Cope2 – KD
Cope2 (aka Fernando Carlo, South Bronx, New York) is a legendary graffiti artist from the South Bronx. Though he is known worldwide he did not achieve a “high status” in the graffiti world until the 1990s. He has been painting since 1977, and has gained international credit for his work. He and his crew “Kings Destroy” (formerly “Kids Destroy,” or simply KD) are the main focus of the influential graffiti movie “Kings Destroy”. Cope2 has been one of the main targets of the New York City Vandal Squad and has been arrested for vandalism, theft and drug charges. The arrest followed his recent success in releasing a 272 page book of his work titled “Cope 2: True Legend”
Some of Cope2’s initial commercial artwork has been sold on the Christie’s auction block for $1,000(USD) per painting. Early work includes cover art for a Boogie Down Productions album titled “Sex and Violence.”
More recently Cope2 has appeared in Marc Ecko’s 2006 video game, Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. As one of the “graffiti legends”, your character takes a photograph of Cope2’s work, shortly before Cope2 himself arrives and teaches your character how to write throw-ups on trains. Before the release of the game, Cope2 called a local Councilman, Peter Vallone Jr., to complain about the shutting down of a publicity event for the title. The event, coordinated by Mark Ecko, called for the spray painting of vintage train cars during a block party celebrating Graffiti and Hiphop culture. Vallone is noted as saying he was responsible for having the permit pulled for the event. Vallone is quoted as calling Cope2 a “punk.” It is said this confrontation sparked the interest of Time Magazine in the artist. The event permit was later reissued as judge Jed S. Rakoff of the Federal District Court in Manhattan over turned the previous ruling on grounds of freedom of speech.
Time Magazine commissioned Cope2, for $20,000(USD), to paint a billboard ad in the SoHo district of Manhattan, New York on Houston and Wooster (shown above). The ad depicts the magazines cover with graffiti tags scrawled over it, the text reads “Post-Modernism? Neo-Expressionism? Just Vandalism? Time. Know why”
Cope2 has designed a pair of sneakers for Converse under the “Chuck Taylor All-Stars” line. Cope2 is one of the most legendary users of WILDSTYLE. He is also known for his infamous bubble letters.
