Graffiti, in its essence, is of the streets. It’s gritty, gully and untamed; just as likely to make you pause and think, as it is to smack that thoughtful look right off your face. Yet, when we looked around at how graffiti has been presented in the mainstream and translated in the creative space, we found it to miss the mark in depicting the vitality we know graffiti to possess. The representations failed to capture the long nights and early mornings, the paint stained fingernails and flesh cut by razor wire that the art form is built on. This is the side of graffiti we feel Veefer represents better than most. He’s put in his time and payed his dues, crushing the city and making a name for himself since the 1980s. He’s bold, and brazen, and has steadily maintained a presence bigger than the five boroughs he has covered with tags.Our studio session with Veefer is an effort to create an honest depiction of that street-bred mentality.
We wanted to dig deeper to uncover the gritty essence that defines authentic street graffiti, making it accessible to a broader audience that had previously been excluded. The result is an impactful proof of concept that resonates well beyond graffiti and street art, engaging the larger creative community with a commissioned series of short videos developed by the 12ozProphet Studio.
Client: 12ozProphet (Vanity Project)
Services: Brand Strategy, Creative Direction & Ideation, Video, Photography, Content Development
