Aerosol Dreamin’ started with a conversation with my friend Mike. We took a walk in the LES exploring the idea of the film as well as discussing hip hop, graffiti and art. The dynamics in graffiti are complex. The unique lexicon reveals a competitive sport born in the concrete jungle. The art form has since taken hold of the world with commissioned pieces on the walls of your favorite brands, tags up on a billboard, or high up on a bridge, or even riding a train. Writing “Aerosol Dreamin’” was my first dive into writing a script with the goal of producing it into something we all can see and enjoy. I want to thank you for finding yourself here to read about this film and thank you for supporting it! 

 

Graffiti has been in front of me since I was a kid. I pay attention to names I see, and the artwork that people create. The urge to put aerosol paint to brick is like the urge a writer gets to pick up the pen and pad, or keys. The work of artists like Fumeroism, Meres One, Burn, Charley Doves, D’Evolz, Flash, Quasar, Joji Joji, and so many more continue to inspire art like this short film. This is why Aerosol Dreamin’ is dedicated to 5 Pointz “The Institute of Higher Burnin’.” 5 Pointz was forced to shut down and they used white paint to cover all of the art before any of the artists could manage to document the art with photography or even collect any artwork that could be removed from parts of the building. They painted over the heart of graffiti, where they had Biggie, Nas, tributes to the city, and artwork from some of the greatest arts in the world. The art belonged in a museum. 

 

We went there as kids and saw that place as an inspiration. Legendary Meres One brought a place to the city where you could enjoy looking at graffiti and feel safe to enjoy something that people often get arrested for. You could see 5 Pointz while you were riding the 7 Train. I miss the energy and passion I would feel at 5 Pointz. To many this may seem silly, but for a lot of us artists, being able to see art in the way 5 Pointz presented it was truly inspiring and liberating. It was a monument for those of us who loved art, we are many. Art is essentially a form of healing, and the people who decided to paint over the building took that healing away from us and kids in the future who could have seen the incredible work and stories painted by some of the most amazing aerosol artists in the world. 

 

Love you all. Keep creating and sharing your art! 

 

Peace,

Nathaniel Jimenez