MSK Invades Detroit

If you live in Detroit and you follow graffiti, more than likely you've endured some lean years, mixed in with a few crescendos of bliss, then back down again to the status quo of a lot of non-inspirational street art. There are flashes of brilliance throughout the city, but the consistency of it all has been floundering. Good writers have come and gone, and what remains usually doesn't offer enough to propel the scene forward.

I often wonder if this has anything to do with the lack of inspiration being provided by the older writers, who seem content painting by themselves or with other writers of equal talent, with feigned concern for the passing of the baton to the younger writers?  This isn't all inclusive, but it sure seems that way at times.

REVOK

The nature of street art feeds off of a sub-culture addicted to fame and notoriety within the culture itself, while also maintaining a lifestyle that requires public anonymity. Accomplished graffiti writers hold a rock star status amongst wannabe writers who grow up within urban areas where street art is much more prevalent.

With the rise of the Internet in the mid-nineties, street art has exploded beyond these exclusive tight-nit groups into a worldwide movement where access to the culture has become easier for anyone wanting in. This phenomenon is two fold, in that it has not only leveled the playing field for young graffiti writers wanting to enter the culture, but it has also created a glut of young kids who want to try their hand at it. In other words, the market has been flooded, mostly with youth full of ambition, but handicapped by a lack of talent, or more importantly, direction. The ones that do possess talent, rely on a hierarchy of older graffiti writers willing to pass down their knowledge of graffiti art to to the younger writers (toys) who are trying to learn the craft. This cycle repeats itself when younger writers mature into talented artists themselves, and hopefully pass on the acquired skills to the next generation of promising young talent.

The Alley Project (TAP) in southwest Detroit is the archetype of this system, where kids can paint in a safe environment under the supervision of older artists who willingly mentor younger and inexperienced kids wanting to learn the required skills to paint at a higher level, but this program is the exception to the rule in a city lacking inspiration from within.

RISK and REVOK

In a populated city like Los Angeles, that produces hundreds of graffiti prodigies who paint thousands of walls all over the city, there is no shortage of inspiration for anyone wanting to begin the process of learning to paint. There is also no substitute for "live" walls when compared to the images that flood the Internet daily. For any young Detroit "graff head," who has grown up looking at images of nationally renowned artists on the web, they can only dream of a vibrant scene that would mirror that of Los Angeles or other large metropolises.  Until now that is.

After years of harassment from local authorities in Los Angeles, renowned street artist REVOK, from the MSK crew in L.A. has arrived in Detroit as a permanent resident, bringing with him a who's who of visiting graffiti writers from around the world. What's transpired since his arrival is the equivalent of a creative mushroom cloud falling over the city and its graffiti scene.

SEVER

If you drive up Grand River from downtown and head north, you will notice wall after wall of what was once a drab forgotten stretch of the city, transformed into a blaze of color occupying not only dilapidated empty buildings, but privately owned businesses as well. Business owners have willingly offered up their wall space to REVOK and members of MSK, who have transformed walls from the sloppy visual esthetic of "tag-bangers" and "throwies," to ambitious large-scale murals showcasing some of the world's best street artists. Some select local artists have also been in on the Grand River corridor as well, although probably not as many as some would like, which is understandable, but also predictable, when taken in context. Hopefully, the ratio of local artists not included will help to amp up the competitive drive of writers wanting to leave their mark on the overall scene. The bar has been set, and there is nowhere to go but up. Either way, the good seems to outweigh the bad.

ZES

SEVER

As if that were not enough, Montana Cans and the local 1XRUN in Royal Oak, are sponsoring a weeklong event that is turning Detroit into the ground zero of the graffiti world for the moment. Legal (yes legal) murals are popping up all over the city of Detroit, and neighboring Hamtramck during the Cinco De Mayo weekend. REVOK, REYES, ASKEW, STEEL, ZES, NEKST, SEVER, POSE, and RISK are just a few of the many writers converging upon Detroit over the weekend, in what is being billed as the Detroit Beautification Project.

Any impressions on the affects of their arrival are welcome. Is this a bad mix, or is this the needed shot of adrenaline that will help build a vibrant and sustaining scene in Detroit? What about people living outside of graffiti circles? Does John Q. Public think this has the potential to cast a positive light on Detroit, or is this just civil obedience in your opinion?  Good or bad, let me know what you think. Keep it civil please.