SPRING SUMMER 2016
Paint It Black
In the late ’70s to mid ‘80s in New York, graffiti hit its prime and became a well known art genre. From the famous to the unknown, graffiti artists were all hitting up the slums of New York.
To survive in that world and be noticed, it was a combination of skills and luck. Only by chance, if you work was found, liked, and talked about, it would survive. In a way, it has the same flow as fashion. It was in this time that an artist’s name would became a recognized logo.
In these times, your typical artist, would know at least 3 well known graffiti artists.
In their early days, they didn’t have enough money to buy paper to sketch on, so the streets became their canvas. Each artists tag became a symbol of their freedom.
But even those 3 artists would face rules and regulations against their works of art, logos, symbols of freedom. It made themselves sick, but they would never give up, which lead their lives painting their way into a life of darkness.
These are the times that should be remembered, the enjoyable times, self expression, the freedom at the slum… a part of history told by HUMIS, known as “Paint It Black”, expressed through fashion.
1970年代後半~80年代中期において、アメリカのニューヨークではストリートでのグラフィティ・アートが盛んな時期であった。いわゆる、名も知れない者から著名人の画家が溢れていたスラムニューヨーク。
その世界で生きていくには、実力なのか、運なのか、
運と実力の両方かもしれない。たまたま、見つけられ、気に入られ、広まり、
ある意味、流行りと同じ流れ。アーティストの名前がロゴみたいな、そんな年代でもあったと言える。
代表的なアーティストと言えば、皆が知っている3人だと思う。
若い頃はお金もなく、スケッチする紙さえ買えない彼らはストリートをスケッチブック変わりに大胆に使った。その時代の自由の象徴とも言えるだろう。
そんな3人が有名になると、さっきも言った様、ロゴ化になり、見えてくるのは規制や束縛。嫌気がして、今の自分を黒く塗りつぶす繰り返し。
スラムにいた時の楽しさや自由を思い出す…。
その二面時代をHUMISはPaint It Blackと呼び、服という形で表現させて頂きました。