The Pen…
“SAMO as an alternative 2 playing art with the ‘radical chic’ sect on Daddy’s $ funds.”
SAMO (Jean Michel Basquiat)
“You see them? Their tags are little black letters on little white cards of paper. My tags are running in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens right now, in every burrough, on every line. It’s eight feet high and it’s beautiful.”Ramo
I really miss Graffiti. I see it all the time, but I miss feeling like I’m really apart of it. I still can decipher the words and I count the strokes. I admire the skills and depth. It’s not the same as when I did it. When I sunk low in the seats of the bus and signed off, or checked out the driver in the mirror while I defaced the window. The ultimate thrill, leaving the house with a backpack full of paints and my caps stored away in the smaller pocket as we walked toward a predetermined location to carve out our niche. I’m like an old man who used to play ball. I recognize some of the players and their skills, but I always have a little dream in the corner of my mind about “I if I had hit that spot”. I don’t hang out in the same way I used to and that makes actually doing it harder. When you’re “in” the streets most of the time it’s easy to get up. I won’t blame working though. One of the best artists in this city would go to work to support his family then at night go out and wreak havoc. He was older than I am now when I was barely twenty. I miss it. I used to draw and practice in my rhyme book and on flat surfaces in my room. I used to scan drawings into computers to see what I could do with them on whatever image program that computer boasted. I guess I’m reminded of this by the sprite wall thing. It seems kind of lame, but looking at some of the other examples people had done it let me know that certain skills were still automatic to me. Where some people just threw things up I had layers, a color scheme and even a signature. I still use my skills but mostly in doing flyers for work or in my bored time when to much “white space” is in front of me. I have to consider the fact that while I may not get up like I used to (not that I was ever known), perhaps my white train is my life. My expedition, to find where I can bring color and style to my world and then sign off with a flair. Since I go through more metal detectors than I used to carrying around a big metal marker wouldn’t really work out as well anyway. Not that I couldn’t…or won’t. Until then my hand written notes and signature will just have to confuse the uninitiated and bring smiles to the faces of those familiar with that aerosol smell and memories of “getting up”.
I have missed the feeling of being free. With my art I was always free and unfortunately don’t take the time to indulge like I used to. I have just recently taken up new hobbies, but nothing beats getting that pencil to the paper.
Comment by van007 — November 8, 2005 @ 5:19 pm
Dude. It’s sounds like you’re getting old…like damn near thirty or something. Go tag the side of the bus or something…hell…go tag the ED’s desk…reclaim your youth!!
Comment by Beloved — November 8, 2005 @ 5:34 pm
What u know a bout a fat cap.. yep I had a piece book too!
Comment by msjaim — November 8, 2005 @ 6:58 pm
My graff skills were pretty sorry at best. But my brotha was an assassin with that spray can. Walls didn’t stand a chance when he came around. I got him his first black book and he couldn’t wait to tag up all of those white pages. I know you’re a lover of one of the elements of Hip Hop having deciphered that tag in the Splinter Cell last month. Nice job and cool subject for this blog man.
Comment by Luke Cage — November 9, 2005 @ 7:37 pm
don’t know if you know but the documentary “Bomb the System” came out, might remind you of the old days and give your heart some joy that the art is staying alive no matter how hopeless it may seem at times
Comment by nas dawud — November 9, 2005 @ 8:10 pm
Great post. *sigh* Sometimes I wish I can be reincarnated as a graf artist, or someone with a good eye for art. *smile*
Comment by Dayrell — November 10, 2005 @ 7:11 am
What trips me out is when I’m driving or riding the train and I see someone’s tag is some high ass obscure place, that makes wonder how in the heck did they reach that, and how come you never seem them doing it? Nyce post.
Comment by Bk Babe — November 10, 2005 @ 11:32 pm
i feel that. was never into tagging besides in my school books but jus that feeling of watching cats do something you used to do
Comment by jdid — November 16, 2005 @ 12:45 am
theophylline
Trackback by theophylline — April 6, 2006 @ 6:10 pm
Pretty cool story, but I don’t see the problem. If you still have that feeling, why don’t you go outside and start claiming the city? It seems to me that you don’t have that real feeling, because if you had…you where doing it 24/7. Greets from the country where foreigners think it’s only weed, whores, tulips and party..bananarepublik 4 life
Comment by realsteel — March 16, 2007 @ 8:40 am