Cheebah and all that - Limerick, Ireland

Jennifer in effect

Returning to a site we highlighted before we see Jennifer in effect. Word on the street says she is overtaking Lorraine as all city in 08.

Steve Powers ESPO

Piece in todays New York Times about graffitti writer Steve Powers 'ESPO' who has spent the last six months in Ireland. They have eleven excellent photos to accompany the piece. From facing criminal charges to fullbright scholarship in the space of a decade. Anyone who attended the all city jam last month will have seen his work.
Shane

Green and Mean

In the political media circus, there was no greater beef than that between John Gormley and Michael McDowell. However, there was one issue that could bring them together in sweet harmony and that was graffiti. They attempted to outdo each other in who could come up with the tougher sanctions but agreed in the Dail in 06 that
"Graffiti is anti-social and degrades the whole community"
Of course things have moved on and now Gormley is putting his sandals under the cabinet table where Michael's boots used be. However he hasn't forgotten his principles and All-city have highlighted how only this month, the new minister looks forward to more prosecutions against graffiti artists which was
"very important in the fight against crime"
In the same week, Olivia O Leary, dedicated her radio column to the Greens and argued that ultimately the party was much more pro business than most think. This helps one understand how Gormley worries in his Dail speech about the shopkeeper on Dame Street but no mention about other visual pollution blighting our cities in the form of outdoor advertising. But then advertising agencies are giving us free bikes (even if it isn't a great deal) so I suppose they are the good guys.
Anyhow the die is cast, expect some strikes against this crimewave. Hope somebody tells Lorraine

Shane

Fuzz One

"Fuzz one. A Bronx childhood" by Vincent Fedorchak-Testify Books. 2005
Therelies a magnificent screenplay between the hardback covers of this oral history by the graffiti artist Vincent Fedorchak, aka ‘Fuzz One’, aka ‘Vin’, aka‘Lord’. Here,the adventures of life lived in a bankrupt New york in the early 70s is vividly laid out by one of the original Bronx bombers. Jack kerouac with his head full of doomed french poetry and dexidrine may have typed ‘On the Road’ on a continuous roll of paper for a previous slice of Americana,but he never included a stash of saturated out of focus photographs in the finished manuscript.This touch by the author is essential in projecting the journey of a Bronx childhood. Fuzz ones invocative personal shots hug the books narrative like a rhythmic scratch on a looped funk break complementing the pace of the writing which is as edgy as his tales of tagging and running the streets.

all city jam

Great day, Easter weekend in Dublin at all city jam behind the Tivoli in Dublin. Good few Limerick heads in the place. There is a comprehensive set of photos up on the all-city page here and DJ Laz-e has a nice video collage here. Afterward the after party moved to the shop in Temple Bar and saw rainers rocking the punters till late in the night.
 

Shane