In the graffiti underground, Piece Books—or sketch books—have been a secret weapon for the mysterious artists who pioneered the culture back in 1970s New York. Reebok explores this history through the eyes of graffiti legends like Cope 2, Erni “Paze” Vales, West, SP.One, Wane COD, Rime MSK, Chino BYI, Ewok 5MH, PEZ, How and Nosm.
Photos Courtesy of Henry Chalfant, How and Nosm, Erni Vales, WANE, Ellen Wattson Foto 156, David Villorente / Chino BYI, Greg Lamarche SP.ONE, Ven AOK, and James SEXER Rodriguez.
Check the video below for short history of Latin music from the 2002 Bravo TV Documentary The Palladium: Where Mambo Was King. This clip details the roots of the music that went on to drastically change the music scene in New York and around the world…
We spread the word on the World Piecebook… project last week, and now we’re letting you know about the launch event for the book this Friday here in NYC. Sacha and Chino have enlisted the help of DJ Treats and the legendary Prince Paul to set things off.
Check out the details below…
Come celebrate the release of Sacha Jenkins SHR and David “Chino” Villorente’s World Piecebook: Global Graffiti Drawings – the third book inside their critically-acclaimed Piecebook series. Copies will be available for purchase, FREE limited edition World Piecebook t-shirt with the first 100 books sold. The night begins with a discussion on the history and importance of black books featuring noted artists Doves FC, Kr.One and Mr.Kaves.
Treats and the legendary and mighty Prince Paul will be on the wheels of steel playing the best possible music on the planet.
Reception:
Friday – July 22, 2011
7:00pm – 11:00pm
At: The Redbull Space
15 Watts St
New York, N.Y 10013
Interesting article over at Naked With Socks On dealing with the ongoing issue of Ethnicity vs. Race. I’ll let them tell it. Check out the excerpt below…
Black is a powerful word. More than a color, it represents an entire race of people. While some may prefer African American, Afro Cuban, Afrocentric or whatever variation that applies, when someone says “Black” (with a capital B) you generally know what they mean. That’s why I was taken aback when this man looked me in my eye and said, “I’m not Black.”
Despite having the same pigmentation as myself, he was adamant about expressing his Spanish heritage. He was Panamanian and proud. Being called “Black” was somehow an insult to everything that he was. Be that as it may, looking at him all I saw was another Black man like myself. I never paid attention to his last name, which I later discovered had Spanish roots, because for all I knew it could have just as well been Haitian. Even that was “too Black” for him.
I have no problem with someone holding on to their heritage but when I use the term “Black,” I include all people within the brown spectrum. It doesn’t matter if you’re from the South, North, Caribbean, UK, South America or the Motherland, if I look at you and see a person of color I feel you’re Black. We can all break things down in to different categories and sub categories, but at the end of the day if your skin is pigmented b the world looks at your outward appearance and puts you in a box called “Black” before you even open your mouth.
Still, many people of Spanish descent tend to distance themselves from being labeled “Black.” Whether or not you speak Spanish, Creole, Patois, English or Portuguese, chances are the bloodlines have been mixed with an African slave at some point down the line, but because being “Black” is often viewed as being a negative thing it gets shunned by those that can.
We ran into a good friend, David ‘Chino’ Villorente, a few weeks back and he let us know about his new project with writing partner Sacha Jenkins, World Piecebook: Global Graffiti Drawings. The book is the third in a series detailing the work of the greatest graffiti artists. This chapter shifts the focus to the world on the whole, including features on artists representing everywhere from Sweden to Puerto Rico.
Check out some details of the book below…
“World PieceBook: The Secret Drawings of Graffiti Writers” is the third incarnation of the seminal and wildly original and popular graffiti books “PieceBook” and “PieceBook Reloaded: The Secret Drawings of Graffiti Writers” by veteran graffiti scholars and practitioners Sacha Jenkins and David Villorente.
Published by Prestel and SHR Airlines, Jenkin’s imprint, the books gave insight into some of the practices of some of the world’s most well known graffiti artists via the black book, the sounding board for graffiti pieces. Included in the series were PINK, Lee Quinones, KEO, Blade & ESPO amongst dozens of writers your moms complained about while riding the IRT in the ’70s and ’80s.
This time round, however, Villorente and Jenkins take the show on the road by tapping writers around the world including graffiti artists from Korea, South Africa, Japan, Croatia, Israel and Greece, to list a few of the countries represented in the book. Many of the writers are also women and include MOTEL 7, KLOR and MAD C.
If you were to set sail off the coast of West Africa some of the currents would take you right into the Gulf Stream. Up until recently that was the only direct route from Nigeria to Jamaica. However that is all about to change, in a joint move between Jamaica and Nigeria an agreement has been reached where there will be a direct flights between the two countries along with no visa restrictions.
Jamaican ObserverTHE long-awaited air travel between Jamaica and Africa is now a reality. According to a press release from the Nigerian High Commission, the governments of both countries have recently signed a bilateral agreement to facilitate direct air service from Jamaica to Nigeria at a cheaper cost and at a shorter time, as well as to eliminate visa requirements.
“This is to inform the General Public that the Governments of Jamaica and Nigeria have initiated a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) which will facilitate direct air link between both countries,” the press release stated.
This is the culmination of a process started some time ago which was highlighted by the Nigerian Ambassador to Jamaica, Peter Oyedele, during an address to members of the Rotary Club of Spanish Town in February of this year. As reported in this newspaper on March 3rd, on that occasion, Ambassador Oyedele predicted that travel connection between his country and Jamaica could become a reality by the middle of this year.
“It is hoped that within the next couple of months, interested airlines will begin to lift passengers direct from Kingston to what many Jamaicans call, the ‘motherland’ at a cheaper cost and a shorter and more comfortable travel time,” the release further stated.
What that means is that the route is now opened for it to be exploited by the airlines as the ball is now in their court, said Oyedele in a telephone interview with Sunday Finance “All the airlines will be so informed by both governments for them to decide. For the route is now free for them to exploit,” he said.
I definitely have to give credit where it’s due. CCCADI continues to put together some great events. Tonight, they’re set to launch their truly unique art exhibition for Women’s History Month. Check out the details below…
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) is pleased to present “Wearing Spirit: Aesthetically Personifying the Feminine in African Sacred Traditions” a multi-media exhibition of paintings, sculpture, photography, textile art, video and installations honoring the power of the Feminine present in African Sacred Traditions.
While African Sacred Traditions exist within a context of gender duality of masculine/feminine, this exhibition specifically explores the complex fabric of female personalities in indigenous African spirituality. Work in the exhibition captures the essence and power of the female deities, priestesses, and prophets that have served as instruments of balance and grounding within indigenous African spiritual systems and their derivatives.
Artists attempt to answer such questions as: Who are the gatekeepers of the spirit and physical realms? Who are the most prominent female divinities? What are the roles of female priestesses and prophets in a contemporary context? How is feminine energy shaping the future of these traditions?
This show is an awe-inspiring reflection of the universal essence that is cosmically feminine. It also highlights the traditional West African systems of Akan, Vodun and Yoruba and their Diasporan counteparts along with other rituals and rites-of-passage ceremonies.
In 2010, people are still being persecuted for their devotion to these indigineous belief systems. Most recently, there are reports of Haitian earthquake survivors being denied food and assistance as well as having their temples and altars desecrated and destroyed by evangelical Christians, simply for their practice of Vodun. Additionally, there needs to be a resurgence of earth-based practices during times of environmental disintegration. These traditions must be preserved and celebrated and this exhibition further educates the general masses to the cosmic energy that is Feminine and Sacred.
Check out a full listing of the artists involved and a video interview with Imo Nse Imeh, Ph.D as he discusses his piece “Mechanisms in Uyai,” after the jump…
