Doors open, come on in...

Good to see REVAMP up and about with these throwies and a few sticks...






I heard the other day that ERASE isn't in CFG anymore. It was his choice but the crews still tender about it.

Him and Happy aren't in the hoods good books at the mo either. They've been getting up full on - that's not so bad - it's just that even though they've been told, they haven't quite got the concept of 'don't shit in your own nest!'
In other words, they may as well be painting an image of a front door and tagging ERASE and HAPPY hang out here on it.Apparently they've been relieved of a stash of their cans but the damage is done and I suspect it's only a matter of (not very much) time before they get some visitors who are hot for them in all the wrong ways.

Call me any kind of genius but I'm guessing we'll be seeing some new names going up pritttttty soon...

ID | NEWS

One of the highlights of the Decked Out opening was meeting ID.
Now I can put a face to the throwies.
I especially get a kick out of seeing experimentation and variations on the usual, which is what ID's been doing lately.

Maybe this is an offensive and naive generalisation, and I'm sure you'll tell me if it is, but maybe there's two kinds of artists/writers?
Those who get a good thing going or something that works for them and rarely stray far from that style/formula - getting slicker and sharper every time.
And those who can never stay anywhere for too long before getting either bored, therefore adventurous, or being stimulated or inspired by something or someone else. It's like they cruise down a street for a while then see a side alley they can't help but go down, which leads them down another one.

From what I've seen of ID - I'd put him in the latter, rapping out the same theme for a while then going total 360 on us.

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Side note: Here and here are some of the latest tactics being trialled by anti-taggers around the country FYI...

The 30 second Exhibition

So - Green shirt dude is a graphic design student and this was supposed to be an exhibition of some sort. He and his crew were sticking up huge sheets of paper - ie: NOT actually intending to paint on the walls - when the Blues turned up and shut it down. Green dude got some plastic cuffs put on and was charged with drinking a bottle of beer in public.

Moral of the story seems to be that the law doesn't like surprises - the dudes should have got permission, signed in triplicate, distributed to everyone in the neighbourhood, notices in the paper, had at least one sponsor and invited the Mayoress.


Thanks to BEWARE for the images and, green dude, if you read this and I've got anything wrong or you have anything to add, leave a comment.

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OK - may as well get everything else off my not so substantial chest while I'm here...

Two things about this article in the paper got me going a few weeks ago.
First - that they're assuming it was a/the tagger that beat the guy.
Second - that they've been encouraging people for a while now to ring 111 to report graffiti.
Using our national emergency line to report graffiti?!
What's that about?

No-one that I know of has tried to communicate with the graf community to find out what they want. If they have any suggestions on what would make them stop tagging. What rules they could make for themselves that they might agree on.
Yeah - I know - I'm sickeningly idealistic and we'd probably have more luck finding out Banksy's real name or who The Splasher is but is the whole crack down, arrests, pink vests strategy working?

Now there's an Inner City Business and Residents group being set up in the hood by ex-mayor, Mark Blumsky, and one of the bullet points on their agenda is graffiti. Naturally I had to join it, and I look forward to the next meeting - will keep you posted. Item #1: Distinction between tagging and graffiti ;-)

I don't see myself as an authority on what writers want or even get out of what they do but the very nature of the graffiti game is that the writers and artists stay low therefore don't know, or have any control over, the decisions being made that affect them.
I have absolutely no influence within the graf community and they couldn't give a fat cap about me or these sites but, regardless, I believe in them and their art form and, in the absence of anyone else, I can't not be a stoolie...

Where the only Vests are at the Knitting shop down the other end

You might think I'm getting a bit vague on it and repeating images but not so. The above Gomans and AK throwies are go overs. Cunning really - they get their spot then just keep going over and over their own goodies. I've seen the AK one done over at least 3 times. I've seen Gomans alien a few times around town this week too.

Had to laugh at the news this week - you might have seen this. Couldn't help but lol at the irony of the Contstables handle - bit unfortunate ;-)
I've heard rumours that he's actually quite a cool cat who recycles the rattlers in a most socially responsible and sustainable way...