The Letters That Crossed the Ocean – Studying Bando

30 April 2022 · 21:30 · VenRod

Paris – 30 April 2022, 21:30. A bar near the Seine, DeeNice comparing letter sketches with a ruler, which says a lot about Bando.

Bringing graffiti to Paris

Bando – Philippe Lehman, born in 1965 – grew up between Paris and New York and is credited with bringing New York graffiti to France in the early 1980s. He founded Bomb Squad 2 in 1983 and, with Mode 2 and Shoe, Crime Time Kings, the first crew to link Paris, London and Amsterdam. His sharp, precise letters appeared in Spraycan Art in 1987 and shaped European style for years.

We visited an exhibition with his canvases. What struck us: there is nothing accidental. Every edge, every arrow, every highlight sits exactly where it should. Kinky's garden-chair K would not survive here.

How it went

Long and nerdy. We counted arrows. DeeNice says precision is a kind of respect for the people who look at your work. Questions for later: What did you bring from New York that Paris didn't have yet? How do you know when a letter is finished? What linked the crews in Paris, London and Amsterdam?

Bando connected cities with letters. We're trying to do it with a crew. – DeeNice

Love it

The Klitty Crew is a comic universe – all stories, meetings and events on this blog are fiction. Real artists, magazines and places only appear as inspiration; no real meetings, statements or endorsements are implied.