something ewok said..
Ewok On Letters wrote this:
YOUR LETTERS SUCK.....
So to counter the recent wave of lack luster pieces I notice all over the web(world) I wanted to talk about this trend of "lazy lettering"... We can all agree times change and if you can't keep up with things, that should be your cue to hang it up and enjoy the show from the side lines. With that idea already in mind I think the opposite should be said that if you're new(or newish) and your Graffiti (core lettering ) is becoming less and less structured( HANDICAP BASIC) or lacking flavor all together, and your whole day is focused on rendering out that photoshop technique and trying to make a letter look like real water or whatever other element you're trying to harness that day, then in my opinion you're too far on one side of the scale. Extreme mechanical painting technique and not enough to claim "style". You will forever in my eyes be a spray paint artist, to claim graffiti you MUST know the building blocks of lettering and it's importance.
What's going on today is a lot of cliche' smoke and mirror bullshit. The "don't look here, look over there in amazement" and forget the important stuff wow factor. I see through all the bullshit immediately like the guy in Matrix movie -"Blond, Brunette, Redhead"
Over the years Ive been known to voice an opinion here or there on things I felt where important enough to break a silence on. Sometimes my points are well received, other times manipulated by jocks, and more often than not completely misunderstood altogether. Which leads me to spoon feeding what I type publicly. Wack huh? This will always be the risk you take when attempting to address any audience of mixed intelligence, some know exactly what your points are, some will act like they get it( don't at all) and some want to just disagree out of jealousy or a false sense of entitlement on any given topic not even spoken on until I brought it to light. Sadly these reactions aren't just to me, these negative responses have in the past and still now silenced legends of the game from speaking on certain subjects because when they've taken the time to try to drop science, it goes over peoples heads or gets misinterpreted. I can see how that can be discouraging, when you've spent your life doing something you love to have a newby come along and do a "piece" that's so unbearably wack with each separate letter showcasing ever color of a brand's paint pallet or every letter having its own special effects application over it. We are actually in times where you can see something a guy spent 4 days doing, and there is NO LETTERS in it what so ever! This is what times have actually come to, where this kind of lazy lettering is applauded, bumped, bitten, fake screen name promoted and retwitted... Even to the point where people I used to look up to or held in amazing respects are now finding sanctuary amongst herds of these lazy spray paint artists, and the wackness has transformed their own work into half assed end results. Clearly this yes man syndrome has got people feeling ok about executing life like rendered bullshit. Lettering is no longer the focus to practice at, now any artist willing to spend a $100 on imported paint can have an almost overnight sense of accomplishment and recognition from a sea of other like minded short comers. 125 colors on one piece, fire effects, water effects, obnoxious overpowering and distracting back lit glow of every spectrum, the use of stenciling shapes etc etc etc... any tool or effect is being tried out to distract the viewer from the lack of lettering underneath, is what seems to be the main goal today, depending on what school of thought you come from. All these "new" things where refreshing when it popped up on the scene but the luster of it all has turned into just bad taste and execution and in my opinion no longer has any value in the progression of Graffiti. The bullshit has peaked and is now in a downward spiral leaving the biters starving for the next flavor of the month writer to jock and copy.....
So with my points being made, we're ( mostly) all adults and far be it for me to even attempt to tell another adult how to conduct themselves or even tell them how their supposed to write on a wall with a can of spray paint.... but I felt it was time to speak up on a topic that I felt is being ignored more openly these days. I think the biggest injustice happening is people who are super talented putting out garbage, when they should be refocusing, reinventing and living up to their own potential legacy, and most importantly breaking through walls, boundaries and surprising themselves with every piece they do. the object was never about lowering your bar to the rest of the standard, I've always tried to raise the bar, sparing no ones feelings.
Stop being fuckin' lazy, stop biting off others and stop all the bullshit special effects, unless your core letter structure allows it in a balanced manner.
Bring the fuckin' heat! That doesn't mean go do a piece that's all fire, 'cuz Totem already burned you with that... and he's the kind of balance I'm referring to, 50% LETTERS 50% technique, 100% BALANCE.
You're only as good as your last piece. Get your shit together.
