Lucha Libre...TYS, Punto EXE, and APC

Hello Folks,

Yoshi here reaching out from Bogota. This weekend was packed with painting. Saturday was the Lucha Libre event which was hosted in Oaxaca, Medellin, and Bogota. The event telecasted the creation of the murals in all cities simultaneously taking place in the different cities to the theme of Lucha Libre. In Bogota the mural is on a main street where traffic runs Carrera 5 with Calle 20 in downtown. It was a collaboration between TYS, Punto EXE and APC crews. And now we have a Confia en Tu Lucha (Trust Your Struggle) riding on the streets of Bogota...



Check the little video:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stinkfishate/3374166381/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/antenamutante/3378058596/?addedcomment=1#comment72157615694549557

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(from Left to right: Bastardilla, Saga, Say, Stinkfish, Jako, Zas, Yoshi, Wap, Ark, Gris)

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Some other photos of the night

The two crews minus the ladies:


Then on Sunday in between little sprinkles of rain, we finished the other mural we started last week. It is placed in between a rich neighborhood and a poor one clearly divided by the paved road and the dirt road. We were there three different days and each time folks walking by would come, watch and hang out. The mural is on part of an apartment building and a demolished building. We invited the guys from Punto. Exe crew (WAP, Jako and Say) to finish the mural with us (Stinkfish, Ark, and I).

Click to Expand:

(left to right: Yoshi, Say, Wap, Stinkfish, Jako, and Ark)

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Anywho my project starts next week so off to Cali, Colombia to complete two murals at the public Universities. I am hoping to have some crew mates meet up... We will see, keep your fingers crossed...The adventure continues...

Yoshi

This Friday's Info (NYC)

EARTHDRIVER ALBUM RELEASE
Friday 13th
7pm - 10pm

Performers: Earthdriver, Mahina, Sabatta, Rough Stars, and TRUST YOUR STRUGGLE COLLECTIVE (live painting)

ARLENE'S GROCERY
95 STANTON ST. BTWN ORCHARD & LUDLOW
F/V TO 2ND AVE.

earthdriver.org

Yoshi: from Santiago to Bogota

Hey Folks,

I wrapped things up in Santiago. While Nelson and I took off to Valparaiso, Dacot finished up some parts on the mural. Here is the final shot of the mural in Santiago.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO EXPAND:



Sadly I said goodbye to Santiago but happily I made my way to Bogota for my new adventure. I got in, chilled out and explored the city. They have an amazing exhibition of Botero that I had to stop by and check out. The Botero exhibit is from his private collection and he donated it to the city on the contingency that they would keep the exhibit free...





After exploring, I started working immediately on the project proposal. I was seeking sponsorship for painting murals throughout Colombia. I presented in Spanish which was so nerve wrecking for me because mine isn't the best, though it is getting better. I actually cried the night before because I was so nervous that I wasn't going to be able to do it. But I survived and even got my project funded. It is a two part project with Pablo. He is going to shoot photography and video footage and I am going to paint murals. I have committed to 5 murals and I am so excited to start. Our project should begin in about a week or two. I am trying to bring down some friends and crew members to join in on the project, along with local artists from around Colombia.


In Bogota, I made a friend, Stinkfish. He has a crew here made up of like 5 guys and two girls. They are great and paint all over the city. They are working on some really large projects, walls, galleries here in the city. And they invited me to come paint with them. Stinkfish seems as nice as they come. He is super talented and just down to collaborate and build. We have some ideas of collaborations in the works and it has only been a few days. We get along great between his little English and my little Spanish. I am so excited that I have a new friend...



Check out a link to his blog here: http://www.stink.tk/

Stinkfish and I collaborated on a wall, check it out below. It is a fun little project. It was on a wall that he placed a stencil on 2 years before and the owners liked it so much that they repainted the stencil everytime someone would tag near or on it. They were very supportive for us to do something new...

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This weekend, he got me into a National Hiphop Annual Festival to paint with approximately 30 other artists from around the country and a few international. It is about 1 hour south of Bogota in an area that has graf and murals covering the main highways. The walls are huge and I know it is going to be a great time. It is also my birthday so what more can I ask for... I am super excited...It is totally an honor that he has help introduce me into the scene. I will post some more flicks after this weekends event.

Hope everyone is well...love and hugs,

Yoshi

Live Painting Gig Friday March 13th NYC

Friday, March 13th TYS (Tres, Cece, Miguel, & Borish) will be doing a live painting performance in NYC. Come out and support.

Borish of TYS @ Berkeley Tech HIgh School

Last week Borish (Mincho Vega) did a mural at Berkeley Tech High School for their Beats Rhymes & Life after school program.

Photos by Leo Docuyanan


Photo by Borish (sorry for the patchwork. the room was small.)



Thank you Tomas, Wonway, & the staff @ BTech.

Yoshi in Chile

Hello Folks,

Landed in Santiago, Chile and it has been non stop from the moment I hit the ground. I am being hosted by my friend, Cekis, an amazing painter and by the word on the street one of the most famous graff writers in Chile. You would never know by his humble demeanor, but no doubt he is a beast with paint...

The first wall, I climbed down into a ravine where it is like a painters dream. Huge walls, shade, no one to bother you.... and the river running behind. Climbing down was a challenge because it was like 30 feet down from the street level so even with a super tall ladder one still needed to rope climb down about 10 feet. This was definitely scary for me, but with a little persuasion I made it down this rope with my T-rex arms. It was nothing to the guys..



Below is a photo of the piece Cekis and his crew (Horate, Grin and Rick) did together. They are considered the premier collective in Santiago for graff. There probably isn't a Chile graff book that they aren't in. Graff in Chile really blew up during the 90's... before that folks were writing political messages on the walls but doing Pieces came later. Their murals are impressive not only in size but in precision and detail. This one doesn't reflect their mural collaboration style but was more of a fun and quick piece. The mural isn't finished at this stage. I still need to return to get a final picture...



There are a few things I have learned from being in Santiago. Everyone's characters are animated and their own. Folks are pushing limits with perspective and creating their unique style. In addition, I am getting schooled on mixing cans, stretching paint, and taking the pressure out of the can by holding it upside down for can control and fine lines... I gotta say I got mad respect for folks out here, some do whatever they can to just paint... even if they have a lot or a little materials folks make it happen. Young guys are not only tackling huge walls by themselves, but whole building. All of this has put much into perspective for me.

So here is the first collaboration I was lucky to be a part of in Santiago, Chile. It is in a area called Barrio Bellavista. It is right down the street from the BOMB Gallery. The graff gallery that has over 5 rooms and two stories all dedicated to graffiti.



This is a collaboration between: Cekis (Chile), Cern (NYC), Dacot (Chile), and Yoshi (LA). Hope you enjoy... Tomorrow we take off to Valparaiso... sounds like painters paradise. It is another city an hour and a half away where graf is supported and it is by the beach... I may never leave....


Click to enlarge.
Cekis, Cern, Dacot and Yoshi

Much love to all... I will keep in touch...

Yoshi
Trust Your Struggle Collective

Erin (Yoshi) in Santiago, Chile

Ladies and Gents,
We are proud to say that Yoshi aka Erin is safe and warm in Santiago, Chile where she will be staying for a minute and working with our folks CEKIS. Since she is not the best at keeping up with updates, we will do it for her. This just in from an email. Enjoy and pictures will come soon.

Love and Machetes
TYS Brooklyn


Santiago is amazing.  They are doing great stuff around graf here.  Man everyone is killing it with their crazy style.  It is very unique because everyone has their own style to do a character... most things are very cartoonized but with super skill.  So a bug is a super dope animated bug...nothing really realistic that I have seen.  Only a few people do it here.   And since walls are pretty easy to get people are doing humongous walls by themselves... even young guys...It is pretty impressive.

I didn't realize Cekis, Nelson, is like one of the most famous graf painter's in Chile.  That he is known as like the a super dope old skool writer because graf came about in his generation.  So he is super respected...  It is funny because he is so humble that you would not know.  I mean I knew he was super talented but it is just so cool to see the city support for the arts and his crew.  They have districts where every building has graf and today we went by a graf gallery that was two stories and each room was covered with pieces from folks from all over.  It is called BOMB and it says just covering the entrance for the whole two stories in black and white.

We are going to paint a piece a few doors down from the gallery.  It is someone's house but they gave us permission to paint it.  The wall is nice...

There are two things that have really impacted the way that I am thinking about my own work.  1) if you hold the can upside down for a few seconds like 20 sec or more.... the pressure is released so it sprays much more in control and smaller.  So folks here are using fat caps like skinnies by controlling the pressure in the can.... that was tight... shit they got lines so small they look like the super skinnies made with the top of the can.

2) People hella paint recessed... well it has been the most impressive thing I have seen.  People paint hella scenes in scenes by having them push back example... a fake bridge in the horizon and then a scene under the bridge... super detailed... but paint it pretty quick...I have seen other painter's do it but man they are doing it super dope.

Anywho I am well.  We start our wall tomorrow.  I am pretty nervous.  I came home today and sketched out my idea... I actually sketched... I am nervous cause you guys aren't here with me.  Who is going to tell me when my proportions are off or that I am using too many colors....who will make fun of my apron... well they probably will... but it is not the same....   Basically I miss you guys and I super thank you guys for teaching me so much...

I will be in touch soon...

E