YouTube tagger busted

Funny you say that. Cause that vandal makes more than both of you and is flown all over the world for his art, has his own boost mobile phone, Rebok shoe among many other things.. what do you have to show for your life?

Oh man, if only I had my own Reebok shoe. Then I could die happy. Oh, and the boost mobile phone? Forget about it.

Not an artist, just a vandal.

Vandalism is not art. Those of you that are defending him are people that probably still live with your parents and never had to pay for something only to have one of those "artists"destroy it. I am younger than Jason and I see nothing artistic about destroying something. I bet his cellmate will show him a whole new world of jailhouse art.

Yeah, pretty much.

Whats a REAL job?????….A 9 to 5 where you sit in traffic for half your life and become a slave????….. REVOK has an obvious talent that corporations as well as art collectors , can see……Learn about the man and his work before you rush to your narrow minded judgement…….

Funny how Vyal accuses people of making a "narrow-minded judgement", yet he does the same for people who have normal jobs that don't require breaking the law…and I agree w/BW, if he's just showing off his talent (LOL), then I guess it'd be OK if I just came to one of these guys' houses and started drawing on it.

Petty crime is not art. If that was the case shoplifitng would be an art. Tagging is nothing but visual pollution.

"Revok" is a trademark in graffitti…A really good graffitti artist. he was just touching his real graffitti roots…All i gotta say is he was willing to take the risk before..for the love of it..And hes still willing to take it…Real shit..Props to revok.

You know…IVe seen his stuff. I like it. But he needs to 'tag' where he has permission to tag. It's that simple.

Revok is a king who makes a living from doing an artform birthed of disenfranchised youth,, he has been part of the reason style writing has been taken from the streets and put into art galleries and legal venues, the problem with doing graff for aliving is you will never stay employed by doing legals because it is not what the culture is about..Writing lives and breaths revolution and is a voice for those who have no way to communicate to a larger audience,,What revok does is not tagging… tagging is just a way to attract people to his larger works its all self promotion, and if i can't walk down the street without seeing a mcdonalds bill board, or cellphone advertisement, why would i care to see a revok piece or burner that is one of a kind masterwork painted solely for the love of art, instead of a another discusting display of corporate advertising aimed at seperating the people from there money and imagination, fuck you sheep who disagree, cause it's you assholes that will be buying a mass produced revok print in the ikea catalogue when it becomes the latest trend.

Billion and multi-million, dollar corporation advertising on any, and every space via illegal billboards in los angeles owned by viacom, c.b.s., clear channel, etc. , are the real criminals of visual pollution. Take note haters.
Art is subjective, to each his own. Takashi Murakami who is a world reknowned contemporary artist who has done work for louis vuitton and others, had a billboard in Los Angeles advertising his show at the museum of contemporary art that was painted on by Revok and a partner. The two of them painted on the billboard in such away that it incorporated Murakami's style. Murakami saw this and asked for the billboard to be taken down and sent to his studio in Tokio, Japan. He was honored by this display of raw urban art paying homage to him.

the PROBLEM with that sort of art is this. If I want a picasso painting, I go out and buy a picasso painting. If I dont want a picasso painting I have a choice to not buy one. If I abhore picasso and the man just comes up and paints one of his paintings on my house's side, then it's not art I want now is it? And then I have to pay money to get that unwanted art OFF my house. Art I never wanted in the first place. That's the problem with tagging. Yes, he's talented. Yes he's very good at what he does. I understand that and like I said, Ive seen it and liked it, But can you people who are defending him understand that some people just may not enjoy this type of art and do not want it on their things? If he wants to 'tag' then he needs to pick Nike, and reebok and boost and etc buildings since they enjoy and sponser his stuff, instead of people who do not want or appreciate his art. It is vandalism if it is not wanted, not art, because the person who owns what it is on does not want it.

How about living in front of a corporate illuminated billboard flashing various advertisements for products i abhore. I have trouble relating to your argument, because i live in this scenario. I live in a city that chooses not to inforce laws governing placement and quantity of these types of advertising methods that pollute the city of Los Angeles' landscape…

As far as the native americans go, the only way I can fix that is move to europe again. And I dont agree with that either so it's not really a good point to make as it's not a situation that can be changed by single persons.

chuck you're either quicker than me to catch that or it's just too late here…

in addition, you can help native americans by getting involved, contribute to the tribes that dont have casino ties. would you donate to some foreign country or well to do corp. charity before you would think about taking care of the people whos land we took…

Clearly you are in the minority in your sweeping generalizations of the graffiti medium.

No, you just exist in your insulated fantasy world. Most people think graffiti is nothing more than petty vandalism.

Actually I raised my daughter to be smarter than that but thanks for playing. Don't you have some personal property to deface?

For someone who was formally accused incorrectly, you shure do alot of accusing yourself. I have read your blogs and have seen your blind accusations.
Pass that petty behavior on dow as well?

And interesting how Williams' defenders accuse Trench, et al. of being narrow-minded, yet prove to be the same in their characterizations of those who don't approve of breaking the law for the sake of art.

Art, especially good art, is by its very nature thought provoking and controversial. Every groundbreaking movement has had its critics in the beginning with many artists later being acknowledged as geniuses. Whether you like a style of art or not is up to you but it would be incorrect to not regard it as art at all. For the sake of this discussion I am not referring to simple tagging as art. I am referring to graffiti art with all of its color and dimension. While I do not condone the defacing of private property (and really, how often does a house get painted?), the essence of graffiti art demands that it be in the public eye and on a large scale.

While it would be nice if there were enough walls being offered up for ‘legal’ painting that is just not the case. However, just because it appears somewhere unexpected or less than sanctioned does not make it an abhorrence. At least it is an original expression and not a blatant, market-targeted, cookie cutter ad. If artists are getting fame and making a living by expressing themselves in a unique and original manner then more power to them. At least it is not the mind numbing pabulum that oozes through our complacent society. We need things that challenge us and make us think and that means considering things that are different. I hope everyone, on both sides of this discussion, will take a closer look next time they see graffiti art and try to see it from a different perspective.

My dick stinks.

Mad Cow – I can tell buy your post that you are nothing but an LA scenster/hipster who probably grew up in some rich suburban neighborhood (I am guessing Anahiem), you are just following what ever hot-topic, urban outfitters trend is hot at the moment. Tagging is vandalism, plain and simple, true artists can can put thier work on canvas and sell to the public, this guy's work in nothing more than a marketing scheme and ad executives are just using him, the trend will pass, and they will spit him out and he will be back where he started.
And do not say shit about Native Amiericans, you have no fucking clue how those people live, I live in Oklahoma (Native American capital of the US) and married to a registered native american and my boys are card carrying memember of a nationaly recogonized tribe. The only way to make up for the years of oppression to them (you know stealing thier land, infecting them with deseases, forcing them to christianity) is to support casinos, each family in the tribe directly profits from the casinos revenue (yes they receive a check monthly with thier share) also they fund hospitals and health clinics, WIC programs (all of which I have personally used) and college education (my husband had all 6 years old college paid for by his tribe) it is an injuns way of getting back at the white man by stealing thier money in the form of casino profits.
So Mad Cow – you can just go back to being a groupie to some petty criminal, but like I said, his time will pass and you will be on to some new artsy fartsy trend.

Mrs Garda, I think you make very good points and I appreciate your contribution here. I think we are on just slightly different sides of this issue. The use of any private property is touchy, I agree. But I will let you know that I manage a store and someone very artfully graffitied something above our door. The first instinct was to paint over it but then we looked and admired the creativity and the judicious nature of the work. It is on this building to this day.

Let me pose another question to this forum. If people are painting on the backs of industrial buildings, along blank walls by cargo train tracks and on hidden underpasses and such does it still bother you as much? These are spaces no one much cares about. Would you be a little less critical of people painting at these venues?

bootyj – I can tell by your post that you lack the intellect to judge character. mad cow is so completely far from your half-assed assessment, it is laughable. I have been to several art shows in los angeles where revok's work has sold for thousands of dollars per piece- bergamont station in santa monica,ca. among many others. I'm sure you realize, Anaheim is in republican laden orange county, not in los angeles. Stop getting all of your info from the internet and cable. Artsy fartsy? When you use terms like that it begs the question, are you even mature enough to participate in this discussion, surely not.

MY BALLS ITCH.

My opinion of this is simple. I too am a graff writer, been so for many years. I know the difference between art and vandalism.I also know that some vandalism has artistic quality.I also realize that what i consider art will not be accepted by everyone, and when i do it without permission I am taking a risk of getting arrested or assaulted by those who dont share my view. Revoks problem is he wants to be accepted by bolth sides. He wants his cake and to eat it too. Not very smart. Ive been in the game for a very long time, but have never been arrested. I stick to the streets alone and say to hell with corporate. I think Its pretty funny when i see graff writers supporting the guy, when he tries hard to separate himself from us. He has said on more then one occasion that he doesnt attend art events or graff shows unless its a 7th letter show. Well then, dig yourself out of the mess you you put yourself in and dont ask us to support you.

Deeznuts, is there something you'd like to tell us? After all, it's a known fact that people who make assumptions about others' sexual orientation are usually just covering something up…LOL

BANKSY; is an GRAFFITI artist, no one on this earth can protest that, unless they are extremely, extremely retarded.

He puts his art on walls, at the end of the day its graffiti, he has caused well into the £100,000's of damage….

But he makes more money than anyone on this blog put together, when bland people like Trench are complaining about it, Banksy is laughing all the way to the bank.

The TATE Modern, the biggest art, yes ART Gallery in the UK, which is recognised all over the world, had devoted an exhibition just to graffiti and even had graffiti 80ft tall painted on the outside on this historic building to promote the exhibition.

So to Trench, and any one so narrow minded on this forum that has the nerve to call amazing artists like Revok for example, mere "vandals", really need to get a life, get a girlfriend and a hobby, you boring sad old people.

End of conversation.

trench, we are all vandals leaving our carbon footprint on this earth…
a vandal is a vandal…

The fact that alot of you on here sound like you never heard of Revok or seen his work implies that you know shit about the art movement's in the U.S. and the rest of the world. This being said your opinions hold no validity! So keep them where they belong, to yourself.

Again, I love how Williams' defenders accuse the regulars here of stereotyping, then do the same thing themselves…and Josh, I could give 2 shits about his work, like Trench said, a vandal's a vandal whether his work's considered "art" or not. Oh, and if you don't wanna hear other people's opinions, what are you doing on a site devoted to just that?

Damn, Trench sounds like a real jack ass.

SHAME.

Because I'm sure Borders and Amazon or more concerned with making a buck then promoting vandalism as art.

Trench… One just need to look at his work to see if its art or garbage. Obviously REVOK has talent.. The corporate ads that are taking up our space are a waste of our tax dollars. Some people want to make the world a better place.. at least Revok and those like him make the world a better" looking place".

Putting something on a Canvas doesnt make it art. Its just the media used…its like saying its only music when you use a piano to make it. NOT

Putting something on a Canvas doesnt make it art. Its just the media used

So if someone beat you stupid(er) with a baseball bat could they claim your bruises as their art?

So if someone beat you stupid(er) with a baseball bat could they claim your bruises as their art?

Sure why not… as long as the bruises were on you.

Umm.. No.

It's funny Trench, ill try to not attack you personally, but if your a father with a daughter… why would you spend time on an internet forum talking about a Vandal? Why do you care so much about hating on someone's business. If you are right, this criminal vandal will get his justice right?
It seems like if your fit to be a mature father figure, the time you spend replying so quickly to my response would be best suited to actually spend time "in the real World" making money and supporting your daughter.
It seems beneath a father figure to make juvenile, asinine analogies to prove their point and to spend so much effort.
To me, the reason you would speak so much about Revok is because you are jealous that a vandal gets so much attention and can actually make a living of what you consider to be a movement reserved to people in Skid Row or the Dregs of Society. Yet at the same time, even though you consider him a Vandal… he also is a great artist. He didn't need to work the 9-5 to do something he hates, but something he loves, although he has probably paid the price for it.

Well, Claudio, how much of a life do YOU have if you're on here defending a vandal like Williams? Shouldn't you be out working for a living? And regardless of how you feel about your idol's work, he broke the law, and this is a blog devoted to internet-related crimes…get it? LOL

Oh, and jealousy? Give me a break…that would be like saying Trench is jealous of Stickam rapist John Hock (a case covered elsewhere on this site) b/c he'd like to score w/some underage girls…sounds like you're the one making "juvenile analogies".

Why are you on Trench's nutsack? Let the man post himself…Unless which you probably are the same person. Meaning your wasting 2 or 3 times as much time as I am. Trying wayyyy to hard.
First off, this post isn't about ME.. or Trench, its about REVOK. So it doesn't matter what I do, the person who started the post should respond.

I run my own business so I work on my own time.. I feel like ok you have a right to your own opinion. But your opinion is not educated… your views on graffiti are pretty much like saying all black people should be slaves and play basketball, which much of America believed for a long time. Is this believe correct today? Just the same way people thought the Earth was Flat.

Some people, are willing to risk their life and well being for their craft and art. Yes, Graffiti is a pretty thankless art.. especially with critics like yourself, that have contributed so much too society by posting on an internet forum. That's why it gets all the respect.
Risking life and limb for something you are passionate about may not be something your familiar with.. but in the least you can try to understand it. It may not be you… but I guess its a really hard thing for you to do to put yourself in another persons' shoes to try to understand their point of you.

Comparing Revok to your Rapist is like comparing Da Vinci to Charles Manson….that analogy does not work at all. At least come up with something better than that.

Ok…. if he weren't jealous, why the hell is he posting so god damn much about REVOK, obviously he has a lot to say about him….

http://www.knowngallery.com/uploads/Image/revaug….

This billboard was for Murakami's art Show last fall.. While its a common Misconception, "Taggers" just write over and destroy property. If you look at Murakami's art style, Revok and Augor actually adapted their art style to complement the billboard. Rather than destroying the work, IT ACTUALLY MAKES THE BILLBOARD LOOK WAYY BETTER. Not only is the art, technique, coloring, shading, and the scale magnanimous and amazing….its done and craftily planned.
Murakami, the actual artist who had the show…stated that HE LOVED what REVOK and Augor had done and bought the billboard. This is a guy who is majorly respected in all forms of art from modern to classical, and Prints NOT ORIGINALS of his work go for thousands of dollars. He does work for Louis Vuitton, Kanye West and countless celebrity clientes while being respected before his commerical side. He has graffitti background and definitely respects and Artists such as REVOK.
If someone like that who has real credibility in this world and in art, respects Revok.. who really gives a shit on what you have to say. He's actually DONE SOMETHING. Like really if Murakami gives him love, who are any of us to say anything….. Thats basically a shut the fuck up without saying it.

Wow, another person in desperate need of a history lesson.

First off the more that someone uses the Nazi comparison with something as trivial as vandalism the less their true impact on history becomes.

Secondly vandalism isn't art.

Thirdly the Nazis hated the Communists and vice versa.

And lastly, and I hope you find this as ironic as I did, the Nazis used graffiti to label which shops and homes were owned by Jews.