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JA One
XTC
Example of JA One’s iconic throw-up
Born
Jonathan Avildsen

(1969-07-11) July 11, 1969 (age 55)[1]
Known forAll-city bombing
MovementGraffiti

JA One, also known simply as JA, (born July 11, 1969) is an American graffiti artist from the Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York, known for advocating street graffiti during the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's clean train era as well as his prolific output.

Biography

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JA began painting graffiti in New York as a teenager,[2] and by 1985 was known for his work on the city's trains.[3] JA One took on his tag in 1986.[4] In response to the MTA's clamp down on train graffiti, initiated under the leadership of David L. Gunn,[5] JA One spearheaded the movement to take graffiti bombing onto the streets.[6] By 1990 JA was considered by peers to be all city king of New York.[7] His willingness tackle difficult targets, such as police vehicles, has distinguished his output.[8]

Throughout his artistic career JA One has had rivalries with other graffiti artists. In his book Subway Lives the journalist Jim Dwyer documented one of JA's conflicts with a Bushwick based graffiti crew.[9] In a 2020 interview the graffiti tagger Lord Ezec recounted physical confrontations and conflicts he and other graffiti artists had had with JA One in the past.[10]

JA One is regarded as one of the most prolific graffiti artists ever. It has been estimated that he has produced more that 1 million tags over the course of his career.[11] Interviewed for a Rolling Stone feature an anonymous New York police detective estimated that, by 1995, JA was responsible for $5 million worth of damage to property in the city.[12]

Influence

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JA One has been considered pivotal in the move away from the aesthetic legacy of the book Subway Art toward a stripped back focus on quantity and difficult to access spots.[13] The impact of his artistic practice has extended beyond New York with well known graffiti artists from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom citing him as an influence.[14][15]

In 2008 the fashion brand Supreme launched a collaboration featuring JA One's designs on their clothing.[16] His artwork has also featured in a variety of popular media including the video for Michael Jackson’s song Bad and the film Stir Crazy.[17] JA One is the subject of the 2015 monograph What Do One Million Ja Tags Signify?[18] In 2024 he collaborated with Orchard Street based fashion brand Awake NY to produce a graffiti themed capsule.[19]

Personal life

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JA has been arrested on many occasions and received prison sentences as a result of his artistic practice including Rikers Island where he began tattooing other inmates.[20] In 1990 JA One was apprehended by the New York State Police while painting graffiti on the FDR Drive and severely beaten. He was later taken to the Harlem Hospital Center where he was treated for his injuries, requiring over 130 stitches. The police charges against him were later dropped.[21]

The son of a film director,[22][23][24] JA has acted several roles in various films and television series including The Karate Kid Part III, Rocky V, and The District.[25] Despite his father's connections, JA's acting career never took off the way he had hoped. He has a younger sister named Bridget who was an aspiring model. JA One is a practicing vegetarian.[26] He has stated that his activity as a graffiti writer has had a negative impact on his romantic relationships in the past.[27]

JA was a close associate of the deceased graffiti artist Sane[28] and regularly reproduces his tag in memory of his legacy.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Jonathan Avildsen". IMDb.
  2. ^ Heldman, Kevin. "Extreme Graffiti: Xanax and dust 40 feet up, inside NYC subway tunnels, and "fucking up the city"". Journalism Works Project. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  3. ^ Novy, Dumar (2015). What Do One Million Ja Tags Signify? (First ed.). Poland: Possible Books. p. 51. ISBN 978-3-944591-75-9.
  4. ^ "Interview Jaone XTC RIS". All City Blog (in French). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  5. ^ Dwyer, Jim (1991). Subway Lives: 24 Hours in the Life of the New York City Subway (First ed.). United States of America: Crown Publishers. p. 7. ISBN 0-517-58445-X.
  6. ^ Novy, Dumar (2019). What Do One Million Ja Tags Signify? (Second ed.). EU: Possible Books. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-3-944591-75-9.
  7. ^ "Interview Jaone XTC RIS". All City Blog. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  8. ^ Austin, Joe (2001). Taking the Train: How Graffiti Became an Urban Crisis in New York City. United States of America: Columbia University Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-231-11143-0.
  9. ^ Dwyer, Jim (1991). Subway Lives: 24 Hours in the Life of the New York City Subway (First ed.). United States of America: Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-517-58445-X.
  10. ^ "Danny Diablo on Fighting JA ONE XTC". YouTube. Living Proof New York. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  11. ^ Novy, Dumar (2019). What Do One Million Ja Tags Signify?. EU: Possible Books. p. 29. ISBN 978-3-944591-75-9.
  12. ^ Heldman, Kevin. "Extreme Graffiti: Xanax and dust 40 feet up, inside NYC subway tunnels, and "fucking up the city"". Journalism Works Project. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  13. ^ Novy, Dumar (2019). What Do One Million Ja Tags Signify? (Second ed.). EU: Possible Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-3-944591-75-9.
  14. ^ Farrell, Susan. "Interview with Pone.INC of Amsterdam". Art Crimes. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  15. ^ Piskorz, Juliana. "Why graffiti artist OKER has spray painted all over Coach's flagship store in Regent St". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  16. ^ Takanashi, Lei. "The Story Behind SaneSmith's Death Defying Graffiti That's Now Memorialized on a Supreme T-Shirt". Complex. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  17. ^ Be Allah, Sha. "OFF THE WALL: JA ONE XTC". The Source. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  18. ^ "King For A Day…". The Graffiti Review. 2 March 2016.
  19. ^ Dwyer, Ross (12 January 2024). "Graffiti Legend JA ONE XTC Lends His Iconic Two-Letter Tag to New Awake NY Capsule". Hypebeast.
  20. ^ Heldman, Kevin. "Extreme Graffiti: Xanax and dust 40 feet up, inside NYC subway tunnels, and "fucking up the city"". Journalism Works Project. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Interview Jaone XTC RIS". All City Blog (in French). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  22. ^ Gilbey, Ryan. "John Avildsen obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  23. ^ Dwyer, Jim (1991). Subway Lives: 24 Hours in the Life of the New York City Subway (First ed.). United States of America: Crown Publishers. p. 7. ISBN 0-517-58445-X.
  24. ^ Heldman, Kevin. "Extreme Graffiti: Xanax and dust 40 feet up, inside NYC subway tunnels, and "fucking up the city"". Journalism Works Project. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Jonathan Avildsen". IMDb.
  26. ^ Heldman, Kevin. "Extreme Graffiti: Xanax and dust 40 feet up, inside NYC subway tunnels, and "fucking up the city"". Journalism Works Project. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  27. ^ "Interview Jaone XTC RIS". All City Blog (in French). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  28. ^ Heldman, Kevin. "Extreme Graffiti: Xanax and dust 40 feet up, inside NYC subway tunnels, and "fucking up the city"". Journalism Works Project. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  29. ^ Novy, Dumar (2015). What Do One Million Ja Tags Signify? (First ed.). Poland: Possible Books. p. 16. ISBN 978-3-944591-75-9.
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