Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Interview with Graffiti Legend: BLADE

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Today's video takes you to a place when trains were filled with art and certain writers were viewed as "KINGS". One of these "KINGS" was BLADE and I was lucky enough to talk with him for a few minutes during the painting of one of his pieces this summer at 5 Pointz: An Institution for Higher Burning during a shoot for the forthcoming SKILLZ DVD Magazine. To give you an idea about who BLADE was in the scheme of NYC Graffiti Writers, here's a short excerpt describing the man himself.

"BLADE: King, master, visionary. BLADE is more than a graffiti artist. A remarkably pivotal figure in the history of graffiti. Blade's successes as a graffiti artist are myriad. BLADE's artwork has been extensively collected and exhibited for over twenty years and has participated in over 60 select solo and group gallery exhibitions throughout the world. BLADE has also been involved in numerous symposiums and appeared in hundreds of articles, television features, magazine and journal publications and catalogues. At the forefront of the subway graffiti movement in the 1970's, BLADE's work is not only recognized as significantly influential, but his lengthy career as a professional artist has warranted his worldwide notoriety and fame. Painting over 5,000 trains and evolving to new levels of subway and canvas graffiti, BLADE has had exhibitions at the Whitney Museum (2000), Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2000), a 1991 show at the Musee National Des Monuments François (Paris France), numerous shows at the Groninger Museum, and dozens of shows in Europe and Asia. On October 28, 1994, Blade was invited to the Groninger Museum to meet Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, as she was attending the prestigious institution's re-opening. His work is highly collectable."

Go ahead, don' be shy and leave a comment.

6 comments:

Lynn Lane said...

93mm...

Thanks man! Keep watchin', I'll be announcing a new vlog very soon that is going to be crazy!

Battle said...

Blade is a legend! Wow, I'm totally star struck. What an awesome post. Much love and respect!

Lynn Lane said...

Richard,

Thanks for checking out my vlog! BLADE is not only a legend, but a really cool guy to talk with as well. I'll be shooting more on him soon.

Anonymous said...

I was living in East New York back in the days. Blade was one of the Kings that made graffiti a respectable art form on the subways. I will never forget his amazing styles.

Anonymous said...

My son met Blade today at Sadlers Wells in the UK. He signed his black book and gave my son his email address. He also signed the famous book Subway Art for him.
I was so proud of him, at only 13 years old he went on his own to meet the legend and the man was so nice to him.
It was a drwam come true for him. Much respect to Blade!!

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