FINALLY

PUTTING IN THE WORK (GRAFFITI WORKSHOP)

Subcultures have always fascinated me. Sometimes I stand on the periphery and dare not cross the borders. Like circuses or carnivals. I often satisfy myself with looking at those who work in these traveling caravans but seldom do I ask to visit the trailers behind them.

Yet this is not the case with tattoo artistry, musicians, graffiti and hip hop. While hip hop is more akin to my own internal social upbringing, it too often has borders that transcend what I know from what I assume. The various facets that compose HIP HOP (namely graffiti and rap) have grown exponentially beyond my limited comprehension of meaning and tastes. Yet wherever I go I seem to be able to break some of its meanings down for others.

As I prepare for an upcoming workshop on GRAFFITI (something I know more about from being up close and personal to so many writers yet have never sprayed a wall let alone held a can) I have marveled and photographed walls from Atlanta to Orlando. I also managed to penetrate the graffiti scene in Orlando and became trusted to not disclose some writers I have met. Nonetheless, Below you will see some of the books I hold and consult for this upcoming workshop. Graffiti aint graffiti alone. When it emerged as an outgrowth of a determined angst among inner city youths,it opened and formed fissures in communication art. It now has morphed into a world phenomenon to include STREET ART. Thus what I hope to accomplish in my workshop is do justice to its history