August 19, 2005
Ecko to Sue the City
After the city has decided to revoke the permit for the launch party of his new graffiti video game, designer Marc Ecko is doing the next best thing: Suing the city. And the NYCLU is getting involved, joining Ecko in a press conference yesterday asking the mayor to reinstate the permit. Animal Magazine publisher and graffiti enthusiast Bucky Turco was at the press conference gave us his report, with including Ecko's invitation for the Mayor:
His lawyer, Daniel M. Perez stated, "Mark Ecko will be filing a lawsuit in NY Federal Court." They have enlisted the help of the NYCLU who wrote and sent a letter to the Mayor today. Arthur Eisenberg, the legal director, cites a Supreme Court Case, Brandenburg v. Ohio, that set a precedent to protect the exhibit Ecko is hosting. The Ecko people have also determined that If they can't get the permit they plan on canceling the event. Mark Ecko mentioned "I don't condone illegal graffiti, but I don't condone censorship either."Mark then went on to explain the elaborate things they had to go to make the event even more buttoned up like getting barricades around each replica train, a security guard for each artist, tarps from Home Depot, and contracts with all the artists.
To counter Vallone and Bloomberg's assumptions that graffiti is a gateway to crime, Ecko protested that "Graffiti is a gateway to entrepreneurship," adding that many NYC museums house street art: "Take a walk through the Met and you will find graffiti."Of course, the Mayor's spokesman said, "No, thanks. The city isn't obligated to permit an event on a public street that encourages the vandalism of subway cars in the name of selling T-shirts and video games. The courts should uphold our ability to protect New York City's quality of life." The NYCLU says, "If an artist chooses to paint on her own canvas or wall-board or cut-out replicas of subway cars and chooses to do so in the graffiti style, this artistic expression is entitled to full protection under the First Amendment." If thousands and thousands of anti-war protesters can't get the right to protest in Central Park, it's unlikely Ecko's lawsuit will get the city reverse its decision, but it's good to keep the city on its toes. And, if you didn't read the NY Times Magazine feature on him a few weeks ago, Marc Ecko is actually a white guy from New Jersey - see his blog.Mark ended the conference by inviting the Mayor to come down to the event, pick up a can of spray paint and and express himself.
Bucky also had some great quotes from the artists that are scheduled to participate:
Lady Pink: "Bloomberg is a Jesse Helms wanna-be with his Macarthy era tactics... He's appointing himself art critic like Giuliani did. It's not illegal in any way. We are established in the museum of the City of NY."Metal Man Ed also offered a link to see the replica trains. And when's the last time you've seen a subway car spraypainted (aside from that awesome 5 train)? Gothamist feels like most graffiti artists are tackling abandoned buildings and lots, versus subway cars and business owners' spaces (vandalism with hate messages are an entirely different matter).T Kid: "It is the oppression of freedom of expression. Politicians are using graffiti as a platform to get more votes."
Cycle: "The mayor is using his power of office to influence things he doesn't understand. I don't question his business practices, he shouldn't question my art."
Smith: "I myself believe that censoring this public event is a fascist tactic, akin to book burning and serves no public good. No precedent is being set, every mayor since Lindsay has belittled the art arising from the graffiti sub culture and I'm sure the next mayor will do the same. It is politically expedient to criminalize and jail kids who are thought unworthy of being included into society.
Also Metal Man Ed, the guy who made the replicas chimed in from LA. He said he was loading the trains as we speak for transport to NYC but added: "Should it matter that the medium they choose to work with is spray paint? Should it matter that the canvas they will paint looks like a subway car? Would they have a problem if they were going to be finger painting on paper?"
And to follow up on Cope2's message to City Councilman Vallone, Cope 2 was arrested for threatening Vallone; we hear he turned himself in.
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Give me a break, cmon now there are better things to do than start crying over this. Big deal he didnt get his way. NEXT.....
I agree...who really cares? I'm sorry a handful of graffiti "artists", PR people, and graffit fans don't get their way, but the mayor has to answer to the NYPD, FDNY, and 9 million residents. Sorry your little painting party got canceled, but I hate to inform you that no one cares. Please, someone in favor of this graffiti PR stunt post something here. Do you exist?
As an aside, how funny is it that this is the most visible that Marc Ecko has been in the entire existence of Ecko Clothing (even though he doesn't have anything to do with it anymore).
Funny, all the other owners of the simian clothing labels like Ecko. - Phat Farm, Rocawear, etc, are all in the public eye promoting their threads all the time. Wonder why Ecko isn't? Is it because sales would have plummeted during their heyday if it had been revealed that Ecko was just another WHITE BOY from New Jersey with a crooked hat and a nickname he likes to paint around town? Yup.
Snapple had a PR stunt last month that resulted in Union Square being drenched in sticky sugar water. Is that somehow acceptable to the NYPD, FDNY Sanitaion Department and 9 million residents, but this isnt? How do you draw the line? It is toally arbitrary at best. I grew up in this city, I love graffitti art. Its part of our culture and heritage. Thanks to my personal interest in graff as a kid in high school, I studied art and design, went to art school, and now have a succesful career in graphic design. So cef and trey, there you have it. This is censorship and grandstanding, nothing less.
"simian clothing labels"
You fucking ignorant racist piece of shit
J, what makes you assume that a white dude from New Jersey is not the typical graffiti writer? But whatever, this is all about selling video games and t-shirts. Real graffiti writers break the law. Like it or not, if you have a PR department you are not a real writer. The most insightful thing Echo says is that graffiti is a way to entrepreneurship. Maybe the MTA could make money by letting poseurs like him paint their cars. Seems pretty much the same as ads to me.
I don't care about the event specifically. But the principle behind Ecko's lawsuit is deeply important. How is it that some objects are okay to paint on, and others aren't? Aren't the subway car replicas privately owned? It's not vandalism, so how is it illegal?
The government cannot arbitrarily make some art illegal simply because they don't like the canvas. This is such a blatant defiance of the First Amendment that it's shameful.
Have some respect. The Founding Fathers are turning in their graves.
I don't give a shit about graffiti art. But I do give a shit about principle. This is not a question about whether graffiti is art--this is a question about whether the government has the power to outlaw free speech based on a moral whim.
This is stupid. The "subway car" is not even a subway car at all. It's just some cardboard with aluminum foil on it! Are these politicians crazy?
Isn't Jen Chung (the head of Gothamist) actually from New Jersey, too?
"simian clothing labels"
So incredibly racist and casual it's horrifying.
J, you might be shocked to realize that most graffiti artists don't fall into one category. Go get yourself a copy of "Autograph" or watch "Style Wars" and you might be shocked to realize how racist you are.
Then again, someone who uses the phrase "simian clothing labels" sounds like the biggest a$$hat on earth.
one more short-sighted stomp on the constitution by NYC government. i wish we didn't have to pay off all these lawsuits just because our government is so short-sighted. waste of money.
You guys here to grind axes or chop wood? Regardless of your opinion about Ecko, graffiti, commercialism and all those other predicatble refutatuons, have you thought about the bigger picture. Why should Vallone or Bloomberg decide what medium is to be used for artist expression or even define what art is. We already had one self installed art czar and his name was Rudy Gulliani. We don't need another one. I don't like the idea of an art exhibit getting censored because politicians don't agree with the art form. You want to squabble about what's cool and what's not, I will meet ya on Bedford Ave in Willamsburg and we can compare t-shirts.
Really, NYers have more things to worry about than a graffit artists who spinned his snub into a good 15 minutes of fame. I feel sooooo sorry for you Mr. Ecko. Take the $$ you will spend on suing the city and do something to promote the arts in a different way on your own terms then and stop whining about it. Be a man and turn it around but freakin hell dont sue NY.
Simian clothing labels. ha . I just got it. Simian means MONKEY!!! So what about Nigo and his "bathing ape" clothes and merchandise. Nigo is some japanese guy that works with Pharrell and the thing about his clothes is that it's a japanese guy emulating a white guy emulating a black guy who was emulating tommy hilfiger who is a white guy. I look at bathing ape's clothes and all I can think of is PHAT FARM. and PHAT FARM is basically a ghetto Tommy Hilfiger.
the mayor has to answer to the NYPD, FDNY, and 9 million residents.
How exactly does this event affect any of these organizations or the residents of NYC?
Ecko Clothing (even though he doesn't have anything to do with it anymore)
You are obviously well informed... Marc Ecko has everything to do with his company. He oversees nearly everything that comes out of his offices.
Take the $$ you will spend on suing the city and do something to promote the arts
As far as I know Ecko is only suing for the right to hold the event, not any amount money. The main purpose of this event is promote art, something I, as a NYer, am concerned about,—as art one of the main components that makes this city exciting.
So what about Nigo and his "bathing ape"
BAPE has nothing to do with race, it is actually a diss on his perception of the lazy middle class Japanese teens.
I get it now, with bape you pay $500 bucks for some crap that looks exactly like phat farm clothes and it disses japanese middle class teens. Wait, I don't get it.
Yeah, Nigo just copies Flavor Flav. He says he doesn't even understand hip hop but thinks it's COOL!! shit. Japanese HIPSTER!!!!
"I get it now, with bape you pay $500 bucks for some crap that looks exactly like phat farm clothes and it disses japanese middle class teens. Wait, I don't get it."
Actually, the same thing can be said about virtually everything being sold in the 'rag trade'... Always. The cost of manufacturing is low and the profits are very high.
Why do you think stores can have 50% off sales? Or Foot Locker can have 'Buy One Get One Free!' deals all the time? It's because sneakers that sell for $89 actually cost a few dollars to make. Who cares if they sell for $44 on sale? The profit margin is still there. Ditto with designer sneakers and shoes that cost upwards fo $200-$500. It's ridiculous. But critcizing only the boutique labels is short sighted.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2005-08-20T001250Z_01_HO000754_RTRIDST_0_ENTERTAINMENT-LIFE-GRAFFITI-DC.XML
PAY ATTENTION TO JUDGES QUOTE ABOUT WEST SIDE STORY AMAZING. Also amazing how this string has downgraded into whether or not BAPE is cool. Jesus, priorities?
I agree with this policy. Vadalism should not be glamorized. The city spends millions cleaning up after these so-called "artists" and peoples property is destroyed. Good job!
simon lok is thumbing his nose at the Constitution.
hell ya i feel ecko and the rest of the graff commun should be aloud to express ones self with canvasses. dont u think the city would be happy if it wasnt on their walls, and besides that the kids whom claim to tag are just horrible and thats what gives graffiti a bad name now if the world was as good as ecko or saber then may graffiti wouldnt have such a dirty name. it takes time and patience for a graff artist to get good. Hell the best of the best are well in their twenties. providing areas to paint legaly where there iz no fear of being caught provides for exelance and prcise details that we cant do on the street walls.
simon is a tweaker