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Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention should have been the title of this week’s podcast episode but it’s already the title of Craig Costello’s new book that just dropped with Rizzoli.
In this episode Craig and Amon talk about growing up in Queens, life in San Francisco, the birth of Krink, Alife, minimizing risk, field testing, racking and the challenges of growing a small business.
More About Craig
Craig Costello, aka KR, grew up in Queens, New York, where graffiti was part of the landscape and a symbol of the city. While living in San Francisco, he quickly garnered attention when his signature “KR” tag popped up throughout the city. As he became one of the more prominent figures on the streets of NYC and SF, he began to hone his craft by creating better tools launching his own line of homemade markers and mops, combining his moniker KR with the word INK. In Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention, Costello has compiled a visual memoir: from his early days of the ’80s and ’90s and launch with the hip New York City retailer Alife, which put his brand on the map, to his evolution as an artist and high-fashion collaborator.
More about the Book
The book showcases Costello’s seminal style and his extensive body of work, including site-specific installations around the world. It also chronicles his myriad collaborations with Alife, Nike, Coach, Moncler, Modernica, Marc Jacobs, Levi Strauss & Co., Mini (BMW), Carhartt, Casio G-Shock, Kidrobot, Medicom Toy, Stance, agnès b., and colette, among many others. Today, Costello’s reach and influence goes far beyond urban street culture. Krink has grown exponentially into a global artist materials brand with expanding collections of apparel, tools, and accessories; while Costello’s unique aesthetic can be seen on objects from sneakers to luxury goods to cars.
Krink: Graffiti, Art, and Invention is both stylish and informative, capturing the ethos of punk and hip-hop culture, and is sure to appeal to the fans of high/low cultural crossovers, as well as die-hard fans of street art and fashion.
Show Notes
Taking Risks
Conservative on the risk tip
Minimized Risk
Keeping KRINK a Secret
Drippy Tags
Didn’t write graffiti on trains in the 80s
Ink tags
Supermarket ink
Grew up in New York
Graffiti traditions
Making ink
Being resourceful
Graffiti zines
Skills Magazine #7
Silver KRINK
The early process of making KRINK
Field testing the product
Stop racking
The Art of Getting Over
Futura and Stash Recon Store
Getting press
Keeping costs down
Learning things the hard way
No plan
Pigment in solvent
Graffiti carries a lot of baggage
Minimal actions
The Red Door
Sculptural piece
Scaling up using color
Using fire extinguishers
Skating banks at JFK
Infamy (Film)
Giant silver drippy tags
Controlling the narrative
Keep things extremely simple
Canon G7
Ricardo Gonzalez – It’s A Living
Built in aesthetic
“Don’t Blame the Tool, Blame the Fool”
Hand made in small batches
Keeping the standard
Quality Control
Trust yourself
Self-doubt
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