Thursday, January 31, 2008

MacTook

So, contrary to common belief, New York's grimey underbelly is apparently alive and kicking. Who steals someone's fucking computer? Horrible fucktards who have no respect for work. Yesterday my computer was stolen out from under me, by some admittedly smooth thief, at a coffee shop. All this not to boo hoo, but rather to say, if you and I have interacted and there is something I recently sent you that you think I might need to have, please send it back to me (photos, files, whatever). And, if you get any weird, out of character shit from someone purporting to be me, tell them to go fuck themselves and hit up hell in a handbasket.

--iO

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Some daily encouragement?

I was running around the 42nd st. subway station the other day and came across these...





a disgruntled worker perhaps?

Elph - in London

This is one of our favorite darlings, Scottish street artist Elph, shot in London by Mariette Papic for Overspray05 - The Character Kings. www.akaelph.com









Sunday, January 27, 2008

Show in Seattle




I'll be there.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Phil Holt show


The tattoo legend in San Francisco:

sooo.....we're moving

and that means we're uncovering alllll of our old stuff. (It also means I have a back ache, and I'm drinking way too much effing coffee). So simultaneously forgive us for the lackluster posting as of late, and bask in the glory that is the Overspray of yesteryear.
Here are some photos taken at the Pictures on Walls screenprinting studio. In case you dont know, they are responsible for all Banksy prints, as well as a grip of other mega talented artists. We hit them up exactly a year ago when we visited London. Big up to Ben. All photos by Mariette Papic.

www.picturesonwalls.com











Friday, January 25, 2008

Another artist series

This time it's Jansport and street artists. The artists have never done anything so commercial so pop in and see for yourselves:


Wednesday, January 23, 2008

the latest artist busted who doesnt deserve it

This time it's Nola rising, in New Orleans. New-we-need-uplifting-art-more-than-muthafuckin-anyone-Orleans kids. Read the article below to see how the NOPD is slapping him with $50,000 worth of fines for giving away art.



:::
‘Gray Ghost’ feuds with Nola Rising creator
NOPD citations could soon cost artist $50,000
by Richard A. Webster


Michael Dingler knew he was in trouble when the “Gray Ghost” appeared at the Freret Street Art Market in December accompanied by Joseph Joia, a New Orleans Police Department quality of life officer.

Joia cited Dingler for more than 1,100 counts of unlawfully posting signs on telephone poles that could cost him more than $50,000 in fines.

Dingler doesn’t deny the charges. Since Hurricane Katrina he has hung hundreds of hand-painted “messages of hope” throughout the city, signs with slogans such as “Smile” and “Welcome Back.”

Dingler said the charges don’t make sense given that Joia arrived with Fred Radtke, aka the Gray Ghost, who has made a name for himself by slathering gray paint over graffiti on public and private buildings — often without property owner approval.

“When I asked Officer Joia if he was going to file the same charges against Fred under the graffiti statutes, he said he was unaware of what I was talking about,” said Dingler. “Here’s a guy who is destroying city property, who has become what he said he is fighting against. And yet I’m the one facing all these charges? It’s selective enforcement of the law.”

Radtke dismissed Dingler’s accusations, called him a “loser,” a “phony” and the “biggest pain in the ass I ever met.”

He said Dingler’s so-called “messages of hope” are “vertical trash” that promote other forms of vandalism.

“It’s real simple: people either want to abide by the law or not,” Radtke said.

Common purposes

Radtke, 52, founded the nonprofit Operation Clean Sweep in 1997 to fight graffiti.

The former Marine covers graffiti full-time and depends on donations to fund his operation, including several $10,000 grants from the city of New Orleans and a $32,000 grant over a four-year period from Freeport-McMoRan.

Radtke expanded his targets after the storm from simply graffiti to signs illegally posted on telephone poles. He paints over band posters and political and business advertisements.

Dingler, also a former Marine and a New Orleans native, has organized Nola Rising, a post-Katrina campaign to encourage people to display public works of art meant to inspire people during the recovery.

The idea was to hand-paint signs with positive slogans such as “Believe,” and “Everybody radiates sunshine on the soul,” and hang them everywhere from Uptown to the Lower Ninth Ward.

Dingler said his friends warned him against the idea. They said it was pointless because his artwork would fall victim to the unforgiving brush of the Gray Ghost.

“I had no idea who he was,” Dingler said. “I thought it was crazy. Who would paint over messages of hope?”

A few days after Dingler hung his first signs, Radtke covered them with a thick layer of gray paint.

“You have to have a pretty cold heart to do something like that,” Dingler said. “I definitely didn’t think that what I was doing was a crime.”

Dingler is scheduled to appear March 18 in Orleans Parish Civil District Court. He said it is difficult to understand why he faces $50,000-plus in fine for hanging removable pieces of art while Radtke is free to splatter permanent gray paint on whatever surface he wants with impunity.

Radtke is an independent operator whose actions are not officially sanctioned by the city. City officials said they allow him to do his thing because of a lack of manpower and funds.

City support

Robert Mendoza, director of the New Orleans Public Works Department, said Radtke is breaking the law every time he paints over graffiti on public street signs. But Mendoza will do nothing to prosecute the violations, he said, because his office lacks the resources and time to conduct an investigation.

The New Orleans Police Department, however, condones Radtke’s actions. NOPD often calls him directly to cover graffiti and spokesman Sgt. Joe Narcisse said they have no intention of charging Radtke with any crimes.

Dingler said he was charged with violations of the law after Radtke became obsessed with him and embarked on a personal vendetta.

Radtke’s harassment has nothing to do with ridding the city of graffiti, he said

Radtke didn’t deny his war against Dingler is personal and said he will use all of his energy and resources to financially cripple him. He accuses Dingler of being in league with the graffiti artists, saying Dingler intentionally provoked him by hanging signs calling him the “Gray Gangster,” and posted his home address on the Internet.

Permission needed

Tiffiny Wallace, owner of the Lucky You Candy Co. at 4505 Magazine St., is a fan of the Nola Rising project and has several works hanging on telephone poles in front of her store.

“It’s a uniquely New Orleans thing and the kids who come into my store love it,” said Wallace. “I don’t understand why Michael’s being charged with all of these things while Radtke is free to paint gray paint all over my neighbor’s windows without his permission. It’s going to cost $1,000 now to replace them.”

Wallace contemplated pursuing a restraining order against Radtke to prevent him from painting over the Nola Rising signs. She is circulating a petition among Magazine Street business owners demanding Radtke secure their permission before he paints anything on their properties.

Radtke said he has no problem with that. But Dingler’s signs are illegal, he said, just as it is illegal to staple bills, posters or signs of any kind to telephone poles.

And it doesn’t matter if the signs happen to be hand-painted, “pretty pictures” of rainbows with inspirational slogans.

To Radtke it is all vandalism and he is going to “gray” it all out, whether anyone asks him to or not.

Violent past

As a result of the escalating tension, Radtke and Dingler said they fear for their safety.

Radtke said taggers he associates with Dingler have thrown acid at him, threatened him with knives and smashed his truck windows.

Dingler points to an online photograph of a bloodied young graffiti artist he claims Radtke attacked.

Radtke said the beating was self-defense and no charges were ever filed against him.

Diane Lundeen, owner of Petcetera on Magazine Street and a judge with the Louisiana Office of Worker’s Compensation District 8, said the city should oversee volunteers such as Radtke to coordinate his efforts and ensure business owner property rights.

Until then, he continues to operate as a freelancer without direct oversight or accountability, she said.

Dingler is compiling a database of Radtke’s handiwork that should dwarf the 1,100 counts he now faces. He will present his evidence to the police, just as Radtke did, and demand charges be filed.

“This all started with me trying to do something good for the city and now it has turned into a nightmare all because of a guy called the Gray Ghost,” Dingler said. “It’s insane.”•

Two die in Australia while getting up in stormwater drain



*taken from: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/graffitists-drown-in-drain/2008/01/21/1200764081353.html

Afternoon adventure that ended in disaster

Police will close the entrance to a stormwater drain in Sydney's eastern suburbs where two people drowned and a third miraculously escaped after torrential rain flushed him out to sea.

The survivor, a 27-year-old from Pennant Hills, told police the group had entered the drain in Moverly Road, Kingsford, about one kilometre from where they were caught in the torrent.

Inspector Eddie Bosch said the group had been drinking alcohol and spraying graffiti inside the drain last night when they heard the sound of rushing water.

"They spent about half an hour doing the artwork, not that far from the entrance," he said. "Then they've heard a noise and suddenly the water is upon them and they've washed all the way to Lurline Bay."

They smashed into steel bars at the end of the drain but the 27-year-old slipped through. "He's just got a little scratch on his hip," Inspector Bosch said.

Inspector Bosch said police identified the man and woman who died and have notified their families.

"The girl was a 22-year-old from St Peters and the man was 25 from Pennant Hills," Inspector Bosch said.

"We had about 15 to 20 minutes of torrential rain last night - it was incredibly heavy. They probably wouldn't have heard anything until the water came."

A police spokesman said the 27-year-old was very lucky to have suffered only minor injuries when he was washed into the bay.

"Physically he's very good, he hardly got a scratch on him.

"He was able to give police a coherent view of what happened."

It is believed that a Maroubra lifeguard, Paul Moffat, was one of two locals who rescued the 27-year-old by paddling out 50 to 100 metres and carrying him to shore on a surfboard.

Mr Moffat also works as a high-performance surfing coach.

"He managed to wave his arms around and some residents across the other side of the bay have seen him in trouble," Inspector Bosch said.

"They've got on their surfboards and gone across and literally saved his life," Inspector Bosch said.

Rescue crews arrived about 6.30pm, but were unable to save the young man and woman.

A neighbour, Susan Hutchinson, 40, went to see why helicopters were hovering near the cliff and saw a young woman's body being winched out of the water by a rescue helicopter.

"The question is: what are they doing here in the first place?" Ms Hutchinson said.

Inspector Bosch said: "It just shows the dangers of going into these sort of places. Stormwater drains are not anywhere people should go."

Officers later searching the drain found a bag of spray paint cans inside, police said.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

GET BACK!! They did it again....a new Overspray!



Since street art has progressed so far beyond the spray can, Overspray07, the MATERIALS issue, focuses on all the different materials people use to make street art out of and on.
Featuring the word from the experts on which materials you should be using to cut your stencils, make stickers out of, what spray paints are best and how to make killer wheatpaste. Skewville teaches you the art of tossing art over telephone wires and Gore-B gives you a recipe for the most permanent black ink. We also spotlighted 26 of the world's most cutting edge street artists, using some of the most obscure materials to get up.
Covering everything from dogshit to rubber chickens and resin sculpture, this issue is a bible of inspiration.
Not to mention, we're mighty proud of the first 100% Overspray built threads fashion section, featuring outfits built from the materials themselves! See them tear eachother apart and make outfits straight off the wall. This one is gonna FLY off the shelves so cop it while it's hot!

Go to www.overspraymag.com and flick your plastic at the shop page.

all city






Hrrmmm. Maybe you need the drink to have enough 'NRG' to 'go all city'. It case you dont know what that means, the definition is provided on the back of the can...

Even dead, this Chinese guy is cooler than you


Unless you spent the better part of the last five decades getting up around Hong Kong, through police persecution and on crutches, Tsang Tsou-choi -- dubbed "The King of Kowloon" -- has the edge on you. Tsang died in late 2007, after a lifetime devoted mostly to covering walls, lamposts, lanterns, and anything else he could get his hands on Chinese-style calligraphy, and making his imprint part of Hong Kong's collective consciousness. Both the city and fans of street art and free expression mourn the loss of this unique figure.






For more information: http://anti-corporation.blogspot.com/2008/01/king-of-kowloon-mr-tsang-tsou-choi-1921.html

--Trixie Bedlam

Save the date

Dearest Oversprayers!
Our friend Michael de Feo gave us the word on this exhibit this morning.
Mark your calendars...



Monday, January 21, 2008

another artist series

This time it's Jansport and street artists. The artists have never done anything so commercial so pop in and see for yourselves:


Banksy wall sells for over 200,000 British Pounds


*Ganked straight from bbc.co.uk

£208,100 eBay bid for Banksy wall

Online bidding for a wall painted on by graffiti artist Banksy has closed with a final bid of £208,100.

However, neither auction site eBay nor seller Luti Fagbenle has confirmed if the bid has been accepted.

The painting is on a wall on the side of a media production firm's base in Portobello Road in west London. Mr Fagbenle owns the company.

The final bid does not include the cost of removal and repair of the wall, estimated to be about £5,000.

The artwork is now covered in plastic and shows a painter finishing off the word "Banksy".

'Maverick'

Bobby Read, art expert at specialist insurer Hiscox, said: "Banksy is a maverick as well as a hugely talented artist. It's an intoxicating combination for buyers as this price shows.

"The Portobello Road wall is a special piece and probably the largest piece of Banksy art work to have been sold at a public auction.

"This sale poses many interesting questions for the art world. How do you move a piece of work like this, how do you display it and how do you insure it?"

Included on the auction page was a description of how Banksy managed to paint the picture without being discovered.

Broad-daylight graffiti

The posting explained: "One might guess that he would come in the middle of the night but instead he got some people to put a massive scaffolding in on a Sunday morning with Portobello Market at full swing.

"Even someone from my office saw it and thought nothing of it."

The vendor estimates that the cost of removing the painting will be about £5,000, which would have to be paid by the buyer.

There were a total of 69 bids for the painting.

Logan's Lair

I got the chance to go check out Mr. Logan Hicks' new studio this weekend!

where the magic happens

the magic happening

almost magic

some magic ingredients

then he let me look through all his vintage mags... 1'st editions and whatnot!
he's got a killer collection.


love Q

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Super plan 1 size/1 prize show - Berlin

We got the tip from our boy Pisa73 of CT'INK that they had hosted a show at their spot Superplan. The concept behind the show is awesome. Here's what went down.

Crowd show: 1 Size/1 Prize info: 50 artists - 1 piece/artist - 1 size - 1 price
The lowdown: 42 x 59 cm (w x h) - there are a few exceptions but the concept is clearly discernible 300 Euro - for some pieces an extra 25 Euro apply for the frame

!!! New opening hours: Wednesday - Friday, 2 pm - 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 2 pm - 6 pm. Of course appointments can also be arranged.
We've got lots of art from a lot of artists for y'all: affordable pieces from artists with diverse backgrounds from a number of countries. To be seen: painting, illustration, graphic design, photography, tattoo, graffiti and street-art. Participating artists include Boxi, Ephameron, Evol, Logan, Hicks, Pax Paloscia, Pisa73, Swoon.