#73 Representation Pt. 6

Earlier to later

Above: Skill, Anger Vyal, Kofie, Cre8, and Axis, writers from UTI, CBS, RTN, COI and TPS crews joined together for this snow scene on Brooklyn House on Melrose, 1998.

I was going back and forth whether to do an “Early Files” post or a “Representation” post, and realized it could be a mix. Early representation (figures/creatures, landscape/cityscape), as with letters, had no shortage of soul and funk if not always necessarily the sophistication as these representative elements have evolved.

Overlapping issues: Crew and inter-crew collaboration, social networks in real time, analogue skill developed with commitment, freedom of expression, visual personality, rebellious fun.

Above: Devious AWR with an early blend of simplified forms and modeling with core shadows, cast shadows and highlights. Sharp detail on the windowsills. That’s Devious (“DVS”) on the right. A goofy Superman with bandaids flying though the windy city. Motor yard, 1991.

Above: Seduced By Aerosol by Persue and Quasar with a playful aliens’ arrival scene. The dominance of cartoonish characters should not be a surprise considering the age of the kids, their figurative references, and the fact that they were just out to have fun. Motor yard, 1992.

Above: “Other Fish (in the sea)” by SH crew, Acme Bash, Panic, Asylm, and Precise, Venice, 1994. I wonder if someone was having relationship trouble.

Above: A CBS Melrose wall, with Epik doing a creature spelling out his name, Rate doing the Kwan Yin/Avalokiteshvara figure, and the letter “A” by Aura, I believe. And a tiny Obey stencil sneaking in there under Epik. 2000.

Above: Sherm WGS, with a sweet self-portrait with her husband, Jimmy. El Sereno, 2003.

Above: Midzt GAW with a Mexicano totem pole piece, mid city, 2004.

Above: Yago, Enoe, and Nekro, all SIK crew, with a Star wars scene in the middle, South Central (RTN yard), 2008.

Above: Huit1 on the left and Asylm SH on the right with his personal icons, Venice, 2016.

Above: Balstrom, from Denmark but a frequent L.A. visitor, doing a classic style horror movie scene, Industrial Downtown near the Arts District, 2017.

Above: One of the first Sickid pieces I noticed, along the 110S, Cypress Park, 2020. Enitrely different kind of style and technique from modern graffiti tradition, looser, sketchier lines and altogether weird (as in interesting) content.

And for the paid and trial subscribers, thank you! (“Less than the cost of a fancy coffee or beer for a month of posts!”): Olmec head by Gylt, COI at Qtopia, Brek, Dabs/Myla/Rime/Persue/Askew, Victor Koast!