fragile #27

place·making #5

6144px x 9216px | JPG  
Created by 0009 with AI, 2022

BORN 2 WRITE

"The graffiti Vandal uses space to experience the city in a different but meaningful way, through self-mapping exercises, expressing the moments they experience through visual but non-verbal markers that many other community members do not communicate openly. Graffiti is a design exercise that encourages, whether or not it is actively participated in, stewardship with the urban landscape by finding liminal or in this case, Latent spaces as opportunities for communication, probing a reaction from the community.”

cen·trà·le

9216px x 13824px | JPG
Created by 0009 with AI, photoshop, 2023

im·mer·sive-3

9216px x 13824px | JPG
Created by 0009 with AI, photoshop, 2023  

im·mer·sive-8

"The graffiti vandal uses space to experience the city in a different but meaningful way, expressing the moments they experience through visual but non-verbal markers that many other community members do not communicate openly.  New use of latent spaces becomes opportunities for communication, probing a reaction from the community.”

ɡrōth

4608px X 6144px | JPG  
Created by 0009 with AI, photoshop, 2023

Triple Self

0009 mix

fluente

ARTIFACTS OF A VANDAL

im·mer·sive-15

im·mer·sive

im·mer·sive-12

im·mer·sive-FND

Plotting the next use of latent spaces to probe reactions from the community.  Can't be stopped.

Plotting

SuperRare

Self-Mapping

Do you know what it feels like to race against the clock? As the darkness begins to recede and the first light of dawn creeps over the horizon, a vandal feels a thrill of excitement and anticipation. With heart racing and adrenaline pumping, they know that they only have a limited time to leave their mark on the world before the sun comes up and the day begins. In those moments, every stroke of the spray can is a burst of energy, every tag a defiant declaration of existence. The world is their canvas, and they are the creators, shaping their environment with their art and their vision. With each passing moment, the pressure builds, the urgency intensifies, and the desire to leave its mark grows stronger. Every second counts, don't miss out.

Im·mer·sion-Night

Dual Immersive experience.  Which one do you relate to?

What if we were allowed more time to fully indulge in a painting, enabling us to become fully immersed in it? Like stepping into a portal that transports you into a vivid and wondrous world of color and texture, the boundaries between the art and the viewer begin to blur and fade away. It's a feeling of being so completely entranced by the art that it seems to come alive before your very eyes as if the paint is still wet and the images are still in motion. It's a sense of being absorbed into the very fabric of the artwork, of becoming a part of its story, and of feeling the emotions and passions that inspired its creation. Please allow yourself more time.

Im·mer·sion-Day

Dual-Im·mer·sion

-basking-

You don't want to bump into the third rail.

Home Sweat Home

DEFACED

Intertwined and Distorted 3

Surreal portraits of intertwined and distorted bodies in the surrounding world. (Created with Stable Diffusion and Mid Journey)

Intertwined and Distorted

“The true picture of reality has two parts.”

OTHERSIDE 3

 “The true picture of reality has two parts.”

OTHERSIDE 10

Metaphysical Duality-OTHERSIDE

Superchief Gallery NFT Presents:
MUSEUM SURVEY OF GRAFFITI - A solo exhibition by 0009
Showcasing the global movement of the unique visual language and attitude of "A-I graffiti" as seen through the eyes of 0009

Comprehensive Studies

Superchief Gallery NFT Presents: 
MUSEUM SURVEY OF GRAFFITI - A solo exhibition by 0009

Live-painting

0009 X  Superchief Gallery NFT

Showcasing the global movement of the unique visual language and attitude of A-I graffiti.

ad·mir·er

From the concrete jungle to the Whitewall galleries.  Showcasing the global movement of the unique visual language and attitude of A-I graffiti.

in·stal·la·tion

Museum Survey of Graffiti

"The Devil grows inside the hearts of the selfish and wicked."

Made for tezvendingmachine event "The (Real) Art of the Deal".

Dance With The Devil

"The (Real) Art of the Deal" Vending Machine day entry

Vending Events

Your dopamine centers have been primed by the sudden influx of social stimulus and appraisal via our smartphones. This influx takes advantage of our dopamine-driven desire for social validation, creating a negative and positive feedback loop to hold you, hostage, as a habitual smartphone user. By using algorithms to leverage our dopamine-driven reward system in our brain, the cards are stacked against us.

Dopamine Loop 3

The dopamine-driven desire for social validation creates a negative and positive feedback loop to hold you, hostage, as a habitual smartphone user.

Dopamine Loop 2

Generational Burnout

The mind manipulates human bodies to conform.

Dualism 10

"The mind is the player that creates and adopts the rules of conduct.  The various systems of discipline, both stark and insidious, for better or worse, manipulate human bodies to conform and for human minds to want to conform." - Matthew W. Lawrence

Dualism 13

Metaphysical Duality

back-n-bothersome

Street dreams delves into the essence of youthful rebellion and graffiti art within the vibrant tapestry of 90s street culture. The spray cans ignite like time capsules, releasing colors that evoke the scent of freedom. Walls become narratives of clandestine adventures, invoking a longing for the unbridled days of youth.

legal-vs-illegal

Street Dreams

The city that never sleeps, they call it, and for good reason. The towering skyscrapers and the constant hum of the streets hit me like a subway train.  Time here feels like a speeding train with no brakes. You get in, and before you know it, you're at your destination. But what is the destination in a city that never stops moving.  The city's heartbeat is its people, and they're always in a hurry. The streets are a stage, and we're all actors in this never-ending play. We rush from one scene to the next, and it's hard to catch your breath. The weird thing is you don't want to catch your breath. You want to keep moving, keep pushing forward, because there's always something more, something better, just around the corner. Amid this chaos, there's an uncanny feeling that time is slipping away faster and faster. You look back, and a year has gone by like a New York minute.  The chase is the essence of life. 

in the heavens

"still·life"

A New York Minute

Official collection poster for "A New York Minute".

A New York Minute Collection Poster

place·making #4

place·making

*urbn artfct* delves into the hustling heart of New York's '90s underground, offering a visual homage to the epicenter of a decade that reshaped urban culture for the entire world. This series explores the artifacts and narratives that defined street life, capturing the ceaseless motion and resilience of New York. Through contemporary reinterpretations of era-defining relics—coats worn by time, sneakers hanging from power lines, and payphones adorned with graffiti tales in graffiti—viewers are invited to immerse themselves in the street culture of the era, seeing each urban detail as a visual representation of self-expression and survival.


These symbols, once hidden markers of the city's underground pulse and territorial claims, now stand as crucial chapters in New York's evolving story, showcasing the creativity and ingenuity born from street culture's challenges. Beyond simple nostalgia, *urbn artfct* taps into the iconography of '90s street life, embodying the counterculture that challenged and transformed urban aesthetics.
Growing up on the West Coast, the artist, 0009, was captivated by New York's '90s culture, drawn to its vibrant hip-hop, expressive graffiti, and the raw hustle of street life. Influenced by the vivid imagery found in magazines and the lyrical storytelling of hip-hop, these elements are woven into the collection, presenting a nuanced reflection that places hustle and resilience at the core of '90s New York identity.


*urbn artfct* breathes new life into '90s artifacts, infusing them with contemporary relevance and complexity. This process isn't only about looking back; it's about reimagining, reinterpreting, and recontextualizing the symbols and narratives of '90s street life for a modern audience. Utilizing AI for this reinterpretation allows for the exploration of alternative perspectives and narratives within the raw energy of '90s NY street culture, creating a unique and modern style that goes beyond homage and nostalgia.

Prints: \
Collectors can purchase a signed archival pigment print of their piece from the artist by connecting your art-holding wallet after the mint to [wovn.xyz](https://www.wovn.xyz/).


playing for keeps

no one on the corner has swagger like us

urbn artfct

Flowing Through Form reimagines industrial strength as vessels of dynamic motion. There is a beautiful and dynamic tension between rigid, structured power and the effortless grace of movement, blending the mechanical with the organic. Typically symbols of linear progress and industrial strength, the trains now dissolve into vibrant currents, continuously reshaping themselves. 
This visual language reflects the broader notion of how we navigate structured environments while seeking freedom and fluidity within them. It’s my way of showing that there’s room for flexibility and creativity even in structured spaces—it’s all about how you choose to see it.

evolving

Chris Maestas, known artistically as 0009, is an American artist and designer who began his career in the graffiti and skateboarding scenes of 1990s Los Angeles.

shifting

0009 / Flowing Through Form

Reflecting on my years growing up in 1990s Los Angeles, I realize how deeply this time and place shaped the person I am today. That’s why I created this series – it’s my tribute to a daily life that was as unpredictable as it was full of possibility. The culture felt golden, and I felt proud to be part of it. 


Skating across the city back then was a constant journey of discovery. Each spot held its own latent story, waiting to unfold. The streets pulsed with energy, a vibrant mix of cultures and sprawling urban landscapes that set the stage for countless adventures. In these moments I learned resilience, creativity, freedom, friendship, and the power of intersecting subcultures to shape a rich sense of identity. 


This series uses the kind of hyperbole and bravado I felt in those days, to portray stories of my transformation from adolescence to young adulthood. Every piece captures a specific tale from this era, many narrated alongside the individual artworks. They’re about finding my voice and freedom within the chaos, and how those moments became the foundation of who I am. Each one weaves together memories from those early years with the dreams that fueled me during that formative time


Creating this work is not just about nostalgia, but about honoring the spirit of a time that defined me – and continuing to grow through these reflections. This is my love letter to Los Angeles.


Friday Night Cruisn’

Reflecting on my years growing up in 1990s Los Angeles, I realize how deeply this time and place shaped the person I am today. That’s why I created this series – it’s my tribute to a daily life that was as unpredictable as it was full of possibility. The culture felt golden, and I felt proud to be part of it. 


Skating across the city back then was a constant journey of discovery. Each spot held its own latent story, waiting to unfold. The streets pulsed with energy, a vibrant mix of cultures and sprawling urban landscapes that set the stage for countless adventures. In these moments I learned resilience, creativity, freedom, friendship, and the power of intersecting subcultures to shape a rich sense of identity. 


This series uses the kind of hyperbole and bravado I felt in those days, to portray stories of my transformation from adolescence to young adulthood. Every piece captures a specific tale from this era, many narrated alongside the individual artworks. They’re about finding my voice and freedom within the chaos, and how those moments became the foundation of who I am. Each one weaves together memories from those early years with the dreams that fueled me during that formative time


Creating this work is not just about nostalgia, but about honoring the spirit of a time that defined me – and continuing to grow through these reflections. This is my love letter to Los Angeles.


—

*Love Letter to LA* \
2024

Artworks sold before December 5, 2024 come with an archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper, 20 in. on the long side, signed on Verso. Each corresponding token represents the ownership over the unique original print, to be claimed by the token holder, with shipping at additional cost. Upon resale on the secondary market, the original shall be shipped to the new owner. The receiver of the work will cover shipping costs.

Surf n Turf

Love Letter to LA by 0009

Fractured and on fire, the stability of modern American life rests in a fragile balance between societal innovations, crumbling systems, and individual contributions that continuously reshape our culture. 

*Faultlines* places characters, purposeful but isolated, amongst artifacts of the often-overlooked systems in our world: mass transit, ocean platforms, and power grids – each proxies for the forces that keep society moving. These decaying, burning representations of the world’s underlying infrastructure feel so essential and familiar that they demand our devotion, yet perilous enough to question our faith. This tension between growth and destruction, order and chaos, are central to the conflicting nature of contemporary life – highlighting the underlying vulnerabilities of our dependence on a systematized world.

Each work in this series balances precarious moments of impending collapse – a symbol for the uncertainty of today’s daily existence – with undertones of resilience and transformation. These scenes are host to our modern anti-heroes – the mysterious, uncertain but central figures that exist, often in solitaire, ready to persevere amongst the inevitable wreckage.


—

*Faultlines* \
2024

Archival pigment print, signed on Verso, with aluminum frame. \
#1 printed on Canson Platine Fibre paper at 72 x 56 in. in aluminum float frame without glass. \
#2-4 are printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth at 30 x 24 in. with 2 in. black border in aluminum frame with museum glass.

Each token represents the ownership over the unique, original framed painting, to be claimed by the token holder, with shipping at additional cost. Upon resale on the secondary market, the original shall be shipped to the new owner. The receiver of the work will cover shipping costs.


Chasing Order

Faultlines by 0009

Fractured and on fire, the stability of modern American life rests in a fragile balance between societal innovations, crumbling systems, and individual contributions that continuously reshape our culture. 

*Faultlines* places characters, purposeful but isolated, amongst artifacts of the often-overlooked systems in our world: mass transit, ocean platforms, and power grids – each proxies for the forces that keep society moving. These decaying, burning representations of the world’s underlying infrastructure feel so essential and familiar that they demand our devotion, yet perilous enough to question our faith. This tension between growth and destruction, order and chaos, are central to the conflicting nature of contemporary life – highlighting the underlying vulnerabilities of our dependence on a systematized world.

Each work in this series balances precarious moments of impending collapse – a symbol for the uncertainty of today’s daily existence – with undertones of resilience and transformation. These scenes are host to our modern anti-heroes – the mysterious, uncertain but central figures that exist, often in solitaire, ready to persevere amongst the inevitable wreckage.


Underneath It All #35

Underneath It All #10

Faultlines: Open Edition by 0009

*Smoke thickens, engines howl, and the streets shimmer with the glow of reckless abandon.*

0009

Fast Cars Cheap Thrills

*The road only leads deeper into the unknown.*

0009

Where We Are Going, There Are No Rules

Among Falling Suns by 0009

Created using a custom LoRA model and ControlNet. Post production in Photoshop and finalized with upscaling tools.


Thread of Light

Impressionistic softness combined with "post-photographic" structure.
How something can feel natural and organic at first glance, but reveal itself to be entirely constructed the closer you look, that's really the core of this work.

From far away, these pieces might read as impressionistic, just wildflowers, warm light, soft fields. But up close, you realize the petals aren't really petals. They're folds. Seams. The texture of something synthetic, like a wrinkled jacket or fabric from a certain era.

I was heavily influenced by late '90s and early 2000s street fashion, fabric from Steep Tech, all those paneled, utility-based jackets. Over time, those visuals became memory for me, and in these outputs, they kind of came back. Not as literal references, but as texture that feels worn. The flowers are "engineered" using that visual vocabulary.



Soft Thread Line

Synthetic Bloom by 0009

*Folds, seams, and worn textures are reinterpreted as brushstrokes, water, and bloom. The imagery lives in duality: pond and pile, pastoral and urban, reflection and residue. At first glance, the works appear as lilies drifting on water; on closer view, they reveal themselves as nylon, logos, and seams drawn from the culture that shaped me.*

*This body of work marks a transition toward the flow of water. It is a portrait stitched in duality: the old pulse of urbanism and the pull of nature. Impressionism softens through fabric logic; what was worn becomes a symbol of reflection, and new waters carry me forward.*

0009

Created using a custom LoRA model and ControlNet. Post production in Photoshop and finalized with upscaling tools.


Soft Padded Flow

Creased Rings

0xdE19f9E2E7Acd7F1185e9FA40A03ba446f615Fe18h79f3q

The rose carries personal weight: a symbol of love and remembrance, held by water that moves it into constant change.  
From afar it reads as impression; up close, as construction. The work drifts between natural and artificial, memory and its transformations.

Dedicated to my Nana.

Remembrance Gathered, In Change

0xa9718ba7278252bC860608796Bdc8bb51Cd486B238tdmcf

Bidders Edition for Remembrance Gathered, In Change

_0009_

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