Stephen Powers, the street artist known as ESPO (previously featured on The Huffington Post), has made waves in the world of graffiti with his no-frills approach to lettering that hearkens back to Americana and authentic signage, but its his spot-on sense of humor that initially grabbed people's attention.
In "A Love Letter For You," director Joey Garfield gives us an insider's view of ESPO's projects and his transition from writing for himself to writing for a larger audience. The documentary will also focus on the heart-wrenching story of graffiti writer FIRE as he gets out of jail and tries to woo his ex-girlfriend into taking him back. Watch the trailer above to get a real sense of ESPO's style and commitment to his work.
For many, the hardest part about the insatiable desire to bomb, tag and make your mark on a city is the unsustainable lifestyle that it dictates. Unless you're a part of that elite group that has made the transition into galleries, graffiti doesn't pay the bills. However, there's more than one way to sustain your practice: Powers discovered a new calling as a professional sign painter. Tweaking his purpose, Powers began to paint for the community rather than merely for self-promotion.
As he continued, the thirst for a larger community project loomed, which gave birth to the "A Love Letter For You" series. Powers returned to his Philadelphia home and painted several murals around the city, then took the project to other locales such as Syracuse and Brooklyn.
Do you have any street art stories, readers? Anything you've seen that has made you pause? Let us know in the comments section.
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