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Ian de Beer
Dir. Shauna Presto, USA, 2021, 15 min short

In 2010, prolific graffiti writer Ian de Beer was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for the crime of graffiti and ordered to pay upwards of $47,000 in restitution to the state of Pennsylvania. De Beer had made a name for himself in the street art scene throughout Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and New York City, and dedicated his youth to understanding the nuances and history of graffiti. Upon his sentencing, he was subject to parole indefinitely until he could pay back the restitution. A decade of parole changed the way he lived his life and viewed art. He poured his efforts into creating a studio practice and making large scale paintings, displaying them galleries in the area and occasionally selling pieces to collectors. This studio practice would eventually lead to his freedom, both legally and as an artist.

A Love Letter For You 
Dir. Joey Garfield, USA, 2011, 48 min
Q&A with dir. Joey Garfield, plus Bristol artist 45RPM hosted by Vanguard guest.

Ghost Robot presents A Love Letter For You, the genre defying new film by award-winning director Joey Garfield. A Love Letter for You seamlessly mixes documentary and narrative, love and loss, community and solidarity, art, and crime, to paint a compelling portrait of two artists and their impact on the neighbourhood they grew up in. The film documents the notorious graffiti legend, Stephen “ESPO” Powers as he returns to his old stomping grounds in Philadelphia to paint a series of murals on 50 rooftops along the Market train line. The film also weaves in the fictional narrative of FIRE, a young graffiti king who is fresh out of prison on a quest to win back the love and attention of his ex-girlfriend. A Love Letter For You mixes a local cast with real-life characters as they rediscover the soul of West Philly and it’s dynamic community. The film is a multi-faceted project by Stephen Powers with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and is sponsored by the Pew Centre for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative. The murals have garnered international attention and been published in a coffee table book, featured in a gallery exhibition, and generated community education workshops.

Part of Vanguard x Vans – On the Screen Series.