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HST's Hell's Angels Mentions Stencils (~1964)

Submitted by russell on

(NOTE: The term "stencil" has been historically known to refer to screen printing images, rather than spray painting them. In the 1960s, stencils were put inside the screens and the image was made when the ink got pushed through by a squeegee)

"An Angel known as 'the Mute' was stopped by a policeman... . The Mute was proudly displaying his colors on a ragged Levi jacket. 'Take that off,' the patrolman [said]... . The Mute stripped off his Levi jacket, exposing another Angel decal on his leather jacket. 'Take that off too.'" The Mute took the jacket off, and then had a shirt with the emblam. The cop told him to take that off, and "under the shirt was an undershirt. It had been stenciled with the club insigia... . The Mute had the last laugh. He was prepared to go all the way. His trousers and shorts were also stenciled."

(excerpt from "Hell's Angels" by Hunter S. Thompson. This story was said to have happened sometime in 1964)

Historical Item

Happy Birthday Blek!

Submitted by russell on

Blek le Rat spent his 60th birthday giving away rat stencils. His mischief of rats wandered out into the rainy San Francisco streets on clothes, post cards, cardboard, and his lastest book (I wrote a contributing essay so that there could be some words for his images). The line was long, everyone was happy, and we all got to inahle some spray paint fumes while we enjoyed the hanging canvases. Eclair, Todd Hanson, Jeremy Novy, Eine, and probably other stencilistas were wandering around the gallery and making the scene.

I grabbed some cell pics and posted them to Blek's archive: http://www.stencilarchive.org/archives/index.php/Europe/European_Artist…

Stencil Archive News

19 Nov. :: Blek's 60/30 (SF, CA)

Submitted by russell on

941 Geary is pleased to present 60/30, a new collection of works by Blek le Rat, the French artist credited as the Godfather of stencil art. The exhibition will be the largest show Blek has put on, and one of the most historically significant the street art community has seen. There is an opening reception on Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 6-9 pm. The exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing through January 7th, 2012.

In the Galleries

A Spray Paint History Primer

Submitted by russell on

The Origin of Spray Paint
By HILARY GREENBAUM and DANA RUBINSTEIN

Original NYTimes link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/magazine/who-made-spray-paint.html

That a paint salesman from northern Illinois created the tool through which rebels, gang members, artists and anti-Wall Street protesters alike have expressed themselves merely confirms that inventors can neither control nor predict the impact of their innovations. After all, Jack Dorsey never imagined that Twitter would facilitate Anthony Weiner’s self-immolation.

The spray-paint can, however, has eminently practical origins. Ed Seymour, the proprietor of a Sycamore, Ill., paint company, was in search of an easy way to demonstrate his aluminum coating for painting radiators. His wife suggested a makeshift spray gun, like those used for deodorizers. And so, in 1949, Seymour mixed paint and aerosol in a can with a spray head. As it turned out, compressing paint in a can made for a nice finish.

Historical Item
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