.
Arrows don't make style.
Complexity don't make style.
It's like make a building that can't stand if can't built soundly... it's useless.
— P.H.A.S.E. 2
P.H.A.S.E. 2 began writing his name in 1971, inspired by Lee163d!, captivated by the possibility of expressing his "identity" while remaining anonymous.
By late 1972, he conceived the initial version of the "bubble letters" or "softie," a writing style that would have a tremendous impact on the emerging writing movement. These letters, created by Phase 2, were soon imitated by other writers, who added their own variations. Phase 2 himself continued to develop them, introducing arrows and connecting bars between letters. He fused and merged the letters of his name, making them transparent, transforming them into stars or faces—innovations that became part of style writing.
Whenever one of his innovations became commonplace, Phase 2 would abandon it for something new, a quest that over time led him to an increasingly complex style. Techno symbolism, alien machine, pyroglyph, hyperglyph—these are just a few of the names used to describe his constant evolution. Deconstructed letters transformed into rigid lines, the presence of third eyes, horns, spikes, references to Egyptian pharaohs, and pure geometry blend into ornamental labyrinths that conceal a new "language," unknown and seemingly detached from the traditional alphabet, designed to be seen, not heard.
70s
80s
1986 — Rap Graffiti Rap
(Vienna)
For the project titled “Rap Graffiti Rap”, the New York writers Phase 2, Delta2, Ero and Rammellzee were invited,
who were guest artists ineesidence at the Vienna gallery Insam from June 19 to July 3, 1984.
Phase 2 and Delta 2 officially painted a line j tram. His was probably the first large-scale - albeit permitted - painting
of a public transport vehicle with writing in Austria.
— Photos and text from the book "Wien Graffiti 1984/1999".
1986 — Artrain Museum
(Ann Arbor, Michigan)
— Photo: H. Chalfant
1988 — Throwdown Under Tour
(Australia)
“Public acceptance - that’s a joke. You know it’s a joke.”
Phase 2 on The Age. (8 july 1988)
Phase 2 and Daze were part of the Throwdown Under Tour alongside Velore and Double-O to tour Australia.
Together, they became the first Hip Hop artists from the United States to tour Australia.
90s
'00s
Sketches — '00s
*All photos in the following sections have been sourced from public internet sources. Therefore, copyright and intellectual property rights remain with the respective photographers and rights holders. If you are the photographer or rights holder of any of the images here and would like to request credit or have the image removed from the gallery, please contact us,
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⚠ — All photographs in the following sections have been sourced from public internet sources. Therefore, copyright and intellectual property rights remain with the respective photographers and rights holders. If you are the photographer or rights holder of any of the images here and would like to request credit or have the image removed from the gallery, please contact us,
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