Getting up: this term is often used by Graffiti Artists. It is defined as: representing (reppin’) your name to show that your the best Graffiti Artist (tagger) out there and no one can stop you from doing what you do best. In the language of Hip Hop it is also defined as the ability to rise above everyone else, and step up to a higher level.
Hip Hop is a culture, and form of groundbreaking music and self-expression. The four main elements that make up the foundation and essential building blocks of the genre are Graffiti Art, DJ’s, MC’s, and Break Dancing. It all began over thirty years ago during the 1970’s in a part of New York City often referred to as “da boogie down Bronx”. When party DJ’s would mix and scratch break beats from records, kids who called themselves B- boys would break dance to these beats. The Master of Ceremonies “the MC” was the guy who got the party started by rapping (rhyming poetically and lyrically), to the DJ’s beats, and music. This form of lyrical self-expression would eventually evolve into what is known today as rap music or Hip Hop and has now grown into a multi-billion dollar industry. Graffiti was the visual artistic interpretation of the whole movement. The use of B-boy characters and tags with intertwining letters and arrows led to the “Wild Style” era in the early 80’s. Whether you were a rapper, break dancer, or graffiti artist, everything was based on who had the best “style” and that’s how you gained your respect on the streets of your particular “hood”. Hip Hop’s elements would sometimes imitate one another in a different form, for example: In Wild Style graffiti, names and tags consist of letters that are connected and intertwined. They are composed and designed in a geometric style evoking movement through a series of arrows going in different directions. This is supposed to emulate the way a break-dancer would move, also in a geometric manner. His hands would mimic the arrows in graffiti going through letters as he breaks, spins, pops and locks, ending with a pose (“freeze”), “B-boy Style”.
Alan Pastrana was born and raised in the New York City borough of Queens. (“108th street, In the house!”). It was there that he was exposed to the art of Graffiti and the Hip Hop culture! He remembers walking to school with his headphones on, bopping his head, listening to, that rap music, and checking out all the graffiti pieces he would see on walls and subway trains. To many people, graffiti was a big nuisance in New York City. Alan saw it as an art form, and was very intrigued by it. Sometimes he would bring a sketchbook with him and copy some of the letters right off the walls. Alan has always had a love of art and can remember drawing as far back as four years old. He was greatly influenced by his father, who was an architect by trade and also had a big appreciation for art. He would take Alan to the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art to view the fine art and oil paintings of such artist as: John Singer Sargent, Peter Paul Rubens, and Vincent Van Gogh. Alan was first exposed to airbrushing by watching artist airbrush on T-shirts and jean jackets at “Uniques”, a clothing boutique store in “the village” section of Manhattan. Unfortunately, no one was giving up his or her trade secrets on airbrushing, so Alan just watched, observed and learned. To educate himself Alan would read all of the insightful articles in “Airbrush Action” magazine. Alan credits “Craig Fraiser” of Kal Koncepts, in Bakersfield CA, for being one of his first influences into custom automotive airbrushing. Alan enrolled in “The Fashion Institute of Technology” (F.I.T.) where he obtained a bachelors degree in Illustration. There he refined his skills by learning about, design, composition, and color theory, as well as, how to judge values, oil painting, watercolor, and life drawing. Pastrana credits the school for having a very good art and design program, and some of the best instructors in the field. He also feels that his training at FIT was instrumental to his growth as an artist.
Alan Pastrana now runs a reputable and successful business based in Plainville, Connecticut, where he is the lead artist, and owner of Pastrana Unlimited LLC “Airbrush Studios”. It’s a two-man shop, where Alan works alongside artist, Honorio Reynolds. At this shop, it’s all very much a TEAM effort! Pastrana Unlimited mainly specializes in airbrushing, and custom paint on motorcycles, but will paint just about anything a person can visualize artwork on, that fits through the doors!
Bike builders and their clients are always looking to make an impact through their creations, and as you well know, “that special paintjob”, is the first thing you notice at any custom bike show or event. This is why Pastrana Unlimited is in such high demand. Alan looks at it this way, “just like Graffiti artists obtain their fame, and respect, by having style, and “getting up” on every subway car, or wall, Pastrana Unlimited is “getting up”, on choppers and bikes”.
When Jeff Coles of “One Shot Racing” in Bowie, Maryland, noticed Alan’s work in the “Extreme Motorcycle Art” book by Spencer Drate and Merrell publishing, he immediately placed a phone call to Alan about creating a Hip Hop style paint scheme based on the works of artists, Justin Bua, Frank Morrison, and David Garibaldi. Alan recalls Jeff asking him, if he was familiar with these artists, and to Jeff’s surprise Alan replied, “Those are some of my favorite artist”! After viewing Alan’s work on his website at www.pastranaunlimted.com and having many phone conversations with him, Jeff knew that Alan would be the perfect fit for a custom paint job with a Hip Hop theme. What’s ironic though is that Alan doesn’t consider himself a graffiti artist or bomber, (he’s never even tagged up on a train or wall). He’s first and foremost, an artist or Illustrator, who is a product of his own environment. In this demo Alan Pastrana is going to show you how he combines airbrushing, and automotive painting techniques, with Graffiti and Hip Hop, along with the use of a computer, vinyl cutters, and markers………. So just sit back and witness how Pastrana Unlimited is “getting up”!