PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

[Kaonohi]

In the recent past years I have seen the 'tag' "PHYTO" everywhere from Pearl Harbor to Kahalu`u, to Waikiki (including the Elks Club), all along H-3, in Chinatown parking spaces, and most places in-between.

While I generally disapprove of the defacing of public property in any form, whenever I see the "PHYTO" mark, I am encouraged, uplifted and comforted. I have no clue why.

Perhaps it is that a single hand (if it is that) is raised against the Empire, fills me with some satisfaction... Perhaps it is the sheer prolificgacy of the tag that grabs me (a day does NOT pass without seeing "PHYTO" somewhere).

I do not know if it is a single, energetic, dedicated person, or a group or gang or clade of imitations: I say: "Right ON! Keep up the effort - make your mark! Let us know that people, that individualism, that inspiration lives in (greater) Honolulu."

PHYTO,

whomever you are, you give me reason to live.

Other 'taggers' may come and go, but I wish you immortality.

K

[scrivener]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Believe it or not, we've specifically discussed PHYTO here before. And even before that, at HT's predecessor, Hawaii Stories.

I have to admit that while I disapprove of graffiti on private property, there are certain public places where I think graffiti's cool, partially for the reasons you provide. I have dabbled in that form of art in the safe privacy of sketchbooks, but have never had the (whatever) to actually put my work up where people would see it. Some of my students have seen my skills at work, though, and have expressed admiration. I love dry-erase boards.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Phyto needs to understand one thing...It's not his/her property to mark up. You want to tag a wall then get the permission of the owner of said wall before doing your artwork.

The day I find that punk that tagged my wall is the day I paint his face black and blue.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Me and my cuz used to maintain a no-tag zone in our So. Cal hoods back in the day. The word get's around when you jack open mouths and fill em with their own spray paint.
Now those towns are gang filled dead zones.

[Kaonohi]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Despite my earlier amazement and seeming approval of PHYTO tags - I do disapprove of graffiti on public property in general.

One thing I have noticed is that places which are already decorated with artwork (Kahekili and Kea`ahala Road, for one) are noticably free from graffiti.

Perhaps some orderly artwork in public places will not only suppress graffiti, but beautify our islands as well?

A thought.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Despite my earlier amazement and seeming approval of PHYTO tags - I do disapprove of graffiti on public property in general.

One thing I have noticed is that places which are already decorated with artwork (Kahekili and Kea`ahala Road, for one) are noticably free from graffiti.

Perhaps some orderly artwork in public places will not only suppress graffiti, but beautify our islands as well?

A thought.

Maybe the skateboard parks would be a great place to display this kind of artwork. I know the lure of a huge blank wall in open public areas is tremendous to taggers like a moth to a lightbulb, and maybe there are some drab areas of concrete that could use some color and creativity.

I do understand that once a tagger "tags" a spot other taggers tend to respect that area. However the tagger that did the work needs to respect the owners of said wall, otherwise they are just as bad as a tagger that doesn't respect another's work. How simple is that!

[68-eldo]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Looks like it’s advertising

[Peshkwe]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

The Hawaii Graffiti blog:

http://hawaiigraffiti.blogspot.com/

There's an interview with Aero that's interesting.

[scrivener]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Just for clarity's sake, because I don't think most of us care about the difference: a tag isn't just any bit of graffiti. It's that quick, scribble-looking mark, often done with a marker but sometimes with spray-paint, that is just about always a representation of the artist's name. It's generally meant to be fast and graphically interesting, 'though a lot of taggers don't really sweat that last part. The goal of the tagger is simply fame—to be seen in as many places as possible, preferably in high-visibility areas.

Those more elaborate designs, with multiple colors or with 3D shading, often produced by groups of artists (or by one artist with some assistance), such as you see on entire sides of buildings or subway cars, aren't tags. I'm not sure if they still call them "pieces," but that's what they were called at least until the late eighties. The smaller pieces, the ones that are much smaller and less elaborate that look like they could have been done in a good fifteen minutes or so, are (some would say appropriately) called "throw-ups." They're often representations of the artist's names, but they're still not tags. Most of the Phyto stuff you see in Honolulu falls into this category.

Here's a piece by my favorite graffiti artist of all time, SEEN:


And here's a throw-up (with seen's tag painted in black on the N):


Of course, I'm describing those terms according to old-school definitions; it's possible that the current generation of vandals doesn't differentiate and maybe "tag" means any bit of graffiti, the way "blog" now means any bit of self-published work on the Internet.

The deterioration of the English language, even in such trivial corners of culture, continues because even those who reside in these corners don't bother to use terminology correctly. I probably care too much.

[matapule]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

but have never had the (whatever) to actually put my work up where people would see it.

In Mexico, we call that "whatever".......cajones grandes!

[Peshkwe]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

Here's a 'graffiti' creator to play with:

http://www.graffiticreator.net/

Scriv, there's a monthly sketch contest (look toward the bottom of the page on the right), maybe enter and try your style of sketch. Right now they have a contest on for the word 'Baltazar'.

They have a forum with tutorials too:

http://www.mindgem.se/forum/




Here's something with a breakdown of sorts for the different elements and terms for graff:

http://www.vandalwatch.citysoup.ca/Graffiti/default.htm

[buzz1941]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

PHYTO is a hair-care product. Maybe it's just cheap billboarding.

[Menehune Man]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

This one is cool... I'd love to know the story behind it. King St. nearing Down to Earth.
Took photo last night while returning from work.



If graffitti is just a throw up... that's what it makes me wanna do. HaHa!

[Amati]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

This one is cool... I'd love to know the story behind it.

My guess is that a gardener decided to "paint himself at work", to fool the boss, and then went surfing. Sort of like a kid putting pillows under the bedding to look like his body, so the parents would not know he'd climbed out the window.

[tutusue]

Re: PHYTO - aka Robin Hood

My condo building in Makaha donated a wall to a tagger. The Hawaiian Civic Club donated money for the paint. The young (19) tagger came to our AOAO's Board meeting last week-end with a sketch of his vision and a little background about taggers in general. Very interesting. According to my friend, who this tagger is living with and being mentored by, his self-esteem and confidence have soared with this experience. The AOAO may allow the tagger to do a longer wall that faces Farrington Hwy. We're going to wait for the community's reaction to the shorter wall first.

He and a fellow tagger painted the wall Wednesday and yesterday. These photos are from Wednesday...the first day. Amazing. I haven't received photos of the finished wall yet. I really wanted to witness this project as I just don't understand how they get clearly defined lines with spray paint.

There is a place in our society and community for taggers and legal tagging. Why not?