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Taul “Toy Crusher” Waters is a Jacksonville, Florida–based artist whose practice evolved the way street knowledge usually does: illegally, obsessively, and with a sense of humor sharp enough to draw blood. He cut his teeth in graffiti and illustration, learning early how to communicate fast, loud, and without permission. That foundation expanded into graphic design, painting, digital illustration, and blogging—each medium treated as another surface to disrupt, remix, or interrogate. His work balances discipline with defiance, blending professional execution with the residue of alley walls, sketchbooks, and long nights spent refining ideas that refused to behave. Taul draws inspiration from hip hop culture, drum and bass rhythms, science fiction, horror, skateboard graphics, and the kind of absurd life experiences you only understand after surviving them. More recently, his exploration of synthography has pushed his visual language into stranger territory, where machines collaborate in the chaos rather than clean it up. Darkly comical and deliberately confrontational, his work invites viewers to laugh first, think second, and then realize they’ve been implicated the entire time.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Thursday, January 1, 2026

EPISODE 15: Brain Hacking

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, happy New Year, and gained some weight over these past few weeks. It's an American tradition to put on some pounds this time of year, you know...

This photograph is one of the rare sightings of yours truly - alongside the mighty OXEGEN - live on Channel 4 Morning News about...well I honestly don't remember the exact time frame. I want to say this was around the end of 2008 or 2009 in the winter to promote an art show we were a part of sponsered by ECKO Unlimited and hosted by Chris White. There's also an interview floating around on the internet somewhere of me making a fool of myself and opening my mouth live on morning television. I don't have time to dig for it, but it honestly isn't worth watching...

...from The Archives!
BRAIN HACKING - 2000

Looking back on a lot of these sketches, it seems like I was just using random types of markers that I'd find on the sidewalk or under couch cushions. (I wasn't, btw) I can admit that these types of characters were executed before I had any type of art education other than what I'd learned on the street or from other artists that I had been influenced by up to this point. It was like a creative Wild West between my brain and my hand. Living on the edge, man. Crazy days.

This is something I've been saying (and getting into a few debates and arguments about over the course of my adult life) for a while now...

From Big Think:

IN THE WEST, YOGA IS EXERCISE. IN THE EAST IT IS SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER
Annelisa Leinbach / Big Think; Wikimedia Commons
"While yoga has become a trendy lifestyle and wellness practice in North America, its roots are ancient, spiritual, and profound. Originally developed in Hinduism, yoga provides a path to achieve a higher state of consciousness and to unite with the divine."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

I don't know, I don't really like to get to spiritual or metaphysical these days because why would you? I will confess, though, I'm guilty of using yoga to calm my nerves so I don't curse people out. So, I'm probably part of the problem...
Full disclosure: this next interview is not for the easily offended, but is hands down one of the wildest yet inspirational interviews I've seen yet...

ANDREW HUBERMAN INTERVIEWS DAVID CHOE ON ADDICTION, PAIN, AND CREATIVITY

"David Choe is a world-renowned artist, writer, podcaster and TV host. He tells how as a child, he was made to believe he was destined for greatness but also that he was a complete disgrace, leading him to channel his energy—including deep shame—into art that brought him global recognition. He shares about his addictions that put him on a decades-long cycle of extreme highs and lows and that forced him to eventually acknowledge and heal the childhood trauma he was battling inside. David shows up with raw, authentic presence to show us how we can transmute pain and shame into our best creative work and, more importantly, how complete vulnerability, especially about our hardest experiences, is the ultimate tool for forgiveness and self-acceptance. He also tells us the actual story about early Facebook, Pee-wee Herman and Santa Claus."

If you know David Choe's story, then you know if anyone is qualified to confidently speak about these subjects to someone like Andrew Huberman it's him. I've been a fan of his since The Whale, but I can remember a time when he had his own podcast and was going wild on Instagram. Even though that's his recent history and only the surface level of who he is, Choe is someone who's lived life as a true authtentic creative. Obviously he's also a "Do Not Try This At Home" warning to young creatives who aren't built for his type of life.

Is this true?...

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE FIGURE THAT FORMS WHEN A LIFE IS ACTIVATED
For the first time, MIT scientists managed to observe what happens at the exact instant a human life begins. We’re not talking about minutes later, or hours: we’re talking about the precise second in which the egg is fertilized.

What they saw was unexpected. Right after fertilization, biochemical waves travel across the egg as if someone had pressed an invisible switch. It’s not a chaotic reaction: it’s an organized activation signal, a true biological “second zero” that sets everything that comes afterward into motion.

What’s unsettling is that these waves are not distributed at random. They follow rhythmic patterns and proportions that the researchers compare to shapes that repeat throughout nature: spirals, orderly growth, sequences similar to Fibonacci, the same ones that appear in galaxies, seashells, and plants.

From SciTech Daily:
Researchers have taken a pivotal step toward understanding how living cells could have originated from nonliving matter.

At some point in Earth’s history, nonliving, inorganic substances gave rise to the first forms of life. This transition from lifeless matter to living organisms remains one of science’s most profound and unresolved questions. Today, researchers are engineering synthetic cells that behave like real biological cells in an effort to uncover insights into how life might have originally emerged on our planet.
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

Whenever I come across any new scientific theories or discoveries I start with a few questions. "What does the general population do with this information? Is it something we can impliment in our daily thought and lives to improve things? Is it a step in unlocking mysteries yet unsolved? Should the rest of us really care? etc." This may sound ignorant (probably through sheer definition of the word), but I kind of place this type of information in the "does it really matter?" bin.

THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL - BACTERIA


Lemme show ya somethin'...


Look, I fully realize this is a decades ago trend, but I've never been one to jump on trends so here we are. It took me years just to go from MySpace to FaceBook - stop judging me. Oddly enough, this video kind of demonstrates my tedious and machine like tendency for linear, Euclidean order. That's a highfalutin way of saying I'm a little odd. Anyway...

There aren't too many good feelings that are better than a solid modern day adaptation of a great book you read decades ago...

THE LONG WALK TRAILER

The Stephen King Universe has made a resurgence in the last few years thanks to the IT series plus a slew of other films and I'm most definitely here for it. What I've noticed is that there's been a significant uptick in talk about the King World due to the premier of the IT: Welcome to Derry TV series; I'm undoubtedly guilty of devling back into a bunch of the older films just to see how well things connect.

However, The Long Walk is one of those stories by King that stick with you over the course of your life. I remember reading this decades ago while I was on a field op in Camp Lejuene and being horrified but immersed by and in the story itself. The characters are sharp on screen and are often times entertaining, regardless of the dire dystopian situation they find themselves in. If you're a fan of the Stephen King Universe, this one is highly recommended.

GET. EX. CITED!...

WE BURY THE DEAD TRAILER

I try not to hype up new releases because it can easily turn out to be disappointing once the feature actually hits the screen, but I'm a sucker for zombie flicks; even the bad ones. There's something about the genre that keeps me interested. I should probably talk to someone about that. However, this one looks promising as this is the first time I've seen Daisy Ridley outside of a Star Wars role. (I fully realize she's done other films besides, but bear with me.) What makes We Bury The Dead different is the filmmakers idea as it relates to the temperament of the zombies. It gives them leeway to still be somewhat human...until they're not anymore. I'm ready for it.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that my taste in music is eclectic and odd; sometimes bordering disturbing. Yet on the lighter side of that spectrum you can catch me bumping these awesome human beings...

STEREOLAB - PLASTIC MILE

From Mojo:
“We have to organise how society is run in radically different ways, based on radically different values…”
>>> READ THE INTERVIEW HERE <<<

I'd read that interview; they're an interesting group of individuals. I first got tuned in to them around 1995 by one of my homies from high school and was instantly enthralled with their original sound. There have been quite a few clones that have popped up in subsequent years after their debut in 1990, but at the time the mantra was "no one sounds like Stereolab". On top of that they're very prolific and consistent in their quality of releases. I only own about 7 of their albums, but I can't say I've ever heard a bad one.

I don't like ending this episode on a dreary note, but this has been some of the saddest news I've seen all year...

From NBC News:

JAMES RANSONE PASSES AWAY AT 46
James Ransone in Westwood, Calif., in 2019.Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images file
"Actor James Ransone died Friday apparently by suicide, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. He was 46.

Ransone, a native of Maryland, was best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka in the TV series "The Wire" and for his role as Eddie Kaspbrak in the horror movie "It: Chapter Two."

He acted on shows such as "Generation Kill" and "Bosch," with his final TV appearance in a Season 2 episode of "Poker Face" that aired in June, according to The Movie Database."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

My condolences to James' family, friends, and colleagues. He absolutely killed the roles he played in Sinister and IT, and had a distinct type of humor to his demeanor that anyone could admire.

This hits very close to home (as I'm sure it does with quite a few of us). One of my childhood friends took his own life a couple of decades ago by getting extremely inebriated and driving head on into a semi truck. I remember the last time I spoke to him he kept telling me how weak of a man he felt he was. He grew up next door to me in Atlantic Arms in Mayport, had five sisters that were younger than him, an absent father and mother who was a drug addict. His life was rough, but he was one of the kindest people you could meet and was one of my best friends.

Another friend that I was stationed with at Camp Lejuene also took his own life by undisclosed measures. He was heavy into Black Metal, loved to fight and would stick up for anyone who was on his side, but still one of the kindest and most intelligent people I've met.

I say this to say that it is imperative that people look out for one another. Know that anyone you encounter could be struggling with life in ways you couldn't conceive or imagine and still be smiling and laughing with you, going to work, and taking care of their families.

The world at large is no joke, believe me...
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
BIOSTASIS - BRAIN HACK

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #oxegenmbk #channel4newsjax #yoga #biostasis #drumandbass #yoga #hinduism #jamesransone #davidchoe #andrewhuberman #stephenking #thelongwalk #science #theamazingworldofgumball #bacteria #myspace #facebook #welcometoderry #it #stereolab #weburythedead #starwars #daisyridley

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Episode 14: Obscure Broadcaster

Made it through another year! I should probably refinance this blog or something...

...From the Archives!
TAUL'S AWESOME MIXTAPE #3 - 2000

Some may not know this about me, but I was a whole disc jockey for a long time. I played quite a few venues (some in other countries, some on boats, some in rooms so dark you could barely see the turntables), but it got to the point where hanging out in bars and clubs became over-stimulating for me. The above sketches were done during that time and I was all over the place. (You can see the influence in the subject matter and color choices.) You can say what you want about generative AI, but with that type of power I can now take these concepts into a million different directions.

Anyway, this is odd...

From Big Think:

DRONE DISCOVERS WEIRD UNDERWATER VOLCANO OFF CALIFORNIA
The newly discovered seamount as mapped by Saildrone Surveyor. (Credit: Saildrone / NOAA)

"After surveying 45,000 square kilometers of once mysterious ocean floor Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the un-crewed sailing drone Surveyor moved far to the south, discovering a previously unknown seamount within 200 miles (322 km) of the NorCal coast."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

I don't know what's funnier: the fact that a scientific publication described a discovery as "weird", or the fact that one of them described it as an "enormous bundt cake". I take an interest in news like this because these types of discoveries always beg much larger questions - mainly "What do they plan on doing with this information?"
Don't get me wrong I'm not necessarily anti-Christmas or anything, but I thought this may be an interesting read 'cause 'tis the season and all that...

From Intellectual Takeout:

C.S. LEWIS’ ‘LOST’ PARABLE ON THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
C.S. Lewis was famous for taking ordinary topics, injecting them with an unexpected twist of thought, and presenting them in a fanciful way for his readers. His thoughts on Christmas are no exception.

In 1954, Lewis sat down to write an essay entitled Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus. The essay described the fictitious island of Niatirb (aka Britain) which had a yearly celebration called “Exmas.”

As Lewis goes on to explain, the celebration of Exmas is characterized by insanity in which individuals run around sending greeting cards and buying gifts for others because it is demanded of them. Such insanity naturally brings the following results:
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

She (the author this article) isn't lying when she says Lewis was famous for his method of taking a thought and flipping it. I remember hearing Alan Watts speak of him and saying that he claimed that an individual can write or inject nonsensical words into a sentence and still somehow manage to make the reader comprehend the objective point of said sentence. How geeked up was he to even come up with a concept like that?

With all the hype about IT: Welcome to Derry (which I still haven't watched, btw), we're forgetting that there's a wild, wacky side to the town they don't want us to stay woke about...

IT BAD LIP READING

I completely lost it in the first 40 seconds of this video. I'd pay money to see full length films of Bad Lip Readings of this entire franchise.

I don't usually do this, but this was just rude...

This is a screen shot of my alliance chat in State of Survival when I greeted a new member, only for them to run right out the door. War games are full of weirdos.

Ok, I tried to get through it. I really did...
SKINAMARINK TRAILER

From IMDB:
"Two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. To cope with the strange situation, the two bring pillows and blankets to the living room and settle into a quiet slumber party. They play well worn videotapes of cartoons to fill the silence of the house and distract from the frightening and inexplicable situation. All the while in the hopes that eventually some grown-ups will come to rescue them. However, after a while it becomes clear that something is watching over them"
>>> WATCH THE FULL MOVIE HERE <<<

Now, for us latch key kids who grew up in the 80's and were used to being left alone without adult supervision for long stretches of time, this film plays into the fear of abandonment trope. Those of my generation may be quick to put this right into the Cosmic Horror section. However - for literally EVERYBODY else - this movie goes right into the "WTF is this even about?" bin. I won't lie, I dig the eerie, ominous, esoteric aesthetic of the film (I am obsessed with The Backrooms, after all). The monotone and minimalistic frames add to the mystery, but what it lacks is a clear direction and - quite frankly - useful dialogue. It's a film that, in all honesty, is worth the watch; even if it's just to say you did. I just couldn't get more that 75% through it. Mainly because I felt like I got it by then, but your mileage may vary.

This next mix tape is by a beatsmith legend that needs no introduction. I just have to note that that Nonrev track with the Bobby Byrd break at the end is top tier left field.

DILLA BATCH | BARELY SURFACED (1995 - 1999 UNDERRATED EXTENDED MIX)


Alright, if you're from Duval and you don't already know, let me learn you...
SATURDAY DECEMBER 20TH 2025
DOORS AT 7PM / SHOW AT 8PM
UNICAT
602 E. UNION STREET JAX, FL 32206

From The Space Gallery:
"Duval Destroyer’s inspirations include living in the current moment, human rights, impermanence, change and mysticism. Destroyer states, “We are equal. All born into this realm of polarity and change. We all come into this world as vulnerable little children. All beings want happiness and hope to avoid suffering. The time to end war is now. Non-violence in thought, speech and action is the only way to create peace through equality. All equal. All one. As the organs and cells of the body must work together for overall health, we must also work together in unity for the progression of humanity and the greater good. No one is more important than another. Everyone plays their part. Different and beautiful and equal."
Jacksonville has many living legends haunting it's walls and galleries and DUVAL DSTRYR is no exception. You can see his works live and direct this upcoming weekend before Christmas, so make sure you drag your @$$ over to UNICAT this Saturday. You might catch me there if you don't blink...

...but that's going to be it for me on this one. Hope you're enjoying the holiday season!

Stay up!

MADLIB - ETERNAL BROADCASTER

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #bigthink #underwatervolcano #cslewis #intellectualtakeout #jdilla #jaydee #nonrev #bobbybyrd #skinamarink #imdb #IT #badlipreading #madlib #beatkonducta #stateofsurvival #duvaldstryr #unicat

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bad Idiosyncracies

DIGITAL PHANTOM SERIES 003

I've been listening to a ton of Alan Watts lately - which isn't anything new if you know me - but his series Ecological Awareness kinda sparked the subject matter for this illustration. No idea what I'm going to do with these yet. Really, I've been known to start these things and not finish them, so...

...Anyway, if you're not familiar with the Terrifier series, you are now:

From Bloody Disgusting:

‘Terrifier 3’ – Damien Leone Just Filmed “One of the Most Insanely Horrific Scenes” of the Franchise

"Filming has been underway for the last several weeks on Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3, the next installment in one of the most popular new horror franchises of the modern era.

Coming to theaters later this year from Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting, Terrifier 3 aims to raise the bar even further on the gruesome exploits of Art the Clown, and Leone has taken a little break from filming this morning to tease an insane sequence the team just got on camera.

Damien Leone tweets from the set of Terrifier 3, “Can honestly say we just filmed one of the most insanely horrific scenes of the Terrifier franchise and you’ll never believe who couldn’t handle it on set 😬😂 🤮 the bts is hilarious. Can’t wait for you all to see!”

Considering 2022’s Terrifier 2 had people throwing up and fainting in theaters, well, it’s safe to say that nobody is prepared for the uncut brutality of this year’s sequel. Stay tuned for more.

Art the Clown is slashing his way through Christmas in the upcoming third installment, with David Howard Thornton back as Art and Lauren LaVera returning as adversary Sienna."


READ THE REST HERE

I'm just going to go ahead and say that if what they're saying is true, we've come into a new era of film. The scene they're attempting to go further than made me turn away in disgust until I thought it was over, and I hadn't done that since I saw some of the scenes in the Hannibal show.
Some films are smart when it comes to plot and progression. Some films are funny when it comes to character personality, odd situations, or slight misfortune. Igby Goes Down is all of those:

IGBY GOES DOWN
CLICK HERE TO WATCH

This movie was shown to me by an old cohort when I was stationed in the Keys and I honestly didn't know what to expect beforehand. At that time I was watching a bunch of Japanese Horror and French shock films (if that's even a term), so I was skeptical I would even remain interested after the first 10 minutes. That turned out to be completely wrong. I'd rate this in my top 10 of most hilarious flicks I've had the pleasure of viewing. The characters are SHARP, each presenting personality traits and idiosyncrasies that are odd yet relatable. It's a smart film, so I'm confident you all will enjoy it.
A few of my line work study illustrations are up for grabs if you're interested in getting your hands on some of my work. These are hand drawn and vectored by yours truly; signed, framed, and prepped to hang. Drop an email at mechdirective@proton.me to get in touch.
Just so you know, quitting caffeine will bring about an unruly headache that lasts for what seems like a fortnight. Goodnight!

SEAN PRICE - ONE

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #igbygoesdown #terrifier #seanprice #alanwatts #hannibal

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Return from Exile


So...it's been a minute - which is a complete understatement - but before I get started running my mouth again, here are a few of the things I've been up to since the last official episode:

Old Soul

This is a marker rendering I did for a classmate from when I attended The Art Institute of Jacksonville (I have some odd stories from that House of Weirdos, but more on that later - we have a whole slew of nonsense to cover). I did this with Microns, Sharpies, OTR Markers, Prismacolors, and Copics...like an old man should. Shout out to David Webster and Anna Miller for all the jewels of drawing wisdom. I still have miles to go, but it's a lifelong venture and a meditation.

52 Tactical Slaps, Balloon Monk,
SNAX.3, Trinity

These are a few of my more recent vector illustrations. One of the best things I got out of my time at The Institute was a thorough introduction to the nuances (and subsequent pain) of digital illustration. It's honestly something I should've been exploring on my own before I decided to pay thousands of dollars for it. The thing is, when you were a stubborn purist like I used to be, stepping into the digital realm seemed like "selling out". I've come to learn in my old age that that is a bullshit term.

Shout out to Graham Young for the thorough, military style digital training and also to Jet Belleza who was THE DUDE who pushed me the most to go digital in the first place.

Rumbling Text

In The Wild


Then there is, of course, what most of you know me for. Not many of these have been executed since about 2016 or so (at least not any that anyone knew about). The first one is part of a production that I had the honor of being a part of for NightHawks alongside WERMS, ASMA, KES, CENT, and Campbell.

Nighthawks

Shout out to Triclops for letting us get loose. The second one is part of a character I did for the long time homie The Infader for a venture he was a part of that, in all honesty, I'm not sure what came of.

"It's easy to fall off.
It's twice as hard to get back on."
- Clyde

In 2011 I enrolled at The House of Weirdos in a 3 year Graphic Design program. I ended up having to take a year off in the middle for health reasons, but came back and finished in 2015. I'd be lying if I said the entire experience was negative; the faculty and the other students were the best part of it. However I'm pretty sure everyone's heard by now just how shady that organization was, so I'll refrain from the mudslinging.

From 2015 (after I graduated) to 2018 I worked in print and, while that was a different and unique experience in itself, it turned out to be yet another path I probably should've refrained from taking. I did make some great connections and learned a ton about printing though, so I'm not really complaining.

That brings us to what I call the Wild West era - from 2018 to now...
Yee Haw

At the beginning of 2019 I ended up leaving the design and print world. I've managed to keep busy under the radar mainly drawing and posting on social media but, not a whole lot of public appearances. I think it's safe to say that, for those of us fortunate enough to make it through the events of the subsequent years after, life's been a little strange ever since.

However, in 2023 I went rogue...

"It's the year 3030."

In the beginning of 2023 - out of sheer wonder and curiousity - I took a leap and stepped over into the synthography world and have been learning an immense amount about that technology, it's mode of operation, and the many uses it has the potential for.

Now, before everyone pulls out their art history manuals and art law degrees, I fully realize it's a major point of contention in the art world at the moment. I'm not here to debate or evangelize. Time will tell. This doesn't mean I've ceased to draw, paint, and vector. It's just another creative outlet and another tool in the tool box. With that being said, if you'd like to keep up with the constant stream of how I'm using my strange brain to create in that medium, you can check out my Threads feed.

@hannibalvector

Now that we've gotten caught up/acquainted, check this out...
Photo credit: Theories of the Deep Understanding of Things


So, it's not often you run into a bizarre flick on Tubi that's actually good. Don't get it wrong, there are a ton of bizarre flicks on there, but watching most of them feels like listening to a toddler describe their synopsis of The Shining in a language you don't understand. This one, however, actually kept my interest for more than the first 8 Minutes:

Colossal (2017)

>>>CLICK HERE TO WATCH<<<


I'm not sure if it's because I now qualify for AARP, or if it's just the legitmate insurmountable barrage of general information that's out there, but I seem to have a penchant for sleeping on hilarity like this:
in Haunted Places, Stories/by Charlie Hintz


"The Christmas Tree Ship sank into the depths of Lake Michigan near the shore of Two Rivers, WI during a devastating winter storm on November 23, 1912.

Once a beloved symbol of the holiday season hauling a load of fresh-cut pine trees bound for Chicago on the rough late season waters, the Rouse Simmons became a watery grave 165 feet beneath the waves. But that hasn’t stopped her ghostly crew from trying to complete their voyage and deliver their final load on Christmas morning.

Quick facts about the Christmas Tree Ship:

The Rouse Simmons was a three-masted Great Lakes schooner built in Milwaukee in 1868
The ship delivered Christmas trees from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Chicago
Captain Herman Schuenemann was known as “Captain Santa“
The ship sank during a winter storm on November 23, 1912
The crew and passengers, an estimated 16-23 men, were all lost
The shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Two Rivers, WI in 1971
A phantom bell has been heard tolling for those lost
The ghost ship sails on Christmas Eve
The grave of Captain Schuenemann‘s wife Barbara smells of pine"


>>>READ THE REST HERE

Damn, and I needed a tree last year too...

...Anyway, I just ran across this on JUXTAPOZ:

A Holy Grail of Graffiti, Gordon Matta-Clark's 1972-73 Archive of Photographs Resurfaces


CONTROL Gallery, Los Angeles // March 01, 2024 - April 13, 2024


"In the summer of 1972, a 29-year old Gordon Matta-Clark began to photograph NYC's exploding graffiti movement. There are many significant things to consider here. One, this pre-dates the style we would begin to recognize as "graffiti" as documented in later books like Subway Art. This is an innocent time, an origin story, and Matta-Clark was capturing it with the sense innocence but acute interest. Matta-Clark himself was approaching architecture and urban space as the canvas for his own significant body of work. He is known now, famous for, his site-specific works, claiming unused or forgotten space, and transforming into something different. He was socially engaged, a rebel, an activist. Space and how to use and who uses it was important. And maybe that is why Gordon Matta-Clark turned his attention to documenting graffiti and the way the wall writers were using and claiming space, because that was so vital to his own practice. For such a renowned artist to explore graffiti in its infancy, was quite extraordinary."

>>> READ THE REST HERE

I'll go ahead and leave it there. I'm sure you've picked up on it by now, but I wouldn't suggest reading this blog if you don't have a whole lot of time to waste. :)

BLACK THOUGHT & DANGER MOUSE - NO GOLD TEETH



#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #bannedbooks #chaimblinsbookmine #elzhi #jaylib #theartinstituteofjacksonville #graffiti #autograftattoo #theinfader #geeksaresexy #communicationarts #baronessvonsketchshow #synthography #jaxdnb #americanpsycho #threads #hannibalvector #theoriesofthedeepunderstandingofthings #colossalmovie #juxtapozmag #blackthought #dangermouse #cheatcodes #prhyme #erule #loxy #drunkhistory