For example, Shepard Fairey and his “Andre the Giant” Campaign started as tags across various parts of Los Angeles and parts of the East Coast over a decade ago. But his sticker campaigns, posters, and excellent writing via his website and urban tags in the most unlikely places inspired many graffiti artists and others to engage in their lives in a variety of ways, including starting up their own ‘zines, launching T-shirt lines, DJ-ing, and creating websites, rather than being passive citizens of the status quo. Today, among Fairey’s accomplishments include an entire global campaign, sales of posters, stickers, and artwork, continuous in-demand international gallery openings, a prominent street clothing line called “Obey,” a magazine called Swindle, and numerous collaborations with many brands, including the newly famous radio station 103.1 in Los Angeles, and creating the movie posters such as “Walk the Line.” 

Graf writer Slick, once mostly known for his work on the walls of notorious Crenshaw in South-Central LA, also moved on to creating a number of CD covers (including The Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ride II), launching street clothing brands Fuct and Third Rail, and now Dissizit. In addition, he’s putting out his own toy collection called STD, and designing for brands such as Stüssy and X-Large.

Among this club of graff artists-turned-business entrepreneurs is André (goes by first name only), out of Paris. His work in the early ‘90’s was a reflection of the disenfranchisement of youth culture and the regime of France, and Paris specifically. Back then most graffiti artists worked on trains and walls in and around Paris. Like Barcelona today (see also our story “Barcelona—Europe’s Last Great Graffiti Scene”) back then it wasn’t quite as dangerous for graffiti artists. But as reflected in the politics of the country and in the results of our European Youth Culture Studies over the past 3 years, the conservatism and police crack-downs of this nation has dramatically changed the landscape for young people who either abide by the changes and therefore rarely step out of line (which means limited inspiration in fashion, design, music, sports), or those who continue to defy what’s being served up. For graffiti artists in Paris today, it’s an extremely tough scene. The police have cracked down to the point where the most inspiring work can only be found outside the “ring” in the riot-prone areas of the ethnically diverse suburbs.

As Andre explains, doing graffiti and the work that he does in general in Paris comes from this tough scene. “You have to have considerable balls to even think about taking it on,” explains Andre in a recent interview with Label Networks’ European research manager. “Many of us, including myself, have been in jail for our street expressions.”

Andre first came to the public’s attention from his graffiti tags of the smiling man in a top-hat, called “Mr. A” with the expression “love graffiti” in the ‘90’s. Ironically however, this outlaw has also become a darling of the city based on the fame he’s attracted within this underground subculture. Andre continues his graffiti but the work he does now, which comes complete with certified letters, are usually commissioned by people who want to have the names of their loved ones emboldened on various parts of the urban landscape.

Like Fairey and Slick, one can also learn from Andre’s business savvy. Three years ago, the modern art museum Palais du Tokyo in Paris, wanted to have a hip store located within the warehouse-like space. Several different shops were given opportunities within Palais du Tokyo’s setting, but none could attract the sort of vibe and scene that the creative owners were seeking. And because Palais du Tokyo also has an incredibly cool bar/café area, and loaded bookstore with eclectic graffiti artists’ work, they approached Andre about the concept of his own store.

Andre created Black Block, which still stands today, thanks to Palais du Tokyo asking him to keep his store as one of the main attractions to the museum itself. But when it came to the concept, Andre explains that at the time “it was considered radically different. Like my graffiti, my store was inspired from a tough scene.” But the store, which spun off of his artistic creations through a collaboration of efforts from friends and an eclectic mix of items ranging from apparel to urban vinyl dolls to music, was just the type of street expression that shoppers wanting inspiration from international subcultures were looking for.

Andre clearly struggles with many aspects of his culture and admits that he has found inspiration from his frequent travels to Tokyo and New York, which can be seen in the features of Black Block: Lined rows of “7-11” refrigerators displaying the latest from various graffiti artists (including Obey and new work from Andre); sneaker collections including patent-leather A Bathing Ape, graphic T’s from Mada and prep-punk sweaters from DC, fitted black sports coats in utilitarian Carhartt-like material from Moritz Rogosby, white dress “pirate” shirts by Virginia Carpenter, Robot-graphics from Henrik Vibskov, and Japanese-inspired denim and tops from Eley Kishimoto.

Black Block, like Andre’s graffiti, represents a certain freedom, even though “France is not open and has very old thinking,” complains Andre. Black Block, like many things that Andre does, and his graffiti predecessors, comes from original thinking. “When we started [graffiti] back in the late ‘80’s, there were no references to ‘what could be.’ We made things up based on our surroundings. The idea of Black Block is a place where I can also showcase my friends’ work from around the world.” And this he has, which also makes it a place that people want to go to often as a window to the underground world of street culture in general.

“Things are not so free now,” explains Andre about his scene and his disappointment with his culture. There are new politics today in France (see also our story on “Youth Riots in Paris Sparks Debate on Future Opportunities”) and a war against graffiti. Even the famous Miss Vans has recently moved from Paris to Barcelona (yet another graffiti artist with untapped potential for businesses especially for the urban female marketplace). And yet Andre has continued to prevail outside of the scope of his environment which shows the power of street-cred, with the launch of a fashion shop called Mme Andre, Le Baron, which is a club in a renovated bordello, and then Paris, Paris last October, which is THE hotspot in town. Andre also has a club in New York City, and this month, is launching his own hotel called Hotel Amour in the bohemian district near Montmartre (think old-school Moulin Rouge bordello with old theatre charm). Future plans by Andre, the business giant, include a rock festival in collaboration with Philippe Ascoli (“like a Cannes Film Festival”) sometime in ’06, and 3 upcoming exhibitions: now in Berlin until April 3; from April 1-15 at the Scion Installation, 8553 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232; and starting June 4, in Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, like many corporations today that are woefully behind the times, the art world of museums, even in a city of “art” like Paris, is behind. Graffiti artists such as Bigfoot, Banksy, Miss Vans, Slick, Shepard Fairey, and the Invader, among others, can still only be scene in remote urban landscapes, on coveted T-shirt graphics, or in a handful of progressive magazines, websites, or books sold in sporadically located shops, rather than hung on the walls of “contemporary museums.” (Actually, UK artist Banksy has taken this problem into his own hands, having hung his pieces in places like the British Art Museum, among others.) As Andre explains, the “mind of the art world, like the police, are 10 years too late.” However with today’s generation living online and changing up communication patterns, the pace of creation will continue to inspire others in unexpected, grassroots developments. And it’s graffiti artists who may soon be considered not only the new Van Gogh’s, but also Donald Trumps.

Photos by Tom Wallace

Text by Bernadette Matroka

Upcoming News from Label Networks:

Launch of the European Youth Culture Consumer Research Study ’06! The 3^rd annual European Study will include topics covering a range of youth culture trends, including fashion, music, street art, sports and action sports, future concerns, psychodemographics, technology and communication, internet, magazines, TV, entertainment, spending patterns, among other things. Subscribers will gain important insight from the new generation of consumers, 15-25, from the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, as well as a Pan-European Report and historical data comparisons. Contact us for subscription information; info@labelnetworks.com

Launch of the North American Youth Culture Consumer Research Study ’06—Spring Report! Our highly anticipated bi-yearly Study started in 2000 based on 13-24-year-olds across the United States and Canada includes a range of youth culture topics and trends, including the latest on fashion (including special reports on denim, T-shirts), music, street art, sports and action sports, future concerns, psychodemographics, technology and communication, internet, magazines, TV, entertainment, spending patterns, as well as our Profiles: Skateboarders, Snowboarders, Urban Female, and the Latino Reports, and historical data for trending comparisons. Contact us for early subscription discount information; info@labelnetworks.com

Published March, 02006.