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Stussy Honolulu got together with artist Ghost to work on some t-shirts. They made two t-shirts, both featuring a mix of Stussy signature artwork and Ghost artwork. They are now both available at Stussy Direct.

By Jeff Albertson [Via:Seattle Times]

New York City graffiti artist GHOST, or “Cousin Frank” to his friends, is a long way from stumbling through the dark recesses of New York’s subway tunnels looking for an idle train to “bomb.” The veteran graffiti writer, who got his start in the influential and well-documented New York City scene in the 1970s, is now pushing the art form from trains to gallery walls.

GHOST’s show at Seattle’s BLVD Gallery is a collection of highly stylized acrylics on canvas. The bright neon and pastel colors on clean white backdrops recall the “Wild Style” of graffiti art with its blocky letters and flashy colors; the comiclike characters he draws with big dopey eyes and sloppy wet tongues refer back to underground comic artists of the ’60s and ’70s.

GHOST spoke earlier this week by phone about his work and the transition from being a graffiti writer to an artist.

Q: What role have comics played in influencing your work?

A: As a kid I was more into Marvel [Comics], because of where I lived there wasn’t a lot of underground-comic kind of stuff; I wasn’t really in touch with that, but as I got older my friends turned me on to it. I was more into Rick Griffin [the artist who designed many early Grateful Dead posters], I thought his line work was amazing. To this day I think his stuff is incredible. For a long time I was strictly into black ink drawings. I never really liked color.

Q: Tell me about the transition from trains to galleries.

A: For years I was against it. ‘Cause I was just in that mind-set that graf belongs on trains and to this day I still believe that to a strong degree, even though I don’t do it anymore. As the trains got clean and I got older, I still had all this energy to paint and I just had to put it somewhere. I just drew for years after I stopped writing. At the time I never went to school to paint, it was just something I had to learn over time.

Q: Does it surprise you to find out who is buying your work? Not street-level hipsters, but serious middle-age collectors with money?

A: I was rather excited about the BLVD show because it was the first show I almost sold out. A lot of kids that look up to me or like what I do can’t afford it — but do I want to get to a place where I’m only selling to the rich who are gonna throw it in the basement somewhere and not even get seen or just wait for my death? Or is it gonna be like a kid who saves up his money and puts it in his house, cause I appreciate that more?

Q: When was the last time you “bombed a train”?

A: Quite a while [ago]. I only do legal stuff. I’m at that age, I don’t need problems in my life. I’m tryin’ to relax, and I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder every day.

Livestock came up with a great plan to collaborate with various artists to design a new set of t-shirts every 45 days. The first collaboration will be with graffiti artist, Ghost. Here we’re showing you some initial sketches and the final product that came out from the process. The final t-shirt comes in 3 colorways: white, black, and blue. It features the Livestock logo and creatures that are all done in Ghost’s signature style.

Below are some concept sketches of the Livestock t-shirt.

VIA HYPEBEAST

Earlier this month saw the opening of famed graffiti writer Ghost as he displayed his works at the BLVD Gallery in Seattle. A strong crowd was on hand opening night as they witnessed the colorful works that have made Ghost such a respected and popular artist amongst his peers. The exhibition will close out on May 3rd.

BLVD Gallery
2316 2nd Ave.
(Belltown Neighborhood)
Seatttle Wa, 98121
tel: 206.448.8767
April 11th - May 3rd

BLVD Gallery is proud to present new works from NYC Graffiti Legend GHOST a/k/a Cousin Frank, a pioneering influence for many graffiti artists around the world. Having started writing in the golden age of the late 1970’s, Ghost has first hand knowledge of the many adventures and accomplishments of the NYC subway graffiti movement. The original style, vibrant color combinations, and strong sense of satire of his graffiti has managed to ease the transition naturally to his more gallery oriented pursuits.
Ghost has spent many years dedicated to the formation ( or deformation ) of the standard English alphabet creating limitless possibilities for him to subvert the language in his unique style. He has managed to create work that bears the unmistakable mark of an accomplished draughtsman without it being either overbearing or overwrought. The humor that permeates Ghosts’ work comes from the underground comics tradition from his youth, more Zapp! Comix than Marvel. Ghosts’ improvisational approach to graffiti, he never planned ahead what his work would be like, gives his current series of paintings a lightness and spontaneity that has the feeling of an inside joke between old friends.
Ghost has shown his work in galleries across the globe and has become a major part of the visual aesthetic of companies like respected streetwear brand Stussy. There is also a documentary in production chronicling the many contributions Ghost has made to the global graffiti movement. This show will be the second time that BLVD Gallery has been privileged to work with Ghost whose amazing mural in the “Claimin’ Space” exhibition was a highlight for many at the 2007 Bumbershoot arts festival.

more here :http://blvdart.smugmug.com/gallery/4698981_S9dDU#277974290_MoAoh