REVOLT- "Stayhigh 149"
Revolt – "Stayhigh 149", Original Spray, marker and ink on light card stock . Measures approx.11"x 14" Signed and dated by Revolt.
Gordon Wayne Roberts created the tag Stay High 149, combined it with a smoking, halo-adorned stick man he borrowed from The Saint television show and changed the face of graffiti. It's hard to imagine a trip through the subway system in early 70's without seeing his name a dozen times. Changing to his secondary alias, voice of the ghetto, around 1974 , ,he introduced the world to two and three toned markers that spewed rainbows of psychedelic cool. After a 25 year disappearance , a time during which many assumed him dead, he reappeared at a graff show in 2000 and soon launched a comeback that gave a new generation a chance to know and love his work. His tags had the rarest combination of style and meaning I've ever witnessed . High Maintenance is about paying back one of the most inspirational , yet humble cats to ever wield a marker. His spirit and legacy has touched every era of a culture that's blown up world wide. The artists who so generously donated their work for this benefit are giving their collective thanks to a man who transcended graffiti culture and in time be remembered as an American Folk Hero. All net proceeds from this sale will go to Stayhigh's Family.
Born and raised in New York City, with graffiti roots in the early 70's, REVOLT is an original member of the historic NYC subway graffiti crew, The Rolling Thunder Writers (RTW). Known for his ultra-colorful tags and elaborate pieces on the Broadway #1 line, with heavily influenced psychedelic and comic art stylings, and later, taking it "all-city". With contributions to the seminal classic hip-hop films, "Wild Style and "Style Wars", his participation in the 80's East Village art gallery scene, various music videos and, album covers, animation, comics, vinyl toy design, and creating the classic "YO! MTV Raps' logo. His early 80's tour of duty in the city of Baltimore is legendary, where he, like a "Messenger of Style", singlehandedly kick-started a graffiti scene there that still feels his influence today.
His place in the history of "graff-dom" is set.
His work has been seen in various publications and art galleries globally. Recent collaborations and conspiracies include: Roger Waters' Live Earth show, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, VH-1, Scion Installation, Swindle Magazine, Illmatic, ChocolateBar, Kid Robot, Dickies, The Stussy World Tour, E.S.P. The Tri-CoastalGraffiti Show, Juxtapoz, Sony Music, Graffiti: Spirit of an Age @ 40 × 10, Bethel Center For New Media Arts, Le TAG au Grand Palais, The Draw Show, Definition: The Art and Design of Hip-Hop, Nimbus Vapor, Back to the Fun Gallery @ Meltdown, NYC Black Book Masters, and Zune Arts.
