Melon of Chicago & Hawaii

Here's a classic example of graffiti doing something positive. Melon is a writer from Chicago who from the age of 12-20 was in gang life, and because of graffiti, was able to get out of it. In Chicago gangs and graffiti crews don't mix because the gangs don't want the heat that comes with tagging. If you are in a gang and you tag, you get an SOS (smash on site). He took a beat down to exit the gang and pursued writing from then on. Melon feels that if it wasn't for graffiti, his life would have continued down a bad path.

He started writing in '91, mainly bombing at first, then moving into more elaborate pieces. He didn't start incorporating characters until '02. Inspired by Cove and Fonzo, Melon didn't know where to begin with characters, but his wife simply told him, "Ain't nothing to it but to do it." He started by drawing his brother and himself. Today he continues with his faceless stained glass women, and men with crowns.

Puerto Rican & Guatemalen, as a child Melon couldn't pronounce Guatemalen, saying watermelon. Hence the name, Melon. His artistic style is heavily influenced by the Chicago scene, and secondly by the styles in Hawaii.

Melon was in our Chicago battle this past August. He and his wife are first class all the way. They are the kind of folks you can't wait to hang out with again. He is from Chicago and lived for a time in Hawaii, so the Hawaiians consider him a local writer.

Check out Melon's work on myspace.com/melonjames and melonone.blogspot.com

Check out Melon's artwork in our EIGB-MTN art show at 1:AM SF Gallery.

Opening reception Friday, 9/11, 7-10pm.
Show runs until October 9.

1:AM SF Gallery
1000 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94127
www.1amsf.com
www.twitter.com/1AM_SF
(415) 861-5089

Follow twitter.com/estria for the latest updates on all the graffiti events.

Vyal One of Los Angeles

Vyal is one of my favorite LA writers. He paints trippy stuff, sometimes cultural or even a bit political stuff. Oh, um, cultural stuff IS political to me, btw. His technique is flawless.

Vyal will be in Oakland to compete in our Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle. You can also see his work at our EIGB-MTN art show at 1:AM SF Gallery.

Opening reception Friday, 9/11, 7-10pm.
Show runs until October 9.

1:AM SF Gallery
1000 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94127
www.1amsf.com
www.twitter.com/1AM_SF
(415) 861-5089



Vyal is one of my favorite people to follow on twitter. Rather than interview him, I thought this post on him would be better represented by the madman himself. I wish I was this funny. Not this disturbed, but definitely this funny. Some of my favorite tweets:

The ladies love and hate my soft feet.......

Weather catching up to me....Sore throat, open wounds, green vomit,blood red pupils........hunger for human flesh...Im sure it'll pass..



NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY ON THE 7th DAY GOD RESTED, CAUSE ITS BORING AS FUCK!!!

This summer has been crazy......DEATH, FIRE, TORTURE, and thats just what i did to my dogs.............. I keeeeedd..... I love that fucker.

With all these fires just call me "WHEEZY"........and ill call you george...



Waking up to JACKHAMMERS........... wheres my gun!!!!

MY DOG STILL HAS HIS BALLS. I WILL NEVER GIVE HIM THE CHOP! OTHER BALLESS DOGS LOOK ENVIOUS WHEN HE LICKS EM!!!!

STEP AWAY FROM THE TWITTER!!!!!........

9:48.....is a good time to go back to sleep....

When i think about you, i touch my SHELF............



I gotta find a dog sitter for the weekend.......Fucking yuppie shit....I just gonna leave him tied up in the back with the hose running..JK

The best part is when theyre like...OH my son likes graffiti and hes heard of you!!! WOW so your like famous!!!????

TWITT IT AND QUIT IT.......



i hate when dudes who used to write keep trying to live off of their old fame.. If you dont paint anymore just let it go...nobody cares..

i buy the expensive chocolate chip cookies fool....... the kind where you can only eat one every other day...... Thats how i roll son!!!!

ive never picked up the kids after dropping them off at the pool....



i think i just picked out the longest nose hair ever i felt it in my brain......

mmmmmmmmm chunky burps........ slightly tangy........
JESUS FUCKING KING TACO OVERLOAD CHRIST!!!!!!!!

i just looked down at my BARE FEET and they're starting to look like BEAR FEET..... is that why I'm craving salmon???..



vyalone.com
twitter.com/VYALONE
http://graffitisaves.com/

Follow twitter.com/estria for the latest updates on all the graffiti events.

Max Erhman Eon75 of Florida

Max Erhman, Eon75, was a contestant in our 2008 Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle in Oakland. Since then I have had the honor of painting with him a few times, and hope to continue doing so. (I only painted with him to steal all his techniques.) Kidding aside, Max is a talented painter with great techniques and hardcore motivation. He has painted several personal commissions for James Prigoff, of Spray Can Art fame. Best of luck to ya, Max!

Check out Max's artwork in our EIGB-MTN art show at 1:AM SF Gallery.

Opening reception Friday, 9/11, 7-10pm.
Show runs until October 9.

1:AM SF Gallery
1000 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94127
www.1amsf.com
www.twitter.com/1AM_SF
(415) 861-5089

Follow twitter.com/estria for the latest updates on all the graffiti events.

Check out Max's website for more of his work. www.maxehrman.carbonmade.com





Max Erhman with Chor Boogie:


Max Ehrman was first slapped in the face by this obsessive art form called aerosol art in 1995. One day two international graffiti artists painted a wall and their concept and technique sparked a fire in Max. The next day he bought a few cans of paint, went to the wall, and has not stopped painting ever since.



Max currently goes by Eon75. Eon meaning Extermination of Normality and the 75 denoting the year that he was born. This name has taken him to over 10 countries and 3 continents. He has painted large-scale productions and traveled with the Meeting of Styles throughout Europe (www.meetingofstyles.com). Eon75 has exhibited in galleries from Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona to Florida, NYC and San Francisco.



Max holds a Masters of Architecture from the Bauhaus (Dessau institute of Architecture) in Dessau, Germany. The rigid constraints of architecture developed his eye for detail. Having grown up on the beach in Florida, nature is an underlying element in all of his work. The elements of the ocean and plant life can be found in his paintings. Consequently, there is always a repetition of 3 in every painting. This is used to balance out the image and connect with nature. Leaves and shells are always structured in odd numbers…3's, 5's etc. This pattern can also be found in Eon75's artwork.



Gallery installation by Max:


A recent interview of Max on Cannedgoods

Eukarezt of Hawai'i

Eukarezt is currently apprenticing to be a tattoo artist, where they make you feel like a 30 year old toy. Prior to that he was teaching art at Diverse Art Center in Honolulu.

Eukarezt wanted to create something more eternal than a tattoo, so he set on a soul search as a missionary for 3 years. This allowed him to travel the world and paint (Jordan, India, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia).

He used to write Rest, then Eukalyptz, Ukarest, which stood for "Under The King's Authority I Rest." He ended with the current manifestation of his name Eukarezt, which is also a combo of his first and middle names.

In Durban, South Africa, Eukarezt, with $10 in his pocket, entered a graffiti contest with only stock tips (the nozzles that come on the can), and snatched first place. He took his $2000 winnings and bought food for all the kids, and a ticket back to Hawai'i.

Eukarezt had a guilt trip on defacing the land so he turned himself in to the police in Hawai'i. The cops didn't know what to do with him. They said, "Okay call us tomorrow." He did and then they said, "Bra we'll call you back." Nothing happened.

He then flew to California to turn himself in there. The police said, "Okay we'll send you something in the mail, a community service kit." He waited for a month and nothing happened. It wasn't meant to be. With his clean slate and a fresh start, he returned to Hawai'i and got married.

Eukaretz told me all this while he was taking a dump.

Check out his artwork in our EIGB-MTN art show at 1:AM SF Gallery.

Opening reception Friday, 9/11, 7-10pm.
Show runs until October 9.

1:AM SF Gallery
1000 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94127
www.1amsf.com
www.twitter.com/1AM_SF
(415) 861-5089

Follow twitter.com/estria for the latest updates on all the graffiti events.

Check out Eukarezt's work at eukarezt.com

Mural of a homeless person, where they camp in Honolulu:




The Pueo is the Hawaiian native owl:

NZ - SUDSY IN THE KING KAPISI SHOW -HIP HOP LIVES HERE ...

RAZOR PAINT BATTLE - 16.08.09

RED BULL ... DJ NINO BROWN vs SUBWAY SUDS ... BIRDEE NUMNUM NIGHTCLUB ...