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Guide 06 – FREIGHTS PT. 1

Painting freight trains in Europe is on the rise. From Sweden to Italy writers have discovered the former industrial charm of mostly clean steel trains which here and there did carry pieces, sometimes even from the early 2000s. While having unbuffed pieces rolling (as long as the wagons’ numbers stay untouched) once was a new, uncommon and interesting thing to observe, many cars nowadays are a total mess of tags, crossed stuff or 2nd row pieces.

In this years Guide 06 zine, we are invited to get to know the Czech freight writer scene. Browsing through the 104 paged publication a nostalgic feeling arises: unique styled pieces, that are the only thing added to the trains surfaces. No tags from other writers, in most cases no painted background to the pieces, only clean trains: it is an almost virgin system. Whether it’s Transwaggon, Transcereales, VTG, Wascosa, Millet or coal- and tarpie models: the local net seems to be independent from the bigger European freight system.

It’s refreshing to not see the usual cargo suspects but unknown pieces by locals HONDA, ZERO, MONO, CATZ, RNR, PAOO or the NOD crew. The writers are portrayed in little chapters, sometimes showing only one big photo or up to five shots on a spread. Furthermore STRAY is featured with an accompanying interview (Czech / English), giving insight to his switch from painting passenger trains to freights.

This is the first of three separated Guide 06 zines, focusing on Czech freights and was released in June 2021. We are looking forward for the two following issues and can only recommend this one which was produced in a limited run of 200 copies only.

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ROGER – NEVER BE LATE

Writing the same name for over 25 years seems to lead into two possible scenarios: writers achieve a kind of individual peak of style and piecing, which is now constantly repeated with minor changes. Or the second, and by far more rare occurring one: writers who continuously work on their never-changing letters, facing the challenge to let their name look new, surprising and vivid with every latest piece.

In NEVER BE LATE, prime example of the latter category ROGER, presents a selection of 55 pieces from 2006 till today. Full color panels in Vienna and hall of fame burners in Berlin, abandoned industrial black-and-white pieces and S-Bahn candy colored quicks or dirty subways combined with perfect traffic shots in bright sunlight: these opposing couples hint the variety of surfaces he uses while at the same time each double page demonstrates the artist’s sheer endless ways of reshaping his name.

The remaining pages show hundreds of name and crew sketchings. Unlike other publications of the last years in which sketches are presented as perfect drafts for later pieces, you can follow ROGER working on ideas which sometimes need several attempts to become final outlines. While the pieces, as painted in public space, are intended to reach a broad audience of spectators, having access to these authentic sketches feels like a clandestine look into an intimate diary of style.

Analyzing ROGER’s scribbles you will find yourself checking the books’ first half again and again for possible executions of his ideas, but also wondering if you might have seen the product in traffic, online or if they have ever been realized at all. Don’t miss the chance to get the first print publication ever by one of Berlins top notch writers!

Poor Heraldix – Exotic Landscape by P. Vector Codierer

Following the ancient Latin notation graffiti names are written and read from left to right. With the upcoming execution of pieces in the early 70s writers set this common practice as standard. Within the last 50 years almost every aspect of shaping letters and designing styles pushed the boundaries of graffiti further and further. It anyway is striking to see that the vast majority of pieces still follow the tradition of horizontal painting, which might is rooted in the given format of the No.1 surface back then: NYC subway trains.

In “Poor Heraldix – Exotic Landscape” the Berlin based writer P. Vector Codierer invites us to take a closer look on the new and challenging possibilities which lay in vertical writing. On 72 pages he constructs tower-like letter buildings using the near full symmetry of the letters in the chosen name EXOT. In the drafts the letters are stacked to tall houses, whose architecture reminds of totems and three-dimensional labyrinths with elaborate ornaments. Stairs, portals, columns, windows, brickwork, roof-like elements and even crowning banners can be found as part of his constructions.

P. Vector Codierer combines a seemingly naive drawing style with avant-garde ideas of writing from top to bottom instead of left to right. The detailed black and white drawings are not sketches to prepare pieces but are artworks of their own kind. The inspirational hardcover book is limited to 300 copies and comes hand numbered and signed the the artist.

BRIGHT FUTURE – BUS126    

Although the title implicates it, BUS126s latest publication from July 2021 features works from the recent past. As part of the avant-garde DIAMONDS crew, BUS126 is one of the driving forces in constantly pushing the limits of writing in Berlin. While in some of the compiled artworks his name can easily be figured out, others leave behind the borders of lettering and seem to be consist of solely abstract elements.

The 60 paged zine shows selected pieces done with paint brush and spray can, executed in the nature, in abandoned places, as S-Bahn wholecars, in tunnels or hall of fame walls. On each spread you can find little sketches and drawings on the bottom page. An index at the end explains which of the content was co-produced with writers like COST88, ROY1st, FISO, EXOT, PRALL, IGID, HAMS and ZAST.

Accompanying to the publication BUS126 did produce three different limited art prints with special night glow paint, one of them added to each zine. Wait until you see them in the dark! The set is signed by the artist and the 150 copies of the zine are hand numbered as well.

AURI SACRA FAMES No.5  

Almost beating the fattest No.2 issue with 232 pages the fifth AURI SACRA FAMES volume was published in December 2016. Leaving out some of the usual chapters like tags, hall of fames or walls these sections have been replaced by artists which are predominantly active in the respective field: the IMK crew, BOAONE and CREAM.

With 52 pages the by far biggest special in the magazine’s history yet had the legendary DRM crew in focus. To the occasion of the 20th crew anniversary besides some never before shown highlights of the last two decades an elaborate text introduced us to the founding and first years of the DReaMers.

One of the most active and interesting crews of the recent years in Berlin is without a doubt TLS. Although every imaginable aspect of writing is practiced by them, in the TrainLeistungsSport (train competitive sport) part we especially paid attention to the activities of the train focused crew members on 24 pages.

Furthermore featured writers this time are KOLD, MR.TEE, SPIDER, BUZZ, ROCCO, BIO, IBES, OUPS, IXAP, AZUR, MAGIC, DROW, ZELDA, TRUS, ARZT, WULFF and many more.