ASKEW has been spending a lot of time in New York City over the last couple years, so he was stoked to have some friends from Auckland visiting the Big Apple towards the end of last year.
SAVES and PHATONE had signed up to run in the New York Marathon, so for them, the journey was two years in the making. DIVA was along for the ride, and in true Aotearoa spirt, the NZ posse on the ground was rolling deep. ASKEW did the head-count – 18 Kiwis in NYC at the same time for various reasons.
Naturally, for SAVES, the marathon first-timer, and PHATONE, seasoned marathon runner, running 42KM through all five boroughs wasn’t enough, they had to slide into some graffiti action too. So, the TMDs, met up with the DYMs (aww, shit – don’t fight me) to rock one of HOST’s walls in Bushwick. 4EVS, and MAST came for a spray too, and OMENS from Chicago jammed straight from the airport to claim a spot.
Beyond that, they painted an alleyway in Chelsea, and of course, there was the marathon itself. The non-runners stooping up in front of a gospel church, sharing steps with the gospel choir and cheering the runners on.
“It was pretty crazy.”
Photos: ASKEW, RIMONI, and MAST
Follow the artists on IG: @askewone, @charles_phat1tmd, @janine_divatmd, @benjaminwork, @omens_msk, @indeliblefunk, @18ism, @nueva_york_bklyn, @_4evs_
Words: Luke Shirlaw / Artillery Projects
