Feature Artist

Almost every day we feature a different writer on our Facebook page and this week we will be featuring 1 of our 3 artists every day until the event. We dont cater or favor an artist and try to keep a healthy mixed bag of styles and flavors while avoiding any politics.  However, we want to help promote our artists and the event as we are VERY excited for Saturday. Please like and share our posts and come out to support these talented artists and this event!  Here is yesterday's featured artists, HELM & ESKAE but only ESKAE will be there. 

Freight Friday

Today's Freight trains are still being ran on the backs of an infrastructure build several generations ago!  Enjoy the weekend and stay safe!

Freight Friday

It's Friday... many lay ups sit silent and cold even on hot nights.  You're either a writer thats all about freights or you don't get it and are about the bombing and piecing.  Whatever your drug of choice, stay safe this weekend!

Tuesdays Underground Lowdown

Short 2:59 clip of legend KING157 getting up on an ARMN.  Even though it's so short, it's also dope to see a legend in action, especially getting up what they're known for.  He even threw in one of his well known characters for good measure.  We just want to know why not any kind of interview?  Seriously, just a 30 seconds whatever about anything would have completed this video.  Definitely a recommend...

(7 out of 10)

BazookaFilms77 on YouTube has a lot of short videos we'll be scoping out and will try and post the better ones.

Freight Friday

For this Freight Friday we have 3 heavy hitters who burned down this ran auto train.   Starting with SIZE21 then COUPER and last SONE.

Freight Friday

This weeks Freight Friday is an oldy.  Much respect to any piece that is able to last this long on the rails.  This one appears to date back to 1999 and is outlasted an all out buff and toys as well as being gone over all together.  It did suffer some injury being stamped but most of it remains.  You can still make out most of the color.  This piece dates back to when "graffiti paint" was just an idea so you can be safe to assume this paint was Krylon and Rustoleum brands.

It seems that the Golden West Service flat panel boxcars allowed a lot of writers to run for a long time.  We find it impressive for any piece to run longer than 5 years these days.  To see one go for over 15 years is very impressive and deserves its props.

Freight Fridays Feature Fix

 Todays Freight Fridays Feature Fix is brought to by the letters, U-P-F-E.  The letters stand for, Union Pacific Fruit Express which was a mechanical refrigerated boxcars (reefers) owned by the Union Pacific Railroad Company.  This car was equipped with a mechanical apparatus for furnishing protection against heat and/or cold. The apparatus was operated by diesel power rather than from the car axle.  The diesel fuel stain on the tank that hung below the car was a signature look for these cars.  These cars were either scrapped or painted and converted to what is now the Union Pacifics, ARMN's.

It was around 2005 that the Union Pacific company started to convert and scrap these style of reefers.  The purpose was to replace the mechanical apparatus to a more high-tech/fuel efficient, modern cooling equipment.  Reefers are hard sought out by graffiti writers and the UPFE's were loved but the fact the UP railroad company painted the converted cars to white makes them more desirable.  The ARMN identification letters come from the former American Refrigerator Transit Company that the UP took over in the 70's and is now a subsidiary of them.

The Freight Fridays Feature Fix tributes are pieces done by MECA and COLT45.  The MECA freight (above) was a cleanly done silver simple style piece dissed by an unknown assailant.  The COLT45 piece is pretty fresh but being it was inbetween the lines made the photo difficult to get but it's a perspective any freight graffiti writer understands.  The last image is a before and after of the UPFE's.  As dope as the white ARMN's are, there will always be a special place for the UPFE's.

Enjoy your Freight Fridays Feature Fix and stay safe!

Freight Fridays Feature Fix

There are writers who get up bombing their neighborhood and city.  There are also writers who like to stay legal and do big productions and sometimes get paid to do them.  There are those that like to do pieces on freight cars.

Crushing freight cars deserves its own individual level of respect because there's a lot of preparation that goes into a freight mission. Getting in and out unnoticed and without injury is an accomplishment in it's self.  To get your name up and have it seen throughout the country and later benched on the internet is rewarding.  A lot of curves, bumps, handles and painting on metal alone isn't easy.  To keep it clean while pitch dark, on metal and working around the elements that make up a train car is respectable and not as easy as non-train writers would think.  Many big names have came and gone through the years but many come back every now and then.  The writer that shares an equal love for rolling stock as they do for graffiti and are skilled enough will actually paint around all of the stenciling as well.

Todays pick is a cylinder hopper done by FOX.  Below we found a nice flat panel Canadian National clean car.  Enjoy your Freight Friday and stay safe!

The Art of Streaking

'Streaks' or 'monikers' is a unique form of graffiti as the only people that really see them are graffiti writers and railroaders.  This form of graffiti started as early as the 30's and was used by railroaders and hobos.  They were mainly messages with solid paint sticks in North America.  As the graffiti artists gravitated towards the freight trains in the late 80's and early 90's, they slowly adopted this art form.  You can now you find streaks being done with the paint sticks or paint markers.

This form of graffiti really doesn't get the respect that it deserves.  They are small and easy to get dozens up quickly however it is an artform and dates way before graffiti ever hit a subway car in New York City.  Steaks are unique and mainly feature some kind of a design and at times are dated or have a location where they're from.  Railroaders continue this tradition as well, but not as much as they used to.

Streaks get covered all the time by graffiti writers painting, bombing and tagging freight trains.  I dont know any that could about a streak on a car.  We're not trying to debate the importance or hierarchy of graffiti on trains.  We just feel that streaks deserve more recognition and we try to flick and post as much as we can.  Some are very elaborate like the piece below and are less likely to get covered but it all depends on the writer.

Among the full color pieces, tags and freight stenciling it's easy to understand how streaks can get lost and not much attention.  Many streaks fade but their outlines remain like a ghost.  The streaks preserve the color of the car as the rest of it fade away by the elements and sunlight.




Here are a few more streaks,

#PANELPIECES

  GraffInc Trades proudly brings you, #PANELPIECES.  It's a photography/art exhibit by one of the founders of graffinc.com and the new company, graffinctrades.com.  Rolling Stock Gallery is the venue holding this event.  The gallery is located in Fort Lauderdale at 506 NW 1st Ave.  The event will take place on March 29th from 7-11p.  For more information, please visit our event page on facebook at the following link, #PANELPIECES.  You can also e-mail us for more information at sales@graffinctrades.com.

We sat down with Todd briefly and asked him why he wanted to do this.  He simply replied, "I've always wanted to do my own gallery event".  He continued to say, "I'm very grateful for Rolling Stock Gallery to allow me to hold this event".  He explains that all work will have something to do with trains and many will be of tight squared up shots on freight train cars.  We had to ask why freight train cars and he explained that freight trains hold so much art in and on itself and are so photogenic.  The photo below is a sample collage of what visitors can expect to see at the show.

The one catch is that this event is currently tentative.  Rolling Stock's lease is up this monday and may not renew.  Todd and GraffInc Trades is fully aware of this stipulation however are moving forward as if it's a guarantee.  In the unfortunate event that this event is to be cancelled, we will be sure to notify everyone promptly.

We hope to see you there and remember to post your visit with the hashtag, #PANELPIECES.