The King of Kowloon, RIP

" A poor and crippled Hong Kong man who became a cultural icon for his unique Chinese-style street graffiti has died at the age of 86, sparking nostalgic calls to preserve his vanishing legacy.

Tsang Tsou-choi, dubbed "The King of Kowloon" after the district he lived in -- was a Hong Kong original, who never saw himself as an artist but was hailed internationally as one.

... Tsang spent five decades roaming the metropolis -- often shirtless and on crutches -- scrawling his idiosyncratic calligraphy on lamp-posts, walls, phone boxes, pedestrian underpasses and electrical boxes."

Update: I made an RIP page for Mr Tsang and you can send your photos for me to add, if you wish.

Finally some good news about seed patents

Monsanto has had 4 patents rejected, finally.

This is excellent news, because their patents were putting honest traditional farmers out of business and creating new dependencies and weaknesses that threatened the world food supply.

Before Monsanto tried to own all the food we eat, all farmers saved and traded their seeds, but Monsanto tried to make them buy and plant sterile seeds, so they would have to buy seeds every year. Some farmers can't afford to buy seeds every year, and many didn't understand that free sample seed would lead to them going out of business before it was too late.

Other farmers were vigorously and cruelly sued out of business when Monsanto's genetically modified crops pollenated their fields accidentally via the wind.

GMO contaminated crops could not be exported to some other countries, ruining the farmers' ability to sell their crops.

Monsanto's farming practices also lead to dangerous mono-cultures, where only one genetic strain of corn or wheat, etc., is planted in most plots, paving the way for killer diseases to wipe out a whole year's crop at once.

Profit today, while the world starves tomorrow. Brilliant.

The article talks about US farmers, but Canadian farmers were also hurt, and the most damage was likely done in India, Africa and poorer countries. I sure hope this patent rejection has a positive effect on the worldwide Monsanto problem. What we need is some unbought politicians to make some better laws around patenting food crops and the GMO contamination of traditional foodstocks. Mexico's traditional maize crop's genetic heritage is now under serious threat from the GMO cross pollination.

Related food facts here:

Future of Food documentary (Bittorrent)
Harvest of Fear (PBS documentary)

More info: Google search for Monsano Terminator

China wants to keep graffiti for the Olympics

"A giant graffiti on the theme of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was done overnight in June in the northeast city of Changchun. While some of the citizens called to preserve it, city officials declared it unlawful.

"The 24-year-old graffiti artist who spent two nights creating the work with friends was surprised at how much support he received from residents who want to keep it as a piece of art.

"To be frank, I was feeling like a thief when I was doing it," said Li Xiang, who claimed his intention was to create some graffiti in the city and do something for the Beijing Games."

"... in the southwest municipality of Chongqing, the local government even designated a street for graffiti painters to show off their artistic skills. Local media reported the government is applying to the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest street covered in graffiti."

Posters to download - Rezistr

Goin Nukuler is my fave.

Kaws laptop/book sleeve with Arkitip #41

Gear alert!

Arkitip is a great short-run art mag made by people like us for people like us about art and design, and of course there's not much that's more collectible than a Kaws.

Hand packaged and numbered ltd. edition of 2000

Homer brandishes his donut at The Giant

It's an ad, it's a cartoon, it's disrespectful to pagans, and it smacks of payola. Luckily it's water soluble. Does this mean pagans will declare jihad on Matt Groening? Film at 11.

Support Ket

Benefit in NYC on July 28, online + NYC auction too, at link above:




Ket needs our help in his legal battle, because he's being persecuted by city hall in NYC and the outcome will affect many writers as well as all those who cherish free speech, free expression, and the right to free assembly.

Graffiti-Inspired Furniture by Caco in Buenos Aires

Check his portfolio to see the chair too.

Planned downtime

Late next week we'll be moving servers around so there will be a couple of hours of downtime. Don't panic! We'll be back before you know it.

EX Vandalz: Docile Takeover Vol. 1 - Graffiti Brydge

If you love tight, fast, intelligent rhyming and LA underground hiphop that's all about graffiti, This is IT! 22 tracks of good fun by Perk One, Bleek, Deeskee and Dj Lime, and many more. Very listenable, danceable ... and none of that female-hating crap we're so tired of. It's good live too. Check their Myspace page for sample tunes, CDs, dates and places.

24-h Galerie

Outdoor aerosol gallery, with construction details, in German. (English version coming soon.)

Barbara Bode Falcon, RIP

Too soon, too soon. Barbara Falcon, who was known universally as "Barbara Bode," has left this life. Barbara was the former wife of the brilliant underground cartoonist Vaughn Bode and the mother of his lizard spawn--the artist Mark Bode.

The passing of this prismatic and charismatic soul is a heavy loss for those who knew her personally and to the graff community.

She was the spark for Vaughn?s "Bode Broads," his unique way of drawing pinup in a recognizable fashion. To Vaughn, Barbara represented the most idealized form of feminine beauty. The vision of Vaughn's Bode Broads is a style that's appealed to the most influential and prolific graff artists of our time. Bode Broads can be seen in graffiti art all over the universe. Barbara?s moon-like face and curvaceous body type launched a thousand walls, worldwide.

"My father did hundreds of characters based on her image and some of them really captured her spirit, she was the original inspiration for all Bode Broads to come and ever since," said Mark.

Barbara's very nature was too complex to sort out, yet paradoxically she was an open book of the most fragile kind. She possessed great physical beauty, razor wit, keen intellect, and immense empathy. Still, one never wanted to cross the Sicilian Queen; she'd cut you off quicker than a piece of salami.

She was born Barbara Hawkins, in Utica New York, in 19xx. At the age of 16, the sultry-eyed teenager began dating a square-looking Vaughn. The couple eventually married against her parents' wishes. The intensity and dysfunction of their 11-year marriage was an event that Barbara tried to process until the end of her life.

The year of Vaughn's untimely death in 1975, she met and married Rick Falcon, the brother of Vaughn's sister-in-law. Rick was always the more normal father and husband that Barbara yearned for after the bizarre and tumultuous period with Vaughn. "After meeting Rick," Mark recalls, "it seemed like Mom and I had landed gently on a peaceful earth after we had just ridden on the tail of a space cowboy comet which was Vaughn's life with us."

Rick was Barbara's ultimate care-giver and loving husband until the end.

Rest in Peace Barbara.
- written by Angela Frucci

Ten Politically Incorrect Truths about Human Nature

Fascinating article from Psychology Today on how reproductive strategies and mating habits cause more boys, more blonds, more suicide bombers, younger criminals and geniuses, and more red sports car buyers.

The good news is that most of these strategies are obsolete in the modern world, and once you understand what's going on, you might be more in control of your life choices.

Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual 7th ed. - Columbia University

Hope you never need this, but it looks like a handy reference.

Ket: benefit auction and donation website

The Walls Belong to Us

June 25, 2007 (New York) -- On August 1st, 2007, The Hip Hop Theatre Festival will host a silent art auction and benefit for Alan Ket?s legal defense titled, THE WALLS BELONG TO US; at the POWERHOUSE ARENA. THE WALLS BELONG TO US will feature the largest line up of global graffiti, urban art, and photography ever assembled in one space, with over 120 pieces and 105 artists involved. Canvases, sculptures, prints and silk screens from world-renowned artists including, but not limited to: Martha Cooper, FUTURA 2000, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, Jamel Shabazz, GHOST, Grotesk, DELTA, Guy Gonzales, IZ THE WIZ, Jose Parla, Henry Chalfant, REVS, ZEPHYR, Shepard Fairey, EWOK, Joe Conzo, DAZE and Brett Cook Dizney.

In addition, THE WALLS BELONG TO US auction will play an instrumental role in raising funds to combat social injustice. Presently, Alan Ket [Maridueña] is the defendant in three cases in New York City. He has been accused and arrested for alleged graffiti crimes stemming from an October 2006 search of his home and office. In March 2007, police arrested him after a five-month investigation. He is charged with over a dozen felony charges [all graffiti-related] that if convicted could place him in prison for over ten years. Alan Ket has no prior criminal record. He is being represented by Daniel Perez of the law firm of Kuby and Perez LLP.

Since 1986, Alan Ket has documented the New York City graffiti art movement and been an active participant as a painter and supporter. From launching STRESS (1995) and COMPLEX magazines (2001) to serving as an art curator for the 2006 video game ?Marc Ecko?s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure?; he has made sure that graffiti art is recognized as an important and legitimate art movement by documenting its pioneers and its protagonists. Traveling to universities nationwide, Ket has been an outspoken advocate on graffiti history, criminalization, and issues concerning public art. Today, as US publisher of From Here to Fame Books, he publishes books that celebrate Hip Hop, street movements and graffiti history.

ABOUT THE AUCTION
The open-invite fundraiser will feature an open bar with beer and cocktails, music, a silent auction, and art raffles of books supplied by From Here To Fame. Alan Ket?s friends and supporters are donating works exclusively for this auction event to support his legal defense and to show solidarity to a fellow artist.

A preview of the exhibition will commence on July 25th and run through until the actual auction close date, August 4th, 2006. In addition, art patrons can visit: www.supportket.org to view and/or bid on pieces featured in the auction starting on July 25th as well. The auction will be held online with select pieces being auctioned exclusively at the fundraiser event on August 1st.

Admission is $30 (minimum donation). Capacity for this event is limited and pre-registration online via credit card is strongly encouraged to guarantee admittance. Admission at the door is cash only and will be on a space-available basis. Pre-register via www.supportket.org starting July 5th.

EVENT INFO
THE WALLS BELONG TO US, an art benefit for Alan Ket?s legal defense
August 1st, 2007; 6-9pm
Music by DJ Soul

Exhibition Preview starts July 25th, at:
POWERHOUSE ARENA in Dumbo
37 Main Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201-1021

The lineup includes: FUTURA 2000, Lee Quiñones, MICO, COCO 144, Jose Parla, Lady Pink, SMITH, Joey Krebs, Steve Marcus, Jamel Shabazz, GHOST, Joe Conzo, STAK, ESPO, Barry McGee, Grotesk, MICKEY, COPE2, Erni Panicolli, T-Kid 170, SONIC, Rob-O, Machine, MILK, SENT0, Henry Chalfant, VEN, WOLF, TEAM, VEEFER, Chris DAZE Ellis, CRASH, ZEPHYR, DONDI, Martha Cooper, MIN ONE, CORNBREAD, FREEDOM, TOOFLY, QUEEN ANDREA, PURE, NOAH, WANE, DOC, WENT, SABE, CAVE, FRAME, PERSUE, RISKY, Jani Tolin, EWOK, MARE 139, KEL 139, POSE2, WEB, ATOME, BATES, BLUSTER, CERN, CES, MED, DELTA, CYCLE, EZO, FREEDOM, FUZZ, GANO, WEN, Eric HAZE, Guy Gonzales, IZ THE WIZ, HENCE, HEWS, JA, JON 156, NYC LASE, KAVES, Matt Doyle, Joshua Griffler, MAC Crew, Mai Lucas, MERES, Ruedi One, REVS, PART, QUIK, Ricardo Cortes, SEAK, Shepard Fairey, SKUF, VIRUS, WEST, DUEL, OVIE, ZEKIS, KOE Rodriguez, Jim Prigoff, Harley Spiller aka Inspector Collector, PEAK, DIVA, SPACE YMI, JAES, POSE2, NOXER, Brett Cook Dizney and a few additional surprises.

For more info please contact: Sara Rosen, Publicity Director, powerHouse Arena
37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Tel: 212-604-9074 x105, sara@powerHouseBooks.com
Images are available upon request.

Sponsorships are available. Please contact Joanne Carolino, Associate Publisher, Mass Appeal magazine, (718) 858-0979 ext.110, joanne@massappealmag.com

iPhone FTW on Googlefight

Well the iphone is certainly winning the hot-air wars. Go Apple. The next version will be even more fun, and so will the next. And pretty soon most other phones will be tolerable to use too. Now if we could just replace all the mobile phone reps with helpful people and get competitive phone plans that don't suck, we'd be ready to go.

But it's an exciting time to be alive here at the dawn of the information age ... and we are there.