Down the Rabbit Hole

Smizzin'

2011-06-24T00:28:00.000-04:00

A Smiz original, brought to you from the streets of Boston! Two of my first sticker designs that I made back in December. These are up on Clearway Street.

Wild Thing

2011-06-22T01:21:00.001-04:00

Wildstyle graffiti is a craze that is becoming more and more prominent. Graffiti tagging is a font-based art, and each artist tends to develop his or own lettering style. Wildstyle takes it one step further by turning the letters themselves into extreme artistic creations. Whether it be arrows, lines, connections between letters, or 3-D fonts, the aim of Wildstyle is to mask the letters until they appear to be something entirely different. The letters are still there, rotated, colored, altered and stretched, but to the normal passerby these pieces turn out looking...well, WILD. Often these are the most beautiful, creative and brightly colored tags. They take careful planning and lots of practice. I have yet to put up a Wildstyle tag myself, let alone perfect simple tagging, but I have practiced a few drafts on paper to try it out.

Smiz

Raz, Free

Rath

Mags

Jas7

Jas7, 4Skor

Name, Rhode Island

Utah, Ether, MK, "Art is NOT a crime"

Jaes

Fews, New York

Oil, Hims, New York

Nicky, New York

Kat, Rath

Soel

Chusky

Biggie! Queens, NY

Queens, NY

This old engine makes it on time

2011-06-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures of freight train graffiti in the northeast. Like subway graffiti, train yards have fostered their own graffiti culture. These trains often travel cross country, bringing the tags with them and giving the writers' names greater exposure. Unlike most street art, this allows writers to escape the static nature of graffiti art.

NYSTO, Seen in Providence, RI

Sega wildstyle tag, Dubz, Sike, Rek, Acme

Evade

MUL and Dome

Faded React tag

Poised, Ether, Utah, Tokeo

Pasted up

2011-06-19T01:37:00.000-04:00

Andy Warhol meets Stephen Colbert. "An irony rich mouthful"

This post features paste-ups from around Manhattan. Paste-ups are most often made from paper and put up with wheat paste, a type of glue commonly used by artists like Swoon and Shepard Fairey. The difference between a paste-up and a sticker is that the adhesive is added afterward, while the work is being put up. Using rollers or brushes, the artist applies the glue to the surface and the front of the paper until the image is flattened and secure. Wheat paste is very strong so it is used for larger designs, ranging from poster-sized images to pre-drawn murals.

Wheat paste can be found at most art supply or hardware stores, but you can also make it yourself at home. For an example of a wheat paste recipe click here.

In the next image, you can see remnants of the wheat glue left by the artist's brush strokes. The glue dries mainly clear, but here you can see it show up against the blue paint of the wall.

Gusto, Ragin Cajun, Colbert's Stephensed Manhattan Clam Chowder

Muffin Milk paste-up "Charged with being delicious and juicy. Reward 2 Billion Dollars"

Backhouse Club paste-up

Sticker Nation

2011-06-14T20:05:00.003-04:00

Over the rainbow? Couldn't find the pot of gold...

So what is it about stickers that makes me so obsessed? I guess its their versatility and their variation in purpose. Growing up stickers were something I collected. I liked their designs, textures, colors. As I explore street art stickers have gained extra purpose and meaning, personally. Stickers are used for tags, publicity (for artists, DJs, bands, etc.), art, drawings, quotes, and messages. They can be humorous, political, ironic, meaningless, artistic. They mean everything or nothing depending on their placement and their audience. Stickers are the best way to cover a lot of ground to get a name or message out. There is less risk in putting up stickers than tags or pieces because they literally take a second to post without anyone noticing. The design work is all done beforehand, so the only act of violation is actually taking off the wrapper and flattening out the sticker on any surface. New York, for example, is covered from end to end in stickers. They're small enough to be placed in every nook and cranny of the city, but are only noticed by those who take the time to look for them. Graffiti artists who do larger, more complicated work often still use stickers as a quick and effective way to get their name out. Below I've posted a number of photos of stickered surfaces around New York City. Taking a close look at each sticker reveals the amount of thought that goes into these creative images that many mistake for vandalism.

Shepard Fairey launched his street art career by solely making stickers. He later became one of the most well-known mural and poster graffiti artists living today. His genius came from the idea of repeatedly pasting the same image over and over in as many places as possible. The more widespread and common the image, the more recognizable it becomes, inviting the interest of the public.

Peru Ana/Ana Peru, Faust, Unstoppable Death Machines

Only., CHC

I am not sure if Revok actually posted this next sticker, but Revok is another well-known graffiti writer. Recently Revok was arrested and put in jail, only to be released the past week or so. The sticker below "Revok is dead" is a commentary on the artist being detained and kept from writing on the streets. At the time I took this photo Revok was still in jail and the fate of his work was still up in the air. Essentially, for the time he was kept from his work, he was dead as an artist.

Marxist

MQ Sticker tag

Smart crew sticker tag

JZ sticker tag

Chew and MQ stickers

Katsu sticker, NYC

GK sticker tag

Guess

Mario Sticker

Kriest, BNE was here

Matt and Kim sticker (one of my favorite bands!)

23145 sticker tag

Atak, Tako, GEZR BSO, SEA

Love Me

Squat the Condos, 420

SKVR, DCV, Get Some

ASVP and Faust

Ana Peru/Peru Ana, Katsu, Andre the Giant, Shaz ILLYORK, Red Dead Redemption

Matt Siren, Corporate Vandals not Welcome (a protest against corporations promoting themselves through underground methods usually used to attack such businesses)

Maiden Hell

Lern, Oktober

Maiden Hell, Bad Rabbits

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant and Love Me

Jess! "I am a gormandizer", Last 100

MN1 Sticker series

King NYC and Smart Crew

East Village Boys, Guess, Last Place, Oktober, Brisk, Yao

"if you see something Skate something" (pun on police logo "if you see something say something")

ASVP

Reason

Love me and Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant

Pawn Works: A Pawn's Rebellion, Night of the living dead, 203

Cres, ASVP, YRB NYC

Americam Fascism Top Quality

Haloz, 12ozProphet

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant sticker

Antagonist Movement, MQ

NY State of Mind

Auric

Smiz sticker tag

Katsu

Secret Wars, BOKE BBB BS, TIE

Sofa RELAX sticker

Karma Loop

Chris Royce RWC ELC, Faust

Dalva and Company stickers

Matt Siren

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant

Visionary Vandal

NYC Art Snob

718 Project

Katsu stickers

BNE, Love Me, ATAK

Boston, you're my home

2011-06-12T01:59:00.001-04:00

Boston skyline at night, June 2011

Even though I will be moving to New York next month, Boston will always be home for me. There is no city like Boston, with its unorganized streets, its old revolutionary buildings, and of course the sports teams. There is nothing like going out to the bars in Boston on a game night, whether it be the Bruins, Celtics, Sox or Pats. You will not find another city with so much pride and fan support as you will in Beantown.

TLTO, Worcester, June 2011

curse IKB, Worcester, June 2011

Pickles has a posse and GTMO Ink

90 East, Worcester, June 2011

Week, Worcester, June 2011

Tallboy sticker tag, Worcester, June 2011

JUEK and Kope tags, I-95N Exit 12 Canton, MA, June 2011

UCHU, Mass. Ave (Near Boylston St.), Boston, June 2011

Ortiz has a posse, Indecline, and Tallboy stickers, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Drop out and Goldenstasch, Boston, June 2011

King Orchid, Blodoze, Emergency, Boston, June 2011

Boston, June 2011

Goldenstasch, Dada, UGHH, Plague Molt, Corner of Brighton Ave. and Chester St., Allston, MA, June 2011

Harem and Fest tags, Brighton Ave., Allston, June 2011

Nas, Chester St., Allston, MA, June 2011

Nas, Memo, Fest, Chester St., Allston, MA, June 2011

Nas, Chester St., Allston, MA, June 2011

Chester St., Allston, MA, June 2011

Be Super, Chester St., Allston, MA, June 2011

90East, Dekarator, Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

Lazar, Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

NOK, Boston, June 2011

BWRE/BEWARE, Lazar, Goldenstasch, Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

Boston, June 2011

Kesh and Nok sticker tags, Boston, June 2011

Tagged phone booths, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Tall Boy, Boston, June 2011

Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Clayton Grinsby, EOS, Boston, June 2011

Dirty Decarator, Boston, June 2011

Boylston St., near Berklee College of Music, Boston, June 2011

Hare We Do That Akey, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Goldenstasch and Hare We Do That Akey, Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

Boston, June 2011

The next two photos are from Bodega, a boutique in Boston disguised as a convenience store. This is by far THE coolest store in Boston. The outside display windows are lined with household cleaning products and supplies. The front door opens to a typical looking convenience store, the front room is small and crowded. Walk back to the Snapple vending machine and wait as it slides open to a full fledged trendy urban shop, selling everything from trendy sunglasses to one of a kind Nikes, T-shirts, jackets and hoodies. The store recently celebrated its five year reunion, and is one of Boston's best kept secrets. Located on Clearway St., off of Mass. Ave., this store is definitely worth checking out. For store hours, products, and location visit their website here!

Inside front entrance to Bodega, lined with stickers

Bodega, Clearway St., Boston

Lazar, Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

VAEVICTIS, Bold, Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Juce! Syms, I-90/Mass. Pike, June 2011

Verm, Cris, Vast, Myloe, I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

Soyl, Cris, Verm, I-90/Mass. Pike, June 2011

MS and Hews, I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

Foner! I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

Rise, I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

Bink, I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant, XSM! MS, Behind Fenway Park, I-90/Mass. Pike, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Bold, Verm sticker tags, Boston, June 2011

Mung, Villen, Bodega, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Kaiju, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Cres, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Enjoy Kola sticker, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Gandhi stencil by Bold, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Frost, Boston, June 2011

DZ, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Dipse tag, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Dante, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

UGHH, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Plasma, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Sen, AOK crew, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Obese sticker tags, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

KarmaLoop, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Beware/BWRE Indigo, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

JREP, Spin, MS, BWRE Indigo, Huntington Ave., Boston, June 2011

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant sticker, Boston, June 2011

Shine sticker, Boston, June 2011

Beautiful Back Bay, Boston, June 2011

90East and Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant sticker, Boston, June 2011

Bold sticker tag, Newbury St., Boston, June 2011

Muffin Milk, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Brutal Doodle, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

"It's not what you have, it's what you give" sidewalk chalk, Mass. Ave (bridge over I-90), Boston, June 2011

Bold owl paste up, Mass. Ave., June 2011

Indecline, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Suspicious handcuffs on a tree on Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Pour House Women's Restroom, Boston, June 2011

Das Truf, Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Das Truf, Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Smiz, Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Johnny Cupcakes sticker, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Timbr, Boston, June 2011

Boston, June 2011

Tagged storefront, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Worcester, MA, June 2011

Fire extinguisher tag, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Myloe, Vast, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

ICH, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

CE, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

BOUB, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Yack, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

BOKK, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Vast, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Crase, Sved, Edge, Tense, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

Leef is here, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Tag, Bosotn, June 2011

Stickers, Boston, June 2011

Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Tagged telephone, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Smiz, Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Smiz, Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Bust 1, Alley between Newbury St. and Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

4Casts and Timbr, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Dada, Boston, June 2011

Kaya and Verm, Mass. Pike/I-90, June 2011

SYMS, Mass. Pike/I-90, Boston, June 2011

I know I've said this before, but the ICA Boston is by far my favorite museum in Boston. Overlooking the Boston Harbor, the museum moved to its current location about 4 years ago, with large floor-to-ceiling windows that jut out over the harbor and interesting and relevant contemporary art exhibits. I fell in love with the ICA the minute I stepped into the Shepard Fairey exhibit it hosted back in 2008. Below is a picture from the museum's permanent collect of a piece by Swoon, a famous graffiti artist from Brooklyn. Swoon will be coming to the ICA in September to put up additional pieces throughout the museum that will be on display throughout the fall. I am beyond excited for this. Swoon's work is absolutely beautiful. She tends to work with paper cutouts and lined drawings that add a textural feel to a sometimes two-dimensioned art form. Her work has been displayed all over the world, in museums and on the streets.

Swoon, ICA Boston, June 2011

Myloe and Vast tags on I-90

Boston, June 2011

Kres stencil, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Dane Plasma, Boston, June 2011

Goldenstasch, outside Pavement Coffee House, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Outside the Pavement Coffee House, Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

Next is a photo of my loyal assistant. If not for him I would not have so many great photos from the Mass. Pike while I was driving!

Mightier than sword, XSM stickers, Boston, June 2011

SuperVolcano, Art Decade, Cubic Caype, Kesh, Timbr, Mass. Ave., June 2011

Visions, XSM, "I write my twin's name phone number in bathroom stalls" (hahaha), Squib, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Dada, Mass. Ave., June 2011

Dada and Dekarator, Mass. Ave., June 2011

Dada, Mass. Ave., June 2011

Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Whitey, Boston, June 2011

Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Bodega sticker, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Lesser Evils, Love Money sticker, Boston

Tall boy, Destroy Society, Buy Happniness, Boston, June 2011

Jet sticker tag, Mass. Ave., Boston, June 2011

Boylston St., Boston, June 2011

ALYK! Boston, June 2011

Pole taken over by Goldenstasch, near Mass. Ave, Boston, June 2011

EOS! Topey sticker tag, Sharon, MA, June 2011

Boston skyline from I-93N

NYC Stencils

2011-06-08T14:33:00.002-04:00

A small selection of stencil art from the streets of New York.

Post No Bills Robot

First Avenue, New York

Grow

I BOMB NY

Amazing. Wish I knew who did this

NJ in New York

Up, Up, and Away

2011-06-07T15:18:00.000-04:00

Walk. Don't walk.

NYC stickers on pedestrian lights.

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant, Fifth Ave., New York 2011

Baron Von Fancy

OBEY by Shepard Fairey

Baron Von Fancy, FUCKACLUB

Red Dead Redemption and Pawn Works

CHC, Gangi, Charm DMS

Driven By Boredom and Over Used Font

Pawn Works: For an interesting article and interview with Pawn Works click here.

Sena, Shepard Fairey

Eriffs, PJ20

Gawd!, Red Dead Redemption's Undead nightmare

Radius

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant

Dalva

Love Me

ASVP

Drive me crazy

2011-06-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

A look at graffiti-ed trucks in New York.

POE ILLY

Taper

MUL crew

Klame, Snob

Dinker, BL, WDD, XTC

This next two images are of a truck tagged by the XMEN crew. Recently I stumbled upon an interesting article on how the XMEN crew was started. Click here to read the story.

Stem, YNN, VGL, Union Square 2011

Gano, VGL, XMEN crew, Union Square 2011

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

2011-06-04T13:02:00.001-04:00

Mailboxes of New York City. Get at me.

Shinobi Ninja, DubbleX Abused, and SmartCrewUSA

Down the Rabbit Hole stickers by Smiz

BNE was here, Poke, DMS

Poke and BQE stickers

Jim Joe tag

Bless and BNE

Faust and SmartCrewUSA

Scumbag Superstars, Love Me, DubbleX Demonic, "Smoke a blunt", Ana Peru/Peru Ana, Yoby

Road Tripping

2011-06-01T22:48:00.000-04:00

As a final tribute to the college life, my friends and I decided to road trip back to the east coast from St. Louis. One final tour of the Midwest with the intention of never moving back.

First stop: Jungle Jim's, Ohio

Neither a jungle gym nor jungle, Jungle Jim's happens to be a 1.5 acre monster of a supermarket, stocked high with rare international foods and borderline creepy amusement park decorations. A giant singing and swinging Campbell's soup greets you as you enter past a zoo display and giant plastic fruits outside. Other displays include fake porter-potties, a caveman balanced on a log, a fishing ship, and other crazy fixtures relating to each respective food aisle. After eating the equivalent of two meals, stocking up for the car ride, and running around like fools snapping photos for two hours we decided we'd had enough of what Mr. Jim had to offer us. Our stomachs full and our car fully stuffed, we hit the road.

Singing Campbell's Soup

Giant PEZ dispensers in the candy aisle

Caveman, Hey.

One must never forget that in between our two lovely coasts exists what is commonly described as 'America'. Between the Anti-Abortion signs and the Adult Lounge billboards, I have decided that America is a sickening and ironic place. In conclusion no one will take you seriously if you try and push your religion on others through roadside advertisement.

Hopefully NOT in Ohio.

Next Stop: The world's largest basket

I am not kidding. Someone actually designed and built an office building to look like a giant wicker basket. Said business actually produces and sells baskets. If only the gift shop weren't closed, I would have had a nice souvenir to come home with. It's safe to say that my friends and I got a huge kick out of this one.

Third Stop: Pittsburgh

I fell in love with Pittsburgh and the rolling hills and beautiful bridges surrounding it. We stopped here for dinner briefly at the end of our second night on the road. I also spotted some cool murals and graffiti in the short time we were in Pitt.

Mural, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Close bubble tag, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Close tag, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Pittsburgh, May 2011

Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Sleep tag-sticker, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Pittsburgh, May 2011

Smiz, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Sticker, Pittsburgh, May 2011

Fourth Stop: Amish Country, Lancaster, PA

There was no way we were missing this. We stopped at an old Amish house turned tourist trap to take a look around. The gift shop was full of lovely surprises, like 'Virginity' and 'Intercourse' street signs, bonnets, and Amish dolls. Apparently there is a town in Amish Country called Intercourse, PA. I would like to visit one day.

Amish Stuff, Lancaster, PA

Fake cow for tourists to milk. Gimme some of that.

The Amish: Always fashion-conscious

The final stretch: Back to the east coast.

New York, AKA civilization, here we come.

Itching to get home, we got stuck in traffic for the first time the whole trip about ten miles from our destination.

PK and KID tags, New York

Kid PK tags, 95 North, NY

Colorfully tagged truck, I-95N, NY

Sage tag, NY

Bein tag, NY

Tagged Train, NY, May 2011

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Staten Island to Brooklyn, NY

Belt Parkway, NY

TRAP and other tags, Brooklyn, NY

Tagged building, Brooklyn, NY, May 2011

Belt Parkway, Brooklyn, NY

Overall we had a productive and memorable trip. I think I am almost ready for a full cross-country excursion, but that will have to wait for another time.

In the mean time Fuhgeddaboudit...

Lost in Wonderland

2011-05-18T16:53:00.001-04:00

Found another sticker up on the Loop for me! Obviously have to post it.

Delmar

This post has a ton of stickers and tags from QAEK, who must have posted a bunch of new stickers recently as I keep seeing them everywhere.

QAEK sticker

QAEK, Delmar

QAEK, Cristo, Kriest, and others, Delmar

Banksy/Shepard Fairey?

Peat Wollaeger and Kriest

In the following photo is a newspaper dispenser that has a new tag or sticker every time I walk past it! It's crazy how the graffiti evolves into a collection as one sticker adds to the space around or on top of another.

QAEK, Peat Wollaeger, Priest, and other stickers

Delmar

QAEK sticker, Delmar

Seen on WashU's campus. Pretty effing awesome if you ask me. Would love to know who made this.

TKO and other tags

Priest sticker

Ender tag behind Delmar!

Dancing ant stencil, Delmar Loop

QAEK, Delmar Loop

QAEK, Skinker Blvd.

Skinker Blvd.

Find it!

Corner of Skinker & Lindell

QAEK, Skinker Blvd.

QAEK MSA sticker on Skinker Blvd.

QAEK, Skinker Blvd.

Ew?

"QAEK and Bake" and Pabst stickers, Skinker Blvd.

MSA, Skinker Blvd.

Mulehog Sticker outside Kayak's

Roadtrip, New York, and Boston soon to come...

So long, St. Louis

2011-05-14T02:09:00.000-04:00

Now that my time is running out here in St. Louis, I've been starting to think of the things I will miss most (and least) about this Midwestern town.

First off I will miss the Loop and all its stickers, bars, and people watching, especially on warm nights. I will miss walking down Delmar and finding gems such as this:

Someone made a sticker of a photo I took of the graffiti on this mirror, edited it and added "Yo smiz, you go girl," and then stuck it back on the same mirror. Greatest thing I've ever seen. Thank you to whoever made it.

These next two stickers are a sort of Bansky-Shepard Fairey knock-off I found on the loop. Banksy and Fairey are more or less the two most well-known graffiti artists of recent times. Fairey's famous Andre the Giant is printed above Banksy's name, but I'm pretty sure neither artist put these up.

Below, the Bobey sticker is also a knock-off of Shepard Fairey's Andre the Giant/OBEY design.

LD crew, Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, MO

QAEK sticker

Art Monster sticker on construction sign.

Something I will not miss: FINALS. Yes that is a 600 page Mathematical Statistics textbook, and yes, I read it.

I will miss LN Hot dog man. Through good times and bad, hot dog man has been a faithful weekend fixture on the Loop and the Landing. Unlike New York street vendors, these are delicious all beef Kosher hot dogs, with all the fixings available. What good would the drunken walk home from the Pageant be otherwise?

Ketchup, Mustard, and Jalapenos. YUM

Swedlife! Check out the site at Swedlife.com

Ever since Blick opened on the Loop, this mailbox (below), which sits directly outside the art supply store's entrance, has seen a steady increase in attention from stickers. MSA, QAEK, 18andCounting, Boser, Kriest, local businesses and others have all added to the growing collection.

Sticker on Skinker Blvd.

Creepy Sticker

Boser, QAEK, Delmar

New QAEK MSA sticker on Melville

Tags in the alleys of downtown Clayton

Smiz tag

Awesome sticker, Washington Ave, Downtown St. Louis

I might actually miss the nightlife in St. Louis too, to some extent. This year the Pageant and other St. Louis venues hosted DJ's and performers such as Girl Talk, STS9, Wolfgang Gartner, and Infected Mushroom. St. Louis has a diverse art and music scene. Still, nothing will compare once I get to New York.

Wolfgang Gartner, St. Louis, May 2011

I may even miss downtown St. Louis. After four years worth of Thursdays downtown, I have gotten used to the drive and landmarks on the way from Clayton to the Landing. I have never seen any city with a downtown quite like St. Louis. Although at first glance it may look rundown and somewhat abandoned, the old brick 1920's style architecture has started to grow on me. With faded factory logos and dark brick buildings, the city's downtown has a charm that surfaces from the rundown relics of its past.

Super, WILD, Vive, and TKO tags from I-64W

Forgive tag, I-64E

Super tag, I-64E

St. Louis is the type of city that you have to know where to look to find cool things to do: tons of great restaurants, Forest Park, the Zoo, City Museum, the Arch. And then there are special events, like Mardi Gras in Soulard and the Pet Parade, Bark in the Park, the Forest Park hot air balloon race, the art fair in Clayton, Taste of St. Louis.

Below are a few photos from the newly opened rooftop at City Museum, including the rooftop Ferris wheel that looks out above St. Louis, over the river and into Illinois.

Climbing structure atop roof at City Museum

'Wake up!' Graffiti on side of building in downtown St. Louis, seen from roof of City Museum.

This may be my last St. Louis post. But plenty of other cities and adventures to come shortly.

Just Playin'

2011-05-07T15:22:00.000-04:00

This week in the Lou...

Dinner outside at Blue Hill

Peat Wollaeger eye

Scorched earth project sticker and Kriest tag

"No job, no money, no girl"

!!!

Scorched earth project and Peat Wollaeger stickers. clever.

"This can't be life"


Kingsland Ave., U-City, MO

Delmar, U-City May 2011

QAEK, Delmar, U-City May 2011

Delmar, U-City May 2011

Peat Wollaeger EYE, Delmar, U-City May 2011

Kriest, TKO, Delmar, U-City May 2011

Opposites Attack sticker

Delmar, U-City May 2011

We don't let the animal out of her cage.

Alley in Spring

My neighborhood or The Sandlot?

Campus trees

I love springtime. And stickers.

Where the WILD things are

2011-05-05T17:52:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was WILD, the university sponsored semi-annual outdoor concert. Every spring it is held on the last Friday of classes, so it is pretty much an official holiday. And of course, the pregame festivities are always the best part.

Alley

Stick man

Smoke Kills sticker

Hoolah hoop boy crossing the street?

When the DJ play the right song

2011-05-02T15:22:00.001-04:00

This weekend I went down to Cherokee St. to see Ana Sia perform live at 2720 Cherokee. This was my first time visiting Cherokee Street, and the stencil graffiti wall there. There was a ton of graffiti, and as we approached the club stickers covered everything nearby. I knew I was in the right place.

Not only was the club across the street from the stencil wall, but I also found a Swoon original. Swoon is famous for making graffiti from large lined cut-outs, and pasting them up with wheat paste. I saw her work this winter featured at the ICA in Boston next to Shepard Fairey's. She is a very well-known street artist, and her work is absolutely incredible.

Swoon, Cherokee Street, St. Louis, April 2011

Below are a few photos of the stencil wall, including work by Peat Wollaeger, a St. Louis local.

Stencil Wall, Cherokee St.

Peat Wollaeger sticker.

Peat Wollaeger Eye Heart STL sticker, Cherokee St., St Louis 2011

Peat Wollaeger Eye sticker, Cherokee St., St Louis 2011

Peat Wollaeger Eye stickers, Cherokee St., St Louis 2011

The club itself is by far the coolest of any I've been to in St. Louis. Pretty much a graffiti paradise, the whole club is covered in stickers, tags, murals, and posters. I actually got to meet Ana Sia before the show which was really cool.

Ana Sia performing at 2720 Cherokee, April 2011

"the baby" Rockin' out

Ana Sia

Ender mural, entrance to 2720 Cherokee, April 2011

Mural on Men's room. I've seen this image in yellow on the graffiti wall downtown: Click here to see

Stickers inside the club

Ender, whose work is also displayed on the St. Louis graffiti wall

More stickers inside 2720

Inside the club was also local artist Nick Fozzy painting live by the dance floor.

Nick Fozzy at 2720 Cherokee

Not surprisingly, the restrooms were covered in writing, tags, and stickers, some of which I recognize, such as the LD crew tags.

"Remember Love"

Baño

LD tag in restroom


LD tag outside 2720 Cherokee

LD and TKO tags outside 2720 Cherokee

Vive and TKO tags

Red Bull stickers, Cherokee St.

Case Breziks and Elite stickers

"Hunt the Rich, Save the Poor"

Case Breziks sticker

18andCounting and other stickers, outside 2720 Cherokee

Moxi sticker

Casey Breziks sticker

Shmax sticker

Dolor, Kriest stickers

So what if I did?

2011-04-27T19:21:00.001-04:00

Whateva whateva
(I do what I want)

St. Louis graffiti at the Flood Wall

Work in progress

copy and paste

putting up some stickers

Stickers on the St. Louis graffiti wall

Slug! Delmar

Stayed on through the winter!

Smiz, CWE, St. Louis

Rabbit Rabbit

Sticker Silhouettes

It was all a dream

2011-04-25T16:23:00.001-04:00

As May approaches, I am reminded of the fact that last year at this time I was living in Spain and vacationing my way through Europe. After a week in Italy, my friends and I finished our last stretch of travels on the tiny Greek isle of Santorini, where we rode ATV's and dove off cliffs. Even on this quiet island I was able to spot a bit of graffiti here and there. But most amazing were the sites. This post is more focused on photography than graffiti, but only because Santorini is was one of the most photographic and beautiful places I have ever visited.

Sunset over Santorini during descent onto the island

Greek tags

Slightly blurred, as we were driving ATV's, but found a cool tag on the side of this rundown building.

Volcano (in background)

Stumbled upon this already written in the sand at the Red Beach

Santorini, May 2010

Fishing Boats, Satorini, May 2010

Cliff jumping, Santorini, May 2010

Dance with me until I feel all right

2011-04-23T14:24:00.001-04:00

Still in the Lou. Started making some new stickers this week, excited to put them up. This weekend STS9 is playing at the Pageant. I went last night and it was awesome, so I am going to have to go back again tonight. Can't wait.

Blueberry Hill, Delmar, St. Louis

Kriest and other sticker tags

React Tag, St. Louis

All about the Benjamins

MookieSays1Love

STS9 April 22, 2011, The Pageant, St. Louis

[smiz]


STS9 April 22, 2011, The Pageant, St. Louis

See you nips tonight at the show...

Through the looking glass

2011-04-22T16:07:00.003-04:00

SHARED THOUGHTS...

In Rome there is a hidden keyhole that overlooks a well-groomed garden, framing St. Peter's Basilica in its backdrop. A twenty minute uphill trek from the ancient Circo Massimo, the Knights of Malta keyhole is one of Rome's most perfectly designed historical sites. The keyhole-viewfinder opens onto a still and perfectly composed scene. Cropped trees line a straight path lit by the slivers of light that make it through the dense leaves. Ahead on the path, the hill drops off the horizon just as the basilica is fully revealed. It makes for the ideal photograph, like a split-second moment that's been captured, cropped, and frozen. Still, you are not actually looking at a picture, rather the other side of a facade that is just a wall with a door and a lock. The first time I saw the keyhole I was thirteen, and it blew me away.

Door #3

The Keyhole

Through the keyhole, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, 2010

The way a photo can capture a moment is incredible. Over time our minds alter our previous thoughts and recollections. Our memory souvenirs smudge and blur. With my camera I am able to permanently preserve moments in time, something that my own mind is incapable of mastering. I remember the exact moment in time I took each photo every time that I look back at old photo-albums.

I guess lenses amuse me because they are the only means by which I am able to permanently capture my visual perspective. No one can see the world as I see it, just as I cannot tangibly see the world through anyone else's eyes. The objects that one notices and chooses to shoot, the composition, focus, and framing will always vary when placing the same camera in different hands. Whenever I let someone else take my camera, I'm amazed at how much their photos differ from the ones I would choose to take under the same circumstances.

Seeing yourself in a photo is an underratedly surreal experience. Photography and video are the only two ways one can view him or herself from an entirely outside perspective. To view yourself in another moment, frozen, through someone else's subjective point of view, is a rarely acknowledged out-of-body sensation. I've always felt trapped by that fact that I can never understand myself by any other means than the narrow perspective I have being who I am. Before the invention of film it was not possible to see your body completely detached, to watch yourself moving separately and outside of your own being.

Come back to me like hipsters to blogspot

2011-04-18T04:12:00.001-04:00

I decided, mostly out of boredom, to make myself a tumblr for my photos, which aren't always graffiti-related. I'll still be writing and posting everything graffiti on here though!

kriest tag on the Loop

Tagged and abandoned store front in downtown St. Louis

LD crew, kriest and other stickers

Groovesect sticker

Check out the site. Not sure what to make of it. Or if it is a hoax? Marketing ploy? Just biz?

Stencil on the WashU campus

With tangerine trees and marmalade skies

2011-04-16T20:31:00.001-04:00

I want to start making more stencils. Yesterday I saw a few on the loop that I'd never seen before. Also a bunch of new stickers by Peat Wollaeger, QAEK, MESMR, and LD crew.

kriest tag, Delmar, St. Louis, April 2011

shark taco, love life, kriest tag, Delmar, St. Louis, April 2011

"revolution in the service of the marvelous", Delmar, St. Louis, April 2011

King Thief

18andCounting

"Robbery in progress..."

that's Dope sticker, Delmar, St. Louis, April 2011

"Hey there sweet cheeks", and Fleet stickers

Bones sticker

Scorched Earth Project

Smoke Kills and LD crew

LD crew "Let's Dance"

Peat Wollaeger "EYE heart STL", LD crew sticker

Lots of Peat Wollaeger

QAEK and Peat Wollaeger EYE

Smiz, QAEK, MSA

"Live without dead time..."

MESMR sticker

Look up!
14bolt sticker

Trouve TRC

(smiz)

Agonstick sticker

Found It!

Stencil Ant

VOTE stencil

owl sticker

You are a cinema, I could watch you forever

2011-04-14T20:03:00.001-04:00


Sunset over Clayton, MO

Some things I've been thinking about recently.

We are the first generation with the opportunity to record and broadcast every moment of our lives. No generation before us had the option to document the way we do. Visual souvenirs were once only available through memory, paintings, or written description.

With the digitalization of photos and videos, we have permanently altered the way we use cameras. No more is the need to take the perfect shot on the first try, to print out and organize in albums, or the chance that once developed the photos will be cropped improperly and out of focus. Photo-takers have become snap-happy, myself included. We have entered the age of the immediate "Can I see? How'd it come out?" and digital photo albums.

I was looking through a few old albums I had from my trip to Europe in 2002. I had taken my small Olympus film camera, and I somehow managed to only take about twenty pictures of each city I visited. When I went back last year to study abroad in Spain, I went through over 500 photos for each city I visited, all of which I saved digitally but have yet to print.

Not only can we take more pictures, but we are prepared to take a picture or video at any moment. With cellphone in hand, one can now film, photograph, and upload in less than two minutes. Like a mass text message to everyone you've been acquainted within the past five years, we let everyone know where when and what we're doing, and most importantly about our day and the weather. But its instant. And you do not have to sit down with a photo album and a friend in order to share it. Just click post.

Does this mean that the digital age has ruined the personal side of relationships? In my opinion, no. When one puts something up on the internet, let's say a blog, he or she is putting up a personal piece of work, his or her own message and opinion. I may not be writing this personally to anyone, but each person who reads my writing will ultimately know me in a slightly more intimately.

Digital technology has also brought us easier access to more people than ever before. Celebrities, for example, are way more accessible through Twitter than any means before. Forgot someone's number and don't have their email? Contact them on Facebook. At first the world reacted to the increased personal accessibility in a negative way, comparing it to stalking. But it really is a useful tool, and the more people are accepting and adapting to it, the more they are becoming dependent on it.

This is also the first time we can self-publish to the masses. The internet gives us the opportunity to broadcast our writing, photos, videos, music, and art ourselves, and grants us free access to an infinite audience. Historically there is nothing to compare this with. We could never before post our work so easily to such an extensive international community, and I think this is not always acknowledged.

Smoke Kills, On the walk to campus.


	By the overpass

Groovesect sticker

Sticker tag, Wash. Ave.

Skinker Blvd., St. Louis

Seen on WashU campus, April 2011