the running tissue of layers

graffiti. graffiti writing.
"writers."
for me the culture or sub-culture of graffiti is a wonderful concentrate and rich assembly of human result. action! decision. influence at it's best, cultural development and movement extreme. a worn body (new york of the late 60's early 70's) vulnerable or perhaps with rich soils or ripe atmospheres for ignition of new processes.
at any rate, the human being is highly adaptable, as are all creatures still living on this earth. this is by design, by inherent qualities, by logic itself. if they still exist then the base-organism must have been able to adapt and evolve and continue to survive theses long periods of change.

a highly adaptable being is highly capable, even going behond it's perceived or inherent ability. the "movement" of the graffiti culture-entire is, i believe, a good example of this. with humans being adaptable but also social creatures increases the exponent for ability or capability.

sometimes our own adaptability can hinder us. i feel it does me at times. but at the same time it makes us resilient. we survive because of our adaptability amoung other things.

graffiti, like all forms of expression (art) depends on its contributors, its practitioners. whatever form the practice takes shape in, the practice of a thing creates it, continues it. to our abstract states of mind this is true. of course, existentially, nothing ceases to exist; everything is in a state of change without "absolute" beginnings or ends.

the images included here are of one of my favourite graffiti-culture artists. his name was shy (rip) or shy 1. a prolific writer for his time and very adept. i've come to read much about him (what there is to read) but my memory is not fact-based but memory-based, so, in time i forget the details and facts and mainly remember the essence. and for shy it is what i would call "pickles and onions." i like to use food to capture feelings or ideas at times. and for shy the pungent flavour and subtly-delayed aromas of pickles and onions does well to capture how i receive his dynamic as a human. what you see above left is how most writers of the 70's and early 80's had to work in order to reach the entire height of the cars (subway cars/trains) when in the yards (holding/storage areas usually outdoors in fenced areas).

the previous picture at the top right is duro (in brown pants) shy (on floor too) and min (sitting on the seat with the cool red converse-looking shoes). often writers would innovate and develop techniques or methods to get their goals accomplished. whether or not they had clearly-defined goals or more spontaneous ones, their human ability to adapt and innovate bested all systems of the time. albeit there weren't that many systems in place by the new york transit authority until the late 70's and mainly in the 80's but most of the writers were teens or even preteens in some cases. not that youth amplifies accomplishment but that youth, in general, showcases "inexperience" and in ways shows the rapid development that can occur with humans and their abilities, especially when in groups or under group influences (directly or indirectly).


evolution shows itself in many things from my day-to-days, graffiti is one of these examples. the process of development or contribution, with humans, involves evolution directly. innovations replace standards and progress continues. sometimes this process can be distorted by our intellect or intense dependencies on comforts.

graffiti, like any art, can become "stale" or stagnant. this is usually a period of decline in participation by what i tend to call the "sway" of human population. the "mean" is the main and average type of human comprising the bulk of human population. the "exceptions" continue however. exceptions operate on a layer that is not entirely independent of the other layers of humanity (we are all connected) but are not as influenced or "controlled" by the intellectual or social devices that influence or control the "mean" or, to varying degrees, the "sway" layers of human population.
when the initial "honeymoon" or "rush" of the trend fades, most people will lose interest. this happens continually through time in all areas. there are, of course, motivators to continue participation but they have to be strong and obvious ones. the arts, or forms of expression do not enjoy many "motivators" outside the attraction of the initial trend. those who remain participating in a "movement" or form of expression did not need much influence or motivation to begin in the first place. for these types of humans, the form of expression speaks to them or feels right with their own momentums in the first place.

graffiti culture and the works themselves (in whatever form they take: subway trains, walls, canvas, paper, etc.) has an essence that remains saturate in my being. skateboarding culture and other sub or underground cultures have this same presence within me. it is a tasty one that is reciprocal. it gives back and then i give back and then it returns the favour.

graffiti is not something that can exist beyond where it thrives. i believe this is true with any type of culture.

i leave you with a nice photo in the yards of shy 1 getting up with some piece and quiet. the only sounds you hear in the yards is generators and odd random rustlings (sometimes your own doing) and noises.

thank you shy for your doings.