graffiti-news-network

Graffiti artist hits several East Austin businesses

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:10:48 +0100

East Austin business owners are using technology to fight taggers who vandalize their property.

Early Monday morning as people were leaving the bars along east Sixth Street, a guy in a backpack paused in front of Austin Body Works.

FOX 7 was with manager Stan Templeton when he watched surveillance video of the man tagging the walls of the shop.

"Dirty rotten scoundrel," Templeton said. "Hey man, that's not your wall. Rude."

The tagger is also captured on cameras next door at Rio Rita. On the business's Facebook page, it lists a bounty for his identity.

By Tuesday afternoon, the damage on the body shop and Rio Rita had been painted over.

"We cover them up as soon as we possibly can we don't want to give these guys any street cred at all," Templeton said.

Tyler Van Aken of Shangri-La is also looking for him. He had his paint can out when we stopped by.

"It's something we have to do once or twice a week," Van Aken said.

Van Aken has video of the guy walking past the front of Shangri-La and a shot of him spray-painting the side wall of the building. Shangri-La, by far, took the biggest hit.

"It's super frustrating. There's not only time and what I'm doing with my day. I can paint over the building but when they graffiti things that I have to pay a professional painter to come and fix or you know things that cost money that I have to replace. I don't think they're considering that. I don't think they're considering much of anything when they're going around doing that."

Van Aken says removing graffiti costs him hundreds of dollars a year.

In addition to social media posts, business owners have begun to make fliers of the crooks and post them throughout the neighborhood.

"Our best action is public shame. You know. Bring back the stockades, put him on the corner let people spray paint him," Templeton said.

Templeton says hanging photos up worked on their last serial graffiti artist. He says Monday's vandal is next.

"We're not going to take it. These guys are juvenile vandals. They want to be adults but they're acting like kids. We're not going to put up with it," Templeton said.

Austin taxpayers shell out between $500 to $600 thousand dollars a year to clean up graffiti.

Popular graffiti-style art spot, The Mullet, asking for donations

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:14:20 +0100

An outdoor mural at Kingspoint Mullet is Houston's largest graffiti mecca and art space and is run by Southern Artists Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to help autistic children, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, in Houston. ( Michael Paulsen / Houston Chronicle )

A popular graffiti-style art spot in Kingspoint called The Mullet is asking for donations after struggling to pay its lease, according to a Facebook post.

"Calling all friends of The Mullet! We desperately need to raise $2000 or we get locked out of the building tomorrow morning," the group wrote on its Facebook wall. "We are trying to help the community here and we have to keep this going until we can get fully funded. Please help! Any amount will help, and please share like crazy because the more people who help then the closer we can get to the goal!"

Justin Hinojosa, a co-curator with the non-profit Southern Artist Foundation that runs the gallery, said after making the plea they received about $800 from about 10 different donors. A benefactor then agreed to cover the rest.

The Mullet was opened by a former Angleton runaway to Montrose, Johnathan Estes, who converted the rented warehouse into a huge gallery for street-style art. The name The Mullet is a reference to the gallery space in the front and party space in the back. (Business in the front. Party in the back.)

It is the biggest graffiti-art showcase in the United States and Estes is looking to convert it into the largest showcase in the country. Estes is working with venture capitalist and developer Lance Davis to expand the reach of the graffiti showcase, open for two years, to nearby properties. Chronicle columnist Lisa Gray's recent profile of Estes and his plans for The Mullet can be read at houstonchronicle.com.

With the next 30 days of rent covered, Hinojosa said they are looking forward to next month and raising money to help cover the final facility structural improvements.

"We're trying to keep the fine art and keep looking forward to establish this as a long lasting artist foundation for Houston arts," he said.

A car wash will be held today until 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, an exhibit by University of Houston architecture students will be showcased from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibit, which is meant to further autism awareness, includes a timeline of autism as well as installations on the floor and ceilings of the gallery. Benefits from that event will go toward autism awareness non-profits.

The Mullet is located at 10902 Kingspoint. Hours are irregular, but weekend afternoons are usually good times to watch artists. You can follow their Facebook page for more information on parties and events.

To donate, go to PayPal.com and enter sos_pit_crew@yahoo.com.

Chris Brown Puts His Graffiti Art Skills to Work for Charity

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:20:05 +0100

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Symphonic Love

Chris Brown has been on an artistic roll the past couple of days.

Breezy joined forces with famous graffiti artist Slick (real name Richard Wyrgatsch II) on Friday, tagging up a wall to raise funds for the Best Buddies International foundation.

The rapper tweeted, "Painting today with 'Slick'. An Amazing artist. Gonna be a big collaboration for charity. Do what u love!"

Breezy gets cozy with unknown female—for a music video

Slick also tweeted, "@chrisbrown charity is a beautiful thang...... Lets do this," and posted a photo with the singer "in the lab" on his Instagram.

But that wasn't the end of Brown's artsy weekend. Chris continued expressing his creativity by painting a huge St. Patrick's Day-inspired mural yesterday, and sharing a photo of the finished product on Twitter.

This isn't the first time fans have seen Breezy's love for art. In January, Brown posted a photo of a painting he did of Jesus on the cross, flanked by the two prisoners who were crucified with Christ, saying, "Painting the way I feel today. Focus on what matters!"

Convicted graffiti artist falls to his death as he's spray painting on the side of a freeway bridge

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:16:22 +0100

Friends and family gathered yesterday to remember a graffiti artist who fell to his death whilst spray painting his tag.

22-year-old Andre Petkov from North Highlands near Sacramento fell off an overpass along Interstate 80 overpass while daubing graffiti on the bridge.

Investigators say his body had been there for a couple of days before it was found by a street sweeper.

Remembered: Friends gathered to remember Andrey Petvov who fell to his death from a freeway overpass

Memorial: Andrey Petkov was a member of the Sacramento Graffiti Killers gang. He had several convictions for vandalism

A makeshift memorial was set up for friends to pay their respects.

People that knew Petkov say he never tagged or destroyed public property but he was convicted in 2009 and 2011 for vandalism in the Sacramento and Roseville areas.

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He was associated with a group known as the Sacramento Graffiti Killers. They were accused of around 300 cases of tagging that caused $80,000 in property damage and cleanup costs.

Danil Okunee, a friend of Andreys, said he only used to create murals in his own backyard and never destroy public property

The gang were not considered dangerous but they were blamed for the dramatic rise in damage to property at the time.

Police say Petkov used the tag 'nose' and 'bape.'

Graffiti gang: Petkov was a member of the Sacramento Graffiti Killers. They were accused of around 300 cases of tagging that caused $80,000 in property damage and cleanup costs

Art or eyesore: Graffiti often is seen as having become intertwined with hip hop culture but few can agree whether it is high art or simply offensive

Danil Okunee, a friend of Petkov, says he would draw murals in his backyard: 'He never really wanted to disrespect anyone or anything that’s not his.'

Petkov was convicted several times of graffiti vandalism in the Sacramento area.

Blockbust and Vomit: Graffiti artist’s spoof take on Britain’s crumbling High Streets

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:12:03 +0100

A graffiti artist has created a tongue-in-cheek commentary on Britain’s struggling high streets – by erecting spoof shop signs with names such as “Blockbust” and “Vomit”.

Luke Hollingworth, 36, created lookalike logos of failed high street brands and erected them above empty premises in his local high street.

The collection includes a portrayal of the infamous HMV dog being HANGED and a fake sign for the Blockbuster video rental store which reads “Blockbust”.

Another is a sign for electrical retailer Comet, which instead reads “Vomit”.

The three logos were put over empty shops in Malmesbury, Wilts., more than two weeks ago and have remained there despite polarising local opinion.

Luke, who created the signs from scratch using spray paint, said he was trying to make a point about the decline of high street stores.

He said: “The three brands, Comet, Blockbuster and HMV, are all brands that really the internet sort of stuffed them a little bit and they didn’t change with the times.

“It is a metaphor for the town at the moment, there is a lot of development on the outskirts planned and being debated with supermarkets, houses etc.

“I was making a point about the vibrant town centre that we once had and still have to a very great extent, great independent retailers that we still have on the high street.”

But Luke, who works under the pseudonym “Syd”, has caused controversy across the town.

Wiltshire councillor Simon Killane said he would be seeking enforcement action and did not understand the message.

He said: “I do not understand the message that putting ‘Vomit’ on a disused shop is supposed to send about our beautiful town.

“There is a great opportunity here to put out positive messages about the town rather than the confused, ill-considered signs that have been put up.

“It is respect for your neighbours. If you lived in a house next to me and somebody put a sign saying ‘Vomit’ up outside my house, you would try to sell your house, you would not be pleased.”

Mr Killane added: “The message these signs are sending is that Malmesbury is sort of dead or dying, which it totally false.

“Those empty shops, we should be promoting them by saying Malmesbury is a beautiful, busy and thriving town.”

The councillor’s comments sparked a fierce debate on Facebook, with hundreds defending the signs.

Becki Deacon wrote: “So let me get it straight, the artwork by Sydney is unacceptable, but shops being boarded up rather than turned into residential properties is perfectly acceptable and do not give across the message that business in the town is failing?”

Paul Waldron, another poster, commented: “I think it’s the boarded up shops that make it look unsightly not a local artist who is well known in the town contributing yet a bit more humour and fun.”

The views were shared by most business owners, residents and shoppers, and many said the signs were a humorous take on the state of the economy.

They claimed it highlighted the issue in Malmesbury where high rates and rents are discouraging shops from being let.

Malmesbury has never had a Blockbuster, Comet or HMV and continues to have independent butchers, bakers, shops and cafes but has half a dozen empty shops.

In response to the criticism Luke said he had received messages of support from many local businesses and people.

“I have to say Mr Killane is now my biggest friend,” he added.

“He sparked this street work into something bigger than I ever thought it would be today and it is two and a half weeks later.

“I’ve got plans to do more street art but as for this installation it will only be the three.

“People have emailed me with names and ideas for the other shops but I won’t be doing anything else on the high street.

“I have no plans at the moment to take these down, it’s only a screw tapped into a hoarding. If people want them they can have them, what will be, will be.”

Graffiti art on shop to deter taggers

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:10:42 +0100

Christchurch graffiti artist Nick 'Icarus' Tam works on his 'fish and chips graffiti' at the Palmerston fish and chip shop earlier this week. Photo by Bill Campbell.

How do you deter taggers from covering your shop's exterior walls with graffiti? Get someone in to cover the walls with graffiti first.

A large graffiti-style fish and chips design has been painted on to a Palmerston fish and chip shop's exterior wall. Christchurch graffiti artist Nick ''Icarus'' Tam is working his way around the South Island doing graffiti art on request in various towns.

''Graffiti with a fish'' had been ordered by Palmerston fish and chip shop owner Chris Arbuckle. Mr Arbuckle said graffiti was another way of drawing the attention of passing traffic to the fish and chip shop.

Mr Tam said he painted quality graffiti in Christchurch under contract to building owners. The Christchurch buildings had usually been targeted by taggers and graffiti artists and cleaned up several times before he was called in to paint his graffiti. His work ''usually'' deterred further tags or graffiti.

Graffiti artist charged 68 times for tagging locations across Brooklyn

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:08:01 +0100

By Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

Luiz Baltar/Flickr/Getty Images

A prolific graffiti artist was charged 68 times with scrawling his signature tag across Brooklyn.

Fitzgerald McBride, 44, was busted painting “2Mean” at the New Lots Avenue L-train station in Brownsville on Saturday, court records show.

Cops then charged the serial vandal for scrawling his signature screed in 67 other locations throughout the borough.

McBride has a rap sheet spanning two decades, with arrests that include drugs and weapons possession charges. He was arraigned Monday night.

skavanaugh@nydailynews.com

Police say "Watch'' graffiti artist in custody

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:06:06 +0100

A man accused of being the "Watch'' tagger is arrested in West Haven. Photo: West Haven Police, West Haven Police Department

A man police say has left his graffiti tag, "Watch,'' on public buildings in several area towns, has been arrested for the fourth time.

Matthew Cashman, 22, of Wallingford, was charged with 12 separate counts of criminal mischief after his arrest by West Haven police on Monday. Cashman had been arrested a year ago in North Haven, Wallingford and New Haven for the same offense, said West Haven police spokesman Brett Schneider.

"In Wallingford he destroyed an unfinished hotel off of Exit 15 on I-91,'' Schneider said.

The suspect is being held on a $40,000 total bond. No arraignment date was available Tuesday.

Banksy-style graffiti appears in Cumbria

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:46:52 +0100

Rumours have been circulating in Whitehaven that the town has its very own Banksy after a piece of graffiti appeared on the coastguard station.

The graffiti in Whitehaven

The vandalism is in the stencilled style of the renowned graffiti artist and shows a woman with dozens of red hearts.

Gerard Richardson, who organises the annual Whitehaven Festival, said he did not think the graffiti was directed against the coastguard.

He said: “I think it is someone who is trying out his art in a prominent place.

“Is it a local Banksy? He’ll be hoping it is chiselled out so he can make a fortune.”

Banksy is an anonymous UK-based graffiti artist, originally from Bristol, who is known for his satirical and subversive street art. His work has appeared in cities throughout the world.

Last month it was reported that one of his murals, showing a young child sewing Union Flag bunting, was removed from the wall of a shop in Wood Green in London.

Street artist JPS, who has a similar style to Banksy and has left his mark across towns and cities across the UK in the past couple of years, told the News & Star he had seen the Whitehaven ‘art’ pictured on the internet but said it was nothing to do with him. He said he would investigate.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria police said they had not been made aware of the graffiti.

The Whitehaven coastguard station, or Wellington Lodge, is one of only two remaining buildings from Wellington Pit – the other being the nearby Candlestick Chimney. It is the second oldest coastguard station in Britain.

Free Stik print inside every Big Issue!

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:45:14 +0100

ads not by this site

The celebrities' favourite graffiti artist, Stik has collaborated with The Big Issue on an exclusive give-away

He’s the ex-homeless graffiti artist whose striking images now hang in the homes of celebrities like Elton John and Bono. Now the mysterious Stik has decided to give a print away for free to Big Issue readers, available inside this week's magazine.

He started painting his haunting figures on buildings across the capital two years ago and was quickly noticed by the art world. After a number of high-profile exhibitions, his work was snapped up by celebrity collectors.

The graffiti artist said he decided to give away a print in tribute to his homeless friends, but also to toast the work of the Big Issue.

Stik, who keeps a pseudonym to maintain anonymity, said: “My figures don’t have mouths, they are silent. Most homeless people are invisible as well as silent. The Big Issue gives them a voice.

“The Big Issue is a great organisation which helps so many people to get back on their feet. I’ve wanted to do a project like this for a while. Also, I wanted to give something back to my friends who are still homeless, who taught me how to skip dive for food, the people who helped me open my first squat, even the people who taught me the tricks of street survival and showed me some sort of stability."

Discussing his own homelessness, Stik added: “A house is like a second skin: it protects you from the world. Without it you can get badly hurt, physically and emotionally.

"Homelessness is relentless, and grinds you down to a state where you just exist on a level to survive. You try to develop a thick skin but end up getting hurt anyway. It is hard to stay positive. When you are homeless you feel like you are in the street even when you are in a house. And even when you are not homeless, the street still feels like your living room.

“I think people who have been homeless will know what I mean when I say I still have my homeless days, when I am back in that state even though I have a home now. Council letters and tax forms seem to bring it on, that temporary inability to comprehend normal domestic life. It is a reminder of how easy it is to lose it all.”

To get your hugely collectable limited edition print buy this week’s Big Issue, on sale now... and tell us what you think: #bigstikissue