Some pieces around San Antonio’s West Side.
Latest
Getting Up
This is probably the coolest, most moving story I’ve seen in a while.
From the Facebook page:
After being diagnosed with Lou Gehrigs Disease, the legendary, fully paralyzed graph artist “TemptOne” gets his creative voice back through an unlikely friendship with a perfect stranger. Getting Up is a documentary about the life of artist TEMPT. It asks the question, ‘How does a fallen man get back up?’
Tony ‘TEMPT’ Quan is a legendary LA graffiti artist, social activist and publisher. In 2003, TEMPT was diagnosed with ALS. Except for the use of his eyes, he is now unable to move, breathe or speak… but his mind and creative spirit are intact.
Mick Ebeling founded the Not Impossible Foundation in order to give a voice back to TEMPT, and in 2009 an open-source DIY device called ‘The EyeWriter’ was created that allowed TEMPT to once again do his art.
Getting Up beautifully illustrates that through the will of two men, and on the shoulders of a community, anything is possible.
San Antonio Murals
San Antonio Music Legends (Photo: CRF 29)
Out of the many things to see in San Antonio, the murals are a must. There are 42 (or so) murals around San Antonio, all under sponsorship of the San Anto Cultural Arts (SACA), a community-based, cultural arts organization located 2 blocks from the Alazan-Apache Housing Projects.
San Anto Cultural Arts
2120 El Paso
San Antonio, TX 78207
http://www.sananto.org/
SACA currently operates the following core programs:
(1) El Placazo Community Newspaper & Mentor Program, (2) Community Mural Program / Public Art Program, and (3) San Anto Multi-Media Institute
Tours (1.5-2.5 hr) are given by Ruth Buentello (210.226.7466) for $10. Definitely a great deal, as many of these stunning pieces are tucked away from view behind bridges or alongside little known roads.
Check out the 30+ photos below.
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Like this:
GATS Stop-Action Video
An older stop-action video documenting a 7′ tall, acrylic, hand-painted wheatpaste by GATS. Beautiful stuff.
Via GATS flickr.
Fresh Start
Venice Beach 2011 (Photo: CRF 29)
It’s been so long that I’ve almost forgotten how to write.
I spent a long time away from this blog to finish up grad school. It was in Creative Writing. And the most important lesson I took away was how much writing burns me out. I’m not a disciplined person, despite the years in Catholic school and the military.
So once I dragged myself across the academic finish line, I thought, F*** this. I turned back to my other passion: art.
At first, it was just slapping some paint around and getting my hands dirty again. Later, it turned into visiting museums and art shows during my travels. Then I went to Outside Lands Music Fest in San Francisco last summer. Juxtapoz Magazine curated the art murals (and live art sessions) at the Fest. Seeing Skinner, Sam Flores, and N8 Van Dyke in action and passing all the Chor Boogie pieces in SF activated some dormant launch sequence within me. I recognized something very important was going on.
Skinner @ Outside Lands (Photo: CRF 29)
Chor Boogie @ SF (Photo: Eduardo Solér)
Of course, I recognize this very later in life. I grew up in CT and NYC, where graffiti was as common as diners, traffic and smog. I was accustomed to the ubiquitous splashes of color and, yes, I took it all for granted. Now living in San Antonio, I doubted I would find many opportunities to photograph street art here. So I thought, Why not crawl the city to find out?
Roadrunner Gas Station @ Whitewood & Medina Base Rd (Photo: CRF 29)
Pepsi Wall @ San Pedro & I-35 (Photo: CRF 29)
Unknown alley @ Fredericksburg & Norris Place (Photo: CRF 29)
I travel a lot, and I used to take pictures of pretty sunsets and waterfalls. You may still find those pictures here. But in shooting street art, I see something equally, if not more, compelling. Something that is not meant to last and will unlikely be documented by the millions of visiting tourists. I see a flash of beauty in remote, forgotten parts of the city. It’s a momentary gratification, and I’m hooked.
A new year, a “new” love.
Auto Glass Surgeons @ San Pedro & Marshall (Photo: CRF 29)
Near Kicaster Alley, West Side SA (Photo: CRF 29)
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