Early on the morning of the 1st of September, I was woke by the phone ringing: My Piece Was Getting Buffed! I immediately went down to the river, found a crevice to hide in, so that I could watch the whole production of the piece being painted out.
Watching something that I had done 12 LONG years ago, being painted over, I didn’t expect my reaction to be what it was. I thought I’d feel horrible, it was something I had done when I was in my twenties, when I still felt invincible and had an unwavering sense of mission. But hiding there watching the workman paint, what I actually felt was a calming sense of accomplishment. What I sacrificed to create this piece, gave back to me ten fold. I never expected it to reach all corners of the world. And even though it was only a blurb in history, I feel it helped put LA graffiti on the map.
Ultimately I’m not happy with them painting over history, BUT, I won’t mind, if it means they will follow through and adopt an intelligent policy along the lines of the Friends Of The LA River’s mission:” to protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the Los Angeles River and its riparian habitat through inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship”. Fuck it! I would rather trade shopping carts, rotting canine corpses, and florescent purple water with a shit brown tint, for clean water and a flourishing, vital habitat, wouldn’t you?.
After I got back home from the river I was inspired to make some adjustments to a small number of the river posters I have, one hundred of them in total. They were signed, dated, numbered, and hand touched, all on the day it was buffed.
Here’s what I came up with, what do you think?
EPIC, pretty funny that u did that to the posters, to follow the reality of it. ha
good shit Saber…the utmost respect
Good shit man. I would love to get one of those posters.
respect.
I know it is hard to survive as an artist and I have much respect for your devotion to your art, but a thought… perhaps charge $60 for the limited edition print and donate the extra $10 the Friends of the Los Angeles River? I know I would be willing to pay extra for it.
Mad respect. Almost brings a tear to the internal eye.
MUCH RESPECT
ME AND MY STEPDAD WERE WOUNDERING WILL YOU CREATE ANOTHER MONSTER!!!!!!
FELLOW WRITERS FROM READING PA,
NOID AND SYKO
Saber ur my hero man!
Bravo sir, Bravo..
Love your idea about the posters……. Respect!
yo! big respect. it will always be apart of LAs history. one love
the piece was a beast……. every one knows about it…. much respect…..
[...] a big buzz on many graf-art websites about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ use of federal stimulus [...]
Think about this.You do the piece,and the graff world goes nuts.Then that toy “JA” comes and paints over it,and everyone goes nuts,and then it rides out the years gettin pounded day by day by not only people, but the elements-ALL to end with yet another monumental story to be traversing its way around the globe(while every one goes nuts).That piece had a strong run….3 cycles worth of heavy Saber conversation over the course of 12 years on one piece…PRICELESS.
TypA Official Street Typography-OsT-_-
Do another huge piece!
They try to beat us down but they will never win!
xnewbiex, Hong Kong
thats pretty shitty news!
where are those posters going?
BIG UPS! BUFFED BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN!
ONE LOVE!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ironlak and darbotz. darbotz said: SABER's piece got buffed http://bit.ly/ndVUC [...]
the buff brought it back alive? it’s never really going to be gone.
man you see how the piece pokes out in the reflection in the water in ur poster..dont know if you meant it but that lets you know no matter what they do,or you do, history never dies..i was str8 toy when it was done edgin 30 now and stilll am impressed..ill die remembering that and thats accomplishment whether it was buffed now or 2 months after it was done…doesnt change anything, it rode from the hard work and what it deserved..the piece payed dues..
big respect Saber! it doesn’t mean you’ll be forgotten…
“The history river..”
and as fucked up to you personally as it may be…the fact JA and Foe came thru and caught wreck on it is also good for graffiti…that was also memorable…and also shows another side and an important side of graffiti…which cant be denied…gotta take the good w/ the bad…and i mean none of this in a desrespectful way…just looking at the situation from an outsiders perspective that has no ties to either side…maybe geographically but def. not personally…beef keeps street graffiti interesting…keeps it exciting…theres action…thats the shit i like…
Art emulates life.
At least there’s a nice white background for the next piece. Hint hint.
i bet only a few hardheaded people (the ones that believe that there way is the only way,) enforced this, and pushed the mayor or the government to make this action, if a few people can make a choice to destroy something (AKA BUFF SABERS “Historical” MASTERPIECE)
(WE GOTTA STAND UP AS AMERICANS AND DO THE SAME VICE VERSA) we gotta demand our freedom… EVERYBODIES voice counts not as much as the governors or presidents , but if you Get a few hundred/ few thousand/ or even tens-of-thousands of people to speak up than OUR VOICE GETS HEARD… and changes happen… (IF YOU VOTED FOR CHANGE) you gotta DEMAND CHANGE! STEP UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD…
(dont be quiet and be like DAMN that sucks)
SPEAK YOUR MIND AND SPEAK it “LOUD!”
HOW ABOUT “CHANGE” we voted obama into office, as President of the UNITED STATES because we wanted the, so called “CHANGE” the majority of Obama’s votes came from young AMERICANS.. MUSIC, HIP HOP, GRAFFITI, PROMOTED HIM (I personally believe if it wasn’t for the fact that YOUNG PEOPLE supported Obama, that would not be in the position that he is in today, “OBEY” created the OBAMA IMAGE, that we see in TIME MAGAZINE as well as other popular magazines, OBEY’s obama design was also on SHIRTS, Pins ,and the stickers you saw on car windows during the eleciton.. we can use Graffiti/ URBAN ART to boost politics, but in the end POLITICS STABS US IN THE BACK the government CENSORS US,
i went to a Young Jeezy concert before the president was elected and all he did was promote BARAK OBAMA he made a song dedicated to him… ppl sang and CHANTED “OBAMA” “OBAMA” repeatedly…
(i strongly believe we put him in office)
i think theese comming up YEARS IF WE REALLY WANTED CHANGE its the prime time to do it… I THINK IF WE ALL COME TOGETHER and protest/Rally things can get done…
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, maybe thought they Made an impact to graffiti Artists, in LA. but its not just that, THEY HURT THE WORLD with this act… LA is effected yeah but i bet GERMANY is effected, i bet BELGIUM is effected i bet AUSTRALLIA is effected… they DID damage to the world, they didnt necassrily hurt graffiti artists, they HURT ALL ARTISTS’… TATTOO ARTISTS, FINE ARTISTS, anybody who appreciates art THEY EFFECTED… SELFISH ACT THAT THE LA GOVERNMENT ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE…
(THEY SAY GRAFFITI CAUSES A NEIGHBORHOOD OF CRIME AND VIOLANCE)
maybe the children that FLUNK (FAIL) out of school or even get bad grades caused by the lack of helpful school resources, such as textbooks, cause the crime and violence in the neighborhood because they get demotivated, from a shitty book… so they spend there time in the streets rather than the books, learning…
“ITS TIME FOR CHANGE SO STEP UP AND LETS CREATE this CHANGE”!
From Spain (Canary Islands). big respect!
SMOKIN GRAFF
Damn, It’s a shame. You’d think some art institute might try and preserve such a significant part of American art.
excelente escritor
respeto a kien se lo merece
una verdadera lastima admirar su enorme pieza de historia destruida
saludos desde mexico.
bucer
Damn thats harsh, did they ask any one in LA if they wanted to keep it?
Awsome!
Im really sad that they painted over this masterpice.
If I was in his crew, I would start gathering supplies, and plan out a mission with the whole crew to drop another saber piece, bigger and better then the original piece… over that freshly buffed spot… I think with enuff people, really dedicated, you could bang that out in a few nights, that piece has inspired alot of writers to go big, not just bigger then average, but bigger then everybody! Thanks for your contribution to the game Saber.
Crook MSG
daaaaaaaaaaaamn
fuck politicians
fuck graffiti control
TOTAL SUPPORT SABER
glad to see you r still up to interesting things. if i had money 2 collect yer work i certainly would. i fully endorse what you r doing.
i am currently (this very moment) writing a syllabus for a college course i want to teach next semester/in the future (wherever i get hired)… “History of Graffiti Art: 1971 – Present” and i was doing research. i am on yer site, of course, becuz you are part of this research for my class.
here’s 2 yer contribution 2 the History of Graf!
Best, J.S.
U know what saber… Ne thing u do is sick ass fux theres nothing.ur mind and come up with is wack k keep up tha good work…… Rember tha river peace marked all graff around tha LA AND THA IxE area i follow all ur work ever sence i started don graff…. Keeep up ur true art……
we met a few times back in the belmont days and in the river once. i remember one night i was painting across the river bank and saw you painting across from me on the river near atwater and frogtown…(man that was back in the days) now it has this kind of mural over it…. but its ironic that even though his painting is their even though it looks like a 3 year old painted it….. its still their…. i’ve seen a couple of your shows and you and i both know man one and he has a very strong voice and also knows all the right people, maybe you too can get together to see if you can paint the river just like that craola toy fool that went over you back in the day and see if you can paint a legit peice in the river…it wouldn’t hurt to try right? i don’t know but it wouldn’t hurt to try…. i know your a busy cat but i know that was one of your pride and joys as it was mine….it said saber but to me it said masterpeice….don’t let it slip away with out trying, in these days its do or die……..and i know you got a lot of pup in you still big homie…….peace an old friend……………… oh yeah i also heard bout this cat este that you guys are considering him in your crue, he is bad news doggie from what i heard, he is also a rat and a snake, he’s a dick riding faget…..but don’t take my word for it…………..watch your self, he just wants you guys to put him on and get fame, thats not graff. you got to earn your spot………….he’s bad news!!!! ask around!!! peace!!!
yo son your peice will always be a monument to all those who know about that creation… hey the cat that wrote that paragraph above is telling the truth from what i heard too. that little rat talks alot of shit behind peoples back and when he gets into shit he asks for help that he started. watch that motha fucka yo. one.
Long Live SABER! There will be talk of him for hundreds of years.
on some real shit, you don’t have to worry bout anything, you are legend and them buffing out that peice just gives you more of a push to strive harder than ever before, it ain’t buffed completely!!!!
yo roomer is that fag este is saying he is msk all day, and that you guys are begging him to get in……. those two comments above are true watch that freeway freddy saber.
[...] Source | saberone.com [...]
it pretty much is buffed completely actually…. his poster hes’ selling is not the actual wall… thats his own paint over his old pics the real wall theres pics posted and its pretty much a thick ass whiteout looking blob… fucked up they would do that shit… they’re just haters’ but honestly ( everybody needs’ haters) because w/ out them u cant show em whats up.. and push yourself to the next level..
big up for that amazing piece! its a pitty it got buffed, everybody loves it! wasn’t it even on a model in a museum? i think they just buffed it because it became so mutch attention and the politics don’t want graff to get attention!
they can’t buff memories.
one love from germany.
saber u would be the biggest toy alive if u die before u pull off another river peice,i mean that would make u a graffiti god
honestly the first real piece of graffiti i saw was this.. it was the one thing that kind of slapped me in the face and said this art… is amazing!! i was 12 when i saw it i just turned 17 and im sorry its gone but in a way its kinda showing the power struggle the city is having and how to look good in some peoples eyes they’re willing to take away much needed money for pipe repairs and schools….
MUCH RESPECT TO SABER your’ piece will be a huge thing in history for years to come
wanted to buy your buffed poster saber, but 30 extra dollars for a little bit of white paint…..WTF!!!!
p.s…….esteh is sick as fuck!!!!
This piece lived a life of its own. It had its own soul and it influenced so many people. It will continue to live through those people as well as myself.
12 years is one hell of a long run. that piece lived to see its grandchildrens grandchildren.
Keep doing what you do best. You are the creator.
to this day that has inspired my art to never shrink.. and now thinking about how it got buffed.. i truly believe in what you had to say in this.. right now I’m going out to paint with a sense of revenge for you.. FUCK THE SYSTEM!
-Stay up big SAB
in a few kind words, saber has demonstrated and shown the world art is a beatiful and inspiring element that art has evolved into with paint………you got the golden arm……big ups to you saberone!!!!
hey i heard some shit down at 33rd and los angeles that este is saying that you guys are begging him to get in msk!!! is this true, if so its a big mistake, i know he got into OTR, i didn’t think they know how that fool is, he will drop dime on amyone to get out of a charge or beef, he can’t handle his shit and that fool that mentioned este being sick as fuck i hope you mean sick as in chubaca sick, he looks like a chimp with that fur he has on him, that little kid looks like the geico cave men!!! lol fuck that that fool i really hope the rumors are fake and i hope the OTR’s aren’t blind when shit hits the fan!!!!!
did anybody see the “AMAZING RACE” they filmed it right in front of THE MTA TAG ON THE LA RIVER??? so obviously the TV show thought that would be a good place to film… after seeing that and how its published across the world on a tv show… why was SABERS” piece buffed? they started the race in the LA RIVER… im just kinda trickled by seeing that MTA SHIT UP and seeing sabers’ wiped off this planet wtf?? I THINK LA GRAFF SCENE WAS PROB THE BEST W/ sabers’ PIECE EXISTING, now im not so sure… i think LA is full of junk now… (and junk im meaning the ppl that buff or the people that order community service workers to buff PRESTIGE high value pieces of art.. the art is good… but it doesnt stand…… i never been to NEW YORK yet so i cant compare LA to NEW YORK but i can compare LA TO PUERTO RICO because i been to them both and now i think im feelin PUERTO RICO w/ there graff, theres’ alot of it… and its everywhere in puerto rico to except… its not so criminalized there, often you will find people paintin highways as you drive through them… and creating murals bump the LA GOVERNMENT!
i couldn’t believe that piece got buffed!! fuckin epic man! i want to get a couple of those posters.
mad respect!
when i herd that they buffed your peace bro that hurt me deeply, i under stand how it is to be a graffiti artist geting your shit put down all the fucking time, and when u do some good shitt like that peace and see your shit destroyed its like loseing a child haveing your son or daughter murdered infront of u, i will definately be buying some of your work bro keep yo shit up nigga u tuff