Outfit Architecture: Artist Edition 001
In 1990s New York City, a subculture created around garments spread throughout the graffiti scene via boosting culture and street fashion. Gore-Tex technical jackets, boots, backpacks and above all, Polo Ralph Lauren was stolen from retail stores and either sold for loot or worn for style. With Ralph Lauren gaining street-level traction from infamous crews […]
Nicole McLaughlin’s Creative Climb
*Interview by Lei Takanashi. Photos by Wes Knoll. Nicole McLaughlin is an artist/designer whose upcycled works explore the greater potential of discarded materials and mass produced waste. As a self-proclaimed “Industry Dumpster,” McLaughlin collaborates with major brands like Arc’teryx and Hermes on sustainability initiatives while also challenging these labels to rethink how they work with leftover materials. […]
KATSU: Transcending Graffiti
KATSU is an artist and graffiti writer whose approach to his work has blurred the lines between the physical space and the digital space. While still maintaining an exceptional standard in what is considered ‘traditional’ graffiti, KATSU has often veered in his line of attack. His methodology has included the hacking of various public spaces […]
NYC’s Downtown Scene: Early 2000s
In the early 2000s, New York City’s economic landscape created a world in which one could survive off of little. Artists, skaters, graffiti writers, poets & musicians inhabited the city, organically creating style & culture in a way that permeated into the life of the neighborhood; its night clubs, public parks & city blocks. Common […]
Martin Wong
Issue 5, Living Proof Magazine. Martin Wong was an artist deeply embedded in the Lower East Side’s cultural tapestry. His paintings depicted scenes ranging from prison cells and brick walls to the vibrant downtown characters he surrounded himself with. He found community among outsiders and amassed a significant collection of graffiti artifacts beginning in the […]
OJAE FYC
THE JUICE MAN Words & photos by Wes Knoll. Article featured in Issue 5, Living Proof Magazine. “WHO ARE YOU?! WHO ARE YOU?! WHO ARE YOU?!,” a man screams on a crowded subway train underground. Unsure of who he was demanding answers from, I turned in curiosity. The mystery revealed itself by the sight of a […]
GKAE SKREW MSK
GKAE SKREW MSK is an internationally acclaimed graffiti writer whose name is synonymous with the title of ‘king’ from New York to Los Angeles. Getting down in MSK during the summer of 1992 when the crew was still an offshoot of AWR, GKAE approached graffiti with relentless will-power matched by few. He explains his reason […]
VFR // VFRESH // VEEFER
Resting atop the pinnacle of New York City graffiti is VFR’s legacy. Epitomizing the term “bomber”, having gone all-city numerous times during a time period when the foundations of street graffiti were still being laid, few have matched the omnipresence accomplished by VEEFER. Forming the early wave of NY street bombing pioneers, VFR & his […]
Archival Project
An ongoing project of preservation. Our archive has been updated with 4 digital books: Gates-Tunnels-Highways-Insides. New York, 1990s-2000s. All 4 archival works, available now on our Patreon. Photographs: Tommy Holiday. *Each book serves as a historical document, respectively showcasing the Gates, Tunnels, Highways & Insides of a past era of New York City graffiti. Featuring […]
Jerry Hsu Interview
Jerry Hsu is a legendary skateboarder, photographer & founder of Sci-Fi Fantasy. Esteemed for his switch-stance skateboarding; with video parts in Enjoi’s “Bag of Suck”, Emerica’s “Stay Gold”, amongst others. Gradually developing his photography since the start of his professional skate career, Hsu has put out a number of works including Blackberry & iPhone photo […]
Alex Olson Interview
Alex Olson is an influential skateboarder & artist within the realm of design, breath-work & meditation. At the helm of Call Me 917 & Bianca Chandon, Olson’s approach to design exists as an intersection between elevated basics & traditional skate goods. Having video parts in Lakai’s “Fully Flared”, Supreme’s “Cherry”, amongst others. We speak on […]
Living Proof New York
Angel & Z Radio is now operating under the name of Living Proof New York. Angel & Z Radio was a podcast that launched June, 2020. Specializing in interviewing New York City graffiti writers as well as figures within the broader downtown community from the skate, art & hardcore punk scenes. They would run food […]