The Faith of Graffiti
The Legendary Book is Back in Print: 12/22/09
It may seem surprising now, but there was a time when graffiti wasn’t the venerated subject of gallery shows and graduate school dissertations. In 1974, it was a fact of life for the urban commuter, and a quick way to land yourself in lockup for the writer. As Norman Mailer wrote in THE FAITH OF GRAFFITI:
There was a panic in the act, a species of writing with an eye over one’s shoulder for the 
oncoming of the authority. The Transit Authority cops would beat you if they caught you, or drag you to court, or both, and the judge donning robes of Solomon would condemn the early prisoners with the command to clean the cars and subway stations of the name.
The Name is what early graffiti was about. There was no Banksy, with his critically praised, tongue-in-cheek urinating bobby and “balloon boy” prognostications. These were kids–generally marginalized and without a voice–who were taking it upon themselves to express their ego with a can of spray paint. When Mailer pressed an early writer, Cay 161, for the essence of graffiti, he replied:
The name is the faith of graffiti.
Hence an iconic book, featuring Jon Naar’s legendary photos of New York’s most prolific graffiti artists–their work, their neighborhoods, the writers themselves–had a name. It became a classic, then fell out of print. Now it’s back, with dozens of additional photos, and this time it’s born into a world that sees graffiti much differently. The subway cars have been scrubbed clean, like most of New York, thanks to Mr. Giuliani and his urban soldiers’ efforts. But after 35 years, this early graffiti has gained a nostalgia patina, showing up in museum shows, on billboards, and on street gear like these incredible t-shirts from the Stüssy x Jon Naar collection (thanks to our friends at Stüssy for the fantastic video above as well).
Graffiti: Art? Crime? Both? There’s still no definitive answer, and you’ll have to read Mailer’s insightful essay to get his particular take on it. Regardless, it’s come a long way from the streets and subway stations of the Bronx, and THE FAITH OF GRAFFITI is an illuminating and beautiful look at graffiti’s humble origins.
Stay tuned for more FAITH OF GRAFFITI news in the coming weeks.
Shake it like a…oh never mind.
My new obsession? The iPhone app: ShakeItPhoto. Gone are the days when you could purchase a gen-u-wine Polaroid camera and film, but have no fear, ShakeItPhoto offers a digital dose of instant-film nostalgia.
It’s easy enough: you just snap a photo with your phone (or choose one from your exisiting photo library), shake up your phone like a suburban kid who’s out of Adderall, and you instantly have a digital approximation of the real thing. The flared, hot-spot lighting is the same; the flat, seedy quality is there; and of course there’s the white border. So this should give you your fix until Polaroid re-launches in 2010. Bonus irony-points for celebrating the iconic brand via one of the digital devices that helped kill it in the first place!
Bears laid bare
Whether it’s morbid curiosity or a propensity for legitimate scientific inquisitiveness, I’ve always had a thing for taxidermy-filled museums. If nothing else, the enormous stuffed elephants, giraffes and whales offer a chance to experience their grandeur up close without the guilt-inducing trip to the zoo (or wiping out my bank account to fund a real safari or Alaskan cruise).
As a mere civilian, I’ve only had access to the fully-realized displays that are open for public viewing: penguins walking on glass “ice” with bait fish in suspended animation below; buffalo roaming a 1000 square foot prairie in the foreground of a cowboys and Indians mural. That’s why Richard Barnes’ photos (via Flavorwire) are so appealing. They reveal the mechanations behind a well-constructed display, and they appeal to my inner 5 year-old (pre- Night at the Museum craze), who would have loved to see what goes on behind the scenes after the crowds go home. Visit Barnes’ website for more photos from his Animal Logic series.
Don’t Fence Me In: “The 75 Books Every Man Should Read”
This year marks Esquire’s 75th anniversary. To celebrate, the magazine has rolled out its list of “The 75 Books Every Man Should Real.” What do these books reveal about the hearts of men? Well, we’re violent and boozy . . . and we’re not built for the suburbs. By my count, more than 50% of the books features war or acts of murder/violence. Add in the American West, sports, bourbon, and women and you’re closing in on a full taxonomy of the American male, or at least Esquire’s vision of us. Want to argue the point?
Making Esquire’s list are six titles from the Harper family: The Known World, by Edward P. Jones; Under the Volcano, by Malcolm Lowry; Affliction, by Russell Banks; Women, by Charles Bukowski; and Native Son, by Richard Wright. (Also, though it is now in the public domain, the classic of all American classics, Melville’s Moby Dick, was first published by Harper & Brothers in 1851.)
Too much testosterone? Well, what are the essential books women should read?
The full list after the jump:
Just three frames
I love the idea behind the site Three Frames. It’s essentially exactly what it sounds like…three frames from a movie or TV show, in order and shown in rapid succession on a loop. The results are hilarious, amazing and sometimes scary (in my humble opinion). After I came across the site I found myself getting sucked in and going through the entire archive. It reminds me of those cameras that have four exposures, so the final photo has just a hint of motion in it.
Also, if you have any idea what movie these stills are from, post it in the comments section because topless machine guns = movies I must see.
The Digital Pekar
Harvey Pekar is that rare comics writer who even non-comic geeks know, thanks to the excellent biopic American Splendor (co-starring our main man Judah Friedlander as Toby “Genuine Nerd ” Radloff). The curmudgeonly Clevelander has been writing wry, autobiographical underground comics for over 30 years, accompanied by the iconic scribblings of Robert Crumb, Alison Bechdel and others . Now Smith Mag is bringing Pekar to a whole new web audience with their all-original, all-free Pekar Project. The first installment–a trademark recreation of a quasi-philosophical phone conversation regarding the decline of high art–is online now, with more to follow every two weeks. The proudly-reticent Pekar delving into web comics feels a bit like Dylan going electric: shocking but surprisingly successful. I’m definitely excited to see how far they take this thing.
Designer duds for your books
Remember those used paper grocery bag textbook covers your mom used to make? On my Sunday antique-browsing and food cart-dining visit to the Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO, I stumbled upon Book City Jackets, who are putting out some really interesting merchandise. By the end of the first week of school, my book covers were invariably covered in rudimentary doodles pertaining to the Milwaukee Brewers and my teacher’s physical abnormalities, but Book City’s are a bit more refined. They commissioned a range of artists like Brooklyn’s Morgan Blair and Eveline Tarunadjaja from Melbourne to create original illustrations. The covers come 3 to a set and fit most book trim sizes, but they’re so darn pretty you may want to frame them, rather than let them collect dust on your bookshelf.
Are those crayons sustainably produced?
The recipe for gaining hipster cred is pretty simple. Mix one part “activity an old person or kid would do” (i.e. knitting, kickball) with one part DIY (i.e. taxidermy, cross stitch), and finish with a pinch of good deed (i.e. CSAs). By that measure, the Yellow Bird Indie Rock Coloring Book will be the biggest thing in scenster-ville since deep v-neck t-shirts. The folks at I Heart Daily turned us on to this stocking-stuffer for the asymmetrically-coiffed loved one in your life. The book not only contains Pitchfork-approved canvases like Devendra Banhart’s gnarly beard and “give Rilo Kiley their latest hairstyle” smiley faces for you to Crayola-scribble on, but a portion of the profits will go to Yellow Bird Project’s selected charities like the Teenage Cancer Trust and Art for Change. With this impeccable list of bona fides, hipsters will be drawn to this coloring book like its a secret Dead Weather apartment show above a Bushwick vegan bodega on the anniversary of Elliott Smith’s death.
Shot through the heart and you’re to blame …
Shot Through the Heart
Thanks to Joseph for the lead, I’m now sporting this fetching necklace, courtesy of Fetty. Comes in a few different styles, all cleverly named (the aptly named Lizzie’s Love is a lovely necklace sporting a heart with an axe, you get the picture…) … I currently have a fascination with charm-necklaces, my current favorites hailing from Vivienne Westwood, so adding this Fetty to the mix was just, well, fetching.
I can’t celebrate this.
Celebration
Here it is. The cover for the new single by Madonna, Celebration, to be released August 3rd as part of her third greatest hits album. Yes, third. I actually really like the art for the single (I think it’s part Warhol, part Lichtenstein, part fierce as hell), but this greatest hits thing has got to stop. I love Madonna and everything, but can we just make a new rule here? As an artist you get two greatest hits albums…tops. And never should they be released less than ten years apart from each other. How many times can we be expected to buy the same music because she now has a new version of that one song I like remixed by some obscure French DJ? Reuters says:
While the tracklist for “Celebration” has yet to be announced, the Warner Bros. collection will include hits from the Madonna’s entire career.
On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, she has racked up a record 37 top 10 singles — more than any other act in the tally’s nearly 51-year history. Of those hits, 12 of them went all the way to No. 1.
Every one of Madonna’s 11 studio albums have reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200.
In a press release, her label confirmed that “Celebration” will contain songs “remastered and selected by Madonna and her fans” including “Everybody”, “Express Yourself”, “Vogue” and “4 Minutes.”
The album will be available in both single-disc and double-disc configurations and a DVD of Madonna’s music videos will also be issued simultaneously. It was unclear at press time if the DVD would be offered as a stand-alone product or come bundled in a CD/DVD package.
Anyway, you know I love you Madge, and I know this is just because you’ve got to put out one more album with Warner before moving on to your mega contract with Live Nation, but this is just lazy and I am pretty much underwhelmed.
Just like looking in a mirror
“Vanity is my favorite sin” – Al Pacino.
Vanity is a far too underrated virtue. In moderation of course, it can make for many great things … my new stationery for instance. On a recent trip to my hometown of Richmond, Virginia I made an early morning stop by my favorite gallery and store Quirk Gallery. This is my favorite place on earth and not just because they feed into my vanity by hosting an annual event in my honor(?) but because it also happens to be a wonderful space for art with the most delicious gift selection. My event, Mimosas with Joseph, is held every December at Quirk; friends of Joseph are invited to attend, drink and shop. Nothing could be better.
On this trip to Quirk I found the perfect tool for those of us who might be the subject of a certain Carly Simon song. Silhouette stationery by Gibson Lane Studios. Heaven. I debated for about 10 seconds whether or not I really needed note cards with my face in silhouette … the answer of course, was yes. This is a product that is likely geared toward doting mothers of children named after their great-great grandfather’s horse, but I could not resist. I put my order in and am looking at proofs now. Though I struggled with the ridiculousness of this purchase for an adult; my vanity won the argument and I’m quite glad that it did.
Yes, I do think this song is about me.
Silhouette Proof
