The look: Old school prisoner cool

Why is it that graf writers tend to make the best designers? Is it their keen eye for symmetry and colour ? Or is it their ability to create art and have it admired on a mobile canvas? Perhaps, it is that they attribute to their designs the same union between art and nature that is applied to their works in various outdoor settings? I’m sure the answer, is a little bit from column A, a little bit from column B, and a whole lot from column C. French graf writers turned designers Hex and Hept, demonstrate this in their usage of a pigeon as the logo for their brand Hixsept-L’Oiseau Gris.

The pigeon named “The Grey bird” has become the company’s logo and sums up it’s spirit.Actor of the urban space on the side of sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks and concrete.It remains insignificant for some and upsetting for others.Audacious and subversive, it roams through the city during the day while it sleeps under rooftops at night.The grey bird can be compared to a graffiti writer:he’s forgotten and hated,he dirties and disturbs.As part of the everyday life no one pays attention to him.Just like graffiti that doesn’t shock people anymore.He’s a rude witness of the greyness and daily rhythm of our cities.

This selection of pieces from their Derive-Drift collection is a prime example of graffiti artists’ usage of the 3 elements of design mentioned above. Simple yet enticing, the black and white stripes attract the eye and use a variation of the pattern to add a decorative element. Photographic imagery printed on t-shirts are likened to prosthetic limbs, allowing for mobility of their art. And finally,  a marriage of art and nature is created through their designs. How, you ask? Well because when wearing  these goods, if you’re chillin’ in the park on a hot day waiting for your hot dog to cook when all of a sudden a pigeon comes by and decides to take a bathroom break on your shoulder…you’ve basically got a 50/50 chance that that sh*t might just blend with your t-shirt. And those are pretty good odds.

Pick up these and other pieces from Hixsept-L’oiseau Gris at their webstore.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts