SHAME 125 "Stayhigh" Map

SHAME 125 "Stayhigh" Map. Acrylic and Marker on NYC Transit map. Measures 23x32". 2012.

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.

In graffiti there are a slew of writers' writers, guys who were prolific stylists that for some reason slipped by the radar . Anyone who followed the culture in the 80's or was lucky enough to paint with Shame 125 aka Much 107 knows that he rocked hard. Simple clean letters with pristine characters. A disciple of Skeme who painted with DEZ and a slew of other heavy hitters of his era, Shame 125 dropped out of sight in the early 90's. He got busy on a freight with SAK and Slave a few years ago and has been painting the town lately.
His career on trains began on the 6 line around '83 with Brim. They were amongst the first members of TAT's . Mack also partnered up with them. Shame's talent made him a sought after partner. He met Raz, who introduced him to SEEN UA and pilgramages to the ghost yard circa '84 became commonplace. During this period he would often collaborate with Cem , Kenn , T.KID , Bio , Lase and Raz who would execute an army of memorable cars that set the style standard of the day. Shame even made a cameo appearance on the #1 Broadway line, blazing a two man panel with DERO. He quit the trains in '87. The baddest cats in the game speak of him with extreme reverence, but he's a humble cat who'd never toot his own horn.

About the Artist

Shame 125

SHAME 125 -

In graffiti there are a slew of writers’ writers, guys who were prolific stylists that for some reason slipped by the radar . Anyone who followed the culture in the 80’s or was lucky enough to paint with Shame 125 aka Much 107 knows that he rocked hard. Simple clean letters with pristine characters. A disciple of Skeme who painted with DEZ and a slew of other heavy hitters of his era, Shame 125 dropped out of sight in the early 90’s. He got busy on a freight with SAK and Slave a few years ago and has been painting the town lately.
His career on trains began on the 6 line around ‘83 with Brim. They were amongst the first members of TAT’s . Mack also partnered up with them. Shame’s talent made him a sought after partner. He met Raz, who introduced him to SEEN UA and pilgramages to the ghost yard circa ‘84 became commonplace. During this period he would often collaborate with Cem , Kenn , T.KID , Bio , Lase and Raz who would execute an army of memorable cars that set the style standard of the day. Shame even made a cameo appearance on the #1 Broadway line, blazing a two man panel with DERO. He quit the trains in ‘87. The baddest cats in the game speak of him with extreme reverence, but he’s a humble cat who’d never toot his own horn.