Thursday Night with friends
Last night we celebrated the publication of the new edition of THE FAITH OF GRAFFITI with legendary photo journalist Jon Naar, the consummate gentleman. Brooklyn’s Powerhouse Arena played the gracious host, and the room was packed with Jon’s fans, New York graffiti lovers, and most importantly, a large contingent of old school graffiti writers. Wicked Gary, Snake 1, Butler and many of their 1970s tagging crew were on hand to reminisce about the heyday of New York graffiti that Jon’s photos captured.
After Jon’s impressive slide show, moderator Chris Pape–the graffiti writer known as Freedom–led the assembled graffiti writers in a spirited discussion of their experiences. It was clear that old turf battles remain–Brooklyn, Bronx, Harlem and Manhattan were all represented–but in the end, the writers seemed to enjoy a chance to revisit the old days. It was especially fun to see the writers scrambling to tag their friends’ copies of FAITH, almost like high school kids on yearbook day.
Thanks to Susan König at Powerhouse for the photos.
Thanks to Bear Flag for the wine!
