Photo: Graffiti Kings
Our Olympic dreams for London have already been soured by the roof-mounted rockets, VIP traffic lanes, and wandering gangs of "brand police." But it got even worse yesterday when the British Transport Police raided a number of homes and made a bunch of arrests, seemingly as part of a pre-emptive operation to crack down on graffiti in the capital during the 2012 Olympic Games. One of the people arrested was Darren Cullen. Darren, who is also known by his graffiti tag “Ser,” has been involved in the graffiti and street art scene in the UK since 1983. But in truth, he's kinda legit—over the past 20 years, he's worked with local councils, companies like Microsoft, Red Bull and Adidas, disadvantaged kids, and, hilariously, Team fucking GB itself. He's also turned spraying paint on stuff into his own company, called Graffiti Kings. I spoke to Darren about his arrest, and why he thinks the British Transport Police went after him. VICE: Hi Darren. So, you were arrested yesterday? ...
LOS ANGELES—To the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, Revok is a renowned artist whose bright, sprawling work is worthy of display in its latest exhibit. To the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Revok is Jason Williams, also known as inmate No. 2714221. Last month, Mr. Williams was sentenced to 180 days in county jail as a result of a probation violation from a graffiti incident, just days after the opening of a major museum exhibit dedicated to "street art" that features his work. Unable to post his $320,000 bail, Mr. Williams sat in jail for four days before the sentencing. It may be illegal on the street, but inside the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, a new exhibit celebrates the history of graffiti, featuring work by artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey. WSJ's Tammy Audi reports. Law-enforcement officials around the country are prosecuting graffiti artists with harsher sentences than ever, pushing for felony charges, real prison time and restitution payments as they seek to wipe graffiti from the streets. At the same time, the art world and corporations are embracing the form like never before. "You can make a case that graffiti and street art is the most influential art movement since the great innovations of the '60s," says Jeffrey Deitch, director of the L.A. museum, known as MOCA. "Before this show, no American museum had ever done an ambitious historical exhibition."...Work by artists Revok and Rime is part of an exhibition at MOCA in Los Angeles. The artist known as Revok is in an L.A. jail on charges related to a graffiti incident.
The trumped up charges against Revok have reeked of suspicion ever since his arrest. From nabbing Revok in the first place for a parole violation and not a new crime, to the exorbitant $320,000 bail, to be sentenced to half a year in jail a day after the arrest, the whole thing seemed like there was something bigger going on. The LAPD were clearly looking for someone to make an example of doing graffiti outside MOCA. But when they hadn't made an arrest on the streets after the first week, they wanted a high profile name to take down. There was probably a short list of high profile arrests, so short, there was probably only one name on it--Revok. Read more after the jump!...
Time to interrupt the holiday program:
(Press Release) High profile graffiti vandal arrested as he preps to board plane A 34-year old high profile graffiti vandal was arrested by sheriff’s deputies Thursday morning as he prepared to board a plane to Ireland at Los Angeles International Airport.. Suspect Jason Williams, also known as “Revok,” is well known in the graffiti vandalism culture and is a member of the graffiti crew “Mad Society Kings” or MSK. Sheriff’s Metro Transit Services Bureau Special Problems Unit deputies were notified that Suspect Williams had a warrant for his arrest for failure to pay restitution to the victims of previous vandalism crimes. Suspect Williams, a White male resident of the Fairfax District in Los Angeles, had been placed on probation for felony vandalism in Indio, California in 2009. In 2010, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Problems Unit Transit deputies arrested Suspect Williams near a graffiti store where images of his graffiti vandalism were featured. He was arrested with several hundred cans of spray paint and a replica Los Angeles Police Department badge. As a result of evidence discovered during his April 21 arrest (Thursday), other incidents of vandalism were found in the County of Los Angeles. Some of the damage is adjacent to the Metro Blue Line and can be seen by its' patrons. The additional crimes will be submitted to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office by sheriff’s deputies for filing consideration. Suspect Williams is being held in the Los Angeles County jail with bail set at $320,000.00. “We take graffiti vandalism very seriously, said Lieutenant Vince Carter, Sheriff’s Metro Transit Services Bureau. “Criminal graffiti vandals who insist on damaging other people’s property are going to jail and need to pay to fix the damage they caused.” For photos, descriptions and information about the arrests of graffiti vandals, wanted graffiti vandals, and graffiti removal, visit the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department webpage on http://www.lasd.org at: L.A.’s Most Wanted Graffiti Taggers http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/lasd/graffiti/ Captain Mike Parker Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (323) 267-4800 SHBNewsroom@lasd.org www.lasd.org$320,000???? If you're having a WTF-moment right now, it's with good cause. Logan Hicks has collected information about some other cases from the last 2 months and look at the bail amounts:...
