The Urban Asylum

More Positive Steps for Graffiti

2008-09-05T13:44:24Z

We found this article in the Denver Post on-line, just recently. It talks about how the community is beginning to embrace Graffiti as a true art form. Instead of wasting tax payers money on creating an anti-graffiti task force, local politicians have enlisted urban artists in helping to beautify the community. Following is a portion of the article. You can read it in it's entirety by visiting the Denver Post website. Remeber: ART IS NOT A CRIME!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was a time when Lucky Garcia, 15, and Armando Granillo, 14, left their school's back door each day with the rest of their classmates to an alleyway plastered with gang graffiti.

Now, thanks to an innovative program, they and the rest of those attending ACE Community Challenge Charter School in the La Alma neighborhood of Denver pass by an art mural the students designed.

The spray-painted image of a huge tree now covers a back wall of their school. One side of the tree is dead. Gravestones fill that landscape, under a sky of dark clouds. The other side of the tree thrives with green foliage. A proud man dressed in a graduation gown walks on that side.

Now the gangs that once used to throw up their insignias with black spray paint leave the alley alone.

"They don't touch our walls anymore," Garcia said recently.

The "Project Off the Wall" art murals were pushed by Denver Councilwoman Judy Montero and others. Montero thought filling the neighborhoods of her west-side council district with art would help reduce the proliferating graffiti that had become such a nuisance.

"Through the murals, we are trying to get them to redirect behavior away from destructive graffiti," she said. "We want them to see something that is beautiful and is urban art that will have recognition in the community."

Two New Designs from Bad Monkey

2008-08-27T19:03:03Z

It's been awhile since we last added new designs to our collection of graffiti inspired urban wear. However, the Bad Monkey Designs Crew has been hard at work and we've got two new stencil graffiti images to show you.

On the left is, "What Are U Looking At?". They'd like to make us think it's for your own good....NOT! Pulled from a wall in Melbourne, Austrailia, this incredible stencil graff makes one stop and think.

On the right is "WTF!". We just couldn't resist the expression on the baby's face. Add some devil horns and it seems like a great tag line!

Keep in mind that both of these designs are available on a wide variety of tops - in over 80 different styles and colors for men, women and kids.

Be sure to keep checking back. We'll be adding new graffiti t-shirts, hoodies, tanks & more. We'll also be adding to our line of custom skateboard decks very soon!

Sticker Graffiti or Art Project?

2008-08-18T16:00:18Z

We just pulled this article from the Associated Press. It goes on to talk about how small town is "falling victim" to a rash of sticker graffiti (or slap-tagging). We're thinking this sounds more like an urban art project.....although, one man's art is another man's vandalism. Who knows?

If you want to get your hands on some of our latest graff stickers, be sure to check out the whole collection at Bad Monkey Designs - click here now! And if you want to find out how to get some free graffiti swag check out our Street Team sign up page.

--------------------------------------------

Wis police, residents, say stickers are graffiti

Associated Press: 6:54 PM CDT, August 16, 2008

APPLETON, Wis. - The mysterious stickers might be a prank or an advertisement for art, but Appleton police and some residents say the colorful dots are unwanted graffiti.

Hundreds of orange and white dots have appeared on light poles, fire hydrants and other downtown surfaces. Each has the words "art object" plus a price ranging from one cent to $10,000.

No one has taken responsibility for the stickers.

Police Lt. Steve Elliott says putting stickers on public or private objects without the owner's consent violates city ordinances.

Residents say the stickers leave a sticky residue that's hard to clean.

A city attorney says anyone caught putting up the stickers could face fines, court costs and cleanup costs.

Graffiti as a Recognized Art Form

2008-04-11T17:06:53Z

This article was published in the Eagle Tribune on April 11th, 2008. It's amazing to see Graffiti being recognized as a true form of art. Among all the articles we see about anti-graff goon squads being formed, when something like this comes up, it deserves to be more publicized. As I've said before, if there were more time and effort being put in to community programs, there would be less money wasted trying to put an end to this incredible urban art.

Graffiti 'artist' Draws a Crowd at Merrimack College

By Rosemary Ford
Staff writer

One man, 10 cans of spray paint and a blank wall usually means trouble (or at least a court date). Yesterday at Merrimack College it was a chance to learn.

Dozens of students watched Maine artist Mike Rich, aka Too Rich, create a graffiti-style mural just outside the school's McQuade Library. He was at the school demonstrating his art as part of a self-titled exhibit inside the library. "I don't do so much bombing," said the 34-year-old Rich, referring to the practice of "tagging" a building illegally.

Rich came to the school at the behest of junior Abbie Hinds-Aldrich, who thought the art form would appeal to students. "I was stoked," said the mellow artist.

Small crowds gathered behind Rich to watch his vision become a reality over two hours yesterday afternoon. "By far this is the biggest (turnout) I have seen for anything at the art department, I am so excited," Hinds-Aldrich said.

Sophomore Laura Kelley was among those who stopped to watch Rich work. She'd never been to an art show at the college before, but found this fascinating.

"I have never seen anyone do it. I have seen it in New York City, but I have never seen it done," she said.

"It's cool to watch it happen," agreed sophomore Elyse Lorenz sitting nearby. "If I picked up a spray can, I couldn't do it — all the work, all the layers."

The consensus among the onlookers: It was all very cool.

"It's hard to figure out sometimes, but it's cool," said sophomore Caitlin Meany. For Hinds-Aldrich, a fine arts major, it also was meaningful. She was amazed by Rich's skill, spontaneity and talent with a can.

"I wanted to bring it here to show people the art of it," she said. "Everything is spontaneous, which is really amazing. There aren't too many artists who can do an entire mural in two hours."

For her fine arts professor, David Raymond, this show was a chance to connect with students and explore this controversial art form. While some still look at graffiti as an act of vandalism, Raymond sees art — someone making an image meant to be looked at as a form of expression.

"The graffiti artist is a bandit," Raymond said. "But that is not a reason to not call it art."

Raymond also can see why this show drew a crowd and why graffiti, in general, resonates with youth. "It almost completely lacks pretense," he said. "It has a history of forbiddenness. I think that appeals to people. It's not like the art stuff they are studying in class."

This is the first art show outside of Maine for Rich, who began working in the graffiti style 23 years ago. Most of his public work is done on commission — he charges $75 to $100 an hour. Rich's show inside the library contains several pieces, from portraits on canvas to abstracts on skateboards. None of the work is labeled — as Rich intended.

"I leave all the interpretation up to the viewer. I think the work speaks for itself," he said.

Another Mural Program For Aspiring Graffiti Artists

2008-02-22T14:22:37Z

This article from the Times-Herald, in Vallejo, CA goes to prove, once again, that not all graffiti artists are criminals. This art form, whether people like it or not, continues to grow. It's programs like this that are helping to make this urban artform more and more acceptable in the mainstream.

Check it out and feel free to leave comments! Wanna show even more support? Check out "Art is Not a Crime" and "Blank Walls are Criminal" from Bad Monkey Designs - graffiti t-shirts with a message!

Mural program has markings of great success

More than a year ago in this space, we called for official sponsorship of some forms of artistic graffiti after city officials complained that the eradication of less desirable forms was too costly.

Our view was based on the stunning graffiti left behind by some incredibly talented guerilla urban artists on some water tanks that depicted various masterpieces, among other images. While acknowledging that the unsanctioned graffiti was technically vandalism, we wondered if areas of the city could not be beautified in some ways by creating a creative outlet for these and other artists.

In today's Front and Center, staff writer Tony Burchyns tells us about such an effort at Vallejo and Hogan high schools. As part of a federally funded program, students are painting murals after classes not only to add some color to their otherwise drab campuses and but also, hopefully, to discourage the type of gang graffiti that plagues many schools.

This effort, helped by local artist Harold Beaulieu, brings about positive messages of creativity, beauty and fellowship not only to the local high schools, but to the entire community. In an era when art programs are disappearing in cash-strapped school districts, this program gives budding artists, or even those who just want to try painting, a way to work with fellow students on a project. Years from now their work will leave an artsy snapshot for future students of what influenced them.

This fledgling effort has not been without its problems. In an unfortunate snafu, district custodians painted over the initial efforts at Hogan, believing they were fresh examples of illegal vandalism. Officials, meanwhile, say Beaulieu never went through the process to get permission to have the Hogan mural painted. While the students were aghast at the eradication of their work, they were not discouraged and started over without missing a beat.

Gang graffiti, as we noted on Dec. 17, 2006, is rightly viewed as a major contributor to urban decay, declines in property values and losses of businesses and jobs. Efforts to stamp it out, early - and as often as possible - are important.

We believe that Vallejo and Hogan high students agree that gang graffiti on their campuses dampens their school spirit and contributes nothing positive to their educational experience. The Hogan High graffiti message, "Knowledge is Power," however, not only beautifies and excites student senses, but also reinforces from the student perspective the message of education. While there is likely to be some eyebrow-raising artwork that accompanies the message, that, too, is "knowledge."

And that kind of handwriting on the wall is hard to beat - or to paint over.

Beyond the Wall

2008-02-21T18:40:12Z

Following is an excerpt from an article by The Michigan Daily's Whitney Pow. It discusses the question of graffiti as a true art form. I found it a fresh take on examining this urban art movement. Instead of just motoring into talk of vandalism we need to look at the commentary, the statement and the drive behind these moving images.

Granted, scralled "tags" can begin to become unsightly to some. But, behind the majority of what you see on a wall or train or bridge abatement, there is truly meaning. Graffiti gives those without a voice, without a platform, an opportunity to comment and express themselves.

Graffiti walks a fine line in underground art

"Let's admire a wall for a moment. It's made of red brick, and it's about 18 feet tall. It runs about a quarter of a city block, around 88 feet. It keeps a building up, and it keeps the rain out.

In short, it's a good wall.

But it's boring and, let's face it, pretty unsightly. According to a graffiti artist, though, it's about 1,584 square feet of unused canvas.

"I just have this desire to put graffiti on banks, and I don't know why," said an LSA sophomore and graffiti artist who agreed to be identified only by her initials, S.H.R, because her work is illegal. "I think it's mostly because they have these big blank walls outside of them. Most of the buildings are pretty ugly as they are, so I wouldn't care about putting paint on them," she said.

And even though the artists view these paintings as art, graffiti carries different connotations and conjures stereotypical images of kids with spray paint covering street signs with drunken, low-brow homages to sweethearts. But, while some graffiti may be treated as such, it's much more than juvenilia. There's a whole culture of craftsmanship beneath layers of aerosol paint, an entire art form that needs to be unearthed with a discerning eye."

To read this article in full please visit the Michigan Daily website.

Graffiti Sneakers From Adidas

2008-02-20T17:46:52Z

Just had to throw a post out about this collection of kicks from Adidas. The famous shoe company got some hottest graff artists like Scien (124Klan), Skore, Siloette, Rime, Smart, Can2 and Atom to create their own designs on some classic Adidas shoes. The shoe line is part of the "End To End" project. I am impressed with the designs from Rime and Atom Can2. The shoes will be sold exclusively at Footlocker. Adidas seems to making all the right moves lately. I just might have to cop a pair this week.
------------------------------------------------------------

ATOM CAN2

RIME

Be sure to check back often for more graffiti fashions. Don't forget to stop by Bad Monkey Designs to check out all of our new urban wear too.

Obama Has a Posse

2008-02-08T17:32:19Z

An endorsement from an artist might seem insignificant in a presidential campaign, but Barack Obama recently scored an unusual ally in Shepard Fairey, a young graff artist whose sticker and poster art have catapulted him to celebrity status in urban art culture.

Earlier this week, Fairey put a limited edition poster for sale on his website bearing Obama's face and the word "Progress." The 350 copies sold out within an hour. The proceeds, Fairey explained, would go to a larger postering campaign.

Fairey rose to fame via his "Obey Giant campaign," a simple, black-and-white sticker that turned the face of Andre the Giant into an Orwellian set of eyes labeled with the word "obey." His followers soon spread the image, pasting it on street signs and walls across the country. Now the sticker is omnipresent in American cities. Fairey says the purpose of the Obey Giant project was to spread "propaganda for which the motive was not obvious" as a thought-provoking experiment.

Be sure to check out Bad Monkey Designs' tribute to the Obey campaign on our website.

Graffiti Is a (Fun) Crime

2008-02-07T18:28:41Z

Ok, this picture was just too classic not to post. The sign is absurd, but the graffiti treatment it got has gotta be one of the funniest FU's I've seen in a long while. Who says graffiti is mindless vandalism? Some poor graff fan crawled through the brush just to let the world in on his private joke!

The other thing that I noticed about this picture is that i t appears to shows an imprisoned artist with what appears to be one of the cell bars driven upwards thru his jaw and out the top of his head. A bit of a severe punishment for graffiti, don’t you think?

Keep up the great work!

Banksy Art Makes Bank

2008-02-06T14:03:24Z

British graffiti artist Banksy not only sells his highly sought-after work to the likes of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but is earning others bank as well.

A mural, painted by Banksy, in Portobello Road, London, earned the property owner big bucks on Monday, Jan. 15, 2008. An online bidder has paid $410,830 for the wall on the online auction web site e-Bay. Prior to putting the work up for auction, the seller protected the piece with a sheet of plastic.

"I am selling the wall because I can't really justify owning a piece of art worth as much as it is," said Luti Fagbenle, the owner of the property on which the graffiti is sprayed, according to Reuters.

Bad Monkey Designs is a HUGE fan of this legendary graff artist. Let's face it, he's made it. His artwork is controversial, thought provoking and breaks boundaries. This is true graffiti - urban art with a message or commentary on our society. Stay tuned to Bad Monkey for our upcoming tribute to this one-of-a-kind graffiti master!

Naugatuck Graffiti Artists Will Have Legal Place To Paint

2008-02-05T17:49:03Z

Wouldn't it be great if more communities took this approach to local Graffiti Artists? I suppose it would take some of the fun out it. But, it might start putting all of the talented artists out there in a better light. Might also provide someone a great opportunity to finally get discovered....

NAUGTAUCK, Conn. -- Instead of painting bridges and overpasses, the borough of Naugatuck has another idea for the creative vandals.Just like in so many other Connecticut communities, graffiti is on display across the borough of Naugatuck.Mayor Mike Bronko said since he's been in office, local businesses have complained their properties are being damaged by spray paint.

Now, borough officials are trying to contain the graffiti to one place by building a special wall.“What we're looking to do is reach out to these artists and offer them someplace to come and do it where it will be legal for them,” Bronko said.Officials hope to put the wall by a skate park in Linden Park. It will be eight feet high and 75 feet wide, giving artists a great canvas to work on.

The project is still in its preliminary stages, but officials estimate the wall could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000.Local businesses will be pitching in to help with the cost and many people are hoping this new graffiti wall will cut down on other spray-painted surfaces.