Evan Roth Unveils Signature Art in Hong Kong

Graffiti Research Lab founder Evan Roth continues improving his tagging technology. For a new Hong Kong exhibition, the artist unveiled his digital blackbook for collecting and displaying visualizations of people’s handstyles. The motion graphics created at the opening of “New Media New Thinking” will remain on display at Input / Output gallery through November 1st. Watch the graffiti analysis demonstration after the jump. Read more »

Graffiti Taxonomy 2.0

Continuing his exploration of tags as a high art form, G.R.L. founder and hacktivist Evan Roth just unveiled an online manifestation of his ongoing Graffiti Taxonomy project. The website represents the artist’s contribution to “Born in the Streets,” a new graffiti exhibit at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. For those that need some brushing up on the project, here’s the gist of it: Read more »

Graffiti Writers Bomb Paris Museum

Earlier this week, Paris’ Fondation Cartier opened “Born in the Streets,” an exhibition of graffiti styles diverging from its inception to the present. The main gallery space and garden have been filled with pieces and other graffiti-inspired works by artists including SEEN, JONONE, Barry McGee, Evan Roth, QUICK, and PHASE2. Approximating what the museum could look like following an uninvited tag attack, parts of the building’s façade and interior have been bombed with graffiti, including Pixacao tags from Brazilian artists. The show is on view through the end of November, but if you can’t see it in person, a selection of photos is below. Read more »

Artist Stages ‘Intellectual Property Asshole Competition’

In one corner: Shepard Fairey, an artist who has built his empire on appropriated art but files cease and desist letters to artists who co-opt his work even for parody purposes. In the other corner: The Associated Press, the world’s biggest news service sometimes less accurate than MTV that claims “fair use” only applies to them, not others. These two challengers will vie to win a new competition organized by Evan Roth, the Graffiti Research Lab co-founder and Hova textualizer, who writes: Read more »

‘Typographic’ Video Version of ‘Brooklyn Go Hard’

You may have heard the new Kanye West produced, Brooklyn Go Hard Jay-Z track featuring Santogold, but have you seen the video? The Graffiti Research Lab’s Evan Roth was commissioned by RED & the Global Fund to create the visuals and he pulled out all stops for Jay: “I’ve been turning down client requests to use Typographic Illustration for 5 years in hopes that one day the phone would ring and it would be Hova.” Full video after the jump.

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Beijing Police Hand Out “10-Day Detention Terms” To Activists

Charged with “upsetting public order,” six activists were punished by Beijing police with “10-day detention terms,” according to a statement released by the monk-killing authorities. Students for A Free Tibet believe the six are Powderly and the other five Americans arrested for displaying pro-Tibetan sentiments, although the skull-cracking coppers refused to confirm details. In China, the police can detain “without having to go through the courts.” So the bad news is it looks like Powderly will have to spend another week in jail, the good news is you now have plenty of time to join the movement and submit some freedom promoting imagery or just buy the t-shirt. UPDATE: Powderly freed! |AFP|

The ‘POWderly-Tee’

Now that the movement has begun, here’s the official POWderly-Tee designed by fellow conspirator and G.R.L. co-founder Evan Roth—he was on vacation in Costa Rica at the time. The trouble began on Wednesday, when James Powderly was taken into custody by Beijing security officials for plotting to debut his harmless “Free Tibet” L.A.S.E.R. stencil on a major building near Tiananmen Square. Roth notes that there’s still no word on Powderly’s whereabouts, so go ahead and buy a shirt. The money is earmarked for a good cause: “All proceeds will go towards getting James hella drunk when he gets back.”