A few years back, Gallery 98 was fortunate to have acquired a large collection of ephemera connected to the pioneer graffiti artist Blade (Steven Ogburn), who was famous for painting over 5,000 trains before successfully transitioning to canvas, and a successful career as an exhibiting fine artist. Our collection came from Ronald Glazer, a lifelong friend of Blade, who first met when they were still young teens growing up in the Parkside Houses in the Bronx.
In the collection are approximately 50 postcards that Blade sent to Glazer during his travels around the globe for exhibitions in different cities. The earliest of the cards date from the 1980s and 90s, when Blade began to regularly exhibit in the Netherlands and Europe. Others are from the early 2000s, when Blade was accompanied by his wife Portia, whose name also appears on the cards.
The postcards that we have featured below were selected because they each have nicely rendered signature tags, along with doodles and spontaneous sketches that capture Blade’s humor and upbeat personality. With pictures of glamorous spots decorating their fronts, these postcards capture the romantic life of a graffiti artist who has made it to the top.
See our full collection of Blade postcards. Prices for these postcards will change in January.
“Big Ben is still Big!,” postcard sent from London, November 2008
Blade, “Ya know, Big Ben is Still BIG!,” Postcard sent to Ronnie Glazer from London, November 2008. Size: 6.5 x 4.5 inches — Available $100
“Dutch People Sure Like Flowers!,” postcard sent from The Netherlands, May 2015
Blade, “Say! Dutch People Sure Like Flowers! Lol hahaha,” Postcard sent to Ronnie Glazer from The Netherlands, May 2015. Size: 6.5 x 4.5 inches — Available $100
“Have Some Real Deal Schnapps. Stronger Than the Dutch Jenever,” postcard sent from Copenhagen, early 2000s
Blade, “The Foundtain is HUGE. So The Thing To Do is Have Some Real Deal Schnapps. Stronger Than the Dutch Jenever. Doei for Now.” Postcard sent to Ronnie Glazer from Copenhagen, early 2000s. Size: 6 x 4 inches — Available $100
“When Ya Wanna Feed on Weed Amsterdam is What Ya Need!,” postcard sent from The Netherlands, 2007
Blade, “When Ya Wanna Feed on Weed Amsterdam is What Ya Need! Yabba Dabba DoooooBie. See Ya Soon,” Postcard to Ronnie Glazer from The Netherlands, 2007. Size: 6 x 4 inches — Available $100
Learn More About Blade — A Short Video
Blade: King of the Trains; a video by Cole Berry-Miller, running time 2:21 mins
