TSF: Insurgence
The Status Faction tries to avoid logo spoofs for the most part, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. Follow the journey as TSF campaigns to jam Atlanta.
If you know Atlanta then you’ve seen their city seal.
The Atlanta city seal includes the Phoenix rising from its ashes, symbolic of the city’s rebuilding following its destruction during the Civil War. Two significant dates are outlined on the city seal: 1847 – the year the first city charter was established – and 1865 – the year after Atlanta burned at the hands of General Sherman, yet the same year, it rose from the ashes stronger than ever. On the seal is the word “RESURGENS” which is latin for “rising again”.
We’re pretty sure this seal has been graphically flipped more than a few times, but The Status Faction wanted to turn it completely inside out, both visually and textually. Our goal was to invert the meaning from ‘rising again’ to ‘revolting against’. We’re not clear if “INSURGENS” is proper latin, but it’s our spin on the english spelling “insurgence” meaning: the action or an instance of rebellion; an insurrection. That covered the typography of the city seal.
The second aspect was the rising phoenix, we replaced it with the skeleton of a bat.
In Western culture, the bat is often a symbol of the night and its foreboding nature. The bat is a primary animal associated with fictional characters of the night, both villains like Dracula and heroes like Batman. What could be a better creature to represent the nocturnal T$F rebels?!?!
At the beginning of Summer, 3RD1 and NOS head south to “The A” (nobody actually calls it Hotlanta). Our goal being to reproduce this graphic in monumental scale, and without asking permission. We find a prime spot along Atlanta’s Beltline, adjacent to the city’s newest skateboard park and along a highly trafficked pedestrian route.
Coincidently it’s right under what the city named the “FREEDOM PARKWAY BRIDGE”
- Photo © Tucker Bair / Andrew Stowe / Giacomo Waller, 2010
T$F used house paint, foam brushes, and rollers for this project.
Always being one thing or another- we dealt with some light rain while painting in the dark.
Here’s the finished work:
We also added an enormous full spell out of “THE STATUS FACTION” letters, in case you can’t read.
However successful the work was, we didn’t stop there, we also cremated the city with 2,000 stickers for good measure.
Photo © Nick Allin, 2011
Here are just a couple photos of that inclusion to the campaign (click to enlarge):
~END~
[Disclaimer: The Status Faction is aware of L.A.’s Insurgency Inc. and by no means are we intentionally stepping on their toes. We’ve met them on multiple occasions and it’s been a pleasure. In an effort to avoid confusion, we’ve kept our public display of “Insurgens” stickers in the state of Georgia. RESPECT!]
Steady Mobbing…
We still love our iconic ‘THAT SHIT’S FRESH” and “THE STATUS FACTION” bills.
INTERESTING BUFF...
Burning it up!
Good times with NOS and THIRD ONE. They kid about trying to burn each other. NOS was hating on his color palette, but both agreed that Rusto’s American Accent “Honey Wheat” was an ugly color to start with, but didn’t stop them from going thru near 10 cans of it.
Shit was pretty major and a great time, NOS went super tech and killed it with the Independent iron cross topper.
THIRD went for the creeper-style super spell out taking 3 panels instead of 2. It’s always challenging to go bigger than NOS, dude always goes so L A R G E!
We’ll call it a tie!
(Click photos to enlarge)
Sticker Combos and Crack Heads
MONSTER SCALE!
Atlanta is filled with some of the nicest crack heads you’ll ever bump into. No doubt rock runs hard in the city. Dope boys and dope traps run rampant.
A couple fun combos included some odd fiends around the action.
This box got wrapped up during the day and people were definitely weirded out by what we were doing. Cars were looking on, pedestrians were asking questions and also making compliments. Someone called this “creative.” I think they actually understood! HA!
While this thing was getting wallpapered up, some doped out lady with no shoes on got struck by a car at an intersection. We’d like not to think that it was our fault, since our actions were distracting to motorists at the intersection. She got knocked the fuck out, but managed to get up and walk off to the side of the street in a daze. Some lady ran across the street with a cell phone to call the authorities. An ambulance AND a full size firetruck came to the scene. I guess she was a “captain save-a-crackhead.” HA!
The next day when going to photograph the combo, in the same fuckin intersection a 16-wheeler big rig had it’s front tire pop right off the rim! The tire went snowballing down the road and rolled “safely” over and into a bunch of flowers on the side of the road. The tireless rim scratched a deep and long cut into the road, shit was wild. Cops came to block the street while they did damage repair. Lucky we weren’t killed putting this together. THE STREETS ARE WILD!
This next jumbotronic combo has a good tale too. We spent a hot minute getting this one all tidy. This funny ass cracked out dude came thru. 3RD gave him some change to buzz off, then he started to juice NOS for his change. NOS told him he worked hard for the cake and wasn’t about to hand it out. So the dude was all “put me to work!” and Nos said “what the fuck you gonna do for me?” The crackhead had a great solution “I’ll pick up all this trash here, I’ll pick it up real good.” He was referring to the hundreds of paper sticker backs all over the ground in front of the box. Shit, this was the best $1.35 spent! He picked that garbage up good! T$F doesn’t like to leave all that litter on the ground, but who likes cleaning up after themselves?
During the time he was lingering around, the fiend was singing Tupac and messing up the lyrics. Shit was hilarious he was all “TELL MARY nigga run quick see, do you wanna ride or die…” HAHAHAH WTF?!? After that he went on to tell us how legendary Pac was and that Michael Jackson was too. Said he met MJ and he looked like a women, then he did this HILARIOUS impersonation of his voice, high-pitched of course. Shit was classic. He was a nice man. He took the near $2 we gave him and said he was “finna hit up Church’s chickens before they close.” GOOD TIMES IN THE ATL.
BONUS COMBO!!!!
Easter Sticker Combo
Duurty South sticker combo.
Easter in Atlanta, outside Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt.
Shout out to the homie J.C. and John 14:6!
WTF: weekend edition
There’s never a lack of “what the fuck moments” when you live in the city.
This edition brings you;
1. Gangbanger Ernie from Sesame Street
2. Neighborhood Sensitivity
3. Sexual Spraypaints
4. a Missing Medicated Mutt
5. the Oldest iPhone user
6. the Youngest Tecate Consumer
7. Horses in Hollywood
8. L.A.’s Finest Freeway.
ENJOY!
photo © November80/Richard
WHAT UP LOS ANGELES
PHYLO AND THIRD ALSO YOU KNOW WHO
PHYLO AND THIRD IN THE BACK AND A LOT OF HEAVY HITTERS IN THE FOR GROUND. PHOTO BY http://www.ihateyoulovebb.com
FOLLOW THE LEADERS
REAPPROPRIATION BY ASEND
I GUESS THIS IS A HAIR SALOON...BUMMER...
SOMEBODY HAD ALITTLE TOO MUCH TO DRINK AT THE ECHO...NASTY!!
WE ARE UP, WE ARE DOWN, WE ARE HAPPY, AND WE ARE SAD, TIMES ARE HARD AND THE SHIFT OF MONEY AND POWER ARE NOT SO OFTEN IN US COMMON FOLKS FAVOR, AND OFTEN YOU WILL GET BEAT UP EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND MENTALLY, BY FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND PEOPLE YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW. WELL DON’T LET IT GET YOU DOWN CAUSE YOUR TIME WILL COME SO CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES AND FIGHT YOUR WARS WELL, THE BEGINNING IS NEAR …….MR. PHYLO…………
HELLO MY NAME IS
- THESE PHOTOS ARE A VIEW INTO A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LOS ANGELES
- T$F LIKES TO LEAVE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT BEHIND I GUESS… THROW SOME RESIN ON THAT SHIT AND CALL IT A SCULPTURE
- TIMES ARE TOUGH RIGHT NOW. WITH THE 3 WARS WE GOT GOING ON, THIS PAINTING COULDN’T BE MORE RELEVANT
- KEEPIN IT LOOSE, SHARPIE STYLE POPE CLOWN
- CHILDHOOD SELF-PORTRAIT (MR.PHYLO)
- LOS ANGELES T$F & RTH (IN ATL)
- I REMEMBER THIS DUDE FROM WHEN I WAS A KID AND MY FAMILY WENT TO TARGET
- LATER THAT DAY HEADED TO LA CITA TO BBQ WITH THE HOMIE BIG FRANK
- BIG FRANKS HOMIE HELPIN OUT, CAN’T REMEMBER HIS NAME. SHIT WAS BOMB AND MARINATED IN SUNNY D
- ROLL DOWN ROLE CALL
- SOMEBODY SAY HANDSTYLE?
- MASK FOUND AT 2BAD REFRESH
- SEEN THIS GIRL TODAY, BEING TRAILED BY TWO INSECURE HIPSTER DUDES AT THE MARKET…
- STREET ART POP UP SHOW IN ECHO PARK
WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE VIEW.
JUST REMEMBER KEEP YOUR HEADS UP AND YOUR ART DOWN,.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE, AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO, YOUR TIME WILL COME SO ENJOY THE RIDE,
I KNOW WE WILL!
Confront Challenges with Courage
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
-Nelson Mandela
Perhaps the best way to understand courage is to define its opposite state. Many would suggest the antithesis of courage is “cowardliness” … avoiding or succumbing to pressure, difficulty, and danger. Others would say “fear” … being afraid to do the right thing when the going gets tough. And there are those who would offer “conformity” … letting things continue the way they are because of the high price associated with changing them all. All of those definitions are valid and appropriate.
As a leader, you need courage to do what is expected of you … to do what you’re there to do.
Even the very best leaders must occasionally pass the courage test. The true measure of your leadership effectiveness is the ability to look in the mirror and know that you had the strength and courage to do what, deep down inside, you knew was the right thing to do. And it’s that very fact that leads to the commandment: Confront Challenges with Courage.
Found Photos
Much respect to all the photographers in Atlanta and Los Angeles who capture our street contributions:
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Photos © Jennifer Leigh Strauss Photography
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Photo © PhotoJenInc Jennifer Jaimes
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Photo © Stephanie Mma
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Photos © NYCLA9
Photo © GraaFeetee
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Photo © Cathode Ray Gun
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Photo © Melrose&Fairfax
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Photo © Sticky Shadows
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Photo © TheDirtFloor
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THANK YOU ALL!!!
Steady Mobbing….
Always on the grind.
Photo © Greg Foster
photo © Bryan Mier
photo © Cathode Ray Gun
photo © Bryan Mier
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, WE’LL CARRY ON REGARDLESS
- LOOKING DOWN ON YOU AND JUDGING THE JUDGEMENTAL
YOU DO WHAT YOU DO AND WE WILL DO WHAT WE DO. WE ARE NOT TRYING TO WIN A POPULARITY CONTEST. IF YOU DON’T LIKE OUR SHITTY ART THEN KEEP IT MOVIN, CAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT AND WE DON’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS
- HANDMADE STENCIL/WITH PAINT PEN EFFECTS. DHL STICKER LABEL BY MR.PHYLO TSF
WHAT IS YOUR HURRY ASSHOLE AND DIDN’T YOUR MOMMA TEACH YOU ANY GOD DAMN MANNERS?
WAKE THE FUCK UP, I’M NOT YOUR ENEMY, YOU ARE!!!
- EASTER CAME EARLY THIS YEAR BITCHES!
WE AIN’T TRYING TO PREACH TO MOTHER FUCKERS, WE ARE JUST A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ENJOY SPEAKING THROUGH AN ARTISTIC FORM OF EXPRESSION. WE ARE GENERALLY DECENT FOLKS THAT ARE NICE TO MOST, SO IF YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE THAT AWAY…..THINK AGAIN….
- TITTY STICKER FOOL
I DON’T KNOW IF THAT LADY WAS REALLY NICE OR JUST REALLY DRUNK. MAYBE BOTH?
GOOD LOOKS LADY, WHO EVER YOU ARE, YOU’RE FUCKIN COOL… HA!
- FRESH FRUIT FOR ROTTEN VEGETABLES ANYONE?
WAS AT A WAREHOUSE PARTY IN EAST LOS ANGELES AND SAW THIS IN FRONT.
WAS I HERE BEFORE? BLACKOUT MUCH? APPARENTLY I LEFT MYSELF SOME FOOD FOR LATER.
GOOD PLACEMENT FOR THIS PIECE.
IT WAS IN THE HEART OF ECHO PARK, NEAR A CLUB WHERE MANY HIPSTERS ROAM LIKE ZOMBIES.
- THIRD .. NOS… PHYLO….CREEPIN
- SILK SCREENED BY HAND 8 1/2″ x 11″ WHEATPASTES
- ILLUSTRATED (FUN HOUSE MIRROR) VARIATION OF OUR T$F “POPE CLOWN”
- THE MARTIAL ARTIST WITH NO HAND
SOMETIMES IN LIFE YOU MUST FIGHT WITH YOUR MIND AND NOT WITH YOUR FIST…
…SHIT MOST OF THE TIME— WHAT AM I SAYIN?!?
AND FOR ALL YOU BULLIES AND BACKSTABBERS; WE HAVE OUR EYES ON YOU…
DON’T THINK WE DON’T KNOW, CAUSE WERE NINJAS FOOL.
- THE IMAGE THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
- THE VIEW FROM MY BACK DECK…LIFE’S NOT SO BAD.
I LOVE MY CITY AND I RESPECT MY CITY.
IF YOU DON’T ENJOY SEEING OUR ART ON THE STREETS—
WE DON’T LIKE TO LOOK AT YOUR ADVERTISEMENTS AND PROPAGANDA FOR YOUR ALTERIOR MOTIVES.
IF YOU’RE JUST A HATER— THEN SCREW YOU TOO, BECAUSE WE DO THIS TO FEEL GOOD AND GIVE BACK…INSPIRE AND CONFUSE. IF YOU DON’T KNOW..NOW YA KNOW……..MR. PHYLO…….
Steady Mobbing….
You are the storyteller of your own life,
and you can create the legend or not.
~Isabel Allende
(photo by Zone Six Creep)
TAKING IT ALL IN
- THIS IS SOMETHING WE DEAL WITH EVERYDAY
WE ALL KNOW IT IS A NEW YEAR, BUT NOW IT’S ENDING THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND WE FINALLY ARE GETTING AROUND TO DIGESTING LAST YEAR. THESE IMAGES AND CONTENT ARE A SMALL WINDOW INTO A STORY, OF THE UPS AND DOWNS, OF A FEW RAGTAG ARTISTS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO TRY TO CREATE SOMETHING BIGGER THEM THEMSELVES. THESE PEOPLE ARE KNOWN AS THE STATUS FACTION AND I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS CREW, AND WORK WITH THESE TALENTED INDIVIDUALS ON A DAILY BASIS.
ON WOUNDED WALLS AT NIGHT THE SCAVENGERS WILL LEAVE THEIR TEETH MARKS
THIS IS THE CASE IN MOST OF US, SO WE TRY TO MOVE ON FROM OUR MISTAKES, AND AT TIMES THIS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE.
IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK IN THIS TOWN, CAUSE NOBODY IS TRYING TO HEAR WHAT YOU’RE SAYING. SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO MAKE THEM LISTEN, AND HAVE A LITTLE FUN WHILE YOUR ARE DOING IT..LIFE IS SHORT..MAKE YOUR MARK….
- MELROSE DIRTY WORK: NEW YORK STYLE / L.A. FLAVOR
THIS IS NOT A JOKE FOR US, THIS IS THE WAY WE CHOOSE TO LIVE. THIS IS A LIFESTYLE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO ENJOY OR EVEN UNDERSTAND. PRAY FOR OUR KIND, FOR WE ARE SOLDIERS AND SLAVES TO OUR IDEALS AND DREAMS.
- GHETTO FIELD DRESSING
LIFE CAN BE FRAGILE, LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST. YOU NEVER KNOW IN THE STREETS, THEY WILL STAB YOU UP, SHOOT YOU DOWN, AND LOCK YOU UP…BE ALERT & AWARE L.A. CAN KILL.
BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, AND IN THESE IMAGES I SEE BEAUTY SO I SHARE THIS WITH YOU.
SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE TRY TO HOLD ON TO THESE BEAUTIFUL THINGS, BUT IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET IT GO…I THINK IN MY HEART I LIKE TO KEEP THE THOUGHTS OF LOVE LOST AND LIFE’S COSTS.
I MYSELF HAVE NEVER MEET THE PERFECT WOMAN BUT I KNOW I’VE LOST SOME GOOD ONES, BUT I WOULDN’T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD ….WOMAN ARE BEAUTIFUL…. I WAS RAISED BY ONLY A WOMAN AND AM THE PERSON I AM TODAY BECAUSE OF IT.
- THIS ONE IS SELF-EXPLANATORY….
- AT TIMES WE RUN IN WITH THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT..
IT SEEMS MORE AND MORE THESE DAYS THESE FASCIST PIGS WANT TO BUST YOU FOR SOME BULLSHIT, MEANWHILE THEY JUST PASSED BY TWO RAPISTS AND A CRACKHEAD TO GET TO YOU!!!!!
- THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND. MY DOG ODIN HANGIN WITH HIS LIL BUDDY LUKE
- SATIRE OVERDOSE BY PHYLO ONE
- WE GOT STYLES SO DO NOT FRONT
JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND FANS THAT SHOW US LOVE AND PUT UP WITH OUR SHIT, CAUSE WE KNOW IT’S NOT EASY, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES FOR THE GOOD AND THE BAD IN 2011 AND IN THE END TSF IS GONNA BE ON TOP OF THE GAME AND KEEP BRINGING YOU THAT REAL SHIT YOU LOVE TO HATE…….MR. PHYLO…….
Duurty Durrty $outh (steady mobbing)
The DIRTY SOUTH is: Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina.
If you’ve never visited, or never lived in the Dirty South, do yourself a favor and remove the expression from your vocabulary. One must endure multiple summers of mosquito bites, heat waves, bass mix tapes, and po’ boys first. T$F represents not just L.A., we are connected with Florida and Georgia too. Run tell dat.
COLORS INSPIRED BY SOUTH BEACH MIAMI:
ART DECO not MARC ECKO!
BIKE CULTURE GOES STRONG IN FLORIDA.
PARK IT LIKE IT’S HOT!
MURK THAT SHIT SONION!
LIKE BARAAACK OBAMA, T$F STANDS FOR CHANGE!!!
SHOWERS AT THE BEACH. HAVE A NICE DAY.
DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT!
DESCRIBING TAMPA ISN’T EASY ANYMORE. IT’S GROWING UP. IN THE 90’s SHIT WAS SKETCH. YBOR WAS LIKE GHETTO ASS BOURBON STREET, TAMPA NUGGET CIGAR IN EFFECT, AND STREET FIGHTER 2.
DIDN’T HAVE MUCH PAINT, BUT I LOVE THIS MONTANA GOLD COLOR “WINDOW.”
3RD1 WAS LURKING TAMPA’S CROSSTOWN EXPRESS. HO HO HO.
YOU WERE PROBABLY IN BED PRAYING SANTA CLAUS WAS REALLY COMING.
SOUTHERN COMFORT FOR T$F.
CHECK OUT THIS FAKE ASS “THE WILD ONES” STICKER.
MOSE FLIPPED THE HAND OF THEIR BANDIT DESIGN TO AN ‘M’ INSTEAD OF A ‘W’
HAHA SHIT LOOKS MORE LIKE “THE MILD ONES”!!
EPIC FAIL.
TIME TO WASH UP YOU DIRTY BIRD.
~FIN~
LOVE LOST IN THE STREETS THERE IS A COST
IN CASE YOU GUYS WERE WONDERING WHAT THE HELL THIS IMAGE MEANS IT IS A TAKE ON THE COMMERCIALISM OF EASTER...DUH!!!
455 WAS TO FAT TO GET UP THERE LOL
LA CITA COMBO DOWNTOWN GOT SLAPS///
this is a spot by the vons where dope addicts tend to gather
…………patience is the beacon to my sanity in the place we call la la land……………………………..
MELROSE EATS RESTROOM STINKER
MUSEUM OF ABNORMALITY
……THIS IS NOT A FADE OR POPULARITY CONTEST THIS IS A LIFESTYLE AND ONCE IN A WHILE IT TAKE A LITTLE LIQUID COURAGE TO MUSTER UP THE J.O.B. ….
THE MOUNTAINS ARE BURNING
……..WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED, SO IF YOUR SICK OF US ALREADY,
I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR ALL YOU HATERS…….TUFF SHIT!!…….
PHYLO ONE ANTI CONFORM ROBOT DTLA
THIS IS ACTUALLY BLOOD MIXED WITH MAYO
ONE OF THE PRETTY ECHO PARK LADIES GETTING DOWN WITH SOME T$F LETTERS
……………..STYLE IS NOT WHAT YOU WEAR ITS IN THE ATTITUDE FOOL!!!….
…….THIS IS THE ENDING TO A STRANGE AND FOGGY NIGHT BUT I WILL TELL YOU MY ROOM MATE SHOULD OF KNOWN BETTER THEN TO LET A RIVAL GANG FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD HANG OUT IN OUR HOUSE WHOA MAYBE I WILL TELL YA THE FULL STORY LATER………..
SOCK YO TEETH LOOSE
A LITTLE SCRAP CAN ACTION IN THE SLUMS OF DOWNTOWN
I KNOW THERE IS IRONY IN THERE SOMEWHERE
………..TAKING IT FURTHER INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH A STRONG DESIRE AND PASSION TO SPREAD A MESSAGE SOMETIMES WE DON’T UNDERSTAND, AND ON THAT NOTE I WISH YOU A FAREWELL……….
THE OFFICIAL T$F BLOG 