In the fall of '01 I took my first vacation ever.I was 31 and wanted to see a bit of the nation which to me, had always been maps in books, stories and other people's pictures.I set out on a 30 hour train ride from MA to FL, and took in an eye-full of urban rot; the fuliginous backsides of cities that remained mostly mysterious to me.Riding by rail is not the most tourist-efficient way to go about getting to where you're going, it's basically here's point A,sleep if you can until point b or any further character of destination. What I did have the privelege to experience and bear 1250 miles worth of witness to, was a brilliant and beautiful scar that carved it's way through back alleyways, retired train cars, billboards , brick walls, and abandoned buildings like a scream that confirmed the human element that somehow thrived in all the waste.Murals, memoriams, caricatures.. this modern-primal medium known as graffiti, made my whole trip worthwhile As I stared at the ominous skyscrapers, bridges and bell towers, I knew that it was here down on the ground ( and sometimes lower) that the cultural pulse lingered, directly under the surface of whatever the current metropolis' steely skin.

It has been a dream of mine to take more involved train trips, plot random courses and then follow the eye-candy trails with a camcorder.Disregarding the emptier miles and splice together the original tale of a thousand artists unaware, tack together a billion bubble-lettered words and read the collective message.The rails' twists and turns would be the editor, like an interactive adventure book, the artist's who sign their work, I would collect those identities like a kid witha fresh pack of bubble gum cards, and a fistful of MVP's.I would love to do this project and save what i could of this gorgeous unpolished art form ,keep these" illegal" masterpieces from the wrecking ball, from another man's idea of progress.

It would suffice, if I have inspired you to take a deeper look around you.To look out a new window or scrape the filth off an old one, or break the needle off your compass before your next journey.Look for the tales to be told by the inside-out -libraries that lie in evidence all around, not asking to be seen, but are there if you look.Graffiti at it's best is experienced raw, out in the open, the vibrant pearl born of the agitated oyster also known as the forgotten state of anywhere America.


A world painted on a world..making things better a brushstroke at a time...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pen dragon,

fuc.king gorgeous, your words, and the sentiment, and the photo.


...and you.

That makes me wanna hop on a train. thanks for sharing. <3

WOW awesome to both the picture and your words. thanks for taking time to share them with us!!

Breeee

Doooo it Ducky, take the appalachian train!!

Fan!!

Thanks for lookin Pos, I googled the pic, cause as the article states ,I don't have any of my own,lol.\o/

lmao..I wonder if there really is one that would be funny,maybe I would find Howdy..he's been lost for what about 5 yrs..

hot da.mn, it really has been that long hasn't it?? He's eating berries an bark and mebbe reindeer meat by now!!!

LOL, omg I lurve ya,Ducky, your the bestest!!

Thanks for lookin Pos, I googled the pic, cause as the article states ,I don't have any of my own,lol.\o/[/QUOTE]

Nothing wrong with that.

One day I'll learn to put google disclaimers up,lol!!

i have a secret dream that one day my youth group and i are going to become legal graffiti artists.
i want to get the council to take down all the boards off of the windows on old buildings, let us paint them and then put them back up when they're looking pretty.

Just so y'know :P

quote:

Originally posted by pen dragon:
hot da.mn, it really has been that long hasn't it?? He's eating berries an bark and mebbe reindeer meat by now!!!

LOL, omg I lurve ya,Ducky, your the bestest!!

lmao..he better not eat those reindeer santa will be p.issed. I lurve ya too,we need to have a good chat sometime soon we haven't in a while. Hug everyone for me.

Ches, i would love to see that happen too, anyway you can petition/campaign to get permission?

Ducky,hug everyone there too,we do need to chat,I need some Ducky-humour&chat-time.

yes chat time is good..lol..when do you wanna?

You may want to email me your aim name as i never gets parts of it correct,rofl.Yeah yeah, my mum was right.