broadcast on Independent Lens.

Copyright Criminals - Trailer from IndiePix on Vimeo.

Copyright Criminals Promo Video from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

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