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This article and all the pictures seen in this article are credited to Rebel and the Brooklyn Basements.
>> BROOKLYN BASEMENTS
If you think traveling nearly to the end of the R train to Bay Ridge is a journey, the adventure has just begun. Walk down 4 steps and you're at the door of Brooklyn Basements. The glass on the door doubles as a sign handcrafted by the artist himself.
This is everyone's home away from home. Even in the winter time, the temperature is snuggly warm. Some people see it as their own slice of private heaven. You can always find something to do or talk about here. It is a source of conversation and inspiration for all. The basement is sacred, a sort of Mecca for the urban arts. If you were raised in the city, chances are at least one thing you loved as a kid is on display here. The room captures an era hoping to be born again in this new generation. To friends, the motto here is, "Where we can enjoy a second child." Anytime you want to seek an underground getaway, step down into the basement. Anybody can kick back and share stories here just based on something here pleasing the eye. Even some of the neighborhood kids tend to seek solace here.
Open up a closet and find endless pairs of sneakers, some dating back to the 80's that have never felt the asphalt on their soles. Open another door and find classic items of clothing. There are hundreds of different hats to complete the ensemble. Here you can find the "trucker hat" before it became a trend among other styles and whatever isn't in his collection can be seen in one of him many albums.
Without even touching closets or wardrobes, step back and take in all the eye candy. The walls themselves are covered with panels of over 5,000 stickers with logos from old records, clothing, hip-hop, skateboarding, bike riding and more. It's just another compilation that started back in the 80's. Really, much of this merchandise is history and it's priceless.
The entertainment center has a few interesting pieces. There is a Zenith VCR, circa 1985- everyone pokes fun at that one- but what is truly interesting is what's behind the glass doors. As a graffiti artist who genuinely takes pride in his work, there are several replicas of his NYC trains and trucks adorned in full color blockbusters displayed behind glass doors. They're authentic, just check out one of his albums. For a graffiti writer's domicile, this small amount of visible art leaves a voyeur looking for more. In this case, pull a couple of albums from the shelf and grab a spot on the comfy sofa. But beware: flipping through Rebel's albums can cause eyestrain, loss of time and over-exertion of sense.
Here is your archive for documents of times, places, people, events and graffiti not seen anymore. Its where you can say "Remember that gate in Graves End with that tag on it from '89 that got buffed?" and just open it to re-live it in crystal clarity. Want to see two of best albums on the planet? Well, thumb through Rebel's girl albums. Every once in a while, someone will flip through one of the albums and say "Holy shit! I know her!" There is never a dull moment in the basement.
Of course, when someone knows someone who documents things well, he relies on this person to do so in other instances. This is not the reason why Rebel is the holder of thousands of tags, throw-ups, fill-ins and pieces in tunnels and beyond. He is one person to ask if you are looking for a particular photo of something you may not have in your collection. He doesn't mind; this guy is all about sharing knowledge. Likewise, many of the photos were given to him by friends. As a result of knowing that he's be relied on, his camera was quick to act for a lot of rare sights such as an OE TMD tag from the early 80's in a Brooklyn neighborhood where the "buff" may be coming soon. There are tons of flicks of graffiti in Brooklyn, around NYC, the US and internationally.
Just a bit more about these albums: Graffiti isn't the only subject to be caught on 35mm. There are topics on the binders. Some of them are labeled scenery, barbeque, PM (nighttime photography,) urban exploration, favorites and then there are a series of albums numbered one to twelve. These cover vast array of family and friends. The Polo albums are thick and the bindings are weak because they are among the most frequently viewed albums. There is two to three of each of these labeled items, but the others are just different aspects of graffiti. Much can be written about the photographs in this house because they are the main attractions. Word of mouth travels, and a lot of kids know about Rebel and his flicks.
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