Devious Behavior

Proving once again that graffiti is an equal opportunity sport.

Bill Moyers speaks truth at National Conference for Media Reform

"... We're not alone and we know what we need to say. So let us all go tell it on the mountains and in the cities. From our websites and laptops, the street corners and coffeehouses, the delis and diners, the factory floors and the bookstores. On campus, at the mall, the synagogue, sanctuary and mosque, let's tell it where we can, when we can and while we still can.

Democracy only works when ordinary people claim it as their own." - Bill Moyers

Media matters. Media variety matters. Media ownership (and its ugly other side of purchasability) is what's wrong. Control of information always serves the state and not the people. When all people know is what they are told, it matters a lot how many people can speak.

NSA Spying, Winter Soldier, Impeachment, ACLU, IVAW

A good 10 minutes. You are not alone.

Winter Soldier 2008

Matt sent this alert:

For the next three days, an event taking place outside Washington, D.C. called "Winter Soldier 2008" will be broadcast live over the web at KPFA.org or at warcomeshome.org .

Winter soldier will feature dozens of U.S. veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars bearing witness to the war as they experienced it, minus the censorship or white-washing that often accompanies stories from the front lines.

A similar event was held during the Vietnam War and was captured in a documentary film. Pass it on. We are all complicit in the atrocities committed in our name using our tax dollars whether we agreed with the wars or not.

[If you only listen to one war program this war, make it this one. The streaming audio is happening right this minute. - Susan]

How to create your own viral videos on YouTube

Wired how-to wiki has the nitty gritty.

Anonymous vs Scientology

Vigilante hacking crew goes after dangerous cult: awesome manifestos on YouTube. Plotting continues at Project Chanology.

Ket speaks to Urb about his trial and tribulations

In part one "The Taking of Alan Ket," an interview by Michael Vazquez of URB magazine, graffiti veteran Ket discusses the nature of his prosecution; his regrets about storing and jeopardizing archives; the silence regarding his case from international museums and art organizations. In part two, he discusses the responses he'd received online about his case; his work with companies who have not taken an interest in graffiti prosecution despite their use of the aesthetic vernacular which is honed in the streets; his own hard lessons learned; the logical extension of what his prosecution means to others the world over. In part three he discusses his life-long immersion in graffiti culture, and the artists who meant the most to him when he was young.

You can comment on this at URB at the link above.

Ecko gained everything from Ket and the other graffiti artists that have made that company what it is today. Ket made their graffiti game happen. Ket was arrested because of fighting city hall for Ecko's NYC event. Where was Ecko when Ket needed help? Where is Ecko now that the NYC PD won't give the graffiti archives back to Ket? Time to stop supporting corporations that just want our money. Marc Ecko needs to put his money where his mouth is.

Snarky Graffiti

Traditional graffiti, but much of it's funny stuff.

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.

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

GRL in BCN

Graffiti Research Lab takes Barcelona by storm. It's hard to know what to make of the laser-maddened crowd. Is it just that everyone wants to get away with drawing genitals and dirty words on buildings? While everyone watches? Really big ones?

A1one interview on PingMag - Graffiti in Iran

A hardcore scene in a whole different way. PingMag did a great job with the interview too. Best of luck to A1one!

Cuban dissident sentenced to 12 years for graffiti

"Human rights activists in Cuba say a dissident in the country has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for writing anti-government graffiti on the walls of a public building in the capital Havana.

"Rolando Hijmenes Posada has been held without charge since 2003.

"According to the Cuban Human Rights Commission for Human Rights and Reconciliation Rolando Hijmenes was sentenced over the weekend in a closed trial without any defense representation.

"He had already spent four years in prison without in charge.

"In 2003 he is said to have written several slogans critical of President Fidel Castro on at least one building in Havana.

"He is said to be the second dissident to face prosecution in Cuba in recent weeks. "

[If you can still complain about your government, celebrate. Keep dissidence legal. - Susan]

Ket busted in Ecko-Vallone free speech struggle, NYC

Will the rule of law triumph over the rule of the mayor?

This reminds me of Rudy G's vendetta against Espo after the effigy and elephant dung episode.

There will be benefit activities for Ket's legal defense fund, to be announced.

3 other guys are facing 43 counts for painting tunnel walls in New York. The city claims an unlikely $10,000 in damages, and for that they want 7 years of these young men's lives. Sounds like they need a good lawyer too.

Criticize Bush or go to a peace rally and get on do-not-fly list!

This is so wrong, so illegal, so appalling, words fail me. The effective response to this type of abuse of power is for everyone to do these things and thus render the list useless. (Clearly the list is already useless, but you know what I mean.)

Graffiti-printing bike misplaced by NYPD, rider arrested to prevent protest

It turns out that in the land of the free and the home of the brave, you can get arrested *before* you participate in a political protest. I feel safer already!

His bike's worth a look too. He converted it to use spray paint chalk to make dot-matrix lettering on the pavement.

The bike and the arrest are old news, but the extent to which the gov will go to prevent protesting is a story the media seems ready to start telling, finally. Too bad we can't seem to get a better gov instead, one we don't need to protest against all the time.

Until then, though, it's important to keep legal protests legal no matter where you live, because it's the governments you can't protest against that do the most damage. You'd think a unionized police force would already know that.