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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Known in his early days as graffiti icon ESPO, Steve Powers has been a charismatic figure in both New York's art and graffiti world throughout the past 20 years. Seen all over the streets of Philadelphia, New York, and Brooklyn, his flat top and name have been synonymous throughout these street scenes since the mid-90s. However, after ESPO's success for several years, Steve decided to step away from the shadow lands of graffiti and establish himself as a sign painter. In this episode of Art Talk we accompany Steve to explore his new project "Love Letter to Brooklyn" in the heart of downtown at the old Macy's parking garage. We get a behind the scenes look into his life as ESPO, how his work has developed over the years, and his life as a dad.
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Originally aired in 2010 on VICE.com
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What I like about the signs is the authenticity of being painted, yet the lines and letters are so clean looking
legendary painter.
With only very minor changes, this would make a hilarious comedy short.
"I'm a sign painter, I'm a raconteur, former break dancer, present artist..."
And then (sigh)... like the green pants and the neon shirt under the cardigan and the haircut... Anyone out there who imagines themself to be a hipster -- you are amateurs
@@zammmerjammer Lmao
This was a great interview, ireally enjoyed it. I am familiar with the graphic production environment and signs produced by hand are getting to be a lost craft, not only are they technically quite difficult, the very nature of creating signs this way is something our culture has disregarded, along with so many other skilled trades that are really more art than craft. thanks for making this.
Shocked to see Espo, stock cap master, being the focus of this video. Old hero. Makes me feel good.
I love SP's work, so funky, so revolutionary, yet so simple.....
renaissance guerrilla
Indeed...😁
It's good to see a positive transformation from a negative to a positive, some lost kids need to know art can be a career and a way out, or even a glimmer of hope for another path. Some just don't understand the struggle and others will not put principles before personalities and leave ignint comments seen below mine. Thumbs up for peace and pomposity.
As a designer and sign shop owner i appreciate this. I love the art of sign painting. We do a little of both vinyl and sign painting. Of course i would be totally broke right now if i all did was sign painting. I prefere to hand draw my letters and create graphics out of them. It's just more robust for me. But i love a sign painter and i love sign painting. Everyone said it would go away with computers and vinyl. They are both awesome though. A real artist can take advantage of both.
I work on Hoyt Street and have always love that installation! Great piece.
i love sign making, everything that is brush, paint & surface.
Most people can't explain exactly why analog sounds better than digital; it just does. These hand-painted signs just look better than signs made with stencils or computers (and feel better to look at, too). Truly an under-appreciated art form.
I'd like to know how you laid out the design. Large lettering, Centering. Hard to tell where your at with such large work and up in the air where you can't back off and look at it every now and then. Over all, Very nice work. Be proud and give yourself a pat on the back !
math son math
There are lots of ways to sketch that out, measuring is one but the easiest is using a projector and outline the projection.
visiting NYC in november, def gonna check this out.
Bro that guy David I think he was in the getting up graff documentary I think such a good Doc
This was great. Steve Powers seems like an awesome person. Would love to see some more of his stuff.
@ 7:20 ...The way he said "Within the shadowlands of Graffitti" ...lol
i loved that!!! please come to this part of the world and paint - would be great here, that real 20s-40s era style thats back in style. some of that was priceless, and im not even an art connoseir. lwaterboard spongebob ride heh heh. the only downer, we were never allowed to see full pictures, complete phrases etc, just snippets, but i will find them, streetview maybe
I never met espo but I've seen a lot of his old paintings in tunnels etc. I was shokced when I found out he was doing big time projects for philly, honestly I thought he had died or been locked up.
I see the style and I see the hair.. It will always be ESPO because of the two.
And any artist know that drawing or painting letters is one of the hardest things to do.
if you can read you would realize I said it was art not graffiti? he said it was graffiti when it's not its art graffiti has its own ways and ranks
Reminds me quite alot graf artist Aboves works...
1:62 he looks like the "aliens" guy
i prefer to see different taggers tagging their names everywhere
Chino cameo !
Did this guy stick a fork in a light socket before they did this video? xD
Where the fuck can I get the tune from the end?? Anyone???
I thinked pretty long what are you sayin in that comment because my bad english, but when I got it, I totally agree
Thanks Steve! ^^
I feel like there are way to many letters are way to big, almost chaotic not artistic to me at all. I couldn't imagine seeing that everyday. paint pictures
gimme more !
This is great
This is a few awkward pauses away from being a Christopher Guest film.
I just think the whole vinyl or paint thing is stupid. Especially if you are a hand drawing designer and graphic artist. It's absolutely necessary in the real world to take advantage of digital printing, vinyl, and graphics. It's when they are both mixed that they look awesome.
Why diden't the just use the guy on the bike? 3:08
i dig it
reminds me of dr. steve brule
What? Did you watch the whole video? He was a graffiti artist to begin with.You apparently don't know what you are talking about. Art the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. Graffiti falls into the same category.
135th and lenox dawgg
Very nice. You seem to be interested with the history of the place, you make a big deal about using a existing Franklin Gothic (please don't fuck with the forms, they were designed that way for a reason) but where is the appreciation for the sign painter that did this (better) for over a hundred years. Education yourself. Brooklyn is so over.
sign painting is not art....its a trade a skill. graffiti is not art....its ugly and vandalism. so i feel this guy is correct about nothing.
Permanent damage from overuse of drugs.
and also because they are much more interesting than art docu's, as the dislike bar will show you
is he trolling us?
its eraserhead
why?
all he does is use that simplistic font, that's all of it. He needs something else you know?
I could do that graffiti it's just letters? your not a graffiti artist you are a graphic designer all that space wasted
under 300 club
I don't like it at all. You need an adblock/spam filter to live in that neighborhood!
whats wrong with his accent?
not at all. by you just saying that puts distance between us, Thanks! Oh, and hes lame. Hes not important
CHINO!
I love vice, but this was SOOooooo BORINGGGGG!!!!!
HA!
Ugly yellow, boring, or dated typography doesn't improve with age, and some things should not be preserved. He calls himself an artist at the start of the piece, but doesn't like to call his work graffiti art. About 25 years ago we started using PC's to make graphics efficiently, so ugly boring fonts can be quickly be created in your home and need not be shared with the world. VICE, I love most of your stuff, please follow some people who are still real graf cats. Art finds freedom outside.
phurst
Lacks imagination in my opinion but to each their own.
Looks like shit to me
Eraserhead
/ true
That was my first thought too. :)
You know he's a creative person because he has "outrageous" hair.
Further more a sign painter has to have a perfectly balanced hand. Like a surgeon. There is one try to get it right otherwise the entire job gets fucked up and you've lost money. If you had any idea or clue what art was you'd know that there is beauty in simplicity. I could go search out the most advanced realism artist, the most amazing stylized artist, the most wild comic book artist, and they are all going to say the same thing. Lettering is fucking hard. You missing the entire point.
First of all it's clear you aren't an artist so why the fuck would you know if it's hard or not? You wouldn't. Secondly, vice only covered a spec of this guys portfolio and the jobs he does. Go look up vintage signage and sign painters. Go look up the font logo and lettering bible. There is a process to lettering and it's an involved process that takes a shit load of skill. Especially to make perfect letters even if they are the most simple and basic lettering like what you see in this video.
Firstly: Art isnt for everybody, its also expression. If you want to communicate something by picking your nose and taking a photo of it, thats art. You can like it, dislike it, interpret it or misinterpret it but the fact that it is art remains.
Secondly: A single person is not a universal arbiter for taste. If you express your disapproval of an artwork (be it because you dont understand or agree with it) it is subjective, just like the artwork.
Steve Powers, Graffiti and art are very much cohesive together, as graffiti is the single biggest form of social statement art!.. It makes me some what angry that you wouldn't use that term. Almost all "statement art" is based off or started writers, we are the reason art has taken a turn to meaning more then oil on a canvas so to speak. When writing has driven the art world forward, it deserves more credit than a understated form of art. Most big artist either bite writers or draw inspiration.
It's not easy at all, who ever says this is easy is a liar. This is a craft that takes years to get a hold of, the reason why hes so great at it is because graffiti teaches you to get a really steady hand. Try doing a super clean line with spray paint like espo (a man who has one of the cleanest hands ever seen in philly) and you're going to end up looking like a chump. And the phrases are amazing, ever stop to think that you're just boring?
I think it fits for that particular area/job. Although, it seems like he exclusively uses that font. I'd like to see a little more variation.
Very inspiring!
letters are art. whether its a skilled trade/craft makes no difference. it is an art just like painting a car is art. if you dont know espos history and where he comes from this video isnt for you. the cool guys know whats up
Gotta love when people who dont understand art pass judgement on this guys work, calling it "boring" or "easy". Seriously, try doing this yourself and see how far you get.
Or...there is very little other source of info that seems reliable that brings footage and awareness to what is going on in the world, however this stuff is good too.
I don't even know what you're talking about dude. Now matter how you express it legally or illegally, it's still art. That's what you are failing to understand.
If he put as much work into his look, as he did his "work". It would still be really bad. And if I had 1000 words to describe this man, I'd use "lame" 1000 times.
Nobody covers the devastation war causes. Vice usually does damn good inside coverage, that's probably all this guy want's when he says war docs, not art.
he called it graffiti not art he isn't a graffiti artist at all the word graffiti is to do it illegally not legally defeats the whole purpose
graffiti is to paint illegally and were you dare paint I do know Graffiti is because the worlds best graffiti artists are in the Uk
I don't think it's all that creative. It's only an industrial font, it makes the place look like a giant warehouse.
jumping from a graffiti artist to a sign maker doesn't that go against everything the graffiti culture stands for?
Christ it's like someone took top trending Twitter tweets and plastered them all over Brooklyn.
He is proud of printing wall of text all over the city walls? Haha , this is too fucking much.
"I see working for a toon has rubbed off on you. Remember me, Eddie? When I killed your brother, I talked... just... like... THIS!"
i like/dislike this video... for reasons that have already been stated
Well these videos are brought for viewer judgement offering a view point of the reporters.
haha they spelt "entrepreneur" wrong at 4:23
@3:00 CHINO! Respect to any graff writer who immediately recignized his face.
your whole argument is invalid because you used 'their' instead of 'they're'.
This guys taken one too many acid tabs or illicit drug.
He put some words on a shitty old building, whoop de fucking do.
OKAY GUYS, WHO GLUED PUBES ON HIS HEAD...I DONT THINK HE KNOWS!!
Sorry, but, you're out of your element. Comment on another video.
Hey Vice you should do more of these, they are fucking awesome.
youtube - making internet trolls feels tougher by the minute!
i painted billboards for 18 years. i know a little about it.
Would love a follow-up to see what bro's been up to.
send me some of your art that you can't find a home for
If it's that easy, why aren't you making money doing it?
Eraserhead also has amazingly horrible taste in clothes.
He writes letters on buildings...... Why? WHy why why?
I Like his kid:
"Pretty awesome"
"I know!"
Like a baws :P
vice, do more documentaries on war and stuff, not art
these auto-ads are starting to make me HATE TH-cam.