Lee Quinones’ “Tribute to Modern Graffiti Pioneers,” Left to right: BLADE, Lee Quinones, Fred Brathwaite, Futura 2000, Lady Pink, Painting in Progress for the Exhibition Art in the Streets at LA MOCA, Photograph, 2011. Photo size: 6 x 4 inches — Available
In many ways Blade (Steven Ogburn) is the quintessential artist to come out of the early years of subway graffiti. In the 1970s when graffiti was still a game for city kids to compete against each other to see who would become the most famous, Blade was the self-proclaimed “King of Trains,” boasting that he painted over 5,000 cars.
But subway art was not just about quantity; it was also about style, innovation and execution. Although Blade never had formal art training, he had inborn talent that included an intuitive sense of scale, composition and color. In the early 1980s, he shifted from trains to canvases, and became part of the first group of graffiti artists to move into galleries, where he continues to exhibit and sell paintings today.
Gallery 98 has been fortunate to acquire a large collection of Blade ephemera from his lifelong friend Ronald Glazer. As Blade was one of the first subway artists to make sure his cars were photographed, much of Glazer’s collection consists of the annotated snapshots that Blade regularly shared with friends. More personal are the 50-plus postcards tracking Blade’s life as he traveled the world as an internationally acclaimed artist. The best postcards capture the excitement of having achieved a lifestyle very different from the one he had growing up in the Parkside Houses in the Bronx.
Below is a sampling of Blade ephemera from Gallery 98’s online exhibition The Graffiti Artist BLADE: Photos, Postcards, Sketches Sent to a Friend.
A Graffiti Artist’s Day Job
Creating subway graffiti does not pay bills, so Blade needed day jobs like working at Burger King, and parking cars at an upper east side garage. The job that worked best for him was delivering papers for the Daily News, which he did for close to a decade until he began making money selling paintings.
Blade Sitting On Daily News Truck, ND. Photograph Size: 6 x 4 inches. — Available
King Of The Trains
Blade was the undisputed “King of the Trains.” He had a natural sense of scale and was continually innovating in the different ways he rendered his name. His cars soon caught the attention of photographers Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant, whose photo books launched subway graffiti, as well as Blade’s reputation around the world.
Blade at the Burke Ave Layup in the Bronx, 1975. Photograph size: 6 x 4.2 inches — Available
“Blade – Crazy 5!” on the cover of Martha Cooper, Blade, and Henry Chalfant’s book Photo/Graff: Photos of Subway Art 1970s – 1980s, Signed by Blade, 2010. Book size: 8.5 x 8 inches.
Policing The Walls After 9/11
Blade lived by the code of graffiti writers, one rule being that you never go over another writer’s work. In 2001, after the destruction of the World Trade Center, Blade broke that rule to make a political statement when he encountered an offensive wall with pro-Osama Bin Laden graffiti.
Blade, Unacceptable, “Osama Bin Laden for President” Graffiti by Coe(?), Gone Over by Blade with the words “Traitor Asshole” and “Death,” two photos with writing on the reverse, c. 2001. Size: 6 x 4 inches each — Available
Working on Canvas
Starting in 1980 graffiti writers began to enter the art world. At first, Blade was conflicted about trying to “squeeze his ninety-foot concepts into eight-foot canvases.” But he soon developed new ways of working, and since the early 1980s he has been in dozens of exhibitions and consistently sells his paintings.
Blade in Front of Abstagraf, photograph with inscription on back, 1994. Photograph size: 6 x 4 inches — Available
Blade, Maniac (1984), Photograph of a work on canvas with the size and price handwritten on the back, ND. Photograph size: 6 x 4 inches — Available
The Good Life of an International Artist
Blade’s adventures as an international artist are documented in the postcards he sent to his longtime friend Ronnie Glazer. The cards capture his joy in encountering a lifestyle very different from what he knew growing up in the Bronx. Gallery 98 has recently obtained a collection of over 50 of these postcards.
Blade, “Had a Great Art Show Here. Sold 4 at the Opening,” Postcard sent from Miami Beach to Ronnie Glazer, ND. Size: 7 x 5.25 inches. — Available
“Had a great art show here. Sold 4 at the opeining. Went to South Beach for the dinner (after party) Dolce Italian – 5 star restaurant. It tasted like Italy. The real stuff! $800 for 4 people and real deal champagne.” – Blade and Portia
Blade, “The Artsy Fartsy People Have Real Galleries Here. The Yachts Park Around on the Other Side!” Postcard sent from Gargano (Italy) to Glazer, 2015. Size: 6.75 x 4.75 inches — Available
“Thats a big rock. Yes. The artsy fartsy people have real galleries here. The yachts park around on the other side! Hoping to sell some paintings. No I will not be cliff diving (LOL) Say, I’m so far? How far are you? I’m so far, that this postcard has no title on the front. Wow! Boing.”
Blade and Portia, “Dinner in King Henry The 4th’s Castle on the French Riviera!,” xerox with Blade’s handwritten comments on back, 2009. Size: 6 x 4 inches. — Available
“Dinner in King Henry The 4th’s Castle on the French Riviera! Table and china from 15th century yes, of course I’m having a cigar with my brandy after we dine! Age 52 – Summer 2009. Yabba Dabba Doo.”
A Blade T-Shirt
Graffiti artists often included cartoon figures alongside stylized renderings of their names. Blade was always inventing new characters such as the Jointman. In 2005 he used the Jointman on a t-shirt that he apparently produced and marketed himself. Much later in 2016, the company Supreme used the Jointman on one of their t-shirts.
Blade, Jointman, Screen-printed on Fruit of the Loom T-Shirt, 2005. Size: XL — Available
Art In The Streets, Curated by Jeffrey Deitch, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA), 2011
Jeffrey Deitch’s exhibition Art in the Streets played an important role in integrating graffiti-based art into the mainstream art world. Blade had a significant presence. Outside the exhibition, he was honored with a giant tribute mural by Freedom and RIME. Inside, he was featured alongside Lee, Futura, Lady Pink, Rammellzee and others in Lee Quinones’ large painting “Tribute to Modern Graffiti Pioneers.” (Now renamed “Benchmark: a Great Rush Hour in the Bronx”). Lee’s painting can be seen at the top of this page.
Blade, “Almost 10,000 people showed up for the MOCA show on Sat. nite.” Postcard sent from Blade to Glazer, Art In The Streets (Los Angeles), 2011. Size: 6 x 4 inches — Available
“Having a blast here. Almost 10,000 people showed up for the MOCA show on Sat. nite. It was kinda crowded (Boing) we’ve got great flicks. 85 degrees everyday and classic cars everywhere. Mellow people smilin in the sun. They call it mellow yellow. See ya soon.” – Blade and Portia
Blade stands in front of the Blade tribute mural outside MOCA’s Art In The Streets; mural designed by Freedom (Chris Pape) and painted by RIME, 2011. Photograph Size: 6 x 4.2 Inches — Available
Blade with Pamela Anderson at MOCA’s Art In The Streets, Photograph with Blade’s Inscription on back, 2011. Size: 6 x 4.2 inches — Available
A Book and Website
Blade has been the subject of two monographs: Henk Pijnenburg and Blade, Blade: King of Kings, 2009; and, Chris Pape, Blade King of Graffiti, 2014. His website www.bladekingofgraf.com remains active.
Blade, Book Signing + Artist Talk at the Museum of the City of New York, flyer with handwritten message to Glazer on back, 2014. Size: 8.5 x 11.5 inches — Available
Blade, “For Art Lovers For Bronx Lovers For Graffiti Lovers: Visit www.bladekingofgraf.com” Signed flyer, ND. Size: 8.5 x 11 Inches — Available
