Graffiti Gallery: Crack & Shine International

It’s not the first time we have showcased the work of Will Robson-Scott. Nearly two years ago we published a set of images from Crack & Shine, a portfolio which documented the nocturnal habits of a set of London street artists. Crack & Shine International takes the story beyond the UK to watch artists at work in other centres of street art culture - New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam. A photographer who specialises in shooting street artists at work, Robson-Scott incurs many of the same risks as his subjects. Unlike them, his work is in no danger of being erased or vandalised. Here he describes the story behind each of these pictures which make up a small part of the Crack & Shine International project.

1. Abno, LA 2010 “This was shot along the freight tracks in downtown LA, a very industrial and eerie area. It is deserted apart from the occasional homeless person and not somewhere you want to bump into anyone”
2. Andre, Paris 2010 “Andre is an amazing entrepreneurial graffiti writer. He had a service in the Nineties where he would write the names of girlfriends and boyfriends in a high-visibility area illegally for a fee. He now has his own hotels and nightclubs and collaborates with a new brand every other week”
3. ATG, London 2011 “This is what happens when you're trying to get onto a roof and a steel hatch closes on your hand. He actually nearly lost his fingers, an occupational hazard if you want to get where others are less likely to”
4. Aug, LA 2011 “You can often tell if someone is a writer if their clothes or hands are covered in paint. The large beer is what you call ‘bombing juice’: basically a bit of Dutch courage”
5. Mr Ix, Berlin 2010 “Berlin has one of the most forward-thinking graffiti scenes in Europe. Styles look almost infantile, but if you were to look back at how some of the writers started, their styles now look very traditional, then almost change to an anti-style. Mr Ix is a writer who embodies the anti-style”
6. Twice and Gear, Amsterdam 2010 “There is an old argument within the graffiti community about the relationship between the subculture and advertising. What better way to illustrate it than use a billboard?”
7. LD, Amsterdam 2010 “Painting subway systems is the pinnacle of train painting, due to the difficulty to get away with it and also the harsh consequences if you are caught. This is the application on a carriage of a fire extinguisher filled with paint”
8. Revok, LA 2009 “Revok is one of the most famous graffiti writers in the world. He owes his notoriety to his skill and also his high-profile brushes with the law. His fame has made him a target for law enforcement trying to make an example of him. He was recently arrested while trying to board a flight out of the States and subsequently sent to prison for a minor charge”
9. Noxer, NYC 2009 “Noxer is part of the old school of New York writers, who has been painting on the streets for 10 to 15 years. This shot was taken deep in Brooklyn and reminded me of The Wire”
10. Peg, London 2011 “Peg is one of the best climbers I’ve seen in action. You can easily tell who is a good climber. All you have to do is look up”

Click on the images to enlarge

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• Crack & Shine website

Watch the trailer for Crack & Shine International