In my 44 years

Reflecting on what I know of my 44 years I decided to culminate some of the seminal moments I recall or that happened in my lifetime so far….in no particular order…you can fill in the blanks if I left out your favorites…

1- I was born
2- The civil rights movement was in full swing
3- Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy were shot and killed, Bruce Lee died
4- We landed on the Moon
5- Salsa Music was born
6- the South Bronx was burned down only to recover like a Phoenix
7- Subway Graffiti art and Hip Hop was born in the South Bronx
8- NYC Blackout of 1977
9- Son of Sam
10- NYC went bankrupt
11- 42 st was the place to be, Kung Fu flicks, Serpico, The French Connection, Cooley High, Cornbread Earl and Me, The Exorcist, Taxi Driver…one could puff and drink in theaters
12- 50 cent tokens
13- 3rd ave EL
14- Writers Corner 149st Grand Concourse
15- Stay High 149
16- Fort Apache, 40th Precient
17- Spanish Harlem was Spanish
18- Fashion Moda, Leo Castelli, Sidney Janis, Fun Gallery
19- Style Wars, Wild Style
20- Picasso at MOMA
21- Mandela goes free, Becomes President of South Africa
22- NOGA, Soul Artists, Sam Esses collective
23- Russia, Berlin went warm
24- Red trains to Silver and Blue to White Elephants to Red again then to Tin cans
25- Graffiti/ Hip Hop went mainstream and was co-opted
26- Graffiti/ Hip Hop went Global
27- I became a sculptor
28- I became a new media artist
29- I study Welding instead of Culinary art, Fashion and Jewelry Design which I wanted to do, eventually did them all
30- I lived in LA
31- I left LA for NYC
32- I lost loved ones to Crack, Heroin, AIDS, Murder, Suicide
33- I lost my Mother
34- I lost my Step Mother
33- The Internet happens
34- Art vs Transit by Shy147 Duro and Min
35- Dondi gets burned by NOC167
36- I witness NOC167 and Chain3 in the one Tunnel painting whole cars
37- I win a Webby Award for Style Wars website
38- I have a son- Leo
39- I meet Mandela, Ali, Quincy Jones, Bob DeNiro, and many influential artists
40- I design the BET Award
41- My son and I vote for Obama, he becomes first African American President
42- I go see Curtis Blow, Bob Marley and the Commodores at Madison Sq. Garden
43- Global warming
44- Red Bull Outsiders Project in Germany

Man I could go on as one would imagine. Looking forward I can not imagine but hope not just for myself but for others that we overcome adversity and triumph with creativity and keep and gain the support of loving family and trusted friends. A lot has been lost and gained over the years, personally what Ive treasured most was the journey and the people along the way, the artists especially, those I painted with and admire, in them I found a way for myself, especially through my brother Kel and his partners over the years.

Happy Holidays to U and yours- 2010 if not now when?