new York continues to lead in the number of people infected with coronavirus. While the majority of residents reluctantly accept blocking of the city, one creative Union is happy to use the empty “big Apple”. Talking about graffiti writers. Closed storefronts and deserted shopping street turned into thousands of blank canvases for two-color sketches, while large-scale drawings in the rich quarters of the roughly poured paint. For the townspeople the time has come semantic statements.
From the South Bronx to East new York, a new generation of graffiti artists, many of whom had never painted in the subway cars or train stations. 40 years ago, street artists have started there. But the devastating impact COVID-19 on society and the economy just does not allow them to be silent.
“the Art of dictates or dictates art? says 58-year-old graffiti writer John Matos, known as Crash, who started out in the 70s – still the streets were disinfected and the city pictures – sleek and too beautiful. They are made with the permission of the authorities. But now we’re back to the basics”.
At the dawn of its birth, graffiti was a dangerous and illegal art. The artists appeared under cover of night and from top to bottom painted whole subway cars. For many new Yorkers it was a symptom of urban decay, which was later increased broken Windows in police stations. Some artists of that era went to the gallery work and commercial illustrations in the mid-1980s, when the government of new York began an aggressive campaign against street artists. By 1989, the Metropolitan transit authority declared victory over graffiti. While at the same time, the entire car was secretly filled with paint, which of course forced city officials to increase security.
In subsequent decades, suppressed by the authorities, street art has become even fashionable – large employers officially hired artists to large-scale exterior works. But it disappeared gravidity romance-adventure. Graffiti will never disappear completely, but in recent weeks it became very noticeable around town. For local residents this is a clear bell from recent economic turmoil. But to rake wall we have property owners who take on the Sisyphean task of trying to erase it.
“Everything begins and ends with fear. I equate graffiti with the music. Stevie wonder also wrote political songs. What happens on the streets is a reaction to what is happening”, says John Matos. A contemporary work of the same daring and illegal, as well as four decades ago. Henry Chalfant, co-producer of a documentary about graffiti 1983 “style Wars”says that for him it is just part of the landscape. Lock city again opened graffiti and brought to the gate. A semi-annual wearing of a mask facilitates even drawing – numerous surveillance cameras simply don’t recognize faces.
Fears about the virus, the death of George Floyd and other people from the hands of the police is reflected in the sketches throughout the city. Although many new inscriptions, at first glance, seem to be apolitical, the act itself illegal wall letters is a political statement.
“the Problem with quarantine is that people feel powerless. They can’t control. But I can get into closed shops and post something,” says Eric Felipe, which was engaged in aerosol art as a teenager in the Lower East side.
the Artist, nicknamed Izzy goes out about five times a week. He travels around the city by train and on foot, leaving with dozens of quick marks along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Pedestrians almost never happens, the police appear rarely. And even if I do, Izzy just throws his Mace and begins to rummage in the garbage.
“In 80-e years it was very dangerous. It’s okay if you write graffiti on the train. But the streets were another matter. Your graffiti may be a special code to put anyone else in physical danger. And you instantly become an artist and a messenger. You just get shot and everything,” says izi on condition of anonymity.
Modern graffiti cover a range of styles, from simple kinetic tags that look like a electrocardiogram to large bubble letters with thick outlines and bright, with white fillers. Some commemorate past influence. For example, Busty figure which recently appeared in the South Bronx. It resembles the classic comics Vaughn Bode 70 years. Then the police followed the economic stores where the young graffiti stole spray paint and taught each other, sharing black notebooks with drawings. Today, paint can be ordered online. And instead compare fonts, for example, with the famous writer’s bench at 149th street Grand Concourse subway, archives work and video tutorial easy to find in the Internet. And each lowered grille of the store is attractive canvas in the eyes of the street artist.
