Marks of Distinction
‘There’s a difference between graff writers. Don’t think we’re all the same. Some catch tags for name, some for the art and some just for mass destruction.’
–from the film Bomb The System, USA 2002, dir. Adam Bhala Lough
When Shepard Fairey came to Honolulu last November, with OBEY GIANT stickers and posters in hand, a wave of new art seemed to flood the streetsÖor maybe we just weren’t paying attention before. Spray cans, US Postal stickers, wheat paste, paint pens, stencils and Sharpies. These are just some of the tools that some street artists use to create their art. Concrete slab and metal are their gallery walls. Many seem to disagree that graffiti is a form of artistic expression, and much of the sprayed-on and pasted-up artwork gets painted over or ripped down, sometimes within a matter of days after it’s been created. Street art may be fleeting, but the Weekly got a bunch of notable tags on record. Here are some of the stories and motives behind the art.
UNO MAS
Uno Mas says that he originally started tagging the name as a joke. That was a year ago. Now? It’s a form of art that he takes pride in. Since then his tags and monkey gods, pigs and men with tentacle arms, have covered ground from Kaimuki town to Chinatown. The range in media and matter have even made some think that Uno Mas is a crew instead of just one guy. However, some graff writers don’t really believe that stickers and posters can count as real graffiti. His response? ‘Anyone that tries to label it, like, ‘That’s toy,’ that’s bullshit.’ I guess beauty is in the eye of the spray-can holder.
CO.LAB
‘co.lab’
‘education through imagery.’
That’s what was printed on the George Bush profiles that were on Kapi’olani Boulevard near Ala Moana Center just a few months ago. All we know about co.lab is that they’re a collaboration of artists, and when they cover an area, they do a good job. If you were near the outskirts of Waikiki during the last couple of weeks, you’ve probably caught sight of the Godzillas and white faces dotting poles and stop signs (most of them are gone already). And although we may not know exactly what they’re teaching, we like it anyway.
BRANCHES
You can see BRANCHES’s monstrous plant tentacles taking over abandoned buildings, blank walls and street posts from Chinatown to Kapahulu, which is why he is one of the best hand-controlled graff writers around town. Before it was torn down, KC Drive-Inn was said to be overgrown with these crawly creations.
MARCO GRAINIER ASSOCIATES
Sounds like a law firm, right? Wrong. Marco Grainier–if that is his real name–is from San Francisco’s Mission District, where street art is a visual part of everyday life. He says, ‘If there weren’t highways, concrete columns and walls, then there probably wouldn’t be graffiti.’ Working mostly in stenciled designs and stickers with his trademark mustached man, Marco says that some MGA pieces are intended to bring about discussion and thought, like his Hawaiian Monarchy series (pictured), while others are just there to be enjoyed. If you want to know more about Marco, check out his website at [www.whoismarco.com] for stencil downloads and thoughts.
NABAHE
While some street artists like to stay anonymous, Nabahe says he just wants to sell paintings (at Stylus in University Square if you’re interested). That was the inspiration for the little elephants that have been stampeding around town. They’ve found homes on electrical boxes, street signs and newspaper boxes. Nabahe’s stickers are just toned-down versions of the real deal. Art on canvas, that’s where it ends and begins.
BEAK
Word on the street is that Beak is a girl. We sure hope so. The male-dominated spray-can world needs an injection of estrogen. But, Beak, if you’re reading this and you have a Y chromosome, our sincere apology. Hand-cut, hand-colored stickers and googly-eyed birds are Beak’s style. Sighted on one way street signs in Chinatown and a coffee shop fridge in Kaimuki.
