THE STREETS - Issue Two

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ISSUE TWO

WHAT DO OLIVIA PALERMO and SKATEBOARDERS HAVE IN COMMON?

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S LETTER 4 PERSPECTIVES

6 Felik Wong - Paris 14 Christopher Barron - Manchester 24 Keith Aitken - Naples, Paris, Istanbul, Charlotte 34 Angela Datre - NYC INTERSECTION

44 A People-Sized City 48 Street Art 62 Big Bang 68 Greg Mike

72 Lela Brunet 78 Skatelife 90 Interview with Will Boatwright 94 Skatelife on the Streets

EDITOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Meredith M Howard CREATIVE AND DIGITAL ASSISTANT: Eva Howard Special thanks, once again, to Dot Paul CONTRIBUTORS: Felik Wong Christopher Barron Keith Aitken

Angela Datre Will Boatwright Jason Travis

Front cover photo by: Felik Wong

Back cover photo by: Jason Travis

Contact THE STREETS info@thestreetsmag.com www.thestreetsmag.com All work is copyrighted to the photographer, artist or author. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without permission from THE STREETS. 3

What do Olivia Palermo and skateboarders have in common?

They both appear on the streets. And we love to photograph them!

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put that gorgeous photo of Olivia (captured by Felik Wong) on the cover of this issue of THE STREETS, because it takes me back to my photography roots. I was originally drawn into photography through fashion. My dad gave me his old camera, and said - “You should try photography. I think you’ll like it.” I just wasn’t that interested...until street style bloggers like The Sartorialist and Garance Dore came along. I stopped in my tracks - “Wait. You can take pictures of strangers just because they are wearing cool outfits?” And that’s where my love of street photography began. It has since evolved to include all kinds of people (not just fashionistas), and in this issue you can follow the trail that leads from models to street artists to skateboarders.

Once again, we have striking photographs from around the world featuring a variety of cities and perspectives. From Paris to New York, to Naples and Atlanta, as street photographers we look at the world sometimes as tourists but most often as residents. We show you where we live and what we see. It is through my experiences as a street photographer that I have just recently started to love my hometown of Atlanta. In this issue I will share with you some of the changes in the city that finally excite me. Creative visions and artistic collaborations are sprouting up downtown, and I had fun documenting this new growth for you.

I appreciate all of the artists and skateboarders and bikers that allowed me to photograph them in action. Their creativity, dedication, and skill inspire me. And I am especially grateful to and inspired by the other photographers that contributed their awesome photos to this issue. They help me to see the world in a fresh way, and I hope they will do the same for you.

Meredith

Editor and Creative Director

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“Taking pictures is like tip-toeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.”

- Diane Arbus Photographer As quoted on PetaPixel

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Felik Wong

Where do you live and what are three words to describe your city?

I live in

Paris It is a vibrant, elegant and boring city because everything is so beautiful.

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Felik Wong

Felik Wong

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What are your favorite things to do?

I like reading (mainly classics and mystery novels), writing (I write scripts for independent films) and watching tons of films.

(I am an omnivore. I watch everything from Star Wars to films like Ivan’s Childhood.)

“I suggest every photographer should read at least 100 pages of books a day.”

How did you get into photography?

After I graduated from film school, there were literally no film jobs in Paris.

To earn a living I simply must pick up the Canon 1000D that my dad abandoned because he doesn’t know how to operate and start learning from scratch. Eventually I found a living. If I can’t shoot 24 frames per second, at least I can shoot 1 frame per time.

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Felik Wong

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Felik Wong

“Film directors like Stanley Kubrick, Hitchcock, Godard, Haneke, Wong Kar-wai influenced my taste in photography.”

Who or what inspires your style of photography?

Well, I don’t know much about photographers (don’t kill me). Perhaps those photographers that everyone should know like Vivian Maier, Diane Arbus or Brassai etc...

However, film directors like Stanley Kubrick, Hitchcock, Godard, Haneke, Wong Kar-wai influenced my taste in photography.

What is your favorite street and why?

Passage Vivienne, because it looks like it is from one of Brassai’s photos.

What is the secret to a good street photograph?

Don’t be arrogant and ignorant. I suggest every photographer should read at least 100 pages of books a day.

Follow Felik Wong on Instagram @felik.wong and his website at streetfashionparis.tumblr.com 13

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Christopher Barron

Where do you live and what are three words to describe your city?

I live in a leafy south Manchester suburb known as Chorlton-Cum-Hardy.

It’s about 4 miles away from Manchester City Centre. I would describe Manchester as being

diverse Creative

R A I N Y

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“Bands such as The Smith’s, New Order, Joy Division, The Fall, A Certain Ratio have all influenced me” What are your favorite things to do?

I love to cycle, being able to absorb the city by bike gives you a great perspective of things and keeps you in touch with your surroundings. It’s a great way to look for new and exciting places to photograph as well. I also love the rich legacy of the Manchester music scene from the 70’s onwards. Bands such as The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, The Fall, A Certain Ratio have all influenced me in a cre-

I was part of the Manchester music scene myself in the 1990’s, playing in bands around the ative sense as

city. It’s a very creative city and is forever evolving. I do love collecting vinyl and spend a lot of time in second hand vinyl shops looking for hidden gems. There’s no shortage of them here!

Street photography is something I have fallen in love with quite recently. The Manchester urban landscape seems to compliment its characters and passersby so well, I’m totally drawn to recording what I see with my camera now days.

I carry my Ricoh GR wherever I go.

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Why did you get into photography?

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I decided to get into street photography about five years ago when I stumbled across some photographs online that had been taken in the 1970’s and 1980’s. These photographs were taken in the City of Peterborough where I had grown up. The street photographer was Chris Porsz, a local paramedic who was also a keen street photographer. I was blown away with what I was seeing, because not only had these photographs reunited me with my own childhood memories, they had documented this era perfectly. Chris Porsz had managed to capture the daily lives of people of the streets in “Thatcher’s Britain” from the elderly to the ever changing fashion of Britain youth identity.

Ever since seeing these photographic moments , I have been truly inspired to begin documenting the streets myself.

Who or what inspires your style of photography?

I love the actual street itself, down to the chewing gum that has been trampled into the pavement, the grit of the city really inspires me. I have found that the surroundings are as important as the main subject and try to ensure that the buildings, signage and street details are all captured, which is why I also choose to shoot the street with a 35mm for the better depth of field. I remember Chris Porsz saying in an interview that he’d regretted deliberately blurring out the background of a lot of his shots he took 30 years ago as the signs, shops, buildings, etc are all as important as the people in the shot.

I was also inspired by Daido Moriyama who had been using a Ricoh GR camera in such an expressive way on the streets. In fact, it was through this street photography that I got to know the Ricoh GR and fell in love with the camera.

The compactness of this camera seemed to bring you closer to your subjects as it’s so unobtrusive, which is what you need in street photography when shooting with a 35mm.

“I love the actual street itself, down to the chewing gum that has been trampled into the pavement” 19

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What is your favorite street and why?

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I do love the look of a typical northern suburban working class street with back to back terraced houses, but I find that all the parked cars on either side of the road tend to detract a bit from this strong architectural visual. As far as shooting street photography goes I don’t really have a favou-

I’m a firm believer in street photography happening a stones throw from one’s backyard, as well as rite street to shoot in.

the more urban and more populated places to shoot, and anywhere in between! When I started off I always used to go to one particular street in the City Centre. Because I knew the street so well, it was great to practice on. Now I find that if I incorporate street photography into my daily routine I’ll capture a broad range of things happening. I do like gritty areas though. The run down inner city look is something I like to document. In years to come, these areas change, so I think it’s important for the archives.

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What is the secret to a good street photograph?

It is important and very good practice to compose with your own eyes before using the camera viewfinder. This is why I shoot blindly and from the hip most of the time. You should be looking for leading lines, triangular points of interest constantly when walking down the street. A lot less fiddling with the camera settings on the street and much more focus on your surroundings with your own eyes already framing potential shots is in my mind what makes the end result a good street photograph. The art is learning to see, the camera is merely a slave. I find that you get more dynamic results shooting from the hip as it gives the viewer the feeling they are on the streets themselves and also has the advantage of not being seen when you are after that ultimate candid.

Follow Christopher Barron on Flickr under the name The Green Hornet (Manchester) 23

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Keith Aitken Where are you from and where do you live now? (And please list all of the places you have lived in between.)

Born in London UK where I lived in 50s and 60s.

Then New York 69 to 71. Traveling in Middle East 71 to 72. Paris in 72 to 73. UK 73 to 77. New York 77 to 78. Atlanta 78 to 96. Charlotte 96 to 2002. Orlando, FL 2003 to 2007. Atlanta 2007 to 2009.

Charlotte 2009 to present.

What is your favorite city in the world and what are three words to describe that city?

Paris - romantic, historic, art museums.

What are your favorite things to do?

Photog shooting, gardening, current affairs, traveling, cooking, teaching two year old grand daughter

Naples, Italy

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Keith Aitken

How did you get into photography?

Oxford, England

In 1997, digital photography opened a new avenue for recording and creating images.

What is your favorite street and why?

Rue Mouffetard, Paris 5th - because of its history. A narrow cobbled street with market stalls, ancient buildings, and a preserved quality - together create an amazing French and medieval atmosphere.

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Kusadasi, Turkey

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Keith Aitken

The Louvre, Paris

What is the secret to a good street photograph?

Anonymous images, but still a part of a scene.

Always having a camera ready to shoot.

A good low-light capable camera/lens combo, especially for night shooting.

Early morning/late evening images.

Night images wide open with attractive out of focus. (continued next page)

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Keith Aitken

Naples, Italy

(continued from previous page) Finding an appealing area and using it for multiple images.

Always being aware of surroundings and how to best capture local atmosphere.

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Keith Aitken

Istanbul

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Keith Aitken

Eleanor

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Angela Datre

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Where do you live and what are three words to describe your city?

Angela Datre

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Diverse Comfortable Int e r e s t i n g

I live in Astoria, Queens, NY.

What are your favorite things to do?

Angela Datre

Shooting photos is my favorite thing to do. Besides that, I like to walk around the city and explore different neighborhoods, see live music, read books and magazines, do yoga.

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How did you get into photography?

I was always into art and constantly making things as a child. My mom shot so many rolls of film when I was younger, too, which made me realize the importance of documenting everything. Photography became the perfect outlet for me to preserve moments in my life and be creative at the same time. I took a darkroom photography class in high school and loved everything about the process - shooting, developing the film, printing.

Who or what inspires your style of photography?

I don’t overthink my style too much or limit myself to one particular subject matter or way of shooting. I’m interested in too many things! I try to do what comes naturally while still challenging myself as often as I can. At the end of the day, I just love making photos. I go into every shoot and get to start fresh, work hard to create something I’m proud of, and then learn from the experience to improve the next time.

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"My mom shot so many rolls of film when I was younger, which made me realize the importance of documenting everything."

Angela Datre

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Angela Datre

Angela Datre

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What is your favorite street and why?

As a photographer I have been lucky enough to shoot in many different places and that is one of my favorite things about my job. No two days are the same and you can end up in some locations you normally would not have had the chance to see. In the past year I’ve done more walking through the streets of New York in between jobs than I ever have before. I can’t pick one street but New York City, as a whole, is one of the best places to shoot street photos. When the streets are busy, you can often shoot without being noticed. And there is always something wonderfully strange happening.

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"NYC is one of the best places to shoot street photos...There is always something wonderfully strange happening."

What is the secret to a good street photograph?

The key is to always be alert to what’s happening around you. Not many people are these days since they are usually staring down at their cell phones. I’m always looking - I view everything I see as a potential photograph. When I’m shooting on the street, I try my best to be quick and inconspicuous. The street photographs that stand out to me the most are the ones where everything comes together - interesting subject matter, perfect framing, and great light.

Angela Datre

Follow Angela Datre at www.angeladatre.com and on Instagram @angeladatre

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APeople-SizedCity

by Meredith M Howard I have lived in Atlanta for most of my life, and it has always seemed sprawling and disconnected to me. There is constant construction with no cohesive plan. New office buildings pop up in town while neighborhoods are built further and further out of town, and the government is always working on the highways in order to connect the two.

But in the past few years, I’ve noticed changes in Atlanta. Beautiful murals are decorating

run-down areas of the city. Attractive destinations (like Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market) are being created out of old industrial areas. A streetcar now provides much needed public transportation within the commercial section of downtown. There appears to be a second wave to the revitalization which prepared Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics. But this time, it’s not as much about 44

A People-Sized City visitors as it is about residents. This time it’s not so much about destinations as it is about daily life.

And this time, the plan contains a connecting factor called the Beltline.

In 1999, Ryan Gravel was studying architecture and city planning at Georgia Tech and was looking for a topic for his master’s thesis. He grew up in Atlanta and then spent a year abroad in Paris.

While he was in Paris, he walked everywhere and noticed that he felt healthier both physically and socially. That year transformed his thinking about his hometown. In his book Where We Want to Live, he writes about a place that is very different from Atlanta’s car-centric mindset, “I was walking everywhere I went - two blocks to the Metro; two more from the station to school; four blocks to the grocery...I would watch strangers interact, catch someone’s eye, or overhear a conversation that I could at least partly understand...The streets were full, but many were familiar faces. There was the owner of a big German Shepherd waiting at the cafe door, the man behind the counter at the Tabac, the guys setting up tables at the seafood restaurant...”

When I read that description, I am reminded of why I am drawn to street photography - and the fact that I usually drive downtown into the city to do it. I like walking and exploring the city streets. I like interacting with strangers. I like seeing the lives of people who are different from me - people of varying races, ages, and economic statuses. In my “real” life, I travel for miles in my car to be around people who share my interests, and then I travel back to my isolated enclave in the suburbs. There are no side trips. There is no wandering. There is no developing of community or empathy along the way. Just each individual in their own metal box rolling down the highway. Ryan mentions in his book that Atlanta is a city built for cars - not people. Ryan writes, “In a lifestyle dominated

by sprawl, there is little shared experience, only similar experience.”

But what should we do about Atlanta? It’s no Paris or New York. Ryan continues - “We shouldn’t be discussing whether or not sprawl is a good idea or not.

It’s done. Surely we are cre-

ative enough to look forward, take what we have, and invent ways to make it work for our future and for future generations.” So, in the late 90’s, he set off on a

personal exploration. “I explored the infrastructure of the city [Atlanta] by foot, bike, and car. I followed the main-line railroads that gave the city its reason for being, as well as the belt line railroads that supported its economic expansion in the form of the industrial ring around the city...I found neighborhoods on the rebound and some stuck in decline; people everywhere trying to make a difference.”

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A People-Sized City In his master’s thesis, Ryan proposed turning the old railroads that circle the city into a new community connector of light rail connecting 40 neighborhoods and 700 acres of parks. The vision later added pedestrian and bike paths and a network of streetcars. He writes , ”Rather than having transit chase after growth that is fundamentally organized around automobiles, the Atlanta

Beltline incentivizes private development to make better decisions. It avoids a future problem of traffic gridlock and car dependency by re-concentrating growth into areas where multiple infrastructure networks, and existing cultural and social institutions, can support it more effectively and efficiently.”

I heard Ryan admit at a Creative Mornings talk that he did not expect his master’s thesis to turn into a reality. He said he doesn’t have the personality to push something like that through. But in 2001, Cathy Woolard, City Councilmember from District 6, saw the proposal and started to spread the word. Other groups and community members supported the idea. You can hear Ryan tell about the early days in the process here at his Creative Mornings talk -

In 2005, after years of meetings and planning, the Beltline Redevelopment Plan was adopted by the Atlanta City Council and actual construction began in 2006. (If you want to read a more detailed history of the Beltline, you can read Ryan’s book or go to the Beltline website www.beltline.org.)

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Today if you visit the Beltline, you will see that it is literally a concrete path. But it’s a path filled with people walking and biking every day. It’s a path that connects beautiful parks, and it’s a path that, according to the Director of The Atlanta Beltline Partnership, has encouraged $3 billion of private development in the form of new retail and restaurants and housing. More than a path, it’s a connecting vision. (And it’s projected to one day include light rail for public transportation if funded by the necessary tax dollars to be voted upon in November.) It’s one of the few collaborative plans for development that I’ve ever seen in Atlanta, and it gives me hope for the future of this city.

HERE

Click to listen to Ryan speak about similar creative visions in cities around the world that are becoming catalysts for change and growth. He mentions The Highline in NYC as one example (pictured below).

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STREET ART The art community was slow to join in efforts for the Beltline, but once they did, it was visible and expanded quickly and has become an integral part of the Beltline experience. In 2010, Art on the Beltline exhibited 40 works of art becoming the Atlanta’s largest public temporary art exhibit. They will kick off their seventh year with the Lantern Parade on September 10, 2016 and will display 75 visual and performing art pieces.

One piece created in 2015 by William Massey illustrates the type of community building that the Art on the Beltline intends to foster.

The plaque on the art piece reads -

“Each week, the community would clean up/gather old junk from the streets of Atlanta, then the artist would take the material, constructing 4’ x 4’ sections to create the lines and shapes of the overall image. Afterwards, the artist brought the panel back to the weekly open-community art making project in Central Park for everyone to put color, personality, and life on the once abandoned material. 200+ people came together around art. Race, age, background and social status all became insignificant as everyone worked together each week. The final image is of a man named Tony. A friend who was homeless and wayward for years, until he found a stable community of people who loved him beyond his brokenness. He is now employed and with a roof over his head.”

(Follow William Massey at www.williammasseyart.com and on Instagram @divided_mass.)

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STREET ART

“The lawsuits are popping up as fast as graffiti tags on a vacant building.” - reported AJC.com on May 9, 2011

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STREET ART

Atlanta was going through more than one evolution. According to a Creative Loafing article in 2010, around the time that Art on the Beltline was formed, Atlanta was both reviving its anti-graffiti task force AND talking about designating the Krog Street Tunnel (full of graffiti) as a protected piece of public art.

PICTURED HERE - the remains of chris veal’'s painting of David Bowie IN THE KROG STREET TUNNEL (chris veal also paints commissioned murals) - follow chris veal on instagram @caveal 51

STREET ART

ATLANTA COULDN’'T DECIDE WHAT TO THINK ABOUT STREET ART. In 2011, a lawsuit was brought against numerous street artists including Alex Brewer (who painted the mural pictured here) and Greg Mike (interviewed on page 68) for tagging and pasting posters on a private home.

These same artists were in the midst of transitioning from illegal graffiti to legally commisioned murals .

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STREET ART

In August of 2010, Living Walls (organized by Monica Campana and Black Li Rudi Migliozzi) brought dozens of artists to Atlanta for a street art conference and various mural projects. This annual conference continues to bring great art to the walls of Atlanta.

Mural by Alex Brewer @hensethename for Living Walls 2014 (located on Ted Turner & Walton Street downtown Atlanta, GA) 53

STREET ART

Walton Street in downtown Atlanta, GA

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STREET ART

716 Ponce de Leon Place Atlanta, GA

In 20111, artist Peter Ferrari started Forward Warrior in order to make the painting of the murals a weekend event with spectators. (Showing how legitimized his mural-making had become, Atlanta Magazine commissioned him to paint a mural on the side of Paris on Ponce for their November 2015 cover. )

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In 2015, Greg Mike and his agency ABV launched

Outerspace Project to expand the concept into a series of events comprised of public art, music, and action sports to involve the community in this creative urban culture.

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STREET ART

Mural by Felipe Pantone @felipepantone located at 483 Edgewood Avenue Atlanta 57

STREET ART

mural by drew merritt Corner of Moreland Avenue and Hosea Williams Boulevard 58

STREET ART

East Atlanta Village Fitness 1231 Glenwood Ave

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STREET ART

t. r a op p g f n o i t t c o u l r a t s d n i o d c t e ." s s d u d j o a ag e and ng he s r a e us plodi ek y o d e n e m o r x y g e h e t t k d t c a ed h mi ke t M c i r a p t "I st rted wi im... i h a o t t s I uff t s bad

Mural located at 1395 Howell Mill Road Atlanta, GA 60

“I tend towards black and white because it’s bold and really catches the viewer’s attention. Also, the limited palette forces me to really focus on composition. I can’t rely on color to save me if the composition isn’t just right...I believe I’ll incorporate more color in future projects, but not until I feel like I’ve discovered what I need to know working in black and white.”

- Mac Stewart www.macstewartartworks.com

Mural located at 330 Ormond Street 61 Atlanta, GA

Fifteen murals and several events later,

Outerspace Project celebrated with

the big bang.

mac stewart

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big bang

on instagram @caveal

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big bang

Live music, mural painting (or couch painting), skateboarding

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big bang

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big bang

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big bang

click here for video of the party 67

E K I M G RE

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GREG MIKE

Greg Mike’s mural was so big that he worked on it for a couple of weeks after the rest of the murals were finished. It spans the entire underpass at Whiteford Avenue. I visited him while he was painting and asked him a few questions...

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CLICK HERE TO SEE GREG IN ACTION

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GREG MIKE How did you get into painting murals?

I used to do graffiti...since I was 12 or 13. So, I’ve been painting on the streets my whole life. But in the last 10 years it’s become more of a full time career.

So you were painting graffiti at night?

Yeah. This is commissioned, so it’s legal. When I got started, it was illegal work.

Did your parents know you were doing that?

I tried to hide it from them, but they’re not idiots. I’m sure they knew what was up when I’d come home and have paint on my hands and seeing all the sketchbooks and me drawing all the time.

How did you get started on the commissioned work?

So, this is part of the Outerspace Project, which is a mural conference that I started through my agency and gallery ABV, which is over in Old Fourth Ward Studio Plex. We did 16 murals all over the city.

This was one of the largest walls on the project, that’s why it’s taking me a lot longer. There’s a gentleman Matt Limpkin who lived in the neighborhood and wanted this to be painted and we had some meetings with them about it and it worked out where we could integrate it in the project and where we could donate the money and the time and the lift and everything.

So, it was no cost for the neighborhood.

(A couple of times while we were talking people yelled out of their cars to tell Greg they liked what he was doing.)

It’s cool to see people’s reaction in the neighborhood - people excited about it. To give people something to look at during their commute.

Follow Greg Mike at www.gregmike.com and on Instagram @gregmike 71

After the Big Bang party, I wandered the city looking for more murals.

I stumbled across this one on Wylie.

It was so different. And I loved it.

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I tracked down the artist - Lela Brunet.

Lela started out as a studio artist and transitioned into street art when Peter Ferrari asked her to be a part of Forward Warrior 2015. This is the mural she created for Forward Warrior 2016.

I caught up with her at Kai Lin Gallery and talked to her about her work...

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Lela Brunet

Lela talked about the discovery of a technique which is prevalent in her fine art -

I went to school at Kennesaw for art education, and I specialized in special education. And through that I actually discovered interesting ways to use materials. Some of the techniques I used here was the tissue bleed technique that I discovered while I was working with kids that have fine or gross motor skills issues. We would let them put water on there and press it in. I looked at this tissue paper and I thought, “This is amazing - the textures that come from it.”

Here’s a video with more of my interview with Lela

How long does it take you to make a piece?

It depends on my deadline, but I’m a night owl. I’ll work until 6 in the morning. The birds are singing and I’m going to sleep.

So, if I have a tight deadline, I can finish something in two days if I work non-stop. But that means I hide away. I do nothing but work. I only sleep four hours and then I just work

work

work.

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Lela Brunet Lela invited me to her studio, and she showed me more about her process -

Here’s a video of our discussion in her studio

She told me about her destiny I’m named after my great aunt Lela - Lela Hale Burnet. She married a man who was “Burnet”. My grandmother has a bunch of her paintings in her house, and whenever I went to my grandmother’s house, I would see these paintings and they would say my name on there. It would say “Lela Burnet”.

I was looking at it and thought, “That’s my name. I don’t remember painting that.”

My grandmother said, “That’s your namesake Aunt Lela...I swear you guys are kindred spirits, because she was an artist and you’re an artist. She was very fiesty and went to the beat of her own drum.”

And so I was destined to be an artist.

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Lela Brunet Lela mentioned that her mom let her draw on the walls at home when she was little -

I had an older brother and sister, and my sister was always drawing on the walls and then I was drawing on the walls. We still have the furniture that we had when I was young, and we can go into the drawers and see three generations of taggers. There’s me and my sister tagging and sticking gum and making little gum sculptures and then there’s my little sisters doing this, too. I remember I had this idea in my head when I was five -

“I’m going to draw all over my walls.”

And it was mainly my signature - just doing it over and over and over again. And my mom let me do it. She said, “We’ll just paint it whenever you’re done

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with this little thing.”

Lela Brunet

Here she is working on her vision for the Moreland Mural Project which is scheduled to start in the Spring of 2017. Twenty (or more) female artists will cover a large swath of Moreland Avenue with their art. THE STREETS will follow the progress of this project and will report back to you...

I would say that the way that my career direction is going is completely on point with where Atlanta’s going and how much art is coming around - how many opportunities for artists are coming around. I love that. It wouldn’t be the same if I were in any other city.

I’m a proud Atlantan, and I want to spread the love around town.

And I’m getting love back. That’s really cool.

Follow Lela at www.lelabrunet.com and on Instagram @lelabrunetart

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SKATELI FE 78 Photographs and Interviews by Meredith M Howard

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skatelife

This skate park sits on the Beltline. In an area that otherwise would be unused and feel unsafe, the skate park draws a steady stream of traffic and provides the setting for a community of focused risk takers.

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skatelife

Pictured - Ascen Hadjinitchev

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skatelife

Ascen Hadjinitchev I interviewed Jake Haggman (right) and Cam Jansen (below)

Click on their photos for the videos.

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Jake’s dad Dan talks about the differences between when he learned to skateboard and now watching his son learn “We could go out on our own without supervision. I grew up in a town 20 miles north of Boston and was 9 in 1977. I didn’t have a skate park to go to, so we

learned out in the streets and store parking lots. For me,

skateboarding was more of a mode of transportation with a few tricks thrown in. Once I got to be 14, I do remember a few kids building ramps in their yards.

My son learned skating in our driveway and some in the neighborhood. We bought a quarter pipe that we roll out of the garage, so they can use that in the driveway. I am now building a skateboard halfpipe in our yard. I love watching the kids skateboard. I guess

in a way we relive a bit of our youth through them.

Pictured this page: Jake Haggman (left) Cam Jansen (right)

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“IT’S ILLEGAL FOR US TO BE OUT HERE.”

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Luis told me that it is illegal for them to be riding bikes in the skate park. He said, “Most policemen will leave us alone, but sometimes I’ll get kicked out when I’m the only one here. We could go to City Hall and try to get it changed, but there’s not enough of us.

There’s only like 5 of us in Atlanta.”

None of the skaters seemed to mind their presence. There is an unspoken code of conduct that everyone seems to observe. With nods, they take turns and rotate through the cycle. I did hear one kid getting schooled by an elder skateboarder for stopping in the middle of his path.

You have to learn somewhere.

Follow Luis on Instagram @columbian_brad_pitt

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“You get an adrenaline rush.

You think WOW, AM I REALLY DOING THIS? Then once you do it, you think - WHAT’S NEXT?

BIGGER?

WHAT’S WHAT’S BETTER?”

Click HERE to see a stop motion animation of Chris riding.

“It’s a life long passion - like it probably is for everyone out here...I started out racing, but that’s so competitive. And this is more fun. They didn’t have parks like this when I was growing up.” - Follow Chris Instagram @cburden 88

Follow Chris on Instagram @cburden 89

Photo by Nick Scott Pictured - Will Boatwright 90

Interview

with Will Boatwright

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will boatwright Why do you like to skateboard?

I do not “like” to skateboard...

“I LOVE being a skateboarder!”

How does it feel when you catch air?

In the moment, it’s like nothing else matters. You don’t have time to think. You only react.

Thinking is the enemy

Photo by Ken Forsyth 92

will boatwright Have you ever injured yourself skateboarding?

Many times - I’ve broken my ribs, my wrist, torn my knee, rolled my ankles, and this year my chiropractor X-rayed my neck and found I fractured a transverse process of my T1 vertebra.

What was that like?

Injuries suck. I try not to complain or talk at all about pain or injuries these days, especially during a session. One of my biggest “turn offs” is hearing others talk about skateboarding injuries while skateboarding. At this point in my life I really try to take care of myself. Quitting isn’t an option for me.

What's the secret to being a good skateboarder?

I wouldn’t know, but why settle for being good when you can be the best!

Because the important question to ask would be “Are you having fun?”

In my opinion, the best skaters are the ones who have the most fun. I’ve seen plenty of “good” skateboarders that seem miserable because they aren’t tapping into the pure fun of it all.

Follow Will on Instagram @williegameface

quitting isn’t an option for me.

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skatelife

on the streets

By Meredith M Howard Atlanta, 2015 Skateboarding and street art go hand in hand. In fact, skateboarding appears to be an art of its own kind. And a lot of street artists also skateboard. Greg Mike has skateboarded since a young age and designed some decks for Real Skateboards in 2012.

Lela Brunet worked at a skate park in high school (although she vowed to stay on flat ground after seeing someone knock out their front teeth). Most of the skateboarders I see around town are using the skateboard for actual transportation. (It certainly looks cooler than walking). My ears perk up when I hear them coming

down the street...

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Atlanta, 2016 95

Atlanta, 2015 96

“I consider skateboarding an art a lifestyle and a

sport.”

-

- tony hawk from his book how did i get here?

NYC, 2015

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Atlanta, 2015

Atlanta, 2016

get back on the streets (with or without your skateboard)...

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Photo by Jason Travis in Venice Beach, CA Follow Jason on Instagram @jtrav and at

www.jasontravisphoto.com

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