Summary: Using the tags "CON" and "AREK," local graffiti artists Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp began writing together in 2000. Conlon brought a flair for figures to their collaborations, and Hupp excelled at quick, complex lettering. Since graffiti is performed without a public audience, a writer's pseudonym, or "tag," is the face he presents to the world -- his self-portrait. The sophisticated lettering style, color combinations, and patterning of these pieces reveal the expertise of Conlon and Hupp, who are members of the national "crews," Burning America (BA) and Never Show Faces (NSF). Graffiti became a recognizable form of urban expression in Philadelphia in the late 1960s before quickly spreading to the streets and subways of New York City. Now considered one of the four elements of hip hop expression-along with MC-ing, DJ-ing, and break-dancing-graffiti has moved beyond its original negative perception to become a legitimate and vibrant form of visual art around the world. See the online exhibition at: http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/recognize . Interview recorded January, 2008. Image info: CON/AREK / Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp, 2007 / Montana spray paint on Sintra panel / Tim Conlon and Dave Hupp
