Comments (0)

The Martin Jones Archives – Part 7

Goldie at Sun Street factory studio, Wolverhampton in 1987, with his ‘TAT’ mural. Image – Martin Jones

Goldie created a range of canvases experimenting with different styles for the ‘Rockin’ the City’ show in 1987. In recognition of his outstanding work he was made an honorary member of New York’s TAT crew and invited to return to New York to work with them again.

In 1988 he went back, carrying out several late night pieces in the yards and lay-ups on the New York subway, teaming up with his friend Vulcan once more. He extended his stay to visit Florida, where he met his father again after many years’ separation, and worked in the Miami Flea Market doing airbrush t-shirts. It was during this time that he met a trader who cast gold grills that fit over teeth, whom he asked to teach him the trade.

When he returned to the UK, he began a small business in Walsall making custom grills and gold rings for the Hip Hop community as well as carrying out mural commissions I obtained for him with a range of commercial clients such as Swatch Watches, British Telecom and Bass Mitchell and Butlers. He also appeared live on BBC Pebble Mill at One, defending his art form in a debate with local police and the Birmingham council cleansing department, and created a mural for a debate on graffiti art on ITV’s Central Weekend Friday night current affairs discussion show.

Comments (0)

The Martin Jones Archives – Part 6

Goldie and the Transatlantic Federation: left to right, Nicer, Goldie, Brim, Bio, T Kid, Vulcan; Brighton sea front 1987.

In 1987 I brought over some of the best graffiti artists in New York to create an exhibition of canvases alongside Goldie and Bristol’s 3D (later of Massive Attack). The New York crew was TAT (Tuff Ass Team), two of whom (Bio and Nicer) are still painting today as part of TATS, a successful and prolific company carrying out public mural projects. T Kid and Vulcan are still painting too and all are considered to be among the pantheon of all time greats.

The picture was taken on Brighton sea front. I decided to arrange some R and R for the crew after their transatlantic flight, before taking them up to Wolverhampton where the exhibition was to be created.

I hired an old factory unit near Low Level station, between Heathtown and the city centre of Wolverhampton. Each artist had four 12’ x 8’ canvases to paint and four 4’ x 4’s, plus a 40’ replica of a New York subway car, which was a team project. Vulcan put all his three large canvases together to create an immense ‘Triptych’ burner featuring his name in elaborate multi-layered wildstyle letters.

We obtained a lot of coverage for the project, positive and negative in equal measure. Central TV filmed an excellent arts documentary that truly reflected the background to the movement and the motivation of the artists. However BBC Midlands Today chose to associate the show with bus tagging. An ignorant yet influential local councillor ordered that our grant – that had already been approved – be withdrawn.

Comments (0)

Goldie B2B Marcus Intalex Mix

Back in May, Metalheadz hosted a night with the A Bunch of Cuts crew & this Back to Back mix was captured for future generations of junglists to enjoy.

Goldie is in the mix B2B with Marcus Intalex, while Lowqui takes on mic duties. The fine people at We Fear Silence have hosted it on their blog right now… Head on over & check it out.

Listen here

Comments (0)

The Martin Jones Archives – Part 5

Goldie mural, in the foyer of Hawthorne House, Chervil Rise, Heathtown, 1986.

Goldie had a flat in Hawthorne House, a high rise block in Heathtown, Wolverhampton, where he went to live after leaving care at the age of 18.

It became the centre of operations for a vast campaign by Goldie and his night time crew ‘The Wild Criminals’ to cover the estate in over 70 graffiti pieces, in stairwells, underground car parks, on garage doors, walkways and walls. Whilst technically illegal, the murals received a lot of support from Heathtown residents who identified with the social messages they conveyed about crime, poverty, alienation and the broken society.

The council eventually recognised his talent by commissioning him to carry out a large commission on the approach walkway to Long Ley school, which was featured in Henry Chalfant’s book alongside his gallery mural ‘Future World Machines’.

Writers travelled to Heathtown from all over the country to see Goldie’s murals to the extent that they became an informal tourist attraction. Later he formed a ‘United Graffiti Federation’ for his fans, complete with membership cards.

Comments (0)

The Martin Jones Archives – Part 4

Birdie and Goldie run past their ground breaking ‘Future World Machines’ mural which was produced live as a showcase work for the public, at ‘Night Writers’, the Supreme Graffiti Team’s first gallery show, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, August 1986. Photo: Martin Jones.

Goldie’s Future World Machines was undoubtedly the finest mural to come from the Supreme Graffiti Team’s first ever art gallery show. The show marked a significant departure because the work was sprayed onto boards and canvases for the first time rather than walls.

It was the result of months of experimentation in sketch books and on walls throughout Heathtown in Wolverhampton, where Goldie lived at the time. The half- man/ half-robot figure, glass bubble, vents and pipes were developed in close collaboration with Chris Harvey, who was the group’s illustrator/cartoonist. They drew much inspiration from the film Blade Runner, analysing the film on video, frame by frame.

The colours were specially developed by Goldie. We built a fruitful relationship with the manager of Nicholls, a car paint business in Walsall, who allowed Goldie into their workshops to supervise the custom mixing of colours to his own precise specifications. It enabled Goldie to produce just the right shades of red, pink and blue for the lettering, and the dull brown and grey for the panels. Another unique feature is how the panels change colour under the dome. Indeed the panelling became something of a trademark feature and was also used in ‘Global Destruction’, his entry for the Bridlington World Graffiti Competition in 1987.

Future World Machines was selected by Henry Chalfant to be one of those representing the UK, for his 1987 book ‘Spraycan Art’ about the best graffiti art around the world.