I hope that we can still be part of this community moving forward, but the future is untold. We don’t know what’s gonna happen when the owner of this building wants to build 4 stories high and put a retail spot under here, probably double or triple our rent. We have a lot to display, but we also have to walk very cordially over the next few years. I predict a big shift coming up. It’s a hard conversation, but I think it’s a conversation that needs to be had now.
Articles
FRKO.
Sometimes institutions don’t want my edgy/challenging art. Some of these places want to control what black art is. They only want to show what is comfortable for them.
PHOTOJOURNAL: GUEZ X DEAD RELATIVES. “PLAYA MODE” 11/1/24
When it comes to curating shows, the one thing I try to keep in mind is showcasing a glimpse of my world/reality. Including people is a huge aspect to my life, because our community is what shapes this culture. -GUEZ.
MACUAHUITL PRESS.
Between all these artists who carry Indigeneity in their blood or consciousness, there’s a strong sense of identity & passion in reclamation. All of us are working to embrace, repair, and nurture our roots.
Working with bands and collaboration in general has been integral to my journey. So many of us on this path come from different cultures; I’ve learned a lot about pre-Columbian languages & customs from all over the Americas. All of these connections arose through this circle of creativity, from following our passions, in a kind of new-wave oral tradition.
SOVIET.
There’s no intentional message behind my painting besides an underlying current of being anti-establishment. I try to paint things I would find interesting if I weren’t the painter. I approach my work as someone outside myself, a fictional character. I want my art to make you think and laugh about the absurdity of life.
PLANET ON A CHAIN.
I do like that there isn’t pressure to come up with lyrics on the spot, as I would when playing in bands locally. I like to read about world events and how systems work, so the space lets my thoughts breathe and grasp of topics widen. I think my lyrical themes have been able to develop deeper, having creative isolation from everyone else. There have been times when every book I read lets me speak up about something different happening in the world.
RANDY BOOGIE.
I hate talking about my achievements because my paintings derive from graffiti and I never got into design so I could flaunt. But it is necessary so people understand where you’ve been and where you’re going. I guess I got over that when I landed that art direction gig for the Super Bowl… Lil Wayne’s crying cause he’s not performing halftime, people cried when I made Native motion graphics for the game entrance
TRACI V LORDS.
I remember at a Sound and Fury around 2013, I noticed a kid wearing a shirt I drew a few years back… I told him, “Hey, I drew that.” And he said, “No you didn’t.” And because I didn’t sign my art, I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t put my name on it, so it wasn’t real. And then he walked away. That was the first time I thought, ‘Okay, not only can I do this and have my work out there, I could potentially put my name on it.’
GUEZ.
The Bay has a bit more intriguement with bright colors, keeping block letters funky. It’s a very hip-hop tradition; I grew up listening to artists like Gang Starr & Mobb Deep, which I still love to this day. But as I got older and a little more sophisticated, I got more attracted to punk and DIY shows. Metal and hardcore brought out the more aggressive side of what graffiti can offer.
HEZ – BASTANTE MENTALES. PUNK DE PANAMÁ. <ESP>
Hoy día, solo tenemos dos personas para esta entrevista: yo (José, bajo) y Alex (guitarra). Nuestro vocalista, que empezó la banda, y el baterista fueron deportados al llegar de los Estados Unidos. Nunca hemos podido estar completos de la banda en una gira.