Tag Archive for 'graffiti'

Secret Providence – Tonight on BSR

Published on October 17, 2011 in Books and Zines, Posts by Alex and Stuff We Like. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Tonight the Brown Student Radio program Off The Beat focuses on secret places in Providence, Rhode Island. I spoke briefly with the producers for a short feature on the abandoned East Side railroad tunnel.

You can listen live at 9pm via BSR

And of course you can get a copy of the ‘zine UNDERNEATH PROVIDENCE, Findings Thus Far from us for $4.00 plus $2.00 s/h. Paypal to info (at) CantabPublishing (dot) com

EDIT*** – I kept saying “Wickenden” when I meant “Waterman” – too long out of Providence I guess. And nerves.
Listen to a little bit here.

PRO-Keds pro-mote graffiti lifestyle – sort of?

Published on July 6, 2011 in Posts by Alex and ranty rant rant. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I know it isn’t exactly breaking news that graffiti and graffiti-related-culture have become big business – but I’m still surprised at the places where I see “the lifestyle” branded, co-opted and sold. Like in this advertisement for PRO-Keds. It looks like a pile of trendy-this-week activities that kids beg their parents to buy them the equipment for and then never touch again – designer spray paint and Krink markers stuffed into the bottom of the closet alongside the black book, drum machine, electric guitar, point-and-shoot film camera and pile of shoes. You can even tell that Mom bought the one can of Rusto in the background a while back – it still has the old style cap. What type of rockin’ consumerist lifestyle is Keds selling here? I hope – at the very least – Montana and Krink (two companies that “support” graffiti practitioners) got some licensing fees out of this.

Also – I know my Mom is going to mention the 199-something Christmas gift of an acoustic guitar that I tried to play 5 times at most before giving up and stuffing into the back of my own closet – but still – you get the point, right?