Cece and Yoshi collabo, photo by Martha Cooper in 12 Oz Prophet Article and Images from the Younity show, NY Thanks to Toofly and Alice and all the other ladies involved... http://www.12ozprophet.com/index.php/martha_cooper/entry/younity_strikes_again/
This is the extended video of one of the regions Barrancabermeja in Colombia. It depicts the workshops and experience in more detail. Please understand this video was not released initially because we were fearful of subjecting the participants to more danger.
Once asked, it was agreed that the folks involved wanted their stories to be heard... So please check it out...
Man things have been busy. Shaun Burner came down to Colombia to participate in the Memoria Viva project and we were cooking. The first city we hit was Barrancabermeja and that region is hot in all aspects. Politically there is a lot of violence that occurs and literally the minute you step out of the plane you are sweating.
We got in and hit the ground running. First we completed a mural at Credhos, a human rights organization. The founders of Credhos have been displaced and their current leaders are on the government list for the paramilitary to assassinate. Even though the folks there knew their life was in danger, they still continue to fight for human rights in their city. Their strength, resilience and dedication was humbling. It touched us to the core.
Credhos was nice enough to house our workshop, so in return we dropped a mural for them in their patio.
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We conducted the workshop with folks ranging in age from high school to elderly. Their stories were amazing and their losses were enormous. They painted their ideas for the murals and shared with us their experience. From this we created the mural at the Public Library Galvis Galvis which is on the campus of the University of Barrancabermeja. The University was very supportive and let us paint the mural on wood in the auditorium of their main entrance.
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And on our last night, after the mural was carried over to the Library and installed, we dropped a little mural for fun right next to the office of the administration. We even got some students and administration to paint it with us.
From there, we jumped on a cold bus for a long ride back to Bogota. We enjoyed a week of rest then got right back to it painting a mural for the office of Reiniciar, the law firm that currently has the case against the Colombian Government in the Inter American Human Rights Courts for their participation in the massacre of the Union Patriotica.
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Then for the next few days we linked up with the artist crew APC to complete a mural at the National University of Bogota. This was a great collaboration and a blessing to be able to paint with Bastardilla, Stinkfish, Aeon, and Zas. Then with the luck of great timing, Skope from Australia landed in Bogota and came through to help it all come together. It was a great collaboration between TYS, APC, and Skope.
The quote and theme of this mural was based upon a quote from Pablo Neruda: They can kill the flowers, but they cannot stop the spring.
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The videos from these murals are coming shortly. We are waiting to see which version will be released because, we are concerned for the safety of our participants from the workshops. We will either release just the mural version or the version with the workshops included. We are waiting on clearance. So please be patient with us, we just don't want to put anyone in more danger.
Man just made it back from Meta a state a little south from Bogota, the capitol. Meta was truly a hustle, I finished my first solo mural in 5 days and worked my butt off. Below are photos of the wall, a new video of the making of the mural, local newspaper coverage, and a little diary entry along the way...Check it out...
Day 1 I painted the wall with primer today. Man by the time I got to the top, I could roll two strokes then rest for 10 breaths, then roll two strokes and rest again. I was sweaty and freakin dying. I just got back to the hotel and I can barely close my hands... man I miss the crew
Day 2 Today I battled tropical rainstorms and frying sun. When it rains or gets to hot, I have to carry my large suitcase full of spraypaint and 20 buckets of paint upstairs to the location the University gave me to store my supplies. Who needs a gym when you got gallons of bucket paint.
Day 3 Wow! As I was getting bit by mosquitos today, my new security guard friend said... um you should wear repellent because we have Dengue here. Note to self: ask when you get to a new region if they have Dengue or Malaria there.
Day 4 Kinda have a little food poisoning, man my stomach is trippin. And today I have to spend all day on the top of the scaffolding. Nothing like balancing on one narrow piece of wood 3 stories in the air. I have already derived on exit strategy if this thing falls, but I pretty much summed up that if it falls odds aren't in my favor. My hands are more sore from holding on to the scaffolding than using the spray can. But I am almost done...
Day 5 My usual schedule, get to the school early like 8:30 and power it out until the sun gets so hot I feel my head melting then take a siesta and work though the night. Tonight I finished the mural at 5:00am. Worked through the night. I have no words... ______________________________________________
Anywho, that was me struggling, but thankfully it all came together. When the mural was completed, I dedicated the mural to the Victims of the genocide of the Union Patriotica. The region is so tense right now that the school asked me to change it because they couldn't be seen as having party affiliations. I told them I understood but argued that the UP is no longer a party, so it is not a solicitation for new members. The party was destroyed as over 5,000 of their leading members were assassinated or disappeared in the late 80's. This was a dedication to remember the Genocide.
They couldn't change it themselves because the students and staff supported it and it would look like censorship. So the dedication still rides. I know that this is easier for me to do as a foreigner because it would be more dangerous for a local person to write this message. So I knew, I had to stand my ground. This region is tense...
Thanks folks for keeping up with my adventure. Shaun Burner gets here Wednesday as we take off to the next region for some more.
And here is the local newspaper coverage of the mural:
Just landed back from Cali, Colombia. Miguel Bounce Perez and Mikey 1 Soul flew in from New York to participate in the new project that my partner Pablo and I just launched.
Here is a little piece Miguel and did on the streets just to get things warmed up:
Below is a video of our latest Trust Your Struggle production. The mural was completed at the University of Valle (UniValle) by local artist Makila, Bounce and me (Yoshi).
This is the first video I ever made. Thanks to the help of the guys...Check it out...
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...
Click to Expand: (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 to complete two murals. I am hoping to have some crew mates meet up... We will see, keep your fingers crossed...The adventure continues...
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.
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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...
Pablo's family welcomed me with a BBQ at the house. They have been so wonderful. He has 67 first cousins which is a little crazy for me because I only have two. They are all super warm people and have taught me the little lessons from cooking yuca without chopping off my fingers to how to defend myself from ravenous mosquitos. We just got back from a trip over the weekend, for one of the cousin's birthday. It was great the pool, tropical weather, and good laughs.
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.
