1971 marks an important date for the graffiti universe. 50 years ago, on 20th July 1971, The New York Times reported Taki 183’s activities in the streets of Manhattan. His tag and writing is considered as the birth of graffiti writing. Well aware of this important year and its 50 jubilee Still Alive contributes to the graffiti universe with his new series Graffiti Won’t Stop as well as with his book Still Alive – Wearing Sunglasses at Night – Diary of a Graffiti Writer published by Nonstop Publishing.
Still Alive’s paintings give insight into the dark and most anonymous and illegal world of graffiti writing. Through his imagery, the artist conveys the values and interests of writers. Still Alive wants to transmit that in the last 50 years nothing has changed essentially. Graffiti lives on constantly, whether in backyards, yards or on train platforms, the writers are equipped with pens and spray cans to write their names on walls and trains everywhere – globally.
„ Graffiti won’t stop – Let’s go for the next 50 years!“
STILL ALIVE, 2021.
The portrayed scenes document the environment, the atmosphere and the motifs of graffiti writers and sprayers. The practice of graffiti writing implement much more than only buying cans and creating a masterpiece. It includes train spotting, planning the operation, sketching and creating the piece and documenting the panel, mostly through photo and videography. Sprayers can be discovered on different locations. As Still Alive’s art works show, they can be encountered on trains, on platforms, in the streets or in the yards.
The surreal color choices give the artworks a certain vibrancy and liveliness. At the same time they are very different from documentary art works and tell Still Alive’s stories and those of many other writers from a very individual perspective.
Tania di Brita
Installation view
Rautistrasse 11
8047 Zurich
Switzerland
Only on appointment
T +41 79 301 11 37