Caleb Neelon

Location: Cambridge, MA
Space: Caleb Neelon's Studio
November 2011

If you don’t know who Caleb Neelon is, you’ve probably read one of his articles or books or thought to yourself, “I really need to read that” about something he’s authored. He’s written for Juxtapoz, Print and served as editor-at-large at Swindle and also co-authored The History of American Graffiti, Graffiti Brasil and Street World, all important works about the graffiti scene.

Caleb has carved out a life that includes what he loves and is naturally talented at, including traveling, art and writing. He started traveling at a young age, which gave him the chance to spread his art in a broader scope than most artists. He recognizes that if he had been relegated to one geographic area, things would have been a lot different for him and his career. A significant moment hit when he went to Brazil, where he met fellow graffiti writers and instantly had a shared interest that led to camaraderie. Funnily enough, today when Caleb returns to Brazil, he finds that his books are being read religiously amongst the graffiti community.

Caleb’s studio features a mix of his artwork as well as pieces from friends. He expressed that most of his art comes from trades and is usually from people he has met or is friends with, a testament to the reach his presence has in the graffiti world. Unabashed with his black book, Caleb’s art collection is clearly an extension of the art sharing within the community.

Enjoy a look at his studio space!

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Caleb and Ferdinand

Look closely at the end of the bat.

Jordan Knight from NKOTB

Jordan Knight as graffiti artist Popeye in The History of American Graffiti

Greg Lamarche aka SP One

Os Gemeos

"Art Legos" - Caleb's ingenious and fun way of playing around with lettering - a bunch of shapes ready to be turned into his moniker, SONIK

Caleb Neelon Preview

We thought it would be appropriate to have the teaser photo for Caleb Neelon be from his bookshelf, since his books are some of the most essential titles in the world of graffiti. Be back here tomorrow for the full post!

Eyeformation

Location: Lowell, MA
Space: Eyeformation's Studio
October 2011

Pulling up to Lowell, MA, we were pleasantly surprised by the city's motto, "Art is the Handmaid of Human Good". The community works hard to ensure its motto is kept alive, being the proud parent of the Western Avenue Studios, a bustling complex housing 143 artist studios. This is where our visit took us, to meet up with Frank Casazza, the artist behind Eyeformation. The name Eyeformation comes from Frank's enjoyment of creating ever-changing artwork, from digital work to painting to 3D figures. The Eyeformation space stood out from many of the other spaces we've visited because it serves both as a studio and boutique, carrying his artwork, apparel and toys. Eyeformation's bold lines and fun characters line the walls both inside and out of the space, beckoning the viewer to a fun-loving land, populated by smiling clouds, ice cream, mustached blobs and lush leaves. When we arrived, Frank was in the middle of designing a wrap to go around one of Lowell's buses. The bus won't be acting as a form of transportation for city dwellers but instead will house a rotating art collection and make appearances at events around Lowell. Amongst other projects, Eyeformation is in the thick of creating a DIY vinyl art toy based on one of his characters, a loveable, plump ice cream swirl. Have a look below for images of this upcoming DIY figure and of Eyeformation's other works in progress!

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Ryan Maguire

Location: Narragansett, RI
Space: Ryan Maguire's Studio
October 2011

When we first spoke to artist Ryan Maguire, he wasn’t sure we’d have much to work with. He explained that he’s been all over the place lately. Working as a teacher in Boston but residing in RI, he spends a lot of time drawing out of his backpack, in transit or in his small studio space. Funnily enough, Ryan gave us one of the most engaging stories we have heard to date about how his work has morphed in subject matter, scale and process. After Ryan received his BFA in Illustration and Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Boston, he started working with strong elements of design and developed Magmo the Destroyer as a way of dealing with the world around him. Magmo’s illustrations grapple with societal concerns such as pollution and big business and according to him, he destroys the bad things that try to destroy us. Ryan’s work as Magmo shifted when he started the VOIDS series. VOIDS spawned again as a way of dealing with concerns and problems, but this time around, the problems had hit Ryan more close to home. His work became more large scale and difficult to read. What he thought represented simple concepts were mind boggling to the viewer. The pieces appeared as a mishmash of body parts, entwined and imploding and exploding all at once. They were engaging, but Ryan found that people were not sure what to make of them.

Then Magmo’s work began to shift again. His large scale charcoal and graphite pieces became smaller and more detailed. With the start of his MFA program, he was exploring storytelling in the details of his art. As his work shrunk, he started drawing in notebooks, and in turn found this as a way of encouraging story. What better way to be reminded of storytelling than to create art within a book?

There is no way you can pigeonhole Ryan into one medium, style or form of expression. He is deeply linked to his art and this results in inspired work. His latest character is Thunder High Chief, who draws in elements of Magmo, in that he deals with societal issues, but the character also incorporates the more detailed stories he’s been illustrating lately. While his artwork constantly changes, we are always excited to see what the next metamorphosis will be in this artist's portfolio.

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Sneak Peek :: Ryan Maguire and Eyeformation

In the coming weeks, we'll be giving you a look into the minds and studio spaces of traveling artist Ryan Maguire and Lowell, MA based Eyeformation. Both have vastly different styles but both are ridiculously talented and inspiring with exciting projects on the horizon. Have a look at the images below to get ready for the upcoming posts!

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Ryan Maguire

Ryan Maguire

Eyeformation

Eyeformation