Ritualistic Vandalism of Manhattan Mural Commences
NYC graffiti writers defied Kenny Scharf’s expectations and less than a month after it was completed, tagged his mural on Houston, their footprints hidden by post-storm snow gusts. More photos below.
(Photos: Marina Galperina/ANIMAL New York)
UPDATE: Kenny Scharf responds in the comments:
i read all the things you all wrote and i just want to say thank you for the props and to the people supporting the defacement that it hurts. i never professed to being a graffiti writer but when i arrived in nyc in 78 i quickly met many artists and writers and i would bomb the city up and down manhattan and even bombed the train with pics to prove it. i still never called myself a grafitti writer although i use spray paint and i legally(and illegally) paint all over the city(soon to paint over 100 gates in nyc,legally). i make paintings with spray paint and i think i have a lot to offer the graffiti world. one thing i do know is that when you dis someone you should have a really good reason and hopefully improve what as there before. its an act of violence and aggression and it really does hurt but i know that doing public art you set yourself up for that. i did the mural purely out of love, i didnt and dont get paid to paint walls. i dont believe in hurting someone especially someone you dont even know. if the tags on top of my painting were meant to hurt me well they did. i dont know these guys and dont really understand their motive other than maybe a frustrated attempt at attention. i hope they get their pleasure but i doubt they truly will benefit in any way. ouch!
Editor-in-Chief:
I think it looks better now, job well done, Scharf = Barf
The murals not improved. I really liked it as it was. I’m a fan of Scharf’s work amd the mural put me in a good mood when I saw it.
DAMN JERKS, THEY ARE NOT GRAFFITI WRITERS, I THINK THE RIGHT WORD IS T O Y S
REMO and ATE been putting in work for decades. Graffiti is supposed to be rebellious and FUN! When people start making money off it legally, it kills the whole concept. (Not that that wall was even considered graffiti) But graffiti writers respected the TWIST/AMAZE wall and when OS GEMEOS did it because they did their fair share of illegal work in the past.
@sandlot
You can’t call what those guys did fun there’s nothing fun about it. If you knew anything about Kenny he did his own share of graffiti more than a few decades ago and the point is not that it’s illegal. That’s stupid. It’s art and it’s positive and pure fun. For your information there was no money being made in making that wall…just for arts sake… And that was all freestyled with spray paint I guess you can say it goes above just graffit.
looks better too me. lets keep it exiting in nyc!
Shit it's unfortunate that there are a few ignorant people that give the movement a bad reputation.Its no wonder why city's and country's throw the book at graffiti writers.Damn who the fuck sat down with you asshole's to explain rules,common sense? Yes graffiti in its true essence is illegal. It's 2011!Twist Amaze? Decades? Style Wars ? SubwayArt?Spraycan Art?,WHO? Getthefuckoutahere wit dat shit! Yo you toys want to impress someone hang from the G.W.B. and do a roller piece.Go do some top to bottoms on trains today.Going over that mural makes you look like the ignorant assholes you are .That shit is WEAK!
I would pay $44.99 to watch you call these dudes toys to their face, particularly Remo. And they are definitely grafffiti writers…which is the rub here. Graffiti by definition is not sanctioned. That mural was sanctioned. Just like vandals write on any other wall without permission, they wrote on that wall without permission. Other than that….the artist's mojo is the only thing left for the vandals to consider. And obviously those dudes could give a fuck about this particular artist. Homie got no juice.
u never heard of me- But,that shit is a toy move! Definition of Toy ,No Style, Wack,jealous so goes over others,Bites,etc,,, trying to get rep they dont got,They wrote over that mural because it was sanctioned?You gonna have to come a little better than that son! You talk juice? google those names see what each are doing now tell me about juice,,Cmon now! You got to grow up! Thats what Graffiti is to you ? going over murals with some throw ups?Yo bombing is one thing that shit there took no balls, courage,or heart .That shit is just dumb!!!on the real,,,,feel me?
First of all, I am not your son. And you tell me to grow up, but yet, you seem incapable of understanding that different people have diffident values? For instance, you gauge rep or juice by the results of a Google search. I would gauge rep a different way. But that’s me. And this speaks to the root of the issue here. The dude’s that did those throw-ups have different values than you. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the graffiti game, with so many loose players, is a game where everyone agrees or follows the same rules. Also, don’t make the mistake of putting me in a box. Just because I understand the situation does not mean I am on one side of the other.
Decades of experience? and that's what their fill ins look like? Trying to catch a moment in the spotlight. Veteran writers were showing support for this. I don't know if this was a good choice.
,,I more than understand the difference in peoples values that's what triggered me to respond,This is no dis to you but, i don't bullshit,,So here it is . you sitting saying you understand the dudes that did the throw ups.So do I !I was painting trains probably before you were born.Your other comment was about ( id like to see you say it to his face).So you know him, them..I don't make any mistakes weather its graffiti or anything else that people agree or follow rules.What Im saying is (my opinion) its stupid that they went over that mural. Based on your comments this is your alternative to gaining a rep.Congratulations pass that on to your kids let me know how that works for you.And im telling you (my opinion) that rep and 2cents aint gonna get you shit in life (my opinion)! BUT THATS JUST ME !!!!. You may not give a shit about my opinion but, im just trying to prevent people from going down a long painful unnecessary road . That's how i gauge my rep! by informing and trying to help people by previous mistakes Ive made.So in closing if the people that did those throwups over that mural choose to have those values.Then I can tell you that they're in for a hard road in life.That aint about Graffiti that's about common sense!
psychopathic street bombers don't care about somebodys mural.they wanted the spot and took it.thats it.
Twist Amaze wall only lasted because they put up Chino and a bunch of others tags as an insurance policy.
What true dat said about them being in for a long hard road ahead of them,thats very true.Most angry street bombers are on that same road.Serves that Kenny guy right though for arrogantly thinking he couldn't get dissed.
Dissing shepard fairy for putting up wall paper when all he does is legal walls too.
wheres jim joe?
Yo “real school” u sound like a baby.. Shut the fuck up and deal wit it.. This is ny graffiti bitch.. Write on everything! They ain’t no rules!!!
And yo “true dat” u must not know shit about graff cause these dudes and well known…. Remo been doing his thing for years. Ate been writing for more then a decade, and 9th Wonder been smashing ALOT of shit lately… So homie shut the fuck up. U have no clue what the he’ll u talking about!.. And the definition of “toy” is a motha fucka who don’t have ups. Get it straight..
Much respect to REMO, SAME, ATE, SHAUN RFC!! Fuck Kenny Scharf and anyone calling these guys toy need to stfu and learn a bit about nyc graf. dudes have been up for as long as 20 years. SAME being the youngest, but he's been killing things for over 13 years. MOS GRAF writers were cheering when they saw this and if older graf writers were angry than so what??? They're at home with their kids doing nothing. MUCH RESPECT!!
Maybe the mural wasnt even that dope . . .
what are you talking about super ! that mural is amazing ! i wish i had half as much hype ! ! !
IGNORANCE this gives bombing a bad name, hit anything, trains, walls, the city is blank…go hit a spot…come on now.. The city has been clean for years and thats your spot????…pathetic..
You have a blizard and thats what you hit? It will be gone in a few days…just a big waste….
kenny did allot for graf..wake up………
Here’s a dude
that’s ballin
Who painted with Keith and 30 years later he paints with remo
Cap wanna bee's is some sad old played out shit. Make your own way..be original..
Btw TONY GOLDMAN who runs this wall along with half of SoHo which he owns loves graffiti..check out the installation to his building on Greene street so I figure he will love this wall now
it’s called a forced collaboration
LOOKS LIKE CHEAP FAME….WHY??SOMETIMES GRAFFITI WORST ENEMY IS THE WRITER THEMSELVES….
Kenny Scharf is definitely a legend for his body of work and true-school NYC association, but he has been out of the forefront of the NYC scene (street or gallery) for a quite a bit.. Unless you're a graff history buff or 40+ years old, you may not even be all that familiar with his work. Without knowing the artist (Kenny) behind the mural, it is obviously completely subjective, but to me the piece doesn't really do it for me from an artistic sense. If I was on acid on a ride in Coney Island, this mural would be PERFECT, but outside of that, I actually prefer to see this wall as fill-in takeover zone..
Everyone looks at it differently, but most people can't understand the mentality of a bomber and what gets respected and for how long.. This wall isn't connected enough to the streets in the way that Os Gemeos or Twist & crew's wall is. Os Gemeos's wall is SICK from an artistic point of view, and they still actively KILL shit in Sao Paulo… And who wants to go over Twist/Amaze?
From an active bomber's mentality, this wall is for the takings..
They let it run for a good few weeks and get it's Internet/blog fame, and now it's time to give it back to it's rightful owners – the active bombers of NYC…
I think the owner of that wall should declare the next round to be open for bombing… How's that sound Tony Goldman?
i read all the things you all wrote and i just want to say thank you for the props and to the people supporting the defacement that it hurts. i never professed to being a graffiti writer but when i arrived in nyc in 78 i quickly met many artists and writers and i would bomb the city up and down manhattan and even bombed the train with pics to prove it. i still never called myself a grafitti writer although i use spray paint and i legally(and illegally) paint all over the city(soon to paint over 100 gates in nyc,legally). i make paintings with spray paint and i think i have a lot to offer the graffiti world. one thing i do know is that when you dis someone you should have a really good reason and hopefully improve what as there before. its an act of violence and aggression and it really does hurt but i know that doing public art you set yourself up for that. i did the mural purely out of love, i didnt and dont get paid to paint walls. i dont believe in hurting someone especially someone you dont even know. if the tags on top of my painting were meant to hurt me well they did. i dont know these guys and dont really understand their motive other than maybe a frustrated attempt at attention. i hope they get their pleasure but i doubt they truly will benefit in any way. ouch!
i didnt make any $ and ive done many illegal paintings since 1980 if you think that is the criteria for dissing me.
nice rhyme
thank you i appreciate that
glad youre happy with it
thank you
i of course know that i could get dissed.thats the risk anyone takes making public art. that comment about shepard was taken out of context as the question posed to me was do i think i would it would get bombed like shepards. my reply abut the wallpaper merely meant that i was doing it all on the spot not in the safety of my studio.and btw im still painting illegally too. who would refuse a great legally sanctioned wall like that?
but some people have a conscience.
just because someones been doing something for years doesnt make it good
WHERE ARE YOUR BLIZZARD THROWIES OLD HEAD?
respect what? hurting?
maybe not. lets see you get up there and do it.
thank you i gave it my all
i dont know remo
thanks
i dont think he loves hate
WE DONT GET PAID TO PAINT EITHER KENNY WE HAD FUN ROCKING THROW UPS OVER YOUR MURAL IT WAS A NIGHT I WILL SPEAK OF FOR YEARS TO COME BLIZARD OF 2K10 ME AND MY BOYS WERE OUT TEARING SHIT UP GETTING FUCKIN WASTED!
NOTHING LAST FOREVER HOLMES…………………….
i respect that you dont like the mural but i dont respect your support of the defacement. i did my best and i gave it my all. i cant see anything but jealousy and hatred and that does hurt.
OH AND GET OVER YOURSELF KENNY NO ONE HATES YOU WE DONT EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE DUDE……..
i know you dont hate me we dont know each other but i feel the hate. what can i say do you blame me? i think you could have bombed another wall that wasnt already done. there are plenty of walls that you could have done and not dissed someone yes me. glad youre all feeling great about it. you made my already sucky holiday even worse.
IM CALLING THE WAMBULANCE AS I TYPE THIS……
SHAUN RFC has the worst fillins I've ever seen.
these bombers are just pissed they didn't get asked to do a mural. theres tons of other spots to tag in the city, why disrespect a fellow artist who worked hard on this?
Looks like graffiti done by Bronx welfare recipients to me. You are playing yourself if you think you can sit around and collect handouts on Scharf's dime. Get a job, toys.
This wall has a history with many writers in the city. Its one of those classic New York City spots. You should know the nature of the beast. You put work out there and its subjected to a street critique. Murals, tags, posters, marker tags…its all part of the game we are all playing…i don't think its anything personal, just guys having fun. You should have expected it..look at it as collaboration with younger writers.
i know waa waaa waa but what you did is still hateful and cowardly
Writers only go over for a reason. Toys go over to get fame. If you go over someone, do a dope piece that burns them. When you go over someone for no reason, it shows that you are jealous of them. No one would notice the throws if not for what it went over.
Fukn toys are just jealous they will never drop anything as good as this mural…. Jealosuy is the disease of the weak….
i cant thumbs up this enough. holy shit i'm laughing so hard.
fuck that RFC BTB got more "right" to that spot then this fool ever did…take back the city!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thats not how going over people works.
There are no rules in graffiti, but that doesn't mean writers won't condemn you for being inconsiderate or failing to respect people. There is a difference between rules and etiquette. Are you going to be thrown out of The Chartered Institute of Graffiti Writers for dissing a mural? No. Are people going to call you a douche? Yes.
Whether or not you care about that is up to you. If the guys who dissed this mural were looking for props they've probably failed. If they're looking for fame and don't give a fuck about props, then it's a successful mission.
I once displayed at a gallery show we advertised as a "graffiti exhibition" because all of the works on display were by writers. The owner of the gallery, who wasn't a writer, was really pissed off when he discovered that the outside of his building has been tagged by several of the people who had come to see the exhibition. He blamed us, the writers who put the show on, for the damage because the people who did it were our friends and aquaintences.
He was right, they were. We were told we would never be allowed to display in the gallery again. He didn't ask us to pay for clean up because he had no legal right, since it wasn't actually our graffiti on his building.
I thought about having a talk with the people who had tagged the gallery, telling them they had fucked up our night and ruined our chances of a repeat event but I decided against it. Graffiti is an untamable beast, I would have been wrong to get annoyed at writers for tagging a building just because I happened to be using it, that would make me a hypocrit the next time I picked up a can of paint.
My point is; Kenny, it sucks what happened to you, it does, but that's graffiti, it's not fair. Graffiti writers have never and will never comply with the wishes of others, including writers. That's why we love it, and that's why it's such a popular art form.
It used to be that someone dissing your paintings got a trip the the emergency room and/or their own paintings scored. And if you weren't prepared to dish out some justice that was your problem and you'd just have to deal with it. I don't want to sound cold, but I think that's what it comes down to in this case.
You didn't deserve this, but ;"deserve ain't got nothing to do with it".
its not hard to understand kenny. it was deliberate to hurt you. they feel that air brushing in the lower east side is no way relevant to writing. which its not. stick to what you do.
reality check—-the city is blank the city is blank
Wow, dudes having fun? really? come on now I know you…you love your art….so many walls…this city is to clean…why focus on that its is fresh….One wall that gives some life..That shit was fresh…negativity breads negativity….lets all focus on kenny…easy…or lets think about the wak mission…
If you had a problem with the guy, then fine..if the city was full…. but we have 2 million blank walls…thats the part that makes you look the chump. hit a wall that will last, have some respect, graffiti is a big outlaw…I get it
these guys have no ups .wak wak wak wak…..AND IT REALLY IS SAD..THESE DUDES ARE LIKE 33 35, and thats there style????
hit the all the walls everywere ..hit the highways, so many spots to be taken…..the city's graff is weak runed by lewy from were?…graff is gone super wak….no body paints….if you really wanna kill shit………then go do it….the bowery looks so clean…the fdr….be a real writter and go…hit bk-staten-jersey–uptown-Go for it…..
show some real balls and hit shit consitatly…you guys anit up? who? who? and ?
kids from out of town have more ups then you….How sad is that, and this is your big fame run…
nothen left to say….
go bomb walls…………
Thats a fact…quit will your ahead…stop selling bad marker ink making money off graffiti….idiot proof
Shit isn't that hard of a diss! should have done it larger. Instead, it looks like mosquito bite on a buffalos ass. Ken you sound like a decent human being but don't take it to heart. It is unfortunate in the sport of graffiti that some T-ballers can step up to bat with a senior-leaguer. Missmatch I suppose. I say hold your spot down, and do so till the day someone elses drama graces those walls.
Have a cry kenny.
Do you still remember what graffiti is when you’re busy sucking cock for walls and getting free paint? Because if you’ve put any work in like people here are bleating you have you’ll know how ephemeral graffiti is. So your shit gets dissed for no reason, take a photo move on – water off a ducks back. Maybe track them down and deliver a beating – you know. If you’re not a pussy that is. The fact that you’re taking this so badly make you look like a whingeing child who dosen’t understand anything.
Also as others on here have stated graffiti has never had any rules but the ones you personally make. Deal with it, don’t fanny around bitch slapping it out online like an e-thug.
Also I still love you Martha Cooper, lets do dinner.
tagging over Kenny's piece… WEAK.
you had a fuckin' blizzard, cops were nowhere, city was yours, and that was your target? WEAK.
you coulda hit on anything, you shat on someone who helped change the perception of graff in the public eye, from "catch those punks, officer!", to "can you say it doesn't look any worse than it did before, officer?". WEAK.
and, since you chose that wall on probably the only free night you will have for a looong time (freer than anything since the '03 blackout, anyhow), the least you could have done was something tight, something polished. The fucking city was yours that night, you coulda done ANYTHING. Instead, you fucking shat on Kenny, and because you FUCKED IT UP, you shat on yourself. WEAK.
Yeah, I could see it as a "forced collaboration" if the piece was any good. It was WEAK SHIT, on top of a shitty target to pick, given the goldmine of an opportunity for bombers. all it shows is fucking crybaby jealous bitches, "look at me, I can hold a spray can." fucking WEAK.
anyone who disagrees, y'all gotta fuckin grow the fuck up man. all fuckin little kids up in here, no idea of what came first. I remember being a stupid punk ass kid too, so I can understand it. But these CHUMPS are in their fuckin' thirties, they should know more. If they've never heard of Kenny Scharf, thats further proof they still got lots to learn. ANYONE who's gotten the chance to chill with Kenny knows he's a fuckin dope dude, free spirit, and still going strong after 30+ years. Let's see where you are later in life, toys.
Kenny Scharf, Respect.
Your boy “Jesuschrist” is really hanging off these dudes nutts!… You’re fuckin blind homie.. U need to open your eyes and stop looking at the damn internet.. Walk around the streets maybe.. These Dudes are up.. And Kenny I do understand where u coming from… Nothing last forever. These guys could get lock up doing throw ups, have they shit rock a week or 2 and the buff comes threw and cleans it.. At least your shit rocked a month or so
I write legally and illegally but I will say going over a mural is whack. No matter what kind of bullshit legendary status you have. There's basic shit involved in the game known as respect. I don't give a fuck if the cat is considered a "graffiti writer" or not. Going over a mural is just like going over a piece. It's just not done. I know that any writer that's ever been crossed wasn't happy about it and probably said, "that shit is whack." To me it's like writing on someone's house. Throw-up goes over a tag, piece goes over a throw-up. Mural=piece in my book.
Grow the fuck up if you justify that shit by saying "it's not really graffiti" or if you think graffiti is the only legitimate art form. And before talking all that "20 years of experience" bullshit, think back to what the fuck old-school actually means. O.G. is great, but you need progression, otherwise the shit becomes stale. That's what graffiti is about.
But yo Kenny I will say that you came across as pretty cocky in that article. And I think sending out one message is enough, you don't have to individually reply to all of them. Also as people said it's a high risk wall so ye you might get crossed. That's part of the game. But then I don't know you, you might be a chill dude just badly portrayed or some shit.
However, I still think it's whack that it happened. And Peter Pan Posse, your lil' bragging about there being a blizzard is such a load of shit. I'm from Montreal and here we love blizzards for bombing. It's the best cover, there's hardly anyone out and cops are hella not down to be patrolling. Plus like a third of our year is shitty blizzard-like weather and everybody still bombs so get the fuck over yourself and stop thinking you're hot shit just cuz you went painting in a fucking snow storm. We get em like once a week over here.
this is the sad side of being a graffiti writer. a good 90% are just jackasses who run around bombing. Im sorry, but theres good bombs, and theres fucks who bomb as much as they can without thinking their writes should be perfected. now if a writer with a halfway decent write had bombed over this, and had a purpose, its justifiable – but those writers who actually do that, have more common sense. It is exactly why the governments thrown the book at writers and its still scowled upon. I dont care how many years you put in with your shitty tag or how many walls you've ran with it. In the end, you have a shitty tag. And legal or not, Scharf's work easily burned you morons. I mean look at the way the majority of the people defending the bombers talk – you sound illiterate. To give graf respect you have to be respectable yourselves.
yyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwnnn……
so big props to these writers for being OG and putting up for 20 years and then you go dissing "old graf writers" for having kids and doin nothing? I can't see your point. Are you saying old schoolers are wak for being old? And since you are a "retired NYC vandal" that means you are doing nothin yourself, so that makes you just as lame…idiot.
I've never of heard of you either, and you better be talin about this moment for years to come because no one else will be…wak.
I doubt back in the days it even crossed peoples minds about graffiti being illegal/legal it was just about having fun….Now amongst other shitty points of view its like oh they only do legals but if they do a bit of illegal graffiti they get props….LOL….Graffiti is graffiti not some shitty thing its become with people telling you this and that and trying to make up for lame shit cos they cant do better….
If those dudes are well respected, remo, 9th, ate, whatever, those inconsiderate Immature supposed grown men are WACK… and just because of your ignorant comments, any time I’m up in new York and I see any of those dudes tags, bombs, pieces, whatever,… I’m just gunna put a Ny fat cap on
My can to show some love to NY then Ima cross those idiots out. Nasty.if you guys are saying it’s ok, then I can’t wait to fuck your shit up. Idc what anyone says… If it’s about respect then I won’t show none to those dudes… And Kenny, props from MIAMI..
Grown ass men, and they’re acting like bitches!!!!
ITS VERY CLEAR THAT MORE THAN HALF THE PEOPLE HERE COMMENTING HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN DOWNTOWN SINCE THE STORM THIS WASNT THE ONLY SPOT HIT THERE WERE PLENTY MORE FILLINS OUTLINES AND TAGS UP AND DOWN THE STRIPS……..
ALL OF THE "WRITERS" TALKING SHIT WHERE ARE YOUR FILLINS THAT YOU DID IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER WITH 2 FEET OF SNOW AND 50 MPH WINDS???????
Kenny, you do realize that there are people that hate that wall you did. There are people who think the wall should be white and proper. There are everyday citizens that find that wall offensive. They are assholes for sure, but the fact remains. And your logic escapes me. You admit to vandalizing property yourself and then speak of being a victim of "violence" when your shit gets vandalized. WTF?
Charge it to the game. This the planet of the apes bro. Fuck, fight, eat and shit…and only a few do art.
stupid uglyyyyyyyyyyyy graffiti writers that are so harddddddddddddd wawawawa to you fuckinggg idiotsss Kenny you are the best!!!!!!!!
fuck the ugly nyc graffiti with no respect and cheers for beautiful art
hahahhahahah wawawawwawawawwawawawwawawawwawawawawwawawawawaw pooooor babbbbbbyyyy do you know what its like to do this in the blizzard your shit is wackkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
I wish the city would pay for this to mural to be fixed……………. SO I CAN PAINT OVER IT.. lol
these throw-ups look like throw up. vomit. dog piss.
you guys think you're so tough,sooo bawls.
if you had any balls you'd vandalize a bank or a baby-GAP store or a 7-11
You think your tough but you did this like little bitches, cowardly in the middle of snow storm
takin' it to the streets- your shitty tags are as shitty as the doobie brothers music.
REMO& ATE NEED TO GO HOME AND PRACTICE
because that shit is so weak and lame a 9 year old can do better
FUCK IT, ITS GRAFFITI…LOVE IT OR HATE IT > ITS GONNA BE THERE AND U HAVE NO SAY!!!! FACE DA FACTS PEOPLE THATS WHAT GRAFFITI IS, NO ONE CARES WHAT U THINK IS PRETTY OR BETTER.
PLUS ITS A GOOD SPOT.
YUPPPP sooo true
Little…fucking…kids. no judgement, no sense.
Hey kiddies: here's a good spot for you!! tag the third rail on the subway!!
You'll get MAD PROPS, and FAME GALORE!!
All the comic books and twizzlers you can handle!!
Infants. who said these cats were in their 30s? is that real??!
If so, pathetic. No taste, no style, no judgement, no-thing.
echo what walrus said before: WEAK
This mural looked liked crap to begin with and looks better with more scrawls over it.
Its graffiti . Get over it. well done.!!!!
this is what we call a success.
I dont even know these guys name and dont want to know…you'll remember this day forever but you will be forgotten. LAME.
FINALLY… I only wish they used extinguisher on it first… so wonderful.
Those fill-ins are gone, they got painted over. 15 minutes of fame are up. Karma, etc.
what's so tough about hitting up a baby gap? i'm missing the point…
im a writer and a artist, Ive had murals dissed bombed tagged. i did not cry, it hurt a bit. what did i do next; i went harder.its motivation for me. GRAFFITI will always be that love it or hate it.
look in the bright side kenny, its part of history now.
oh love the title by the way "Ritualistic Vandalism"
YOUR RIGHT!!
It looks like a scared little girl did that shit
It looks amazing Kenny, glad it got cleaned up. That shit is so lame to paint that ugly ass bomb over it.
Mad empty walls and corny ass yuppie spots to tag up – especially in a blizzard.
This is why I decided to go bombing here in Amsterdam (Holland) back in the days . Love to see NYC still got that real writing going on…
but I must say, I've seen better throw-ups…..but nice spot…..
Its predictable that these toys chose a high value target at a weak attempt at fame. I would just take out the throw ups and line their street stuff. A diss is a diss right?
as I mentioned before, here in Montreal, you don't get MORE cred for bombing in the snow storms because it's easier and better cover.
All you had to do was go over the fill in a second time and it wouldn't be so whack. I know cats that haven't even been writing for a year and that know that.
If you're gonna do something, do it right.
But yo Kenny, go fix the wall and stop complaining. It's clear they don't give a fuck so might as well take matters into your own hands and cross em as much as possible.
Guy 1 if youre gonna cross these dudes out the right thing to do is put your name. Cause they put they’re name. Putting a line threw it means you’re a coward and u don’t won’t them to find u. They put they’re names over Kenny. If your really mad put your name and they would find u and break your face.. Cause these dudes are no joke.
Just because you have ups doens't make you a toy. There's a lot of dudes with ups that are toys. A toy is someone who lacks skills, and doesnt' have the proper mentality of an experienced writer. Goin all city with a wack ass style doesn't excuse you for being a toy.
I thought it was great – took me back to those juicy jungle days. It was Fun Kenny all the way, wish you painted it while wearing a space helmet tho'
I have mixed feelings about this. If I was there I prob would have blasted over this. But I do feel his pain. Puttin a lot of work into a mural and then it gets blasted over. But eventually someone was gonna come to do some fill ins over it. Shit doesn't run….it wasn't gonna last much longer anyway. And the thing is too, is that that mural is almost like street art in which graff writers don't have respect for. GRAFFITI IS NOT STREET ART!
So in that case we go over street art, that shit is wack. I feel ya pain Kenny, but you had to expect that soon……
Kenny owes me 10 bucks !!!
lest all this news isnt about the GAY ASS COST BOX LOLERSKATES
Bi sexual orgys and herion party at kathys place
Dude you have nothin to offer the graff world. Your goin over gates wit graff on them legally. That's a really bad move. They're gonna get blasted over. Your don't consider your self a graff writer but you have somethin to offer the graff world? You think your shit is better than the graff that's on the gates.? Whether its toy or not, your disrespecting the graff community. Your gates aren't gonna last long. I can't wait to see one myself. lmao.
They had fun doin it, so how was it not fun?
YOUR A HERB!
Yeah word, lol. Go up to Remo and tell him he's a toy……I dare you…..
Yo true dat, who are you to say they are in for a hard road in life?
R.I.P SACER
I like what is going on. It makes me smile. Please keep it going.
BIG TIME BULLYS!! WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHIT ON THIS WALL. THIS SITE IS PUSSY STATE YOUR NAME WE ILL DELIVER SPANKINGS TO ANYONE WHO WANTS ONE.
Install a spam filter on the wall. Until then you will keep getting junk mail in your inbox. Askimet. Wifi!
Yo. It was a blizzard.
I just heard news. Someone will be going back over the wall in a short undetermined amount of time.
Love you!
Hey Kenny, I have to repeat this again. Your hurt that graff writers went over your mural with their throw ups.
But, and this is a big BUT, you are about to go over a bunch of graff by doing your 100 gates. Do you not realize what's happenin here? lol. What about the feelings of the all the graff writers that you are about to go over.? It doesn't matter if the shit is wack or good that your are goin over, your goin over a bunch of heads. And why? Is there some type of jealousy and hatred there, for which you accuse these cats that went over you with? Something isn't right over here. If you go over a fill in I have on a gate I'm goin right back over it. So I think you should stop whining about how these guys made your already bad holiday worse. Because that is what happens in NYC. You go over someone, then they fix it. Fix ya shit and stop complainin about some shit that you knew was bound to happen. Shit has nothin to do with jealousy, hatred or attention. If anything the whole graff culture is based on attention. Your hitting spots to get attention. So are you dissing the graff culture? Cause this cultures is serious. It's really deep and has a lot of meaning.
Bro, nobody is pissed about doin a mural. Bombin is way more fun.
That's true, but he's not a graffiti writer so the graff rules don't apply in this case. Anything goes over that. Tags, outlines, fill-ins, silvers, and productions. Graff rules only apply to graff.
This dude jesuschrist is retarded. Most of those cats on that wall done did damage and got around. Why is he sayin that nigs got no ups? lol
Why do heads keep sayin graff has no rules?
There are rules, but his mural isn't graff.
So the graff rules don't apply to his mural. If anything, that shit is just a blank wall for a bomber.
Graff rules don't apply to his mural. So uh, calm down dude. Shit doesn't run in this city. Or anywhere for that matter. And they did catch wreck that nite in the city. That wasn't the only wall they hit. That's just a spot that graff writers wanna hit. It was there and they hit it.
Wow, strong words comin from a guy in Miami. So when are you comin to New York to get hemmed up.? Cuz if you fuck with these guys you are claimin to cross out, there is gonna be huge problems for yourself.
I think you should take a step back and becareful about who you talk about. Some of these niggas out here ain't playin and got nothin to lose.
Kenny has not gone over anyone, firstly. That said — It's really deep? Has a lot of meaning? You sound bitch made. Graffiti is, albeit fun, child's play. Let's be real. If graffiti is a "culturally serious" venture to you I'd love to hear your opinion on some of the great literature that has permeated throughout history. Or maybe your critique of a venerable symphony. I'm no anthropologist, but I doubt you would know serious culture if you came out of its womb. You sound like another grown man from the projects who still sucks his thumb.
You have know idea of my education or anything I have done to say I sound like another grown man from the projects who still sucks his thumb. It is a real deep street culture. There's a bunch of shit to it and that's why heads become career graff writers. The way people dress, style, language, rules, meeting people, sharing ideas……it is a deep culture, obviously your not a real graff head so you shouldn't talk. Talk from experience. You can ask any real graff writer how deep this culture is. It's heads like you that don't know. What does great literature have anything to do with another culture? It's two completely different things. Don't come on here trying to sound smart with you bull shit. Graff also has a deep feeling to it. It feels really good doing certain things involved with graff and many can attest to that. So I'd take a step back there guy. You my friend have no idea what your talking about if you could sit there and say that this graff culture is not deep. People involved love the shit and have a passion for it. And if graffiti is childs play then why are there so many writers that are in their 40's and so many more that will reach those points. You sound like a fuckin idiot bro. What are you married with kids and have a college degree? lol. So now you feel like you could come on here and have a word on graff? C'mon man. A real graff writer will tell you about how deep this shit is.
And you say Kenny has not gone over anyone? Your wrong my friend, he has done a couple of those gates in the city in his 100 gate project. And he's goin over throw ups and fill ins with those faces he's drawing. It's like he's dissin' who ever he goes over. That's disrespect. No matter if the shit he goes over lacks skill and ability or if its executed well. So, once again….everything you wrote goes out the window. Speak from knowledge and experience next time so you won't be proven wrong.
Dam bro, I have to admit Franco the educated Guido with your venerable symphony. You sound like someone that has slightly educated themselves and is now gassed and feels like they could speak their mind. You have no fuckin clue my guy. Your part of the problem. You now qualify as part of the 80%.
James Franco the Educated Street Guido….ayeeeeeee guy where's my fuggin capicole?????????
lmao
In NYC, graff goes over street art. Street art derived from graff. And now ppl mix them up. And a lot of street artists go over graff. So here we are.
NEXT———>
Clearly you've assimilated to some cultural code that Mark Ecko wrote for you, but pal, I've been writing graffiti like a champion for 12+ years and have put in a lions share of work. I've in equal parts enjoyed it and hated it because it attracts people who sound just like you. There's nothing worse than listening to fools wax poetic about the cultural significance of graffiti writing.
Why do you laugh at the idea of someone being a college graduate with a wife and kids? Is that so far out of your disenfranchised worldview that the very thought of it makes you uncomfortable? You've not made a strong argument yet and you defend inexcusable actions that clearly cross the line well into foul. You just wrote two paragraphs and in them not once have you explained why graffiti is "deep" to me. But that's okay I suppose, Herman Hesse won a Nobel Peace Prize and we're all still sitting around wondering what the Glass Bead Game is.
I'm sure you been writing graff for 12+ years. If you did you would understand the culture. It's also a part of original hip hop culture. Hip hop may be wack now but it is a part of hip hop culture as well. In my opinion it is deep to me and I've actually learned things that I have applied to other things as well. And no, fuck Mark Ecko, I have no idea what that guy has to say about graff. I been rockin since 89, and I love this shit. And for some nigga to come on here and give his two cents about some shit that I love is wrong. And what do I sound like? Mostly everything I said is true. There is nothing wrong with having a kids and a wife, but you sound like one of those dudes that has "grown up" and now feels like he can say graff is childs play. You got pissed at my comment about me repeating that this guy Keith is hurt meanwhile he's goin over graff on city gates. I've seen images of him goin over fill ins on gates with just a couple of faces. I mean, c'mon, that's not dissin the writer who did that fill in? You decided to reply to me sayin that. And you come in having no idea who I am or anything about me and put labels on me. Your basically a dick.
Imma college graduate myself so I'm not laughin at being educated. I'm laughin at your cornball ass lashing out at me when it doesn't even involve you personally.
Bro, I'm not even responding to your fuckin monkey ass no more. Go read your response to me sayin that this guy is basically a hypocrit. You come on here sayin I don't know anything about culture and start mentioning fuckin literature and symphonies. Fuck is wrong wit you? You mad at somthing? I aint' do shit to you and you started assuming my intelligence and my opinion of culture. Bro, you are a joke. This is my last word.
And yo, that mural is gonna get gone over again because that is what happens on that wall.
Peace guido-
Technically, guy, the code of conduct has always been spray paint over marker tags, fill-ins over tags, pieces over fill-ins. Anything else is qualifies beef. Scharf's 100 Gates project is well within those boundaries. The people who did those fill-ins have no claim over that wall. Furthermore, Kenny Scharf is not a street artist by any stretch. Read a book.
I'll continue having fun buying and sell stock while you drive up my profit, you fucking statistic.
Those faces he's doin over fill ins are basically fill ins over fill ins if you wanna get technical. And there you go again wit your fuckin ego…………you fuckin capitalistic pig. Yeah drive that profit up and help destroy our world in exchange. If your such a fuckin big shot what are you doin arguin with a statistic on a graff website? lol. Once again you are a JOKE! lol. I can't belive you man. lol. You talk out ya ass. Prob never did graff and have your grand pops give you advice on how to sell and trade stock. lmao. Your makin money off of people? That doesn't say much for you, making money off of statistics (people)? So you consider people statistics that you make money off of. Once again, part of the problem like I said before. Noam Chomsky would shit on you.
If he's not a street artist then why does he claim to do some of his stuff illegally? I should read a book huh? Illegal art on the street? Street art……….damn your really dumb for an educated person drivin up that profit…………..
Big man studies literature, symphonies and sells stock. Why are you arguin with me? This non educated, non-culture knowing statistic…………………
And if Imma statistic so are you……….cuz we are all in this together. Unless, do you have any connections to any higher hierarchy? You related to the Bush family or the Rockefellers? They mite be considering you a fuckin statistic. My last word with you fukin capitalisic guido ass, you are a JOKE!
here is it in a nut shell…
Kenny has been doing his own thing (call it what you want) for years, i mean YEARS and i never herd ANYONE in my 10 years of being involved in the ''graffiti art world'' bring up his name as if he was some trouble maker.
All this talk about whats real whats not and gates ect…is just excuses for the actions that these writers did. I think they did what they did to get people talking, i really see no other reason.
The obey wall getting dissed makes sence, he sells out on a culture even tho is not graffiti related it still ties into it, and im so sick of that guy. kenny is able to sell paintings for thousands of dollars to colloetors and still have a strong past of painting in the streets,with out having to have shit printed on tee shirts and shot glasses.
i much rather see the kenny mural than KR krink drips respect where respect is due.
thos fills are horable too. if your gunna do shit atlest come off correct.
In my day bombing in a winter blizzard was done hit winter layups in train tunnels. Their were plenty layed up in this blizzard. Now that is real deal grafftii!
shut up ken
KR has done his share of peices
I see nothing from kenny
nothing
@James Franco
For claiming to be a 12 yr proprietor of graffiti and a college graduate, how do you overlook the fact that graffiti has gone through various "incarnations". The Hip Hop incarnation is a very deep and culturally significant incarnation. disenfranchised youth, utilizing art to emancipate themselves from their conditions and uplift their communities.
@ The Bronx Brooklyn
Now, I personally haven't come across any incarnation of graffiti other than the Hip Hop one, that is compelling. If that is the culturally significant incarnation of graffiti that you are speaking of, how can you justify dissing another artist regardless of their aesthetic or background? Would making an attempt to justify those un-calligraphic throw ups be shooting yourself in the foot?
In the very minimum, it appears that the Hip Hop incarnation of graffiti, there would be a system of respect in which works that take more effort (amount of paint, technique, and concept) are not dissed by lesser forms.
Even outside the incarnation of graff as hip hop, and in the realm of the reckless bomber, why not catch a gate that is going to run instead for by that means, you would get the end of sustained "fame". To go over a Kenny's mural only gives you cheap "fame", equivalent to a toy bombing over JA or Cope 2.
I don't mean this as an insult to you, but it appears your view of graffiti is a bit convoluted. You appeal to the incarnation of graffiti as visual Hip Hop, intellectual resistance, but also appeal to the reckless bomber type, that just doesn't give a fuck about anything, just paints where ever the fuck they want when they want, and if you go over them with more skill or not, be prepared to fight or in some cases get shot. And if they go over you too bad, knuckle up or shut the fuck up.
I would love to see something revolutionary(The potentiality in style writing/graffiti/street art/bombing tht appeals to me) come out of this discussion and maybe art on public space can shift from the paradigms of ritual vandalism(graffiti)and consumerism(advertisements) to an objective form of visual communication with the uncompromising allegiance to genuine visual communication and the visual enrichment of the man made landscape.
I will check back and try to "build" with anyone trying to do so, but if the new responses are drenched in logical fallacies, I will simply digress, for to argue on the internet, even if ones points are sound and valid… nothing positive has come of it in my experience.
@the condescending shit talkers, I would rather sound "gay" to you, but in reality be constructive, that to pretend to be "hard/cool/macho" and in reality just be stupid.
the 100 gate thing kenny scharf is doing or planning to do..hi kenny, if you are doing these works OVER gates that are 'graffitied" dont expect them to get destroyed prettty quickly. my take is , ok you are a street artist or lets say just a plain ol artist(i dont know what youd call yourself) so being someone with a creative mind- why would ou chosse to do this 'gate project' and do it over already decorated gates? why not seek out owners of gates which have been cleaned by the city with that vomitous,boring,way to sterile for nyc grey buff paint. re-claim these gates for atrs sake and help bring some flavor back to this city with your art, instead of covering some already existing visual stimuli, be it legal or illegal. add dont take away my friend.
on another note i think mr scharf should thank these guys for the attention they inadvertantly gave him and his wall by adding thier names to it. in my opinion that walls style is/was some played out 80s psuedo psychodelic let me just darw some wierd shit and fool peole into thinking its brilliant style art andyway. but that just my opinion on it and we all know how that goes… and again- this is nyc still(barely) lets keep it exciting mother fuckers!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Man, I'm not commentin on this shit no more. All I'm sayin is if he does those faces over heads fill ins on gates then it'll get gone back over. I'm not sayin go over the dude.
Yo what happened to not responding anymore.
If I had a dollar for how many times you posted your "last comment" I could subsidize your societal contribution.
Shit is Real…and Graffiti reflects that…Bombing is just as much a part of graffiti as piecing and probably more important than commisioned works…but…they shoulda at least rocked some multi colors! and put that shit over the top…and on the flip side allota people who wouldnt be saying Kenn's name at all are talking about him…im sure he'll get some sympathy dollars…so all should be good…no one got maimed or killed…Enjoy the New Year everyone and move on from this….graffiti is a living movement…while you sleep these guys creep….lets see more shit from all involved including Ken!
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20421650,…
I only said it twice there guy, maybe three times. Your a real smart one. You come onto a site where mostly graff heads are gonna comment and you start mentioning shit that you know no one is even gonna know what the fuck your talkin about. And you know a lot of graff writers are not as well educated as others. A lot of heads are straight from the streets with no further education. Go start a debate with some other intellectuals hot shot. You lose. lol
I agree.
Happy New Year to all including Jimmy Franco up there.
Imma have a ball tonite!
That's wild! Aye Franco, your busted! What a herb.
Life is shit
And then you get dogged
bro, stop bein a lil bitch ass and learn to respect.
You called it a "write" — street cred revoked. No one gives a fuck what you say or your opinion
@James Franco, it's very obvious you haven't been writing graffiti for 2 years, let alone 12. Please cut the immature exaggeration. I will generously meet you half-way between suspected reality and what you're saying: You successfully dodged being arrested after multiple weeks spent in your highschool bathroom perfecting your tag's arrows.
What Bronx_Brooklyn states about graffiti being culturally-deep is real to the writers — real to the culture. People who aren't part of it can sit on the sidelines and jest at it, but that doesn't change the fact that the culture is sound, rooted, and has guidelines. We take the game very seriously and there is a lot to learn before you can tell people how it is — to anyone who's been writing for a while, you don't come off sounding like someone who knows about the culture. If you're interested in learning about it; the pecking order & the respect guidelines, there's a mountain of resources. Start with Style Wars, follow up with the follow-up to Style Wars (20+ years later), Vice's History of Hip-Hop, KRS1's album "The Fundamentals of Hip-Hop", I could continue… but come on… you don't _actually_ want anyone to explain the nuances of graffiti culture to you. Admit that. I could ask you to tell me how your favourite culture (or a particular symphony?) is nuanced, but the ideas presented would fall on deaf ears because deep cultures can't be explained in a few paragraphs. Go to Egypt and have someone explain to you their history and why their culture functions the way it does in a week — let me know how that pans out.
For the record, I am one who believes in hitting every other wall in a City before going over other artists. Period. In or out of graffiti I have more respect for art creation than I have for any bland concrete wall/advertisement. Happy New Years to you all.
Ah well, that mural was fun while it lasted. I loved it.
BUT, even though I doubt the dudes who responded above were the actual bombers, the 'real' dudes who did that would be very similar: They saw a big space out there and decided to bomb it. I don't think it was a message or personal at all: those are the kinds of dudes really out there still doing graffitti: Completely disconnected from some artistic 'scene'.
Take it from me (Fuck You 162 circa 1973), when I was a dumb kid I might have done the same thing (if I was pretty sure the muralist wasn't going to try to find me and kick my ass). It's like that out there in the streets.
But it was a great mural.
Opek Pecked,
"@James Franco, it's very obvious you haven't been writing graffiti for 2 years, let alone 12. Please cut the immature exaggeration. I will generously meet you half-way between suspected reality and what you're saying: You successfully dodged being arrested after multiple weeks spent in your highschool bathroom perfecting your tag's arrows. "
To clarify while you cry, I've painted transit across the world, New York subway included. I've been doing street spots and roofs since around 1996. I have shoeboxes of flicks (yes, shoeboxes) of subway panels and wholecars I've painted spanning back to 2000. But believe what you want, please. At this juncture I have nothing to prove. I would laugh in your face while you stuck your hand out for a handshake, fake.
Vandals In Motion On All Steel!
What bugs the shit out of me with this wall on Houston Street is this. We have the best graffiti or shall I say aerosol artists in the world living in NYC and none of them are ever asked to paint this location. Artists who have paid their dues and then someby painting illegally on transit & in the streets. Seriously talented artists who would rip this Kenny Scharf shit to crap. Artist who would paint better and more beautiful works that even normal folk would appreciate this more then this wackass Scharf, Fairey crap. Why is that the best artwork on NYC streets by artists like T-Kid, Part , TAT's crew and many many more, are always tucked away in the industrial area's of this city? Maybe its time for Dietch gallery to give some play to some real deal artists to paint this wall. I guarantee if Lee painted a mural on this wall it would last until the paint peeled off and it would look a trillion times better then anything that has been painted on this wall in recent memory
@ boomer, I completely agree with you in that Kenny should add visual stimuli to the city instead of going over other stimuli.
Kenny's work may not be as compelling as Alex Grey, but it did require more effort that those writers that I now consider toy did over him. I think any real writer, that has painted that large of a space would see Kenny's effort and respect his work even if he isn't a hardcore bomber or style-writer.
What if instead of always trying to keep things exciting as if a party is always going on, you kept shit real.
@ Bronx Brooklyn
James Franco, as a college graduate, what the first to employ an obvious logical fallacy. I respect you for not wanting to continue posting here, for James Franco is just being childish.
True, although you are merely stating Kennys work will be dissed, and not suggesting people diss it, if you love this culture as much as I do, hopefully you can mentor other writers in the NYC, and teach them to respect other peoples art. How can we as a genre of artists ever expect full respect, if we never give it. Im trying to crush mainstream stereotypes what are these toy bombers doing by going over Kenny aside from shooting every other positive style writer in the foot and destroying all the progress they have made.
@ James Franco
You would have no more than 5 dollars for every time Bronx Brooklyn said he would stop posting. Maybe you could apply what you learned in college (and hopefully at home), and conduct yourself in mature manner not just in person, but on the internet as well.
I and I hope Bronx Bomber would never reach out to shake your hand. Even though you claim to do this and that and have it documented here and there, if you ever were bold enough to disclose what you write and I was able to verify, regardless of how talented you think you are, I would never look at your work again, and would campaign to the rest of the graffiti community to do the same. I wouldnt at or laugh at you, I would pray to your god, that in your heart, you can be real with yourself, for your own vanities sake.
However if your comments started to reflect that growth I suggest, I would give you the respect that growth deserves.
@The Spoken Truth
I too would much rather see T-Kid, Tats Cru, Daim, Seak, Mear, and a mutitude of other talented graffiti artists to paint this wall.
So is anyone going to actually build? Or did we all just waste out time, extemporaneously talking shit on the internet.
@ Brian D
Bombing is important maybe just as important as piecing. Bombing represents that public space is being taken not asked for, a form of protest. But after a while, you should, if you are actually bombing for reasons greater that mere infamy, find another context to protest, a context that actually arouses people to the policies on public space, not just piss other artists off because they are different.
They should have done their throw ups somewhere else and if they really were compelled to do some nice shit, they should have got in touch with Kenny and offered to collaborate and do throws up on the wall in a way that compliments Kenny's work.
True no one got killed, but the bombers that did their toy throw ups over Kennys work did bomb "ritualistically" instead of meaningfully and in the process, probably made some people that were trying to appreciate graffiti as art lose their interest. That is why this article was written.
Happy New years to you too Brian D, graffiti does keep moving, but while graffiti writers sleep during the day, the world powers creep on the third worlds resources. We may have painted a few thousand gates and walls, but in the end, who is winning at the current rate?
So please, if your a "graffiti" artist or a traditional artist, as Brian D requests, lets all produce some MEANINGFUL and ORIGINAL visual art this coming year, not RITUAL and NOSTALGIC images.
@OPEK
yes James Franco dropped a exaggerated comment, but so did you.
Hip Hop Culture, of in you dont believe graffiti to be the visual element of that, just graffiti culture, is NOWHERE as complex as the Ancient Egyptians, and CAN be taught in a couple books, clearly and consisly, citinng the sources you disclosed and a multitude of others.
It is clear that currently, Hip Hop or just graffiti, as sound as it may be in principle, it is clearly not so in practice, the event this article documents, is a clear example of that.
James Franco, may not be interested in learning about the culture, but I am clearly interested in MAKING IT BETTER as it moves into the future. Perhaps instead of just dropping comments on the internet haphazardly, you can keep the dialogue going in a revolutionary and meaningful context or at least in the context you think it should be.
I too agree with your last idea 100 percent: all artists should respect other works of art.
@ EMO
Yeah as kids we all act in less than perfect ways, but the people that destoryed Kenny's murals are most likely adults. Yeah the streets can be rough and unethical, but that is our fault as a society, we have obviously failed at raising our youth and young adults.
I'm not sayin to go diss the guy. What I'm sayin is there is an image of him doin like three faces over a fill in. Those three faces are not a mural. People do faces and characters for their fill ins now. So, what I'm sayin here is that, it's disrespectful to graff heads he goes over if he is just doin that. It's like doin a fill in over a fill in.
LA stylewriter please stay out of a thread about NYC graffiti. West Coast graffiti is not respected by most here.
You do not have a train culture of graff to validate yourselves as paying due's. Plus you talk a whole of non sense.
All info is being recorded, thanks for all the evidence.
What information and evidence? This is nonsense.
Tip: Go gather intelligence on a forum were such a concept exists.
"You would have no more than 5 dollars for every time Bronx Brooklyn said he would stop posting."
I know there guy. I've already done that math. I did say I could subsidize the total sum of his societal contribution didn't I?
Kenny's mural got fixed. Nobody got any infamy from dissing that wall, to be honest I can't remember who did it. La de da, de da ohh life goes on. I'll leave you cops and crybabies here to talk amongst yourselves.
No free time.
L.A. Styleguy,
Firstly, I absolutely would never state what I wrote here, sorry. That said, good luck campaigning to the "graffiti community". I'm sure everybody will be eager to sign your blackbook petition, herb.
Well, although you are right this is precisely the environment out of which graffitti emerged. It's roots are precisely in places where society has eroded, and we feral children went out searching for some kind of life and/or fame & name. These new graf writers are the same, and in that sense you can't disparage them too much because that is precisely where grafitti came from and still comes from.
Me, when I'd get on a freshly-bombed AA train to 163rd street I thought it was depressing and looked like shit. I was and still am basically happy to see graf gone from the trains because most of it sucked. BUT, we shouldn't kid ourselves into thinking that grafitti only shows up where it's "supposed to", because if we ever were able to push it down into a can it would be dead forever.
You wanna talk about weak arguments? You basically said that graffiti is not culturally significant and then he explained to you why it is. You dismissed his argument as irrelevant because he didn't quite word it the way you liked and said "deep" instead of "culturally important." And after that, you talked about Hermann Hesse and and the Glass Bead Game which has absolutely no relevance to the discussion, but it sure made you look a little more culturally inclined. That, my friend, is a weak argument.
And I don't see how thinking graffiti is culturally important means that you think great literature and symphonies are not. As you said, you're no anthropologist, so you don't really have a say in what qualifies as culture and what doesn't.
But just for kicks let's look at the definition of culture: "the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society." I won't bother pointing out that graffiti has all those things because your obvious superior intellect should allow you to figure it out for yourself.
Also, every culture has some degree of code so don't try to make people feel stupid for conforming to certain norms. Just because you went to college doesn't mean you're above "being assimilated." It also doesn't mean that you make strong arguments which is what Bronx_Brooklyn was also trying to say. He wasn't putting college graduates down, he was saying it's not a free pass to being right.
By the way don't boast your superior understanding of culture by using names like Hermann Hesse if you're not going to spell them right.
@lastylewriter i agree with pretty much all of your points. but i dont understand on thing(minor thing but puzzling to me )as someone who sounds educated level headed and articulate..what does the end of this sentance you wrote mean?
"What if instead of always trying to keep things exciting as if a party is always going on, you kept shit real. "
care to elaborate? haha. not even taking i shot at you im just curious how you feel one should go about that.?
KENNY BARF! hahahhahah what a BITCH, stop crying and fix your grammar FAGGOT! How old are you anyway? ACT IT
Kenny why you responding to every comment? You're such a BITCH, grow UP! get off the internet and paint a clown! FAG
he not their fellow artist, he a fag, fags get ragged
Ah MEN
werrrddd
but the comments live on muhaahahaha
graffitti is for dick eating homos that need attention to validate their pitty existance…go solve issues that matter to the collective human existance, cure aids, cancer, get rid world hunger and then tell me grafitti really matters…those guys are straight up toys spot jockiing. just cause a toy is up it doesn’t make it fresh go practice develop better styles jackoffs
WEAK SAUCE…..fools need to stop spot jocking with some toyass throwies..at least rock a burner and out do the mural like the msk guys did to buff monster in la a while back…i read that those guys have decades of experience well it doesn’t show douchers need to go back to the lab and practice….never heard of them anyway
suck my taint jesus graffiti owns you
kenny you're the man….your work is shown in museums and you are part of art history, there's no need to get bend outta shape over some spot jockers that's the nature of grafitti its full of napolean complexed ego maniacs. Grafiti isn't about having fun its about making the little person voice in you shut up because youre making a difference in society…NOT. Fools need to do something bettter with their time, they need to make a difference where it counts.
KEEP MAKING ART BROTHER
you're lame that du is beyond toy graffiti…graffiti is over rated go tag on shit that doesn't matter to make yourself feel like you count
wow was that the highlight of your life you need to go back home and practice. shit looks TOY dun. Get a life and make your pity existance count.. go cure cancer and then tell me you're the man and I will praise you the way you parise your toyass throwies
kenny, i'm sorry i blurted out your daughter's name last time you fingered my asshole. i'm more graff than you. check out my show @ parez.
hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa
it happened. stop fucking crying.
Kenny, you can't have it both ways. How are you gonna sit there and tell the graff world "you have a lot to offer" and talk about all the illegal spots you did/do and then turn around and be all butt hurt when someone goes over your mural. If you think it "hurts" when someone goes over you, then think about how much it "hurts" private property owners when you illegally get up on their shit like you said you did. If you don't give a fuck about that because you're so "legit," than you have no room to moan when someone goes over your mural.
Saying you "don't consider yourself a writer" doesn't give you the right to brag about writing and still complain about people going over your legal pieces.
People didn't consider the illegal vs. legal argument back in the day because it was all illegal, that was/is part of the fun. Legal walls were something extra, a bonus, a bit of practice. Although a legal production might get props for how well its painted, it is automatically rated less than its illegal countertpart, because the artist didn't have the added pressure of getting arrested. To be a competitor in the graff game years ago you had to be up on trains, which involved trespassing, vandalism and negotiating any other risks associated with running around a crime and drug infested inner-city. I'm sure not all writers involved were going crazy, robbing, stabbing and shooting, they all did have the balls, however, to embrace these risks and still carry on painting regardless. this showed that they were dedicated to the craft enough to participate.
If you are only painting the same few chilled, relaxed spots, posting flicks of it on the internet, without having ever put in a large body of illegal work, you're doing it wrong and are not a writer. You are merely imitating them in much the same way as those kids on youtube who do cope2 throwups in their backyards. The only difference is the skill level in using spraypaint. You are judged, and I believe rightly so, to be lacking the courage and strength of character needed to be a part of the graff game. You can say that you need the time afforded to you by painting legally to do what you want, but the truth is you are afraid of the consequences of participating in illegal activity; you lack heart.
Try painting a burner or production illegally, and notice the different buzz you get from it, or mix up your legal pieces with some bombing, a writer is supposed to do everything from tags to pieces anyway.
Judging by your comment, you're someone who only paints legally and gets criticism for it, if so, you can't understand the amount of effort and personal sacrifice it takes to keep up a bombing campaign. Your graff heroes do though, as they had to put in the massive amounts of illegal work necessary to gain fame and respect in the worldwide graffiti movement, which led to all the exhibitions and sponsorship deals. This is why bombers get respect despite apparently not being able to paint the latest trendy style of piece. I could be wrong though, you could be wrecking the place with wholecars and etch tags, what the fuck do I know? You're right graffiti is graffiti and graffiti is illegal, anything is a watered down version of it.
Those throwys over that mural are a bit grim though, but here, it was in the middle of a blizzard and it was Christmas, those dudues were probably full of all sorts of drink and drugs… your stuff tends not to be not your best work in those circumstances… good luck
You buy and sell stocks? And been bombing massive amounts of graff for 12 years? And can't understand the subtle and complex rules behind it? And haven't been caught ? Cause if you had you wouldn't be able to get a job selling stocks and shares. Your screen names a pretty boy actor out of spiderman? Trying to name drop to make yourself sound like an intellectual? Either you're full of complete and utter shit or you're the type of rich, white collar, stuckup, pseudo-intellectual prick that's not welcome in graff. Find a new hobby. Fuckin stocks and shares, just a statistic.. what a wanker.
The fella can't cry about people going over his work if he's doing the same to others with that 100 gates project . By doing this he's disregarding graffiti in much the same way those writers disregarded him. I would say those writers took that spot because of its high profile, with the added bonus of going over "some artfag". Probably couldn't give 2 fucks about who's talking, just as Kenny won't give 2 fucks about who's talking when he paints out them gates. He will have to get over feeling hurt at getting gone over however, as it's bound to happen a lot more with these 100 shutters.
visual communication is exactly what graffiti is, from the ugliest tag to the craziest production. It's just not for everyone, it's the means of visual communication for a particular marginalised section of society.
"…what you have here is a whole rotten subculture…"
As I said a few pages back, you are a bullshitter. No way you're a stocks and shares trading, moneymaking literature quoting drone by day,and a world-travelling super hardcore vandal by night. The amount of graff you're talking about painting is a full time job in itself. Travel the world talking stocks and shares with the rest of the hardcore jailbird train bombers do you? get to fuck you lying cunt.
VIMOAS my hole you're a fucking fantasist.
True
Kenny I was on your side but now you just sound like a pussy. Fuck you.
Ya know i give it this much….. The mural is dope… cool great. But to run around the city and go over 100s of gates (as kenny says he will have this year)…. and to go over classic REAL graffiti, dont by REAL GRAFFITI wrtiters, some who have quit, some who have died… some who have bled for the beef they have had. Its wrong…. and ya cant brag boast about "never been a graffiti writer", and then expect to understand how or why a person who does it illegally, feels.
I don't know much about graffiti except the basic 101 cliche stuff. Style Wars, Martha Cooper documentation etc etc. What I do know is that the aesthetic of the these throw ups is ass. If these guys have been writing for so long you would think they can offer up something a little better. Maybe these amateurs can use a few more decades to develop their styles before going over something superior to anything they have ever done. One word sums up this act. JEALOUSY!
Those throw ups are toy.
@boomer
By Keep it real I mean instead of pretending every piece or bomb people do is some amazing art form that cant be explained, lets be honest with ourselves and keep it real. Lets get smart, like every other interest group/sport/ corporation and get scientific with the shit and push it to new levels. The principle and elements of design employed in the graffiti aesthetic are not too complex. We can, if we matured, master everything that has been done, and push it to new levels. Like the direction shit was going with that lee whole car about the lexington line.
from mere scribbles, to bubble doodles, to abstract typographic compositions, to productions, to productions with sound messages that objectively express what the people outside out culture think it implies.
Instead of entertaining the notion of revolution and art as a means to self actualization, lets cognitively consider those ideas and sentiments.
@Franco
Your being silly dude, you know even children contribute more than 5 bucks. For a college educated person, your comments are so immature. Im glad I have outgrown that stage, wish everyone could.
Campaigning wouldnt be hard at all, but there is no point since you are actually bright enough not to disclose your writing name. I hope I never do make the connect between your comments here and your graff.
Since your a college graduate, why cant you deduce that your comments are turning out to be the only ones to resemble a baby crying.
I pity you and the toys that dissed Kennys mural. You both are doing a great job at destorying the path people like Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant have spent their lives trail blazing. And the sad thing is you are college educated.
But I shouldnt be so quick to pass judgement, I sincerely hope that your inept behavior here, doesnt carry over to any other aspect of your life, and that I never make the connection between your comments here and your graff.
@meea
I agree, the throw ups are toy.
@taskforce
There is no real evidence here sir, so whether you are a cop or a dumb writer pretending, you should already know better sources for intelligence.
@Kenny
Sorry these toys dissed you, even though they claim to have been writing and respected for doing so, so long, they lost any respect their street work could have earned them with me.
Dont disrespect other artist, even as toy as they may be. Its clear that you didn't like it when they dissed you, so why diss others that havent dissed you. Hopefully the Golden Rule has been incorperated into your system of ethics.
Peace to all the graff artists/street artists/ and all other artists that are positive and capable of cogent reasoning. Good luck to all you that arent there yet.
Maybe one day one of you will make graff will live up to its hype.
@ guy talking shit about LA
LA is respected by many from NY, at least the NY writers that are respected. Thats why respected LA writers have consistently collaborated with NY writers to this day.
We may not have had subways back that, and the new subway we have, may never let a hollow throwy run, but back in the day, we did kill the inside of buses, and we KILL Highways and HEAVENS like no other city on earth.
None, we may not have your respect, but for damn sure we get respect where it matters. Just as the NY writers that matter, get respect where it matters.
THIS IS A WEAK ATTEMPT FOR FAME BY THREE OR FOUR LEGIT CRACKHEADS WHO ARE OBVIOUSLY ARTISTICALLY CHALLENGED. THEY GET NO PROPS FOR THEIR ACTIONS. IF ANYTHING THEY EXPLOITED THEMSELVES AS BEING TRUE MISCREANTS.
WHILE KENNY IS AN ESTABLISHED ARTIST SELLING HIS ART WORLDWIDE THESE BUMS WALK THE STREETS MID BLIZZARD SCRAWLING CHILDISH DRIBBLE ON WALLS. WOW THATS REALLY KEEPING IT REAL HUH…IDIOTS!
HEY KRAM,
YOUR GRAFFITI ONLY EXISTS ON KATHYS BLOG..THE REST OF D30 DIDNT EVEN KNOW YOU WERE DOWN WITH THE CREW.
YOU LOOK LIKE A 9TH GRADE GIRL WITH DOWNS SYNDROME….PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND STAY THERE.
HEY, RETARD!
LOL..VIZIE FUCKED KATHY FIRST HAHA..MADE NIGGAS BEEN IN THAT FAT BITCHES BILL FOLD…SHIT SMELLS LIKE BAD TUNA ON A HOT DAY…EWWWWW
AYO KEN SHARP
MY NIGGA YOU BRING A TEAR TO REMOS EYE SON..REMO GON FUCK YOU UP..REMO DONT PLAY THAT..REMO REMO REMO REMO REMO REMO
REMIO
Hey LA Toy writer, please kill your noise. "Hollow throwy" you cornball??? It's obvious your a nu-jack with your new school toy terminology. Sorry but the term throwy is not a term any of us from the old school have ever used. The terminology you speak with shows your age and skills. It has nu-jack written all over it.
@ uni wide, you are aware that people in different cities call it different things. throw up/fill/ hollow/ whatever the the fuck.
your comment clearly indicates that you are a fucking moron.
are you gonna tell in 1982 no one called their shit throw up?
eat a dick.
tell us that in 1982*
and so what if LA stylewriter is a new blood, isnt it in your job as an elder to raise the new school? or just talk shit? lmao
secondly you ever here " its not the years in your life, but the life in your years"
You may think catching toy tags 30 years ago. but if between those 30 years you just grew old, your opinion sure as hell aint worth considering beyond what it is. Ass toy as Remo's throw up.
broken into 2 parts
1) What disappoints me about Kenny Scharf is his complete lack of any kind of response about how LAII (Angel Ortiz) got completely washed out of the Keith Haring history. Kenny was around during this early period. He was close to Keith. For example- LAII has his work in the 2 major Keith Haring books- one book done by Dietch and the other by the Whitney Museum. Both books have work in it by LAII and he is not given any credit. None. Without LAII, Keith would have been nothing more than a graphic artist. Once KH hooked up with LAII, he created some of his most original and important work- starting with those sculptures in the first "Keith Haring" solo show at Tony Shafrazi's. This was a break out moment for Keith. Right from this very first major exhibition -even though LAII was all over that show–but- right from the start- LAII credit was left out of the mix. It was the Keith Haring show. The Keith Haring retrospective at the Whitney has LA's work in it– the credit is only listed as a Keith Haring. Why cannot Kenny talk about this fact? I have nothing against Kenny- but why is he keeping quite about LAII? Kenny made a lot of noise with this mural- he got his props- LAII has his whole history erased- now that is something to bitch about. I hope that Kenny does not look at LAII as just the local Puerto Rican kid from the projects who hung around the same time he did– Kenny is the big time artist and LAII got burned.
2). Kenny forgets after Keith painted the Wall- it was eventually tagged up- Keith said he would never do anything in the EASt Village again- that Wall is not a museum- or a gallery. It is a part of the street. People get their moment– it latest for awhile and eventually it gets buffed. I make no claims to be a graffiti artist- I am not–I have done my own street stuff- but I make no claim, other than having many photos of street graf– and a large sticker collection- it is not my thing. Although, in the early 90's, I did paint the Wall. It was bare for a long time- Elsa and I went over one weekend and took 2 days to paint the Wall. It was a political art work. Since I kicked the Wall back into gear- after a couple of months Chico was paid to do an advertisement over my piece. I went one night and threw some buckets of paint over the advertisement- it was an ad for a wine bar. I then went to one of Chico's spots- told his people that I went over his piece. Soon Chico came by my place, as I am easy to find, and wanted me to pay for his paint so he could do it again. I said– "No!. We are both from the LES. We both know who each other is. You disrespected me by not telling me you were going to buff me- so No! I will not pay." We became friends after this- love and respect to Chico.
thanks clayton patterson
part 2-
3). the Wall- recently I helped LAII when he went over and filled in his tag around the Happy Birthday to Keith Haring reproduction of the first Haring Wall, paid for by Jeffery Dietch. LA painted his tag all around the KH reproduction. This LA did as his contribution to KH and the WAll- it was an act of love and not hate. I got the story into the NY Times. Just before Dietch went to LA (California) I went over and talked to him about LAII. I first discussed the fact that LAII needs his credit and then I went into a ghetto story- I was telling a story about 2 Puerto Rican project kids who grew up, in the late 70's early 80's on the LES. One (Luis Rosado- known as Blueboy) killed someone and went to jail for life- the other hooked up with this artist and helped make the artist become famous (LAII and Keith Haring) in the end they both lost. Blueboy, went on and became one of the most notorious inmates in the NY prison system- he became a high ranking CRIP- he is the inmate who killed LArry Davis- long story short- LAII eventually married Blueboys mother and even though both are around the same age- LAII is Blueboy's stepfather- when I told Dietch this story- he jumped up in the gallery and started screaming- you are threatening me- you are threatening me– I said are you crazy??? why would I threaten you– this is a story about the history of an inner city artist that you helped screwed and you can help rectify this wrong doing. So I ask- – where is the threat??? Anyway- what can I tell a screaming gallery owner, soon to be one of the most important museum directors in the country, who is using screaming as a tool to end the conversation. ? I left= later I was told he called the cops and made a complaint about me. A weak move I thought.
4)- As to the Ai Weiwei article- now this is a sad and painful story- the government completely leveling his studio- a note of interest- Weiwei as we called him in the early 90's, was a solid player in the LES (Lower East Side) struggle against all of this gentrification and big money that came rolling into the hood killing off everything that was before. I am thankful for a picture he took of me– I had a serious court case going on– and since you are checked before going into court and cannot bring much inside– so as a form of protest- in court- I wrote on one palm DUMP and on my hand I wrote Koch-( the Major of NYC at the time)- in the court house- I opened my hands and Weiwei got the DUMP KOCH picture in the NY Times. Weiwei recently had a show in London- I sent him some photos and videos of the LES struggle for some background information to his show. Props out to Weiwei.
thanks
clayton patterson les-
Tester Caps, please keep testing your caps toy. Let me guess you call throwups, throwies too which is why you felt the urge to step to me in cyberspace. Before the interent toys yourself like did not have a voice.
It is not my job to raise the new school. Sorry I am not into teaching Graffiti class 101. Their is plenty of information online and plenty of books out to learn the history. Get to work researching and maybe you'll learn something. You children of today want everything handed to you on a silver platter, pay your dues like the rest of us did through hard work , beefs , and risk of arrest or else shut the fcuk
LA Style Writer got a comment from me because he speaks with a tone of authority and acts like he is from the old school. The terminology he uses clearly shows likewise. Old school writers from other cities do not use this new school terminology either. He also uses word Style Writer in his name. Their are very few style writers. This is a term not to be used loosely and surely this person by the way he speaks is not one who should be using this term.
those aren't even tags. merely puny scribblings. actually, it looks like someone took a metallic colored shit on that good looking wall.
You might not have a lot to lose, but you are struggling awfully hard not to lose an internetbeef?
kenny scharf is the worst thing to happen to art. ive seen kids in daycare doodle better shit than that.
as far as bombing over that shit. im all for it.
again and again and again.
get that sace back up fools or youll have your wall smashed again and again.
its not always about the fame.
for me it would be about going over some ugly ass "who the fuck is kenny skarf?" "spray can art" with my throw.
this is how i feel about kennys bogus ass wanna be acid trip bullshit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7zc1XNeAzA&fe…
not dope.
SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE
SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE
SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE
SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE SACE
sace
both the taggers and Scharf's graffitis sucks! what a waste of paint and wall… the wall can be solved, but the paint was already lost…
The guys that capped it are idiots… they've even gone over JA recently. Fools.
I was lying about JA being capped. Welcome to the internet. (",)
Mr. Scharf, I'm sorry this happened. You seem like a genuinely good person and you are also one of my most favoritest ever artists. I aspire to work with you someday.
Defacing someone's artwork is disgusting. Did you read he said the painting came purely out of love? Where did your "work" come from? It was an act of hate. Is that the impact you want to leave on the world? Hate? If so, you are eliminating the goodness in this world, you are a negative impact. Why on earth would anyone ever want to be that?