Four Separate Graffiti Art Shows in San Francisco 9/11

This is almost unbelievable! San Francisco will enjoy 4 unique graffiti-ish art shows for the month of September. All have their opening night on Friday, 9/11/09.
Come through and make the rounds.

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Estria Invitational Graffiti Battle, Montana Colors & 1:AM SF Gallery Present:
"Don't Sweat the Technique: Ode to the Spray Can" art show
www.1amsf.com
www.estriabatle.com

An unprecedented (in the Bay Area) group show featuring some of the nation's best urban artists
California: Neon, Bounce, Chez, Vogue, Eon 75, Germz, Vyal, Refa, 357, Ceyba
Chicago: Rome Won, Tsel, Chucho, Melon, Debl, Like
Hawai'i: Katch, Estria, Eukarezt, Ckaweeks, Prime, Bam
New York: Wane One, Doves, Cern, Queen Andrea, Cekis

1:AM SF Gallery
1000 Howard St., SF, CA 94127



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Sub DF/Tony Curanaj shows off his legendary oil painting skills in SF.
johnpence.com

John Pence Gallery
750 Post Street
SF, CA 94109
opening reception 9/11, 6-8pm
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6pm, Sat 10-5 pm



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Trust Your Struggle
"The Black Art Show"

These are my homies, please come support. After party at Nickies BBQ on Haight.

Borish, Cece, Erin Yoshi, Bounce, Tres, Scott La Rockwell, Shaun Burner
d-structuresf.com

D-Structure
520 Haight St
SF, CA 94117
opening reception 9/11, 8-11pm
Hours: Wed-Sat 11-3pm



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Ricardo Richey & Robin Twomey

Richey is a style master supreme of SF and Twomey is an amazing photographer.

The Luggage Store
1007 Market Street, near 6th St.
SF, CA 94103
opening reception 9/11, 6-8pm
show runs through 10/18

Cekis of Chile

Cekis is a very humble guy. He doesn't toot his own horn at all, and is very approachable.

Santiago, Chile 1998. Cekis opened a graffiti store called Otra Vida. It moved twice, but with business partner, Grin, it found a permanent location, and significantly helped make the mural/graffiti movement larger. Larger as in one of the graffiti capitals of South America. Otra Vida gave young writers access to books and styles they could not find in their country. It became a gathering place for writers; an important role for an art form that depends on oral storytelling.

He was one of the 1st generation of writers of Chile. He bombed hard and painted many large-scale murals, earning him the respect as one of THE kings of Chile. He had a huge impact on the succeeding generation of writers. During Cekis' painting career he has seen Chile shift from a dictatorship with very few murals to a democracy with entire neighborhoods painted. Some would say Cekis helped shift the social consciousness of Santiago to accepting murals as part of the culture.

Since moving to NYC in '04 Cekis has been focusing on his career as an artist, without a care for becoming a king. Pretty humble for a guy who impacted an entire nation of writers.

Visit his art website ymicrew.com and see more of his work at flickr.com/photos/cekis

Check out Cekis' 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

Click on this first image to see it bigger:








“I chose to do mural art as my way of communication because the intention of my work has always been to interact in an active way with my environment and community. Looking for places (walls) where people can feel united, represented or relate to each other and therefore establish free dialogues between art and life”.

Ckaweeks of Hawai'i

Gifted. That's the word I heard the most about CKaweekS. He is one of those people that is good at anything he does. And he does: painting, singing, percussions, swimming, surfing, paddling, jiu jitsu. Recently he did the Waikiki Rough Water Swim, which is about 2.3 mile long open ocean swim. He didn't register or practice. Just showed up and jumped in the ocean. Lucky you live Hawai'i, brah!

CKaweekS. One part of the ingredients that make up the melting pot called Hawai’i. A little bit of surf, a tad bit of reggae music, one part lightsleeper, with a dash of “aaah, lucky I live hea’ brah.” Mix this in a bowl of influences off the street, through nature, and diverse people. Drink it down with a smooth glass of green bottled beer and you won’t get a taste but a lifestyle. This lifestyle shared in part by others from the art collective Pocket Full Of Monsters. Always changing, always evolving, because to settle on a style creativity stops. And when this stops, the beer goes bad.

That's pretty much it, paint, drink beer and play in the ocean.

Visit his art website ckaweeks.com
His band allnatro.com

Check out Ckaweeks'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

Notice the scroll about going to the Estria Invitational:
Follow twitter.com/estria for the latest updates on all the graffiti events.



Collaboration with Angry Woebot and Newkon:

Chucho of Chicago

Chucho DC5 is a multitalented artist, the kind of person who seems to excel in any medium, be it painting, sculpting, tattooing. He has received about 16 commissions from the City of Chicago, through the Public Art Program. His favorite art form at the moment is stone carving.

His lettering favors classic New York styles (Duster, Skeme, etc.) with readable letters and connections. Favorite character artists: Katch, Slick, Coax AWR, Twist, Scribe and Os Gemeos. As a product of the '80s, Chucho is inspired by Robert Williams, Rat Fink and other low brow art.

Visit Chucho's website chucho-arte.com and his tattoo work at jolietink.com

Check out Chucho'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.

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