More than 25 artists will participate in the 2024 ATL StyleWriters Jam on the Beltline. Once illegal, the urban art form is now celebrated.
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Now in its third year, ATL StyleWriters Jam, scheduled for November 1 through November 3 on the Atlanta Beltline, highlights the city’s decades-long culture of hip-hop inspired graffiti writing. Style writing — the name for the colorful, energetic, word-based art spray-painted on walls and the sides of train cars — was one of the four pillars of hip-hop starting in the late 1970s and early ’80s that also included DJing, break dance and rap.
What was once an entirely illegal practice has now moved well into the mainstream with city-sponsored festivals, gallery shows, multiple books and museum retrospectives. The ATL StyleWriters Jam continues the tradition, giving viewers a chance to watch artists make work at seven sites around the Beltline.
This year’s artists were asked to say a little bit about their style. Here — in their own words — is what a few of them came up with.
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United Kings
From RAD1 and Eskeme2: OUR STYLE!!! WILDSTYLE!!! WildStyle is a unique form of writing ✍🏾 we adapted from New York writers back in the ’80s. RIP to TRACY 16, who termed the phrase “wild style!!!” (Eskeme2)
Back then, in 1984-1985, we painted very large, colorful pieces along the MARTA tracks. So if you saw [style writing] then, it was ours! We hold the unique distinction of being the first to do these large pieces along the tracks. Our thought was that we could not paint the trains, or, if we did, the pieces would not last long. So we painted along the train tracks so the people riding the trains would be able to see our pieces. (RAD1)
These days — some 38 years later — we can paint openly and in the daylight. But it might be a little tricky for the everyday person to know who is who, mainly because we wrote in the “wildstyle” code to keep the common person from reading it while the “insiders” could read it. We come from the era when it was common practice to camouflage the letters. Our characters are universal, but the letters are on a wildstyle mission! (RAD1)
Dr. Dax
When pertaining to style, I always try to tap into my own unique self. I love working in the traditional styles built off a solid foundation. But then on the other end, I also like to deconstruct, break all the rules and go against the grain of everything that makes graffiti style. I like to dissect, rebuild it and reverse it — either way it never gets old.
Antar K. Fierce
My style is classical graffiti funk. It’s unique because it sticks to the idea of old school letter fundamentals. I am influenced mainly by old New York and Atlanta writers from the 1980s. It would be difficult to describe to the untrained eye what makes my writing style different, but I typically include bright, vivid colors while simultaneously paying attention to the weight and balance of letters and ornamental placement.
WANE ONE
My style’s rooted in the raw foundation of graffiti, the mecca of graffiti: New York City on the subway cars of the ’70s and ’80s. Over time, it’s grown and taken on new forms as I’ve traveled the world, picking up influences in places like Germany, France, Norway and Japan. From each of these, I’ve absorbed pieces of culture, architecture and fashion, which have all left their mark on my style. But at the heart of it all is that authentic NYC vibe — bold, unapologetic and a tribute to where it all began.
[Visitors] should look for bold shapes and vibrant colors that resonate with the community — that’s what makes my work recognizable. If they know my style, they’ll spot it immediately, but it’s not just about me. It’s about creating something that speaks to the people and reflects the spirit of the community. That connection is what I want them to see.
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