Viper Black Tees – A New Playground for Street Art

Back in the 70’s & 80’s, the streets of New York weren’t paved with gold, but rather sprayed with paint. It was a playground for graffiti artists who would tag (a.k.a. bomb) their marks on virtually any surface - i.e. buildings, benches, and most importantly subway cars. Their public markings could be simple written words or elaborate wall paintings worthy of being displayed in galleries and exhibits. Sometimes graffiti was even employed to communicate social and political messages. Artists freely expressed their thoughts through imagery, but sadly their era began to deteriorate in the early 90’s during the cultural shift of New York to clean up the city. Graffiti artists stood stunned as they watched their work be washed away…

One of those artists was Jedrek Speer (a.k.a. SEIZER-ONE). Jedrek, an internationally well-respected graffiti artist, longed to bring back real art. Art that was raw and created with a free imagination. He wanted to create art that was sustainable…something that was environmentally friendly and couldn’t be washed away. In 1996, Jedrek teamed up with his cousin Russell Vare and created their first t-shirt line. Ten years later (2007), they launched a new authentic and sustainable line called Viper Black Clothing. The inspiration for Viper Black was based on duo’s love & appreciation for street art and comfortable clothes.

Viper Black is a socially and environmentally conscious company (Russell’s background is in renewable energy & alternative fuels). They are strongly dedicated to creating the highest quality clothing with the lowest environmental impact. Their green efforts go far beyond their clothing -- which is made from 100% organic cotton. Organic cotton means no pesticides, insecticides, herbicides or toxic chemicals were used. Plus, all Viper Black clothing uses non-toxic, low impact dyes and water-based inks.



The men’s & women’s shirts come in a variety of styles such as v-necks, crews, and tunics. I love wearing my “foreign harbor” Viper Black tee. The graphic on my tee makes me feel like I’m creating a portal to the old school days when graffiti art was at its height. The cream colored tunic tee is incredibly soft, and perfect to wear on a hot day because the fabric is thin & breathable.

Check out the hip & edgy styles Viper Black has to offer everyone and read more about this great company! I can’t wait to get back out to L.A. to meet up with the guys (that’s where they’re based) and learn more about what they’re doing.