Los Angeles has always been the melting pot of art and culture. The art has always been expressed in many ways with many messages. The root of all graffiti art in Los Angeles stems from local gang graffiti and New York graffiti influences. These influences changed the style of traditional gang graffiti that was and still is common in Los Angeles to this day. The changes have been noticeable and have become more colorfulimmediately opening the eyes of many Angelinos, as well as the rest of the world's eyes, to this new phenomenon.
Not only were there gangs writing, but there were also new breeds of artists known as "writers" expressing their own beliefs in any which way they could. With the Hip Hop and break-dance movement in full effect in the early- to mid-80s, Los Angeles found itself in a movement that would change the writing on the walls forever.
Beginning with the "First Era" of "The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art," takes you back to the year 1983--the year that a few young teenagers discovered a new way to communicate with each other outside the "civilian world" called Los Angeles. From the Westsie to the Eastside, writers came from different lifestyle and environments. These true pioneers found ways not only to express themselves through their art, but to escape the dangerous elements of their neighborhoods. Some writers exchanged gangs for crews, and guns for "spray cans." Others were fortunate enough to experience the movement without having to go through the struggle of living in areas prone to poverty. One thing is for surethey all had something in common; they wanted to understand this new art form and its language that was in its infancy stages.
In this volume, we explore places like the "Radiotron" and an old Pacific Electric train station called the "Belmont Tunnel." This is where the first true pioneers and crews gathered to paint Los Angeles's first graffiti art pieces, putting Los Angeles on the map. This was a stepping stone to something that would affect Los Angeles forever, and have an undeniable presence from the very beginning to the present day.
We will spotlight Los Angeles through its most important stages of graffiti. In addition, we will highlight the writers and crewsthrough their experiences, pieces, characters, battles, piece books, articles, and tributes. We'll also journey through the historical 1985-1988 days of the "RTD Killers." This in and of itself started off most writers at the time, putting a new meaning to the term "graffiti art" in Los Angeles.
Until now, Los Angeles graffiti art has never been thoroughly documented, including the actual writers' images and personal stories. Graffiti writing is as sacred as a religion to most writers, and is a life-changing event to others. Graffiti art is a unique expression of what we all feel. It invokes passion and pride, and lets everyone know who we are, and what we stand for and believe in.
This book makes every attempt to relive the excitement that took place over the course of history in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, as well as the road that most of these writers followed. It's an experience that will take you through the historical events that paved the style of Los Angeles graffiti art--through pictures of the writers' work to their actual expressed feelings of their experiences. Each writer's personal accounts breathe life into their work, giving the world a true look into "The History of Los Angeles Graffiti Art."
We hope that you will enjoy the rich history of Los Angeles graffiti art through the eyes of the writers of Los Angeles.
