Whoa ! My first trip to Vienna was full of tears, beers and cheers. Levin Statzer (RIP) aka NESH was one of Austria’s premiere writers then passed on tragically and too young in August 2005. My invitation to celebrate his life by Vienna’s crushingly prominent female painter, JAYE and Mr. Statzer’s mother, Doris Statzer was truly an honor.
Nevertheless, (I felt) my duties as an old school painter were anxiety ridden by my own repression of death issues, grief and remorse due to QUIK’s personal history.The challenge to honor Levin’s contribution to creative freedom throughout his life was an awesome feat. Consequently, I felt that with my minimal talents I performed this overwhelming task to the best of my abilities.
Assorted writers, friends, artists and family within a 1000km radius of Vienna answered the memorial duty call and arrived for Hip-Hop music and festivities orchestrated to vitalize and energize the weekend ; maintaining a jubilant air as opposed to the somber event that usually transpires upon remembering the fallen dead soldiers of contemporary culture.
Performances by killer rap acts, namely TEXTA and freestyling breakers set a celebratory mood for the Friday evening agenda that maintained a flow throughout the following days’ outdoor activities. Many painters and attendees danced ; exchanged fond memories combined with stories of Levin’s graciousness continually.
Guests visited Levin’s hillside burial site ; painted en-masse throughout Vienna’s winding canals ; and Saturday afternoon’s jam area. Blue skies, lush leafy-green mottled hills, crisp waterways, and activities accented by a blazing heatwave contributed magnificently to the positive vibe of the weekend’s pinnacle.
Eventually a grand sunset bathed the organizers, volunteers, painters and curious onlookers as a rewarded grace from Levin’s heavens.
Fortunately I was able to simply paint along a small hill green above the waterway disecting a caressing hillside of rolling natural beauty between Levin’s resting place and the jam site. I gave forth my best (emotional) effort spraying the infamous QUIK pink and blue color schematics as I blended my semi-sloppy tutti-frutti aerosol palate in the searing heat !
I cried ; laughed ; danced ; and cried some more lastly as I took a dusk baptismal-like cleansing dip in the swift flowing river at hand below the sites under Levin’s sky-of-fire thankful sunset.
I hope I shall be asked to return someday….
«Hey Levin ! Yo, What’s up ? Thanks ! »
–QUIK 007