Painting for the After-Culture
By Case Mackeen
The Style Wars Portrait Series
This is a portrait of John “SKEME” Dash who is a graffiti artist from Harlem NY.Skeme painted every train line in the NY transit system. I loved Skeme’s trains especially when he would throw a cool character right in the middle of his piece.
In this clip from the documentary Style Wars, Skeme talks about his latest train and what it means to go All-City while his mother tries to comprehend what he’s talking about. This scene really brought it home for me.
Shortly after the doc, his mother sent him to sign up for the US army where he served for 28 years.
After retiring in 2010 he came back to graffiti writing and is active today.
Check out his work @skemethreeyardking
“SKEME” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
This is a portrait of Keith “Dez” Grayson who is a graffiti artist from Harlem NY.
Dez’s pieces were clean, technical and he was a straight letter king known for his steady hand. Also known as @djkayslay - The Drama King.
This clip is Dez and Kase2 reciting rhymes while they wait for the train.
He passed away in 2022 after catching Covid-19. R.I.P.
“DEZ” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
An original graphic t-shirt celebrating the legendary Iz the Wiz, designed by Case Mackeen. This piece honors one of graffiti's most iconic figures.
Case Mackeen's tribute to Iz the Wiz represents the artistic lineage and respect within contemporary graffiti culture. A wearable collectible connecting art history to present practice.
“This is a landscape of Grouse Mountain overlooking East Vancouver.
Based on the view from my balcony in spring as the snow caps melt away.
Everything is wet and earthy making for very rich colourways.
This view is now cut in half by a new building recently erected.
There’s another building going up soon that will complete the blockage.
It may soon be time to move.” - Case
“Over The City” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
This is a portrait of Donald “DONDI” White who was a graffiti artist from Brooklyn NY.
Dondi pioneered many styles & techniques used in modern graffiti. He was gifted in every aspect of graffiti art & smoothly transitioned into the NY art world (photo with @pattiastor ).
In this clip from the documentary Style Wars, Dondi describes the feeling of painting in the train yard with a big grin. He passed away at 27 of HIV.
RIP
Photos by Martha Cooper and @dondi_the_real
“DONDI”
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
This is a landscape of the view from Queen Elizabeth Park overlooking downtown Vancouver.
After a rainy day the sun popped up just in time to set. The low angle of the sun lit up the glass condos and the reflected light glowed in the misty air. For a moment it created a little sparkle in an otherwise grey and wet atmosphere.
“Sunset at Queen Elizabeth Park”
Spray paint on canvas
36”x60”
Frame included
“This is a landscape of the view from my studio apartment in Vancouver looking over the downtown east side.I have painted this view several times since living here because it continues to change. On this day a heavy cloud cluster hovered just above the peaks of the mountains putting the city under a blue shadow. With cranes towering and orange utility flags tied from pole to pole this ominous darkness seem to humble the ambitions of progress. As the city grows taller my view shrinks.” - Case
“Evolution of a view” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
30”x48”
Custom frame included
“This is a cityscape of 2nd Avenue in Vancouver.
2nd Avenue is the street I drive on most often and live near. It was originally called Dufferin St. which is the street I lived on in Toronto multiple times. It seems I can never get far from Dufferin. Known as Dufferin St when the Quigley Knitting Mills was located there, the company crafted uniforms for the military, police and fireman. It was the sky that caught my eye on this day, a colour combo only seen after smoke from the BC wildfires moved through Vancouver.” - Case
“2nd Avenue Traffic” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
This is a landscape of English Bay, Vancouver.
Referenced from a photo I took while walking Kitsilano Beach. It was actually quite a bright day with many boats and windsurfers moving around. Amongst all this activity sat an empty cargo ship looking like a floating football field, sitting still like the mountains behind it. How much deisel comes off a ship that size and is it too close to the beach? There was 4 of them across the horizon.
“English Bay Cargo Ship” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
Featured in the famous graffiti documentary Style Wars (1983) Iz the Wiz is one of the forefathers of graffiti and a master of his craft.
Click here to see a clip of him from the documentary.
“IZ the WIZ” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20” x 20”
Frame Included
This is a portrait of “SACH” who is a graffiti artist from Manhattan NY.
He stood out in the Style Wars documentary because of his quintessential 80’s style. Along with Iz the Wiz, Min One and Quik, they pioneered the 2 letter throw up and went all city with RTW - The Rolling Thunder Crew (named after the Native American Healer Rolling Thunder)
In this clip Sach describes his love for racking spray paint and how his white privilege makes it easier for him than his friends
“SACH” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas 20”x20”
Frame Included
This is a portrait of Wayne “MIN ONE” Kosmin who is a graffiti artist from Brooklyn NY.
MIN ONE stood out in the documentary Style Wars with his colourful personality and young age. He started painting the NY Subway when he was just 11 and gained the respect of his crew RTW.
His tag appears in most movies shot in NY in the 80’s. As he says in this clip you got to do it all - and he did!
Min is living in NYC and still painting @minonetruelegend
Photos by Henry Chalfant and @minonetruelegend
“MIN ONE” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
This is a portrait of Richard “Seen” Mirando who is a graffiti artist from Bronx NY.
This clip is from the 1983 Documentary Style Wars of Seen breaking down how to paint a piece and explaining to Duster how he wants to do the background of their mural. 16 years later in 1999 I painted in the Bronx with both Seen and Duster in Hunt’s Point along with Duro3, and the TATS cru.
Seen is known as the Godfather of Graffiti and was a total class act, told stories and jokes, passed around cigars and showed us around his shop.
“SEEN” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included
Vancouver Landscape Series
“This is a cityscape of the corner at 5th Avenue and Scotia Street.
This is the view I see when leaving my studio. Located at this corner is the Native Education College @nec_vancouver which is a beautiful wood building with a totem pole and 2 picnic tables to sit under the trees. At a certain time of evening the sky appears electric blue and the NEC lights fill the trees. Opposite the college is an auto detailing shop with an industrial garage and loud cleaning machines. When the sky is this colour, the shop has closed and peace returns to the evening.” - Case
“My Corner” by Case Mackeen
Spray paint on canvas
20”x20”
Frame Included