From the archive: MSK AWR Road trip w/ Revok, Saber, and Retna

I was hired a while back to hang out with some graff writers and document the leg of their east coast tour that was sponsored by boost mobile. The trip started in Brooklyn, NY, then went to Philly and ended in Atlanta. Roger at Swindle was hired to produce the whole thing and gave me a huge opportunity to tag along and document the trip. It was my first time ever hired to shoot more than a portrait. I had never done anything like this and I knew it was going to be a huge learning experience. Looking back I know I missed some things but all in all it was a great experience that I will never forget and I hope I get to do something similar again some day. The writers were great, they were all mad cool. They were also some of the biggest guys out there from one of the biggest crews. Like I said before, I learned a ton on shooting this kind of thing but also a bit about graffiti. These guys knew people in every city we went to, especially ATL. Man, that is a fun ass place. I really wish I was able to photograph when we went out, I did a bit, but not to the extent I would have wanted to. I don't think this is the final edit, still need to go through them a bit more. I've talked a few times to these guys and they are all cool with me photographing them some more. I think I am going to plan a trip out to Cali around March to shoot some more, I'd really like to get some audio to do a some multi media stuff. The stories these guys tell are great.




Revok talking to police at permission wall in DUMBO, Brooklyn 2007







Finished permission wall in DUMBO, Brooklyn 2007







Saber stands in front of gallery installation at the Powerhouse Gallery. Dumbo, Brooklyn 2007





These guys had a good friend who wrote Tie that was shot and killed while bombing in SF. Really tragic story, he was only 17 or 18 years old. Somebody thought he was a robber and shot him in the back when he was running away. Since then they've gotten reproductions of stickers that Tie had made. They put them up in his memory as well as tag his name.

Saber with Tie sticker. Philly 2007








Revok catches some tags in Philly. 2007








"Skram" MSK AWR. Bombing clean trains in Philly. 2007






Revok inviting me out to the train lay-up was a great opportunity. To give me that kind of access was very cool on his part. He asked me the first day if I would be down to do something like that. It was the only night we went out, but it was a big one. The trains actually ran into the city.

Revok and "Skram" bomb clean trains in Philly. 2007








Kids watch as Saber paints permission wall in Philly. 2007






Saber taking a smoke brake with local kids in Philly. 2007









Revok. Philly 2007








Retna and Revok hotel room ATL 2007








Retna ATL 2007

So hopefully in the next year I'll be able to catch up again with some of these guys. I really want to photograph more of their everyday. Getting to shoot the illegal stuff is fun, but I more interested in their daily grind as artist.