#9: Teamwork!

Collabo-palooza continued

Above: Augor, Tastes Like Gold, Tyke Witnes and Dame, Hollywood, 2009. Love the marginalia, “Can’t beat us, can’t join us!!”

BEST VIEWING ON COMPUTER!

All images copyright Steve Grody unless otherwise credited.

One of the challenges of this Substack project is that while I have decent who-what-when-where information for my images, I never thought to catalogue anything according to themes. So, as I come up with topics here, I try to think of who might illustrate them well but it’s relatively a crapshoot who comes to mind, especially since I really do want to represent the depth of the scene with the widest net possible. I will endeavor to represent crews across the city as we go along, but some crews and writers work harder to push the envelope than other.

Beyond a group of writers doing their names on a wall, a basic form of a “production” albeit skillfully, the best crews and writers are looking to find ways to inspire themselves, and so they try to come up with interesting and fun ideas.

Above: In 1996, UTI, THC and CBS crews decided to collaborate on a production spanning most of the Belmont Tunnel walls. It reads “Under The Influence of The Hard Core that Can’t Be Stopped.” I wanted to show the impressive effort in this long shot, but here are the three crew wall for better viewing:

Above: Top, UTI, and continuing below to the THC section (note reference to Downset, a favored band of L.A. locals at the Whiskey A Go Go).

Above: the CBS section (looks primarily by Axis on the Skate memorial portrait and “Can’t” with Atlas on “Be” and Anger on “Stopped.”

Above: one of the technical challenges writers might tackle is rendering a piece like mirrored chrome, i.e. “Chrome” pieces. These are not the same as “silvers” where the writer uses primarily silver paint and just an outline color. Starting on the left with Maro, then Whale, Ider, Wram writing “Cpeesh,” Aztek, Keo writing “Mocr,” and Scud. Boyle Heights (Five Points), 2010.

Above: Note the skillfully rendered skyline in the Wram, Aztek and Keo pieces

Above: In this case, the challenge that (left to right) Punch, Lokus, Brek and Tank took on in 2016 was rendering their names as rock formations. To help outsiders identify the pieces, they signed the curb although not in proper order so you would still have to make a visual effort. The building in the background is where I lived in the Arts District from 1986 to 2013. Note the telephone post painted so that at just the right angle it completes the Brek piece.

Above: I’m not sure of the theme here other than dark and spooky. NBC crew (note the NBC Peacock on the left) including Tank, Brek, Anti, LSkeet, Industrial Downtown, 2020.

Above: Equally wierd (as in “good”) but lighthearted, NASA crew, Rich doing the poached-egg character serving pancakes, with Chimp, Kerse and Just, Long Beach 1994. Difficult shot in a tight alley.

Above: “Unearthed Tribal Images” by Fear, Dove, Kofie, Italo, Nuke and Level, Industrial Downtown, 2003.

Above: A color-theme wall with Arbe (top), Revok (bottom left) and Pysa (bottom right), Hollywood, 2005.

And for free trial and paid supporters (less than the cost of a fancy coffee or beer for a month of posts!): Ewok & Pose MSK, UTI/WAI, Rock Angels, El Mac and Retna!