MEDIA RELEASE: American Graffiti – US Street artist Scape Martinez to open Brighton Festival Fringe

US urban street artist Scape Martinez will make his UK debut at the Brighton Festival Fringe, Friday 04 May by revealing a bespoke piece at 12pm at Playgroup Brighton’s, Blind Tiger Club.

A fixture in the California street arts scene, Martinez achieved international acclaim with his bestselling book GRAFF: The Art and Technique of Graffiti . For the 2012 Brighton Fringe, Martinez will create an all new original piece that mixes contemporary and traditional styles to push the boundaries of urban art.

Speaking of his first trip to the UK, Martinez said: “I am really looking forward to visiting the UK. Graffiti is part of a global culture of conversation and exchange, shaping the places that we live. Events like the Brighton Fringe bring so much creative energy together in one place and for me it’s all about creating.”

Edward “Scape” Martinez started to craft his skills as a graffiti artist throughout the late 1980′s. He studied the styles of New York Writers like Futura 2000 and Dondi White. While in the South Bay Area he became known for his unique use of colours and expressive lettering styles, pushing the idea of abstract graffiti art.

While doing street art Scape still had a passion for pushing himself and his artwork, so he set out and began to study 1970’s New York Abstract Expressionism. Learning about great artists like Mark Rothko, Willem DeKooning, and Franz Kline. So in the mid 1990’s he began to make the leap from street art to fine art. He started using spray paint, acrylics, and markers to create large abstract paintings on canvas. As an emerging artist, his fine art paintings combined elements of graffiti and abstract expressionism to create rhythmic and expressive compositions that went beyond the standard graffiti techniques being used by others.
Today Scape Martinez is a best-selling author having written two books on creating graffiti-style art, “Graff: The Art and Technique of Graffiti“ and “Graff 2: Next Level Graffiti Techniques“ and May 2012 sees the release of his latest title, the Graff Colour Workbook (ISBN 9781440318634; SRP £9.99) from Impact Books.

Note to the editor:

• Photo Call: Friday  04 May 2012, 12pm Mural unveiling with Scape Martinez will take place at Blind Tiger, 52-54 Grand Parade, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 9QA.
• For further information including interviews, extracts, or review copies please contact Crystal Carter, F&W Media International Publicity, on 01626 323214 or email crystal.carter@fwmedia.com.
• F&W Media International is an award-winning publisher and distributor of illustrated non-fiction books on a wide range of topics including history, hobby, craft and photography.  The company publishes and distributes more than 100 titles a year for David & Charles, Dover, White Star, Reader’s Digest and other imprints.

F&W Media International Ltd.

Brunel House ● Forde Close ● Newton Abbot ● TQ12 4PU

Tel. 01626323200  ● www.fwmedia.co.uk

I thought about it.. pondered for a moment. I thought about the importance of art… not just my art, but art in general, what is it’s value, it’s purpose… things like that.. where does my work sit in this thought process?

After doing the calculus in my head, and watching the teenagers in the class stare at me while I thought… my answer… my greatest art piece, I will say is, or are,.. my books!

Because of the impact they have had, the reach, the sheer amount of work involved to make them. The thought process, the intent on sharing the information, and the artwork contained… it was A LOT of work.. all of which, I would gladly do again.

GRAFF: The Art & Technique of Graffiti

GRAFF 2: Next Level Graffiti Techniques

GRAFF Color Workbook

So there you have it!

With that in mind, there was one question that just kept popping up in one way shape or form, in various iterations and colors. That question to me was pretty heavy, as high school students asked me on multiple occassions “What was the hardest part in your life that almost made you quit?”… and that word “quit” sat with me, because I can look at it on two levels.

Have I ever wanted to quit my pursuit of being an artist? Or have I ever wanted to quit living?… let that marinate in your mind for a few seconds. This question left me wondering if I wanted to be abundantly honest, or how candid did I want to be? I asked permission from the teachers and staff “Can I just be real and answer that question the right way?” Heads would nod in approval.

There have been many episodes in this journey, called “my life” that had me entertain “quitting”. And that is on both levels, and as I stood there answering that question, I recognized that both of those levels really for me are intertwined into one. Many that know me, that have known me for any amount of time, know that my life has been one of constant change, constant challenges, and seemingly constant struggles. Very little has come “easy” for me.

So have I ever wanted to “quit”?.. an unabashed and thunderous YES would be my answer. What was the hardest part in my life?… that would be a long list, as there were quite a few moments that have driven me, to the edge of the proverbial cliff and I found that there were people actually waiting there to push me off of it, with no safety nets for me.

In short, I have encountered demons and dragons in my walk and at every turn there was doubt in my heart and doubt in my mind. There was that little voice in my head that would tell me, that would gleefully encourage me to call it quits. Flooding my mind with thoughts like “Don’t take the risk, if you work hard for it, it will be taken away from you”.  As they say misery loves company and that voice in my head needed some friends I guess.

And yet there would be a little whisper behind that… and that whisper would tell me that I could go forward, that I could conquer, that I could win… that I could continue, and as hard as it was, and as hard as it is, with all the distractions around, I listened to that whisper.

There was a moment in my life where I lost everything, where I was at the end of the road, and yes there were people around me, willing to push me off that cliff. I had nothing, all of my belongings fit into a garbage bag, and I was there ready to go, to call it quits, but the voice in my head informed me that as much as everything was taken, I still had two things that were mines “You have lost so much in life, but you still have your heart and you still have your hands, and those two things WILL NEVER BE TAKEN FROM YOU”… I listened. I turned it around. I chose to live and I chose to thrive. I chose to create.

So as much as the Portland trip was professional in nature, these conversations kept popping up, right along with strange coincidences, conversations with deep meaning, and the result was that these are the seeds that get planted, these are the answers that some  people seek, and in the end I think I become a person that needs to voice certain things to certain people. Maybe young creative people are hungry for an encouraging word? I don’t know. Maybe they want an ounce of something real? I don’t know. For me life was not ever a bed of roses, but I know these days those roses have less thorns.

So let me ask you, “What was the hardest part in your life, that has almost made you quit?”

Today I had the great blessing of taking my show on the road.

Traveling up to the Great Pacific Northwest to do a few book signings and visit a few schools out there. Today I had a great opportunity to visit Woodrow Wilson High School, named after the Nobel Peace Prize winning President of the United States. Seems that quite a few high schools out here are named after presidents, must be a Portland thing.

As I was driving to and fro from the school, it struck how much Portland reminded me of my homestate of New Jersey. Seriously, all this industrial movement, except with more trees and foliage… lots of trees out here! And seemingly in the darndest of places, it’s no wonder Bigfoot lives out here… when flying in I looked out the airplane window and saw miles and miles of what appeared to be tundra… something I only saw in books. Miles of wilderness and snow, where said Bigfoot or Sasquatch can go run and hide. What does this have to do with art, or graffiti writing?.. absolutely nothing, but my mind tends to wander.

I arrived at the school quite nervous and full of trepidation… this is not the Bay Area and I wondered if what I was going to talk about… could they relate to any of it? I sat in the car and meditated for a bit… sipped my 4 hours old coffee and hoped that I would be able to say the right things and at the right times with the right motivations to achieve the right results… so ego settle down! As a matter of fact, Mr. Ego needs to be locked in the trunk! Also Mr Attitude needs to settle down, and Johnny Bad As# needs to go for a walk.  So I breathe deeply, open the car door and proceed to walk into the future…

It was an interesting experience, being able to discuss how graffiti art has impacted my life. This presentation was titled “Where Does Your Creativity Come From?”… I shared a number of real life experiences that I hoped would shed light on their own skills and talents, and maybe just maybe do a little motivating. For some odd, strange reason I feel compelled to do this… I could be at home painting, but I have this drive to, I dunno.. share my stories I guess. For me I dig the Q & A portion, when I answer questions… many times its the standard “Have you ever been caught doing graffiti?”, but also so many times it goes deeper, way deeper. Questions such as “Did your parents understand your desire to be an artist?” hmmmm I can speak on that for a long while actually. I can just imagine my parents staring at each other lamenting just what did they bring into this world? Wondering about this precocious/crazy child that just can’t stop drawing on everything in sight!

Today was also quite interesting because they were doing what is called CAREER RELATED EXPERIENCE- REFLECTION QUESTIONS, and I was the subject… hmmm who wants to be me?

Well a seed was planted and it continues to grow. We will see how far branches stretch, and if the leaves go and drop.

Tomorrow will be a different day, and a new series of students to engage. Lets hope it turns out well. Mr Ego stay away! LOL!

Graffiti Artist Scape partners with Crescent and Dick Blick Art Stores to educate kids about urban art

Portland, OR., Jan. 14, 2012 Scape, Graffiti Artist and Author, will teach kids about urban art at 10 Portland schools for one week, Jan 30 through Feb 3, 2012. He will then appear at the Grand Opening of the new Dick Blick Art Store Feb 4^th, 2012.

At the 2/4/12 grand opening, from 4 – 7 PM Scape will demonstrate urban art techniques on Crescent’s “Graffiti Paper”.  Scape will be signing copies of his two books “Graff: the Art & Technique of Graffiti” and “Graff 2: Next Level Graffiti Techniques”.

At the schools, Scape will engage the youth with this often misunderstood art form by articulating the benefits of expressing oneself through art on paper (not walls). These school presentations allow Scape to empower the youth in a positive and powerful way. Mays Mayhew, Product Manager for Crescent, said “Graffiti Paper is the perfect way to get urban and street art onto paper. Graffiti paper is the first substrate designed to accept aerosol paint, paint markers, and other urban-type mediums. Debuting both Scape and Graffiti Paper at Dick Blick’s new store is the perfect triad.”

Crescent contact:

Mays Mayhew, Product Manager – Art Materials

Mmayhew@crescentcardboard.com

1-847-419-3414

Urban Art Demonstration and Book Signing:

Feb. 4, 2012, 4 to 7 PM

Dick Blick Art Store

1115 NW Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97209

Phone: (503) 223-3724

Open Mo-Sa: 9-8 Su: 11-6

What's he thinking?

I have been wrestling with the question of “writing” as of late… some people tell me “Ed,… you’re a writer, i’m always going to tell you that.”. Now for me, that’s news! As I never viewed myself as a writer. Quite frankly I’ve never viewed myself as anything specifically. I was a guy, a man-child that was good with his hands, but a “writer” no… but a graffiti writer, sure!

I guess I am increasingly finding myself at certain crossroads. I like to write, I love to write, but what I really like to do is simply document my thoughts in order to share them. I approach it in the same fashion as drawing, I look at a blank piece of paper and I mark it all up. Those markings, words, and phrases can end up becoming a work of art, or end up becoming an essay on something. Interesting!… an artist who writes, or a writer who creates art? You got me on that one.

Also I find myself not wanting to write, which is a bit odd. I like to draw, but find myself, without the will. Maybe it’s just a season. There has to be a bit of irony in the fact that I am writing about not wanting to write. There has to be a lesson in that right there. I find writing to be a bit therapeutic… healing if you will. It’s me spilling my guts not knowing who is listening.

Who knows.

But I do know that words can bring life, or better yet they can act as if they are alive. They can leap off a page and stay lodged in your mind for years, if not forever. But this too shall pass, this season of “no words”. A Season of No Words, wow… I think I may be able to work with that. Sounds like the title of a painting, so do you see how that works? How the wordplay in one can lead to creating in the other?

Maybe I simply need to take a break and go on vacation, a real vacation, to clear my mind, brain, and spirit, of all the residue that has settled in there. Lift up those carpets and clean out the dust! Set a vacuum cleaner upon the space between my ears and press “ON”.

Sitting on a beach watching the waves roll in, sounds like a good vacuum cleaner.

Just paint or tools to connect to your innermost level

I switch back and forth from spray paint to acrylics, back and forth. I create images in my head, and then I seek out surfaces where they need to go. Sometimes it’s a wall, sometimes a canvas, paper, wood, whatever works. It’s interesting because it seems like there is a “message” of sorts and the “art” is the delivery system. Something boils up inside of me, I visualize it, it goes visual on a surface and the viewer digests it, and hopefully gets it, maybe gets something imbedded in their spirit.From my heart to your heart?

My Weapons for War

I remember when I was young, I dreamed of being an astronaut. Then I dreamed of being a pilot. I wanted to fly. These days I fly a different way.

A slice of a piece.

I don’t always do explicit “urban art”… I never “play it safe”… I take risks. I’m a risk taker, I work on multiple pieces at the same time, going from one to another, something like a factory laborer. So long as I’m standing, I’m working… there is solace in the studio and the empty space in my head…

A few of my crime partners

Sometimes I sit in my studio and stare. I can spend hours in solitude, staring at unfinished work. In between the staring, listening to music, preferably old Jazz, things percolate, until a work speaks. When it speaks, I listen. Then we go to work.

There is something very intense about fire

When I’m in the studio, I like to burn candles. So in between this weaving of candles, music, longing, staring… a lot goes on in my mind. It breaks me down,… it allows me to get really personal, and there are times when all I think of is words or phrases, so I write them out and pair them up with colors. A far cry from being chased by the police as a youth. I think about loss.. about reclaiming things that were taken…

This is my OG paintbrush... let's get it.

If I can’t reclaim it, I can rebuild it. A lot goes on in these layers. I sometimes wish my paintings could talk. Does it have a purpose? Even if just to exist? At this point money is not an object… I paint because I have to. A runner runs, a football player plays football, a wrestler wrestles… I communicate. I think that when the right person sees the right artwork that speaks to him, or her, it’s like lifting a veil from their eyes.

Extracting my pound of flesh with my liquid swords

How much of my own life winds up on or in my work? I try to put it all in, give 100% real, raw uncut. I sometimes go into dark places to tap into emotional stuff to make things work, in the end it’s a healing process of sorts. Maybe I’m a supernatural mystic?… like the comic book character Dr. Strange.. in my mind the bad guys get caught, the innocent are protected, sometimes i’m the hero.

A leap of Faith

Do you turn around?… for me the great leap was to take the chance at being an “artist”. I can’t be the astronaut, or the fighter pilot, but I’m good with my hands. In the end I’m just a dreamer. Sometimes I wonder was it all inevitable?… did I have a choice in all this, or was it all predestined?… am I what I built myself up to be?

The past leads to the future

I can only be in the present. Marching to my own drum, watching that my strengths do not become my weakness. What worked in the past may not work in the future…

In the end it's all a leap of faith

In the end, one has got to believe, and that can be scary. We can be trained by the world to just plow forward and everything is an accident, or dumb luck. Is it?.. are you an artist by happenstance? Am I?… these are the many things that I ponder in the studio. In between the smoke, the music, staring at the flames, somehow a connection is made and the story continues.

By definition- A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space, and when “open” a door allows for ventiliation and light. A door is used to control the atmosphere within a space. Doors also have a role in creating an impression of what lies beyond. Similarly, doors and doorways frequently appear in metaphoric or symbolic situations in literature and the arts, as a portent of change.

The plan

The plan was simple enough, I was to get to Santa Teresa High School by 8am and hang out for three class sessions, till about 11:35 or so. I was going to discuss “Having a Creative Vision”, and touch on the history of graffiti art, how it touched my life, how important it is to develop your skills, and do it all in about ten minutes! Tough, but not impossible…

The rest of the time, I was to go outside to the back of the classroom and paint on the double doors. And do a salon type of session, where both the students and staff can freely ask questions while I narrate my movements and what I was doing with the spray cans.

I arrive on campus on an unusually cold morning, wondering why I commit to doing things so early since I am not a morning person. This is why I need caffeine in my veins as I could easily just sit in my car, turn the heater on and take a nap. But I am here for a purpose I tell myself.

After a few minutes, the teacher comes up, Miss Rice opens the door and welcomes my shivering self into the class. It’s her first class of the day and we proceed to set everything up. Laptop, cables, projectors, bags of spray cans… and again I wonder “why Ed, why… you need to go home and go back to bed, you need some rest”… as I plug the laptop into the projector.  Scrolling through my files looking for the Powerpoint, the students begin to shuffle in.

Is anyone ever ready?

“Are you ready Scape?”, “Um, nope”…

So I get introduced to the class, and I proceed to fumble my words. I felt my message was garbled, and not clear… I told myself “Don’t think, just do.. let it flow”.. another swig of the Starbucks. Telling my story it just didn’t feel “right”, and the caffeine was not helping. “A creative vision is important”.. but why?.. I knew the answer but it was buried inside hiding and didn’t want to be caught. Developing your artistic skills is important, but why again, fumbling with my words and my psych I felt like the quarterback fumbling the ball. I should have stayed home. It seemed to be the longest 15 minutes of my life!

Piecing Together the Narrative

I quickly tucked my tail between my legs and went outside. Surely doing some painting will right the ship and bring me some salvation. Go out there and begin to do my thing… and there it was, I felt it. The SPARK. That thing inside that when you catch, you KNOW you are in the groove, in the flow of things. I explained what I was doing, why the colors I chose where what they were. Questions were asked and just as the first 15 minutes sludged by, these 40 minutes sprinted by. The bell rang and a student stepped forward and asked “can you sign my sketchbook?”

Pulling out the Sharpies I signed sketchbooks, binders, and random sheets of paper, even a cell phone case. Picking up the spray paint, I signed everything else, which included t-shirts, jackets, and backpacks. I tell the remaining bunch that, hey come back at lunch and I can sign some more, but you all need to go to class. After shoulder shrugs and the collective “I don’t care” everyone is dispersed.

Fielding Questions and Switching Gears

Next

The Starbucks is cold, and at this point not too tasty. “Why do I even bother drinking this stuff?”… it’s the next class and the students shuffle in. It’s evident that they know what’s going on, as the previous class texted and Tweeted what their experience was. Miss Rice, introduces, and I press the mental repeat button. Only this time the words flowed, the message was clear, everything made sense, and when done, we walked out to the doors and again did what I came to do. And I came to shed some light.

I painted, answered questions, I even passed around some sketches. Everything transformed into a sea of colors and movement. Words, questions, answers, actions, all blended together and it became surreal for me. There was no “stopping” per se’, as I went from painting to talking, shifting gears, and switching from right brain to left brain.  It was challenging, but not in the traditional sense, it was different… and so it went.

The third session was a dream, a blur if you well, non-stop motion, I couldn’t even remember what I said, or how it was said. All I do remember is words, movements, and colors, in that order. The lunch bell rang and I was still doing my thing, adding subtracting, cutting, and blending. I explained to the crowd that “This IS where the work comes in, where it gets personal”…

Go With the Flow

Completion and Purpose

In my mind, I tell myself to prepare to cancel the afternoons commitments as this is taking over. I plow forward on through the lunch break, the bell rings and I hear a voice.. “Mr Scape, you said to come back at lunch and you’ll sign my book”… I turn around and yes it was one of the students from the first class. I promptly sign a few books, t-shirts, and a backpack. The energy in the air is as palpable as the mist of overspray.

I walk away from the doors and give it the long pondering look, and I recognize that I am almost done… it just needs that “thing”, that one splash, swirl, or singular stroke that yells “Stop!, it’s done!”.. I am almost home.

The next class comes walking around the corner, taking pics with their cell phones and shooting questions my way. I am working slow now,  analyzing my movements, looking at the structure of the letter, the composition is telling me “go red”.. I listen. Reaching for the Shock Red, I lean in and drop in some red ovals, in a cascading pattern right on top of the composition. Now it pops, it’s screaming,.. it’s done.

After tagging my signature to the lower left corner I declare victory.

The Final Expression

Aftermath

I exhale, I’m exhausted, sweating profusely, my back is sore, knees are shot, I lean up against the wall hoping no one notice me wince. A part of me says “You’re getting too old for this, stick with the paint brushes.” As the students shuffle back to class, I thank them for showing up and behaving, and I thank the teacher for the opportunity I was given. A few helped me pack up my spray paint and get back to the car. I thanked them as I placed the bags in my back seat. As they left, I stood there, knowing I forgot something… “Oh my camera, you need to take some final pics dude!”

I hobble back to the doors with my camera and snap a few pics. I am done, I am “soooo done, and I stink like spray paint” I mutter to myself… as I’m walking back to the car I hear a voice. “Scape!”

I turn around and a young man approached with his friends in tow, and asked if I could sign his notebook, I quickly obliged and noted that they needed to get to class. He looked around, shrugged his shoulders, and pondered what else I could sign and looked to his feet. Staring and pointing to a pair of snow white Vans…

“Can you sign my shoes?”

“Fool, Scape aint getting on HIS knees, you betta go and find a chair or sumfin!” his friend quipped.

“Are you serious?” I said… “Could you?” he asked.

“Absolutely”…

So here I found myself getting on my knees quietly signing his shoes… adding to my signature with stars, clouds and bubbles, I wondered if I had learned something from all of this as well… and maybe that’s what this was all about.

Not in the traditional way of thinking at least…

I don’t punch a clock, I don’t deal with unions, don’t deal with administrators, don’t deal with politics. I get invited, I show up, I share what I know, with the people who want to know. Pretty simple, yet complex at the same time.

In this case, I was invited to Mount Pleasant High School, in San Jose CA.

I was going to do a simple talk, for a few minutes, maybe ten minutes maximum, then field a few questions, and go outside and do a graffiti art demo on canvas. I was to do two class sessions, each with around 28 students. The premise for the presentation was “Having a Vision”… it was a bit autobiographical, a bit anecdotal, a bit of GRAFF knowledge, and I hope to some, a whole lot of motivational, not to sound too pompous. I basically spoke on the transformative power of art and creativity, and how graffiti art played a role in my life. Both transforming, turning it upside down and in the end righting it back up.

Once done talking we all stepped outside, to the parking lot, where we had two large canvases on easels… I made my approach with sketch in hand, and a bag full of Montana Gold cans… 10 cans to be precise… I painted for what appeared to be just 10 minutes, but actually was more like 40 minutes as the bell rang to end the class period. During my brief painting spell, questions were asked, and the students were very engaged. Me myself, I wonder how or why anyone would have interest in watching another person paint. For me it’s like watching grass grow… but to the students, they were enthralled, so that works for me. So on to the next…

We had a ten minute break until the next class session… during that break, a young man walked up to me and said “Mr. Scape, I texted my homeboy a picture of you painting, and he said that you’re hella sick with the colors..”… hmmm interesting I muttered… I said “cool”… the art teacher grinned.

Now the next class comes in and I press repeat… I do the dog and pony show, a bit more animated I was, as I was “feeling it” now… the morning rust wore off, I had more bang zoom, as I got to make my points that yes you can overcome, and yes you can live off of your artwork, and yes you can get to that next level, no matter what “the haters” say or do. So we step out of the class and back to the parking lot. I poke my head out of the class and look down the corridor…

“WHO ARE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE?!.. and where did they come from?!”…

It seems that as I was holding court in the parking lot during the first class, the teens were busy texting, and sending messages to everyone on campus, that “That guy” was here… so the crowd of 28 kids had grown to a mass of almost 100 kids!… I picked up my cans and started doing my thing, and a few interesting things happened. As I was painting, one of the art teachers began to talk about color, as I picked a shock red to work with she explained it’s place on the color wheel, and as I worked with white, she discussed contrast and form, another art teacher chimed in and discussed organic and inorganic forms within the piece. For me it was almost a transcendent moment, because it was a narrative that was happening.

I turned around, and I saw this teenage sea of humanity, everyone with their cell phones out texting, taking pics, video and such, and for a brief second time stood still. I stood there and scanned the audience and wondered “what is it that you all are seeing?”… it’s not just me, something is going on here. Is it the medium, is it the message, is it the messenger, or a combination of all the above?

I put my hands up and said “It’s done… any questions?!”… none came, and if they did quite frankly I don’t remember. I do remember the positive vibes and energy that was in that air. That atmosphere was different, it was changed, I thought, “Now that the atmosphere is changed, NOW we can get busy, and NOW these guys can create something special”. The bell rang and everyone begrudgingly headed back to their classes. The canvases will be auctioned off to raise money to buy art supplies for the class, I may end up buying them myself to keep!

This little journey, raised a few questions for me, the most notable is how can I put this lightning in a bottle?

On a tangent.

The funny part of all this, is that I used to go to this high school. It was one of many I attended, as we bounced around town, in what seemed an endless movement from neighborhood to neighborhood, but that is another story for another place.

But who would have thought, that when I went to the high school, back in the day, back then as a freshman, as I used to turn my notebook into a brick wall. I was drawing tags in the margins of my schoolwork, and having markers, and Orchard Supply Hardware spraycans in my locker, being told by many that my form of expression had no innate value, to now coming back and discussing the merits of what back then was denied.

Things do go in circles…

Screaming Creative And Positive Energy

By now, I’m sure that you’ve heard about Artrageous. Live events, a massive art supply sale, charity auction and a contest are all parts of what is happening. At its core, though, Artrageous is a celebration of street art and the artists who bring it to life. With that in mind, I’m pleased to introduce you to artist, author and educator Scape Martinez.

Scape is an accomplished multidisciplinary artist and writer. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Puerto Rican immigrant parents and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Martinez began his career as a graffiti artist in the Bay Area in the late 1980′s and early 1990′s. Since then he has pushed the boundaries as to what graffiti/street art could be whether that’s in fine art, public art, or even in the entrepreneur space.

In the late 1990′s Scape made the leap from street art to studio painting using spray paint and acrylics to create large scale abstract paintings. As a recognized artist, his fine art paintings combine elements of graffiti and abstract expressionism to create large scale, rhythmic and expressive compositions that transcends mere technique. He is known for his innovative use of color and expressive lettering styles.

In 2009, Scape released his first book, Graff: The Art and Technique of Graffiti. He followed this with Graff 2: Next Level Graffiti Techniques in June of this year. These books are intended to help emerging artists hone their skills and understand the method behind the madness. With extensive, multi-page walk-throughs of the artist’s work, artists and non-artists alike will be intrigued by what they find in both Graff and Graff 2.

Scape has been heavily involved with the development of the Artrageous design package that you will see in all of our Aaron Brother store. He created the Artrageous logo and designed the amazing wall that you see in this video. Come out and see him at our Daly City store on September 17 from 1-5pm.

Filed Under: Events and The Art District