It’s an international movement, sticker culture, and not just by the likes of so-called hoodlums of humanity intent on tagging public places, as most cops think. Sticker creation and design is an art form started by the people for the people, and at “Peel Here,” a major event held in downtown Los Angeles at the Ghetto Mansion December 1st, top designers and fans from sticker culture came out to celebrate this art form.
“Stickers and creating of sticker culture is part of street art and graffiti,” explained ManOne, legendary graffiti artist and director of Crewest Art Gallery, one of the few galleries dedicated to showing street and graffiti art. “It’s a strong segment with amazing designs, and this event shows it.”
Peel Here started with one of more popular sticker creators himself known as Sticky Ricky, along with artist and designer Damon Robinson from Praise the Lowered—a sticker and clothing brand dedicated to street and lowrider car culture. As Damon explained at the event, “We’ve been working on making this happen for 3 years and the turn out has been exceptional.” On site were representations from artist including DAVe, Skullphone, Draftsmen, RTH, 7th Letter, Matt Siren, Blinky, ZOSO, 455er, JaxieJax, NOMAD, Shawn McKinney, Love Sushi, Obey, Old Chola, plus live screenprinting with Hit + Run, and the tiny pink mailtruck called HeartsChallenger selling nutty buddies and candy. Tacos, beer, and music from DJ Kutmah, Gas Lamp Killer, The Leaf Blowers, and The Sirens rounded out the event, which included hundreds of people from a variety of age groups and cultural backgrounds either exchanging coveted stickers, or getting famous sticker artists to tag their black books.
Inside the Ghetto Mansion, which is actually a community print house used for printing projects, were art displays of top street and graffiti artists, plus multi-media artists and a massive wall full of stickers. For people into sticker culture, they not only stare closely at what’s been posted and check out each individual design, but often add their own creative collaboration to layered stickered platforms which continues the collage of artwork, statements, and colors.
Check it out.
