Art Leaks
I do
Oh this is something new. According the Philadelphia Magazine, in the same city in USA, a couple had their engagement photos taken in an abandoned graffiti filled train. Too cool to be true!
A wall for everybody
| Speaking of harm reducing approach, landlord Lien in Regina, Canada had a long persistent thorny problem of unwanted graffiti on his building so instead he decided to offer a wall to everybody without questions. “No hate speech, no gang tags, no racism. I tell everyone keep it positive. Make a plan and do something you are proud of.” says Lien. |
The future of vandalism
| Augmented reality (AR) technologies develop and tech giants are racing towards AR glasses and other products that render them closer to our everyday lives. Propelled by the advancement in crafty tracking and publicity technologies we may only be a decade away (or not even) from seeing AR adverts on the streets and building without any visors or devices. As the augmented world becomes a more and more “concrete” reality vandals may start getting their hands on walls and buildings in the digital world as for now no regulations exist. Landlords may soon have to face deal with graffiti buffing in the real world AND in the augmented world. |
Vandalism and Graffiti
| Offensive vandalism is NOT graffiti. Writers don’t go spreading messages of hatred, but they do it to spread their names via their works anonymously (and the kick of course) . An absolute no no to write on religious buildings and historical monuments! Oh and let’s not forget pure graffiti is illegal and when they are legal they are considered street art. |
PIECE
a completed work that has more than 3 colors (so not tags or throwies). It can also mean a masterpiece.
Heavy duty graffiti
| Wow, now this is something new. Excavators, power shovels, dump trucks and other heavy construction equipment get vamped up with graffiti. A project by Shinko Heavy Equipment and Constructions Company based in Shizuoka Japan offers heavy duty canvases and space to exhibit the finished works. When president Mr. Kobayashi inevitably faced more hours in his company office due to the pandemic he thought of revitalizing the neighborhood by vibrant graffiti and murals he had seen in other parts of Japan and abroad. |
Fill
| The inside area of letters that are “filled in” with colors as opposed to outlines. |
Harasho!
| From Russia with graffiti love! The Moscow Metro is celebrating its 86th birthday with legally painted graffiti train by local artists. The train will be in service until September and it will be up to the people to decide how they will be used. A wonderful initiative to support art in all forms, ain’t it!? |
Calling all artists
| Tesla is constructing a new mega-huge factory in Berlin called the Giga Berlin. For its completion founder Elon Musk has called out for all graffiti artists to submit their works to adorn the exterior walls. Architecturally speaking the walls are colossal and smooth, mouth watering for any artist to get those hands on. As a collateral effect, a wave of memes that mock the business magnate have spread across the internet, lol. |
Throwups
| Throwups or throwies could be considered between tagging and piece in terms of complexity. They are one, or maximum two colored letters that normally have a fill and outline. Quickly paintable, making them the writers choices when bombing. |
STICKERS
Stickers like “HELLO MY NAME” IS where you write your tag in the blank space (hey, look on the top left of your screen!) and other forms of writer personalized adhesive papers is a quick way to leave one’s mark. They’re normally found on the back of street signs, poles, electric boxes and more with smooth surfaces but not necessarily flat.
GRAFFITI VS STREET ART
Tagging
So obviously we need to dedicate it to TAGGING the gateway graffiti. Normally done in single color with a marker or spray. Faster the better, the more the better. Tag is the signature of a writer so they leave it in as many places as possible to spread their name.
Hello to crypto art and NFT
| A Banksy’s piece was burned in live by a group that belongs to a blockchain company called Injective Protocol. The artwork titled “Morons (white)” was purchased for nearly 100 thousand dollars before going to flames and turned to NFT (non fungible tokens). The reason is due to crypto art, a new growing movement with many artists’ endorsements. The entire process was recorded on footage and published on twitter page Burnt Banksy. |
ARE YOU A MAKER VANDAL?
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Vandal peeps in Brasil have come up a new kind of graffiti. They 3D printed a miniature water tank then applied fake rust and painted it ruined to give an abandoned look. Then tagged with markers and paint. Two thumbs up for DIY micro legal vandalism! |
Graff Leaks
LUXURY X VANDALISM
SO, we’re sure that all of you have at least heard about the Balenciaga AD campaign that implies child pornography, right? The Spanish luxury brand is being sacked from all directions at the moment. Here is where the vandalism community comes in. An activist vandalised their flagship store in London, UK, daubing the store windows with the words that penalize their collection’s promotion: “PEDOPHILIA”.
Brandalize!
Artist Banksy has accused GUESS for using his works for a capsule collection without his permission. He posted on his channels encouraging shoplifters to do the same thing to GUESS. Leading the flagship store in Regent street London, UK to temporarily close down.
…and it doesn’t stop here. Some are even pointing out that Banksy has done the same to another artist what the US fashion brand did to him…and that all this is marketing… : /
City Cleanup Corps
To combat the graffiti “issue”, New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he will hire 10,000 people for his new cleaning program: City Cleanup Corps. New Yorkers, soon it will be full of new spots.
The fun in writing…
Some while ago, at the birth place of graffiti New York, USA, the Police Benevolent Association of Police Officers posted a tweet about a whole train (an entire train covered in graffiti). Despite their bitterness towards the multiple end to ends (a wagon filled with graffiti from beginning to the end) the New Yorkers seemed quite pleased about it. Some even said that the City should officially employ writers to paint on trains, but that just takes all the fun out of writing doesn’t it??
The price of writing…
What is the highest price you can pay for vandalism? Ending up in jail? Paying a hefty fine? Serving community service? None of them….it’s buffing your own pieces…under the supervision of your MOM. This is what exactly happened to a 16 year old in Louisiana, USA. Our thoughts are with you dear teen vandal.
Call them billboard spot consultants
On the national highway in the UK several safety message graffiti have appeared on bridges such as: “keep left unless overtaking”, “don’t drink and drive”, editorial favorites are “Why are you a middle lane moron?” and “Hey you, middle lane moron, get over” (remember in the UK you drive on the left?). Even though these vandalistic posts were welcomed by the highway users, since they caught TOO much attention and could have lead to accidents they were removed. Just another anecdote that vandals are the authentic experts in finding the most eye catching surfaces. You’re welcome for the free billboard spot consulting by our fellow vandals.
And the winners are….
The #MTNXVANDALEAK contest has come to an end…and the lucky prize draw winners are…@enser129, @misterhir, @skepticisme, @_B3gone_ !!!!!
Thanks to everybody who participated, and last but not least the one and only MONTANA COLORS!! Keep on writing to all vandals!!!!
BLACKBOOK
The Blackbook is a writer’s marker, spray, cap or whatever essential tool to be one. It is that vital as one keeps everything there. From practicing their tag to sketching a masterpiece. An album where they can see how they have progressed through time. Blackbooks are also often exchanged between vandals to record each others’ graffs.
A graphic documentary of a graffiti writer.
EXTRA! EXTRA! #MTNXVANDALEAK CONTEST
We are extending the MTN X VANDALEAK Contest till the 14th March! So share those Vandaleak trains!! Wooohoooo
#MTNXVANDALEAK CONTEST!
VANDALEAK: the one and only place where a digital vandal can live the real graffiti experience has teamed up with world’s leading spray paint brand Montana Colors for the MTN X Vandaleak Contest!
Use the MTNXVANDALEAK coupon to gain 1000 credits for free, gear up your backpack from STORE, paint your name on a Vandaleak train from BOMBING, make sure to take a picture. From GALLERY choose the graff pic and select the MTN logo button to share on your instagram including the #MTNXVANDALEAK hashtag to participate in the contest. You can participate as many times as you want!
Simple as that!
4 lucky winners of the draw will receive a Montana Colors products pack and Vandaleak credits.
Contest runs until March 5th! Now get up and writing!
Writing in times of a pandemic
| Just like Auckland, New Zealand, Philadelphia, USA has witnessed a soar in graffiti and tags since the beginning of the pandemic with a nearly 20% rise in request for graffiti removal. Officials from the community encouraged writers to take part in a public mural program, but it’s just not the same!!! |
NINJA K
A hard core photographer called NINJA K teamed up with the living legend Martha Cooper, and they documented one of the most anonymous, elusive and secretive crews of our times: 1UP. The photos in the book, ONE WEEK WITH 1UP capture their breath panting speed and adrenalin bursting. The two photographers knew exactly what they need to do when taking pictures that do justice to vandalism of excellence.
Public bragging
| Tagging and getting your writer name across ANONYMOUSLY is one of the fundamental features of pure graffiti. In Kent, UK a writer bragged on his own social network page (presumably his personal page and not even under his writer name) that he tagged around the town, which lead to arrest and serving one year of prison….First comes anonymity…second comes anonymity, right? |
Vandal on the run
In Palma de Mallorca, Spain an anti-graffiti force is after a writer called OLDER. The vandal’s tags have been spotted in 85 places across the town and is most likely to face a hefty fine. Dude, you’ve been caught on CCTV!
Invincibility Ticket
LOCKDOWN: a temporary invincibility ticket for graffiti writers in Auckland New Zealand. The number of tags and graffiti have bursted this period due the restricted mobility. Plus, the council can’t contract workers to clean them up until the alert level goes down to level 3 (currently at level 4).