BURNING FIGHT

BURNING FIGHT
BY ELANO PIZZICAROLA



The sun set and as it got darker and darker, more and more guests slowly sprinkled into Tradition. The event was a book release. The name of the book was Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit, and Sound and the author was Brian Peterson. In the book, Peterson interviews a variety of hardcore musicians and scene members about the sound and the ideas contained in the music they loved, specifically in the 1990s. T-shirts bearing the book’s title were draped aback the store’s front window. The walls, paraded gritty black and white photos of hardcore musicians and the genre's treasured memorabilia of flyers and posters alike.
The crowd was diverse and their ages varied greatly. Some were teens while others were in their thirties and forties. The crowed sprawled the well-lit room, and as fast-paced, intense hardcore, blasted out the JBL speakers at breakneck speed, filling the room with explosive energy, there was an evident commonality as these fans mingled.

Hardcore’s traits reached them personally. They identified with it.



Meet Corey Williams. “I am a hardcore fan … I’ve been into hardcore for 18—19 years,” the 31-year-old said. He sported modest blue jeans. His sweatshirt was thick and charcoal-colored.

He assured he likes many types of music. “But hardcore’s what I relate to,” Williams said. His first album was Lights, Camera, Revolution by the band Suicidal Tendencies. Williams said hardcore is “about loyalty.” He talked about the genre relating to its fans.



Corey with Internal Affairs

He reflected on how hardcore influenced him. He discussed the music’s following of loners and outcasts, many of them looked down upon by the mainstream. But Williams welcomed this reality with open arms. “I think it’s a great thing,” Williams said.

“Those people came together because they loved something, not because … the cool dickhead at school told them it was cool.”



Ryan Downey, 35, is another fan, who said he was reached by hardcore’s counter-culture mentality. He reminisced back to when he was first introduced to the cassette compilation, New York City Hardcore: The Way It Is. Downey said he was about 14 or 15 years old when he came across it. Downey said it “changed my life.” He said the message from the music reached him. “It was just a sound ... style ... message and … urgency that I haven’t heard before.”


Mike Hartsfield (New Age Records, Outspoken, Against The Wall, Etc.)

And then there was Mike Hartsfield. Hartsfield, 40, said he got into the hardcore scene back in 1985. Hartsfield said he saw its open-minded inclusiveness. “Hardcore seemed to be attainable by everyone,” he said.

Peterson said his influence to put pen to paper came from his Midwestern upbringing. “I always liked writing. But I was hesitant,” he said.

Peterson said he never knew he would be the one to author the book. “I just started thinking about it,” he said.

So Peterson said he contacted his friends for interviewee connections. And gradually, he got the ball rolling on his 1990s hardcore survey. “It turned into a spider web that just sort of started from a couple of people,” Peterson said.


Author, Brian Peterson


Peterson said the book was a long six years in the making. Most of the interviews, he said, ran two to three hours long. And he said there was “160-plus” interviews.

Peterson said there’s been a history of books spotlighting the 1980s hardcore scene, but he said there was yet to be a book about 1990s hardcore.

He drew the line between 1990s hardcore and the other era’s hardcore. “The 1990s to me seemed like people were really focused on specific issues,” he said. “Animal rights was a big issue in the 1990s … race, gender, all those … things where important.”

He added the power of hardcore even transcends politically. “Anytime any kind of ideas are presented in any kind of underground, artistic setting, I think it’s gonna have reverberations,” Peterson said.

He brought up the Chicago hardcore band Los Crudos as an example. “All their songs were in Spanish,” Peterson said. They talked about issues pertaining to gender, race and immigration.

Peterson got the name of the book from a song by the hardcore band, Inside Out. He said Inside Out, was lead by Rage Against The Machine’s lead singer, Zach De La Rocha.

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INTERVIEW: PATRICK MARTINEZ

Patrick Martinez was predestined to create art since he was a small child. From his early youth drawing comics, to his stint with graffiti in middle school and high school, to his time at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, to his current career as a fine artist, Patrick has been determined to succeed as an artist.
Patrick focuses on the phenomenology of his surroundings, and his work is influenced by graffiti, hip-hop, and pop culture, as well as by everyday people that don’t usually appear in the limelight. We sat down with Patrick to talk about his creative process, fresh off the opening of his first solo show, "You Dont Have to Lie to Kick It," at Upper Playground in Los Angeles
Interview by Andrew Kline




How did you get your start as an artist?
I started drawing at a very young age. I remember copying superman and Robocop comic books in elementary school. I did it often copying Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the whole nine. I think drawing is the first medium I picked up because it is the most direct and it’s raw. I mean all you need is a scrap piece of paper a pencil or a pen and you’re in business. Plus your not too worried about that scrap piece of paper, you can just let it flow. I picked up graffiti in late middle school thanks to art class and a book titled: “spray can art”. I was a giant toy, but I would go to the local yards and get my paint on. Characters where my focus but my can control was weak. I kept on doing the graff through high school with some forward progress at the same time I was filing up black books and painting on canvases. My concentration was always spending time at the yards messing with colors and concepts. I did some bombing, rooftops and random walls but I was never interested in people giving me recognition because they saw my name up the thought of receiving recognition because of my concepts or my ideas was more appealing to me. This is what pushed me towards the fine art / gallery scene. I took my ideas and concepts to the panels and canvas, I studied visual art and experimented at my local city college and then took it to the next level and attended Art Center College of Design where I tested my skill and ideas. Please believe Art Center is no cakewalk. I was tested in so many ways and it expanded my thinking. I started showing in galleries during City College and Art Center. I created pieces because I wanted to not because I had a show. I took photos of some of the pieces and took them to galleries I thought the work would fit in. Then from there people see the work as well as artists. Through networking and connecting with different artists I was invited to participate in many group shows and art shows across the United States. This also allowed me to travel a little.



When did you start writing and painting and when did you transition into doing the type of work that you are doing now?
I started doing Graff in 92 and started painting canvases in 96.
I think the work I was creating in my early years is analogous to the kind of work I’m doing now. There is a connection there. The touch, medium and style are a little different. But I don’t see them as being separated I think the earlier work was the foundation and I’m building off of that.

What influences you to do the type of work that you do?
I just like to think, observe and feel. I want my work to reflect that. I’m not really into creating “cool” images. I want the viewer to get something from an image I create…get them thinking or evoke emotion and if that happens then my job is done. When I think about it I love creating a piece from my thoughts and ideas just to see it manifest in visual physical form. I never have the thought of “ man, this would do great in the gallery or the market.” I just create just for the sake of putting something new out there adding to what has already been established at the same time making my mark.

I know you have roots in graffiti, how does that influence your work doing fine art?
I use graffiti or knowledge of graff in my arsenal. They are deep roots and I love seeing the work on billboards, galleries as well as the freeways. I paint about street culture and graffiti is embedded in the landscape of the streets and I’m going to include that in my art no doubt. I know about gangster blocks, tags and the difference between black gang graffiti and Mexican gang graffiti. Details make the difference. Research!



How has your work evolved over the years?
I think that I have been more open in the past years. Nothing is off limits for me. If I have an idea and the best execution is some sort of product vs. a drawing or painting I’m going to create the product. Whatever gets the idea across in the most effective way that’s the route I’m taking. I’ve been messing with different mediums such as: found objects, mixed media, neon signs, toys, polyurethane foam, photography and digital manipulation. I think switching it up keeps it fresh for me as an artist. It gets me excited and gets my ass up in the morning. I use to be kind of closed minded with different media. I thought painting and drawing is where it was at period. That’s not really the case for me now.

I notice that you reference a lot of different elements of pop culture in your work. Whether it’s a portrait of Nas, Jerry Heller, or OJ Simpson, or if it appears as a pair of Nike Cortez, or a reinterpretation of a Pee-Chee folder…
I like using people and objects everyone loves, knows and hates.
It’s ammo you know. It’s remixing visuals, taking something old or familiar to the viewer and adding something to create something new. This way the viewer already has a relationship with the object or the person and they can relate to it some how.




I used to collect Garbage Pail Kids growing up, and I am really drawn to your “Hype Monster Harry” character. How did that character evolve?
I collected them too. I loved collecting them and checking all of the different characters out. Hype Monster Harry was something I came up with as sort of a spoof. Poking fun at street wear and fashion. I asked myself what if I did a garbage pail kid what character would I come up with and what would it look like? Some of these kids are just buying whatever these blogs and “taste makers” tell them to buy and that was my main inspiration. I’m down with fashion but I’m also down with people having their own opinions and taste. So moral of the piece is …do you! Always. Shout out to John Pound!

What is your connection to Mr. Cartoon, Estevan Oriol, and SA Studios?
I work with Estevan and Toons on many projects at SA. That means everything from movie posters to Estevan’s new L.A. Woman book. I am an art director to many of the projects they get. They trust me with the their clients and they enjoy the work that I create. I enjoy their work and respect the images they create. This is why we continue to work together along with everyone at SA Studios that make the projects happen. There are many people involved. I’m lucky I get to work with talented people like my boys LiL Lucky, Rob Abeyta, Mark Suroff, Marco Valadez, Victor Corrillo the homies Kei and Sal…even my bro Chris puts it down for the studio.



What is your process of creating a new piece, from concept to realization?
It always starts with wild abstract thoughts. Driving or walking through Los Angeles is when the ideas start pouring in. Even when I’m in the shower thoughts consume me. I try and draw the concept down on whatever paper I can find or in a sketchbook along with notes before the thought escapes me. I can use this for reference later when I’m starting the piece. Then I take them through my mental filter and throw rocks at it to make sure its solid. In a perfect world I could paint, draw and create all day and not worry about rent, bills and all that other good stuff, but it’s not like that and there isn’t enough time in the day for me to flush out an idea from start to execution so it becomes a process. I always ask myself if I’m creating a drawing or painting from an idea sparked from my mind would it come out the same way or any different if I did it that minute or waited two days? Does the energy and vitality escape me because that spark is gone in a couple of days?? This question haunts me and that’s why I always have a pen or pencil along with paper. I do however on the flipside create mixed media drawings and art that come from the gut that I finish in a couple hours. So at the end of the day some pieces are more involved and heavier on concept than others. The art that I create from the gut is straight to the point where the energy of the piece is the concept. I think using my intellect and intuition on all my pieces is what I do, sometimes its balanced with both, sometimes one of the two is more dominant. There are times I just attack the blank panel with no sketch and start with shapes to develop the composition then refine it as I go. I try to treat the panel or piece I’m working on like a sketch that way it doesn’t become too precious and I don’t get too attached to anything, I can be open to changing the piece at anytime.

I have read that your art reflects reality, and many of your pieces contain some social and political themes…
I sometimes create images in response to what I feel towards a certain issue or situation. It just so happens to be social or political half the time. I have to speak on issues I feel passionate about because it makes me feel like I’m participating in this world, it makes me feel alive. On the flip side sometimes the piece is funny. I want to have a visual dialog or conversation with the viewer. My personality is not to just be serious, I like to crack jokes and talk shit too. So when people see my work as a whole they should get a good idea of who I am and what my personality is like, maybe?



A few of your projects actually include placing you art into public spaces like supermarkets and toy stores. What inspired you to do this, and were you ever able to see people’s reactions when viewing your artwork in this type of environment?
It all starts from a concept. Everything starts from a spark in the mind and I just see how far I can take it. It’s all about getting the idea or point across as clear as possible. Some people stop at a certain point. I try to push it as far as I can. I ask myself…hmmm what if? What if this? What if that? Creating the piece is one thing and if you participate and put the piece in a new context that new backdrop or new surrounding could activate the piece even more. One of my ideas was placing my customized army set equipped with anti war images in the toy section of department stores. They actually have a war / army section in most toy sections. I painted the face and hands of little olive green army men many flesh tones. Black, brown, white, everything. Made in the U.S.A then sent to Iraq is in small print on the back. It also comes with one limited edition “Gold Solider”. I think it also acts not only as an art piece but as an info graphic as well. I’m getting at mothers and fathers that bring their kids to the toy section for a toy or two. Opening them up to the possibility that supporting their children enlisting into the army for a war that’s not worth fighting for is wrong, I don’t really wait around for a reaction from people. I got some love and hate emails in response to my army set piece. People find it at Wal-Mart or Target, google my name do a little research and find my website where they contact me. It’s wild too because I have no website on the Army Set packaging I just sign it with graphite which is just my last name “Martinez” and I number it like a print but from that little info they seem to find me. I had a high school teacher emailing me asking me for a set so he can show it to his class and discuss the piece… that really blows my mind.



Tell me about your “pollution tags” and your documentation of your “Dirty Humans” tag.
That is an experiment and is still sort of taking shape. The concept behind that was I took 3m super 77 adhesive, which has no color and caught a tag on the tunnel area of the 110 freeway that reads “ Dirty Humans”. Then I just wait and let the smog and soot from the cars on the freeways build up on the adhesive. Then in a couple of months you can see the tag clearly. I would like to document this and show it in a gallery setting. The idea would be a bi weekly photo on the tag developing and taking shape. I would show all the photos on a giant wall at a gallery. I’ll keep you posted on how the piece develops.


www.patrickmartinez.com

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TREVOR TRAYNOR

Trevor Traynor was born in New York in May of 1979. He studied at the University of Colorado in Boulder and after graduating in 2002 he explored the globe with a Hasselblad. For the next four years Trevor continued to create projects through his travels while doing editorial work in New York and several Art Fairs with Rx gallery in San Francisco. He currently lives and works in San Francisco and New York.

Traynor’s photographs have been exhibited in Medellin, Paris, Santa Fe, New York, San Diego, Denver, and San Francisco. His work has been featured in many publications including: Chicago Tribune, New York magazine, Men’s Fitness, SF Guardian, URB magazine, Merge magazine (Sweden), Lodown magazine (Germany), and Kerb Journal (Australia). His work is part of several collections; including Swinerton and Pfizer. He has also been recognized in competitions; including “industrial photographer of the year” at the 1st International Photography Awards, & Honorable mention at the International Adobe Photoshop competition.

“I Shoot People” marks the debut unveiling of Trevor Traynor’s Hip Hop photography, his first step outside of his fine arts background. Trevor has been documenting the culture for the past six years; shooting live concerts, portrait shots, album covers, magazine spreads, and more. Notable artists he’s worked with include Afrika Bambatta, Rakim, KRS-One, Nas, N.E.R.D., Mos Def, Q-Tip, De La Soul, M.I.A., Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan and much more. His portfolio is a who’s who of Hip Hop culture, from the underground to the mainstream, from the old school to the new school.

Hip-Hop culture was a big influence on Trevor early on. Trevor elaborates, “When I was a youngling in the late 80’s, I would try to break dance with my cousins in Long Island & sneak sessions on my brother’s turntables. I started emceeing on a Japanese label and opening for acts like Swollen Members and Souls of Mischief while my brother Shel Shock made beats for artist like AG (D.I.T.C), Casual (Hiero), & Dres (Black Sheep). I grew up in the golden years of the 90’s, and now I get to shoot people that inspire me. I am grateful for that.”


We sat down with Trevor to ask him a few question about his upcoming show at Tradition - "I Shoot People."



How did you first get involved with photography?
My pops had an old Nikon camera. I started taking pictures at a young age. I enjoy preservation, the film process, & it just stuck with me.

How long have you been taking pictures?
About 12 years on the serious tip.



What is the concept behind “I Shoot People”?
I Shoot People. Hmm. Straight up. I Shoot Everything. I Shoot People is the force of my rap photography. I grew up with rap music. I Shoot People is my slogan, my new brand from ishooteverything.com
It's what I do mang!!

Where has the show been already, and where is it traveling to in the future?
The I Shoot People Tour is up in San Francisco right now. As of now after we smash it at Tradition its off to Milwaukee and NYC. Couple more cities coming soon.




How do you get the access to the talent that you shoot?
I hunt people down. Grind date all day. Simple and plain. Im hungry as hell homie! Hunt um & Shoot um.

Being up close and personal with so many talented Hip Hop artists I’m sure you have some crazy stories. Are there any specific ones that you would like to share?
BG using my lens cap as an ash tray. LOL. Nuff said.




Who were your favorite artists to shoot and why?
David Banner, Dres, Mos Def, KRSone, so many..
Cause these dudes are real people, real heart. They speak, we listen, but they also listen. You feel me.

What 5 artists that you haven’t had a chance to photograph would be on your wish list to shoot?
2pac
Biggie
Big L
Big Pun
J Dilla


Any last words?
Big up to everyone in the rat race who shows love for my photography.
Big up Tradition for showing love, Big up to my family and friends. Big up!
I SHOOT TRADITION coming soon.
Peace

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RADIO SILENCE

Hardcore music reared it’s ugly head after punk rock hit in the late 1970’s. Hardcore had a new sound, a new look, and a new aggression that swept over the nation, with hundreds of bands emerging in cities all over the United States and beyond. Each city had their own crop of bands, their own ‘zines, their own labels, and most importantly their own scene.
Radio Silence is a visual history of American hardcore that documents the words and images of the pre-Internet era where this community built on do-it-yourself ethics thrived. I sat down with one of the authors, Anthony Pappalardo.



How did you first get into hardcore?

My youth was split between Lawrence, MA and Salem, NH (Not the witch town, the whiter lamer town) both a half hour away from Boston, MA . I followed that natural suburban chain: hard rock to metal to punk to hardcore. Hard rock wasn't hard enough, metal wore off quickly, I was over skulls and demons, punk was a major break though. Punk was funny, angry, simple, fast and the people playing seemed like any other fucked up kid to me. Punks weren't like the metal dude in the food court selling you dirt weed they were making fun of that dude for selling shitty weed in a mall. At thirteen skateboarding took over my life in the cold ‘burbs of New Hampshire. There wasn't an official spot or a skate crew to tag along with so finding out about skateboarding happened by finding information on your own, my friend lent me a copy of Thrasher, I subscribed and was hooked. Each month I had 30 days to absorb every page, word and feeling, it was a little light cracking through the wall and it wired me into a world, especially Pushead's column. My tastes gravitated towards hardcore, or hardcore punk or whatever you called it, it was Black Flag over the Exploited any fucking day. The older kids who could drive were going into Boston on the weekends to see hardcore matinees at the Rat and the Channel and skate the city. I saw my first real show Freshman year of High School, meaning a show not in a basement or garage with real bands. It was a freezing cold March day, we skated the city from about 10 AM until the show started that afternoon at about three, I entered the Channel and was handed a ‘zine with a bunch of interviews of bands I knew and didn't know along with a grip of flyers, a starter kit. I read a 2 page Judge interview about twenty times on the ride home and ordered everything I could afford from the ads in the 'zine. From that day on my mailbox was frantically checked for new arrivals, we'd figure out any way to get to Boston to buy records and skate and every show meant new friends, everything was growing exponentially. Once I got my license I burned through cars like skate decks because I was constantly driving these junkers from state to state and not taking care of them, every car I owed had a trunk full of fucking oil.


Chain of Strength at Spanky's 1989. Photo by Dave Sine

Aside from your love of the music, what pushed you to create the book?

We started plotting out the book around 2002/2003 and one thing we had that other books didn't at the time was a lot of history, perspective and resources. We both have backgrounds in art and knew that we wanted the book to showcase some of the images that inspired us, things that were getting overlooked. It was apparent that hardcore had seeped into everything in pop culture, including music, art and fashion. There was a story line that was screaming to us: before the internet really changed how we communicate hardcore was able to thrive and the limitations bred a lot of creativity we just needed to contextualize what other books weren't touching on or what they weren't able to address because they were created 10+ years ago. Nathan and I knew we could offer a fresh perspective and we had enough distance from what we were covering to do it objectively, we weren't telling our story we were documenting hardcore like human cameras. It felt like it was time to make a book that anyone could pick up, read and then understand what hardcore means to music and culture. Hardcore wasn't this secret club anymore that no one knew about, it was out there and being pilfered and without accurate documentation of it what can you expect? There can't be credit given if people don't know who to credit.


Inside Out at Gilman Street 1989. Photo by Dave Sine

What does Radio Silence offer that other books on the subject left out?

The book stretches into the 1990s and explains that hardcore doesn't "die", it moves in cycles. American Hardcore was accurate in that one cycle was done, the originators pollinated the world and as they broke up, persevered or explored different musical styles those seeds bloomed into a new crop. By the end of the 1980s you saw a new reaction and another new crop, this is going to continue to happen forever and it should. We also tried to show more than just one aspect of hardcore, we didn't focus on just flyers or just photography, we tried to give you a 360 degree view of a world and what made things tick. The narrative isn't based around the authors handing down the gospel, if there's a picture of Minor Threat, then Jeff Nelson, Ian MacKaye or someone directly linked to them is commenting on the photograph. We looked at ourselves as documentarians not authors, the parameters and restrain stretched into the layout and look of the book. We didn't create new art, we didn't use existing elements to tell new stories. The layout is secondary to the images, a photo of HR screaming to a handful of people in 1982 is the art not some bitmapped rendition of it with a shitty distracting font laid over it.


Bad Brains at Viceroy Park 1982. Photo by Rusty Moore

Aesthetically the book is really simple and clean. They layout almost contradicts the grittiness and raw energy of the photos and content of the book. Was this your intention?

One thing that bothers me is when I read a book about punk or hardcore and it looks like a ‘zine that was thrown together the night before a show. A bunch of dudes moshing at the Wilson Center is fucking chaotic and captures a mood, what could we really do to make that more insane with out distracting people from what's in the photo. We had to really pull back and almost overcompensate to really draw attention to the visuals, people should be soaking in every inch of the images, reading the text on a t-shirt, trying to figure out what the Circle Jerks' set list says, noticing if someone's shoe is untied. If we hand wrote all the text and ripped the edges of the photos it would look dated and would be us saying "Yo this is hardcore, ripping paper is fucking hardcore! DIY!" We weren't kids who were doing shit for the first time with glue sticks and dull scissors, we're grown men who wanted to document something inspiring and powerful, something that could stand next to a book on World War 2 and look as professional and make the subject matter carry the same weight as any other topic. Adults trying to "recapture" a time and place by doing their version of it wasn't our goal, we just wanted to document something in it's purest form, secondly there's no reason to put up any visual barriers, we wanted this to be neat and clean, something that focused on what inspired us, this rich and powerful world that hasn't been immortalized in print enough.


Black Flag at The Milestone 1981. Photo by Rusty Moore

I really like the fact that Radio Silence is visual history with small excerpts from people that were involved in the scene at the time. How did you decide upon this format?

Part of the intention was a nod to Banned In DC, which is such a fabulous book, and the second reason is because it gave a certain weight to each image. There have been thousands of people inspired by the sheep on the cover of Out of Step and I'm sure they all have amazing stories about that cover, those stories will continue to be told every time that record is flipped by in a collection or that page is turned in Radio Silence. Our intent was to ground those images and make people's stories more powerful, it was a huge "right on" to hear Cynthia Connolly talk about trying to draw the perfect sheep, it added a new dimension to the cover, it made it personal. We wanted to show the icons that we take for granted, that we've seen so much that they almost become static and reanimate them. Disclaimer - The Black Flag Bars and other icons don't need SHIT from us, they stand on their own but hopefully we could add something to these images but giving you more of the picture including the back story and origins of the roots of hardcore.


SSD at CBGB's 1983. Photo by Philin Phlash

You have some amazing content in Radio Silence including some classic photos as well original record graphics and production mechanicals. How hard was it to find some of this stuff? What image or photo were you most excited to receive for use in the book?

Every mechanical and unseen image was a thrill but getting Gail Rush's images of the Boston Crew a few weeks before the book was being sent to the printer was some next level shit. I was hung up on this thumbnail image of SSD on the Taang! site, a promo photo of the band hanging in Boston. JJ Gonson passed Gail's photos onto us and it really brought the Boston section to life, it spoke to me because these were Boston's forefathers fucking around with their crew on the same streets that I fucked around on, it was like finding an Antidote 7" a the Salvation Army for 25 cents or finding out you were adopted ...for real.


Boston Crew at Tufts Medical Center 1982. Photo by Gail Rush



You recently hooked up with Nike for a Radio Silence book release in Los Angeles that featured a performance by New York Hardcore legends the Cro-Mags. How did this happen?

Every step of this book revealed another embedded hardcore kid, Nike happens to have an extremely cool down to earth employee who handles their music marketing named Tim Bergevin who happened to have roadied for Ignite in the mid 1990s. We told Tim about the book and he came to us with the idea of doing a free all-ages show in Los Angeles, something that fathers could take their kids to, something that was a thank you to the hardcore scene. If you look at the book and look at people's feet you'll see boots, Chuck Taylors and Nikes. It was rad to show that dimension, I think that's what is unique to hardcore, there was a fashion aspect to hardcore just like punk but it was more indicative to what was going on in America, punk was showing what was coming out of fetish shops in the UK. We were lucky to have such amazing people behind us who were committed to putting on a fun event that everyone could attend and enjoy.


Cro Mags at The Ritz 1986. Photo by JJ Gonson



If you could put together a five band bill to represent Radio Silence, what bands would play and why?

Hopefully the book can stay in print for a long time so if we're doing a one off show to represent the book let's fill in the cracks with five incredible bands not really featured in Radio Silence but ARE Radio Silence, no particular order and since we'll be using the Crucial Time Machine we can pluck them out of their prime for the show:

Scream - completely essential, powerful and timeless but the only rad Scream pictures we had were from a semi-sketchy era w/puffy hair and acoustic guitars so it wouldn't have captured them the right way.

Black Flag with Keith Morris - Keith is in the book. Black Flag are in the book but not together and who the fuck wouldn't want to see this incarnation? Sorry Chavo and Dez

Die Kreuzen - Think of how fucking managed and destructive this band was, I'm thinking of pre-October File so you get some crazy prog riffs mixed with their harsh formula. Fuck my head is exploding thinking about it.

Burn - Burn is everything about the early 1990s that I want to remember, a great example of a band that is completely hardcore but really pushed the boundaries visually and sonically to create their own style.

Dag Nasty with Shawn Brown - I love Dag Nasty, I love Swiz, two epic things together , why the fuck not, people really sleep on this era of Dag, totally different than what you associate Dag Nasty with when you hear their name or see the flaming head but just as powerful.

I could go on forever putting dream bills together but this one is pretty epic.

www.radiosilencebook.com


Crippled Youth at The Ratt 1986. Photo by JJ Gonson

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THE SEVENTH LETTER

Though it is common for artists with roots in graffiti to branch out to the apparel and streetwear world, no one has done it quite like The Seventh Letter. Casey “Eklips” Zoltan, rumored leader of the west coast graffiti crews AWR and MSK, founded The Seventh Letter in 2000. The Seventh Letter acts as a platform for the crew’s artists to showcase their work in the form of apparel, art exhibitions and other special projects. Over the last 8 years The Seventh Letter has evolved as an apparel brand as well as an international collective of artists from the graffiti, tattoo, fine art, and design disciplines. We sat down with Casey to ask him a few questions about The Seventh Letter.

For those who don’t know, what is The Seventh Letter?
The Seventh Letter is more than just a clothing company, it’s basically a corporate identity for what we do. We come from an art background, mainly graffiti, but we do everything. We are a collective of artist, and The Seventh Letter is a way to legitimize ourselves to the world. We started out doing clothing, but we have expanded into jewelry, film, and traveling art shows. We attach The Seventh Letter to basically everything the crew does.

How did you decide to make the transition from The Seventh Letter as a graffiti crew/art collective into an apparel brand?
I’ve been doing clothing since ’89 and it just got to the point where we didn’t want to do stuff for other people anymore. We wanted to have our own focus, our own projects, and something that we could all represent.




A lot of the original streetwear brands had backgrounds in graffiti. Was this an influence in creating your own apparel brand?
Not in any way. We influenced a lot of those brands. We were the designers for a lot of those companies…that’s why they were considered graffiti companies. Artists from AWR and MSK were doing all of their designs.
There were other brands, like L.A. Bronx, that probably influenced a lot of people. A lot of brands even before then had people like Risky and Dante designing for them, this was back in like ’87 or ’88.

Do you think that a lot of the roots of streetwear lie in taking the images from the streets, like graffiti, and turning that into apparel?
If you are a graffiti writer everything that you do you will do with a graffiti flavor. Whether you’re doing film, writing books, or doing clothing designs. A writer has a certain lifestyle and a certain aura, and everything you do is with that vision and that passion. Graffiti influences everything a writer does.




You have some of the top names from not only the graffiti world, but from the tattoo, and art world on your design roster. Do you feel that apparel is a proper way to showcase their talent?
I think clothing is really cool. It’s great that people can buy a piece of art from an artist that they like for a reasonable amount of money. Not everyone can afford a Mr. Cartoon tattoo, or a Retna or Revok painting. So it’s cool that people can get a t-shirt that represents an artist that they believe in. A lot of t-shirts sell to fans that actually like the artist… It’s like buying a print that you can wear. It’s also a really good way for artists to get their name out there. It’s an amazing vehicle for a lot of artist’s careers.


Your line primarily consists of t-shirts. Do you have plans to expand the line?
For fall ’09 we are starting to do more than just t-shirts. T-shirts are what we’re known for and it allows us to push artist’s careers. It’s harder to do an artist driven piece when you get into cut and sew. We definitely will have more stuff, but t-shirts are really what we focus on. We don’t want to overcrowd our plate - if we try to have a really big line then all we will be able to do is clothing. It will be hard to do clothing and have amazing art shows, travel the world, and have the jewelry line. We take it day-by-day and step-by-step… We don’t have investors or backers, and everything we do is on our own. It’s a growing process, and we will eventually get to that point. I am very interested in designing a full line of clothing, denim, and accessories. It will come in time.



Where do you see the streetwear market going, and where do you feel The Seventh Letter will fit within this market?
That’s a hard question. I don’t know what streetwear is, these days. It’s really hard for me to gauge where it is going to go.
As far as The Seventh Letter goes, we will continue to do what we do, which is make clothing that we want to wear.
In the early ‘90’s a lot of people were doing graffiti stuff, and anyone would buy anything with graffiti on it – a tag, a drip, or whatever. In the later ‘90’s people looked at their t-shirts and wanted to know who did it. They didn’t want to just buy a shirt with a tag on it. They wanted a shirt that was done by someone that has cred. They wanted to know the history of that writer.
If I can predict anything, it’s that people will hopefully weed out the fakes. There are people that own skate companies that never skated, there are people that own graffiti companies that don’t write graffiti, and there are people that own Ultimate Fighting companies that don’t Ultimate Fight. Hopefully people will start supporting the people that really have paid their dues.


You recently launched a jewelry division…
I’ve always been interested in jewelry. I wanted to start doing jewelry for The Seventh Letter in 2001. I just started buying equipment and I didn’t even have a jeweler.
A year ago I met this amazing jeweler named Kei and he was eager and ready to do his thing. He was out here from Japan, and we connected to make TSL Armor. Everything is hand made, hand carved, and done in house. It’s an amazing project. Jewelry can last forever, and it’s cool to think that maybe in 50 or 100 years that some of these pieces might still be around. It’s enabled us to get into different stores and deal with different clients. We have signature pieces by different artists like Kenton Parker and Estevan Oriol. I don’t want to be like all these other jewelry companies, we are trying to do more artist driven
things.



What is the future of The Seventh Letter?
Just living. The Seventh Letter is us, it’s our family, our crew, our lifestyle – it’s everything that we do. As long as we are living and we are here we are going to continue to do what we do and we are going to continue to build The Seventh Letter. We are going to push into new ventures, new projects, and bigger and better things.

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EYEONE / LOST

I have known EYEONE for well over 15 years. Aside from being a talented artist (both graffiti and fine art), an amazing graphic artist, and a curator, Eyeone used to own and operate The Macondo, an all ages punk and hardcore venue (and cultural center), that lasted from the mid to late nineties. For a number of years The Macondo was the only home for punk and hardcore in Los Angeles. Eyeone currently works as an artist and recently published a book of Los Angeles graffiti called Lost.
Lost - Ten Years is a special edition book celebrating a decade of the publication of the L.A.-based 'zine Lost | Graffiti in the City of Angels. The book features highlights from the long out of print first 12 issues, as well as unpublished material from some of L.A.’s most influential graffiti writers, and the true pioneers that pushed the limits of this art form on the streets of Los Angeles. Lost | Graffiti in the City of Angels began in 1998 as a self published D.I.Y photocopied fanzine started by EYEONE of the Seeking Heaven Crew. Though Graffiti as we know originated on the East Coast, it was the L.A. based graffiti writers that set new standards, bombing freeway overpasses, heaven spots, and scaling huge buildings in the never-ending pursuit to push the limits of their art form. Just as graffiti has evolved over the years, so has LOST as a publication. We sat down with EYEONE to talk about his inspiration, the evolution of LOST, and his thoughts about Graffiti in Los Angeles.



LOST started as a magazine…
Yeah it was a fanzine. It started as a photocopied ‘zine that was just made from regular size paper folded in half. I was inspired from seeing all the ‘zines in the hardcore scene where people were documenting what they were involved with. I felt that graffiti needed that. I wanted to do something that was from within the graffiti scene that talked about things that were going on within that scene and the experiences that people had.
The concept behind the name LOST came from me wandering around downtown photographing graffiti, and I just envisioned being lost in your own city looking for things that people are doing out on the streets.

What year did you start the fanzine?
LOST started in 1998, so it’s been ten years. The book marks the 10 year anniversary. It’s a compilation of stuff from the first 12 issues with some additional material. Looking back at 10 years of work, you learn a lot. You have the benefit to see how a project evolves… I expect it to keep evolving. This issue is a milestone, and I’m already working on the next 2 issues.



Do you think that a D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) type of ‘zine could even exist now in the internet age?
That’s what I have been facing, especially with graffiti. You can find pretty much everything going on in the graffiti world daily almost instantaneously on graffiti sites from all over the world. Doing a ‘zine that is a localized thing allows me to document and collect, so that when you pick up an issue of LOST you see a body of work over time by specific artists or specific crew in a specific part of the city. I don’t think that the internet offers that… it moves so fast, and what happens today may be forgotten next week. With LOST I’m trying to collect images over a period of time where you can see a retrospective of someone’s work or the development of an artist’s style. Print is a very attractive medium to me, but it’s become more of an object you collect as opposed to a main form of receiving information.

Yeah, that’s what I thought was interesting even with the title of the book, LOST. It’s kind of like a lost art form… The whole do-it-yourself fanzine…
Definitely.

The way the book is printed and bound, it really holds true to that do-it-yourself aesthetic. Was that intentional?
For sure. When I started the magazine I was doing it myself with whatever I had at my disposal. The first time I got a photocopy hookup, I did it photocopied. I started working at a print shop where we had a bindery, so I started printing the zine and binding it myself.
As far as a model, I definitely looked up to Dischord Records… everything they did was under their control and they got to voice what they wanted to voice. I was inspired from both hardcore and graffiti, because in both of those scenes you do what you can with what you have.



Is that why you chose to self publish the book?
That’s exactly why. I feel that as my own publisher I would have a lot more control of my voice and with what I want to say with the book. I find that a lot of media on graffiti that comes through a major publisher looses a lot because there are a lot more intermediaries between the creator and the final project.

What drew you to graffiti as a subject and as a medium?
The first time I consciously wanted to do graffiti was after seeing Beat Street as a kid. I had no idea then that it was a complete Hollywood fabrication, but it really made me see that you could do something besides what I was seeing in my neighborhood which was all of the gang writing. I would credit the MAK crew, and MANDOE and NEO in particular, for pushing that inspiration further and actually pushing me to take a can and go painting. NEO was known for doing this footprint, almost like the Hang Ten, logo all over L.A. MANDOE had this really amazing tag for the period… It was a one-line tag with very abstract letters that really departed from all of the stuff that I was seeing at the time. I saw a piece in my neighborhood by KRENZ, who goes by YEM now, that was the last straw for me. When I saw that piece, it was a street level illegal piece, I decided that I had to try to do it.



How did you choose which artists would be in the book and which artists would be in the magazine?
The most pragmatic criteria for the book was to feature artists that had appeared in the first 12 issues of Lost. In those first 12 issues I was really aiming to represent writers that were very active in L.A. but who weren’t necessarily the most visible online or in the magazines. If you took the time to look for graffiti or if you were living in L.A. you would see their work, and I thought that their work needed to be shown.
The writers that I have in the book are people that really represent L.A. graffiti to me. For example, ATLAS… He has a very unique style that everyone would identify as an L.A. style. HAELER is a very well known bomber, and his letter form is very big and bold, and that says L.A. to me. I wanted to get writers that represent what L.A. graffiti is all about.

A lot of graffiti writers are making the move from the streets into the galleries. What are your thoughts on that?
Personally, as a graffiti writer, I approach a gallery show differently that I would my graffiti. When I do a gallery show I do more introverted, personal, pieces. The aesthetic is something that I can’t deny because it’s a part of the way that I learned about the arts. What I show in the galleries is not graffiti, although it contains some of the same subject matter.
There are artist like TWIST who have been very successful in the museum world, and his artwork comes from his background as a graffiti writer. When you see it in a gallery you automatically see the connection.



On the street level he was doing things so differently than so many other graffiti writers that it stood out even on the street.
That’s why I thought it was so important to have someone like THE PHANTOM in my book. He was one of those artists whose work was in the city on the streets, and the medium he chose was spray paint, but it wasn’t automatically identified as graffiti. That really set him apart from other artists on the streets. He’s been shown in galleries and in a different context, but his stuff is so strong that it works in any situation.

Do you think graffiti gets a bad rap in the eyes of the public?
I think it does. One of the advantages of publishing my own book is that I can try to transcend that argument. Most books that come out from an established publishing house will have a disclaimer or an explanation that tries to convince the reader that graffiti is art. I don’t need to debate that because I feel that graffiti is a valid art form. In the mainstream graffiti still gets a bad rap. It’s almost schizophrenic in the way that we accept other forms of visual communication… There was recently a study of billboards in L.A., and they found over 4000 billboards that were illegally placed. As residents of the city we accept that as a natural part of our environment so we don’t question it. Graffiti is so in your face, and has so many negative connotations, that people are hesitant to accept it. It’s been over 40 years since what we know as graffiti today has been taking place, it’s time to really transcend the negative connotations that it has.



Where can we find LOST?
The kind of places that carry Lost are the types of places that support independent media and carry stuff beyond the scope of the average mainstream consumer items.
Bodega (Boston)
Bombing Science (Canada + web)
Colette (France)
Hennessey + Ingalls (L.A.)
Meltdown (L.A.)
Routes (L.A.)
Skylight Books (L.A.)
Tradition (Westlake Village)
Turntable Lab (N.Y./L.A. + web)
and through http://lost.seekingheaven.com

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: CHASE TAFOYA

Chase Tafoya is an up and coming artist based out of Southern California. His work mainly consists of very large scale portraits that focus on the subject's face. Be sure to check out Chase's upcoming show "Face 2 Face," which opens February 7th at Tradition.
Interview by Alicia Galehdari



Give us a brief description of your background, where you’re from, your roots, your age, etc.
I was born in Merced, CA. I grew up as that kid who often got into trouble because I was more interested in drawing, rather than school, or anything else. I'm 25 now and am a self employed, free lance illustrator. I feel like if it wasn't for growing up in Merced, that I would not have dedicated myself to acrylic painting like I have.

How were you first introduced into the art world?
For as long as I can remember, art has been what pushes me every day. My parents say I started drawing when I was 3 years old....and I haven't been able to put down a pencil or brush since. As far as the art world, I was fortunate enough to be added on the TEMPT Benefit "Represent Represent" group show back in February of 2007. My bro Pep Williams hooked it up along with The Seventh letter/Known Gallery crew. I did these skateboards that were amongst the first to sell. Since then, I've gotten a lot of positive feedback and art show invites that have really been a blessing.

How long is it that you have been in the game and throughout this time, who has greatly influenced you?
Well, I consider myself in the game for as long as I can remember. I think anyone who commits to the devotion of their craft can be looked at as a player of the game. Influences of mine are actually from all other genre's and styles. Growing up, I always thought "fine art" was boring, and that the colors were all the same. Not until recently have I come to understand and appreciate the masters of renaissance art. I've always been influenced by the Graff/Tattoo/ Illustrator guy's (Frank Frazetta, Seen, Daim, Cope2, WON, Mike Giant, Mr. Cartoon, Guy Aitchison, and Greg "Craola" Simkins. These guys are so creative, and have helped me to develop my art into a style that I felt hasn't really been done before.... modern day Renaissance.

Why the fascination with portraits?
I guess I've always thought that faces were interesting…..so much of an individual’s personality is in their face. People's expressions, their hair, and especially their eyes…… almost tell a story. My mother would always tell me that eyes were the window to a person’s soul. Skill wise, I feel that painting portraits pushes me to the next level - everything that I artistically want to accomplish with my art. In a way it brings me comfort knowing that I will constantly seek to improve my skill...there's always a pore, or a wrinkle, or an eyelash that I could have made better.

Being renown for your portraits, what other pieces have you done or enjoy composing?
I feel honored that people take notice of my work. Portrait pieces push me to become a better technical artist. I've always painted what influenced me growing up. I didn't get into painting or portraits until I was about 17-18. Besides portraits, I have always been into graffiti and tattoos...the cultures are so much deeper that just drawing or painting. Anything that I can do on a large scale, I'm down. I've done murals (for friends bars), sculptures, skateboards, and have done some air-brushing.

What materials do you paint with?
I paint with acrylic on canvas...some water to thin the paint. That's about it.



What elements have contributed to your work throughout your life?
Primarily my faith, family, and friends. Just living life, growing up, experiencing different situations in life. In addition, there are so many cultures that play an important part in my work -
music, skating, graffiti, tattoos, the California/Latino culture, etc.

Have you ever been into graffiti? If so which crews?
Around the 8th grade, I started getting into graffiti. I was skating that time too, so it went kind of hand in hand. Graffiti played such an influential role with my art at that time. It taught me so much about color and composition. I think that's why most of my pieces are done on large-scale canvases now (3'x4' - 5'x6'). It's funny because even now, people hit me up after seeing only my portraits, asking if I was ever into graffiti, because they see it in my work with the colors I use.


Have you ever had any impressive or touching responses to your art work? If so, where from, why, etc?
I have painted portraits of friends and other that people I know for some time now. However, the first really touching response came when I painted a skateboard for a recent show called depARTed. It was an art show about people who passed before their time - I painted Harold Hunter. Being able to see how many lives Harold had touched was an art in itself. I never had the pleasure to meet Harold, but growing up skating, I could relate to his raw, rugged, not caring approach to the sport. I saw Harold just having fun, and that inspired me. Every person who has seen the board has expressed to me how emotional and touched they were by it. It became more than a piece of art...it brought back memories of a true friend. With all my portraits I try to give honor to the person, and being able to see it accomplished with Harold was truly touching.

Explain to us the background of a few of your pieces, why did you choose to do them, why the subject?
The main piece that started my new series of portraits was the self portrait of me (with a bandana covering much of my face). This was at a time when I had a lot of personal demons and the portrait depicts my personal struggle with my conscience. It’s a play upon doing what is right and wrong – good and evil. The apple represents sin and my attempt to keep myself from it. The bandana prevents me from smelling or tasting the apple. But like with most things, I am still drawn to it. The snake is tempting me, almost whispering for me to indulge. When painting the picture, I thought the opposite of a sweet apple would be a sour lemon. The lemon represents the right thing to do, which is always in front of us. The angels represent something that I myself always take into consideration - regardless of my actions, someone is always watching.

As far as other pieces, I try to paint homies of mine who inspire me to always push myself. I did a portrait of my bro Chow (with the glasses and tattoos), who is my tattooist. Each portrait that I do tells a unique story about the person…..if you know how to read it. I like to do research on my subjects by finding out about their personality, their likes and dislikes, etc. This helps me to develop the painting. Although every painting is open to interpretation, the symbols are not easily deciphered, so usually only I and my subject know the true meanings. Most of the time, the entire piece will tell a life story. What each person chooses to share with me while I am painting their portrait is an honor.



Regarding art, in your opinion what is more important, style or concept?
In my opinion, I would say style. So many concepts have been played out, but if it's done in an interesting style, then it becomes a breath of fresh air to that particular piece. If I told Mike Giant, Mr. Cartoon, The Mac and Frank Frazetta to draw an angel pin-up....there all the same concept, but each piece is so different in style, and that's what makes it original. As an artist, I believe having your own style is crucial. You can look at certain icons in every genre, and just by looking at the way they paint, or the way they shape their letters....you can tell who painted it. Having a style in art is an artist’s signature. If you never signed your name on a piece of art, you want the viewer to be able to tell who painted it, just by looking at it.

Do you feel art helps those growing up to stay away from the bad elements of street life?
I really think so...considering so many art forms are connected or have been influenced from street life, it's something that is positive and beautiful out of conditions that might not always be. I mean tattoos, graffiti and skateboarding are huge street elements, and art movements. Art gives those growing up an opportunity to strive for something greater than what is already so easily obtainable. Art pushes and challenges those mentally and artistically to gain something greater. It gives them faith. It's faith and believing in what your passionate about that makes someone reach their goals.

What is it that you are up to these days? What do you have lined up for us?
Wow. Right now I'm very fortunate to have a few good things going on. I have some group shows lined up as well as a two-person show in the near future. Thanks to Victor at Refused Magazine, I'm featured in the newest issue (No.5). Thanks to you (Alicia Galehdari), I am being interviewed. I’m working on several personal commissions and continuing to do freelance work. I’m painting every day.

What plans do you have for yourself further along the road? Maybe clothing, etc?
Right now I'm focusing on a lot of different things. I am quite excited about one project in the works, but unfortunately I am not at liberty to discuss until all the details have been finalized. I will keep you posted though. I hope to be a part of more gallery exhibits and will continue to focus on improving style and technique with my artwork.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Being able to see my artwork get more exposure has meant a lot. In addition, realizing and appreciating all the people who have helped along the way, has definitely opened my eyes.

Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years time?
On a personal level, I hope that I am still inspired in every aspect of my life…..still having that faith, family, friends’ influence. Artistically I hope that I continue to push the envelope. Business wise, I hope to be involved in a company whereby I can collaborate both creatively and artistically. Being involved with people who want to make a difference in the world….those who care about our environment and those who want to give back is very important to me.

As an artist, are you capable of living off of your art work?
Yes. I feel so blessed in that since. I’m certainly not rich by any means, but I can put food on the table and pay the rent. Being able to wake up every day and do what I feel is my purpose is almost too much to comprehend sometimes. It’s definitely appreciated.



WWW.CHASETAFOYA.COM

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