All language subtitles for Rattle-Can.2021.WEBRip.x264-ION10

(spray can rattling)

(spray can hissing)

(spray can clattering)

(traffic whooshing)

- Put your hands up!

Put your hands up!

Higher!

(somber beat music)

- [Radio Woman] Okay,
so I'm confirming

I can get rid of that last...

Do you still need that...
(muffled radio chattering)

- [Radio Man] I'm still
working on it but you can

close it out on
an arrest report.

- [Radio Woman] That's
fine, if you still need it,

I can keep it for you.

- [Radio Man] No, that's fine,
go ahead and close it out.

- [Announcer] Transfers
may be made here

for lines destined
to the Federal Center

and Jetco Government
Center golden stations.

Next stop, 10th and Osage.

(train rails clanking)

(bell ringing)

This is the 10th
and Osage station.

(upbeat music)

Thank you for riding
RTD Light Rail.

Next stop, 18th and Stout.

(bell ringing)

(upbeat music)

- Morning, everybody.

How are you?

Sorry I'm late.

Gonna pass out the
syllabus this morning.

Would you mind helping me
a little bit here, please?

All right, everybody, welcome
to the foundations class,

Design Fundamentals.

We're gonna be meeting
every Thursday.

This is an 11 week course.

You get three credits
and I'm your instructor.

My name is Larry Dexter.

The course description, this is,

take a look at your syllabus
here and follow along.

It's an introduction to the
basic principles of design

using a variety of materials.

- That's where it all began.

- What do you mean?

That's when you decided
to become a street artist?

- [Artist] I mean, when I,

you know, where it
began was where I wanted

to follow my dream
and go to college

to the study the art
that I wanted to pursue.

- So you would say that college
and studying art in school

was the first step
that started it all.

- You know, at the time,
everyone just wanted me

to make them happy
and try to fit in

but when I filed the
divorce and cut everyone off

and went to school for my
art, I felt like at that point

I was really finally
becoming an artist

or at least taking
the path of one.

- So when you decided
to follow your dreams,

as an artist, how'd
that change your life?

- You know, my dad used
to take me to school.

Elementary, like
fourth or fifth grade.

I remember on the way
I'd always tell him

what's going on at our
class for today and

we were doing something,
drawing horse hair

or goldfish scales, something,

and I remember
telling him about it

and he was like, Just stop!

He was trying to tell me that

my dream of being an artist

was fun but it wasn't realistic.

What I needed to
do was find a job

or build up a career that
makes good money to be happy.

And I said, but Dad,

obviously money doesn't
make anyone happy.

He said that it's not the
money that makes people happy,

it's the stability from the
money that makes people happy.

I remember getting
out of the car

and being so upset
at him, you know.

Just feeling so let down
and not acknowledged.

I decided I wasn't gonna
let this ruin my day.

I wanted to turn around

and try to wave bye
to him, you know.

And by the time I had done that,

he was already halfway
down the street.

I tried to find
financial stability.

I tried to find someone
I was happy with.

But the moment I...

The moment I really
decided to follow my dream,

everyone treated me
like I was a bad person.

(birds chirping)

What's this?

- Our divorce papers.

Conveniently you decided
to not have a phone.

- Why, just because I don't
have a phone I'm given this?

- No but it's responsible.

You already missed our first
two mediation appointments

but I had to pay for your fees

and your dad keeps
calling me, bothering me,

asking me where you're at.

So I just gave him your phone
number and your address.

- You gave him my address?

- Yeah because I don't
wanna deal with it anymore.

He's your dad.

- You know what, I really
don't wanna talk about this.

- You know what, we're
not done talking about it

until you understand that
I need these papers signed

so I can move on with my
life, do you get that?

- Yeah, I get it.

But don't you get that I'm
trying to go to school right now

to make a living and to
make something of myself?

I'm happy doing and
pursuing what I love.

I'm not a coward anymore
afraid to chase it, okay?

I was miserable working
for you and your dad.

I really was.

But I'm happy now
doing what I love

and I'm probably gonna
make a living out of it.

Doesn't that even make you
the least bit proud of me?

- I mean,

I feel like I was the
best thing you ever had

and you lost that and you
didn't work towards that.

So I hope you have a great time
with the rest of your life.

(traffic whooshing)

- Jesus Christ, man, it
took you long enough.

- I know.
- Come on, let's go!

We've got shit to do today, man.

- This is the third time
you guys have been late

in the past two weeks.

- Not me, him!

- I don't have money for a car.

I have to take the Light Rail.

- Ronnie, Zach has
been doing you a favor

by picking you up at Light Rail.

- Well, I'm sorry.

I took the Light Rail
this morning, I was late.

It's not even my fault, okay?

I can't control what the
train conductor's gonna do

or how fast he goes.

- You've got two more stops
added to today's route.

You must have them done
by 6 p.m., understand?

- [Zach] I got you.

- Really?

- I could sue you for that.

- Oh.
(man laughing)

With what money, Ronnie?

(Zach chuckling)

- Dumbass.

Let's go.

You know, man...

Your legs must be snails
or something, man.

You're slow as
fuck all the time.

(Ronnie chuckling)

- Faster than you.

- Yeah, maybe.

Probably.

(Zach laughing)

Fuck.

(lighter clicking)

I know you're probably
just gonna say no

but do you wanna take
a drag off of this?

- No, I'm okay.

I'm really sorry about
upsetting your dad

back at the warehouse.

You know that wasn't my intent.

I just was late
from the Light Rail.

You know I can't control that.

- It's just...

If we fuck this up,

if I lose this job,
I'm fucked, man.

I need this money, you know?

- Well, I kinda need the job
pretty bad too, you know?

Despite everything and me
being late, I do need it

because, you know, I've gotta
keep up living at my motel

and going to art school.

- Why're you going to
college for art anyway, man?

It's not like you're gonna be

rolling in dough
when you graduate.

- I can.

I mean--
- Yeah?

- Yeah, like I could
definitely do that, you know?

I mean, there's just
so many different ways

that you can draw or
do your art, you know?

- [Zach] How?

- I mean, like, for example
like one's about comic books.

So you learn how to do
paneling and symbolism

and everything in
close up, so...

I just thought, you know,
why not just study up on some

of this art and see how
I can change my own, so.

- Whatever makes you happy, dog.

Me,

I'm trying to get this new thing

at a postal service.

It's way better than
a newspaper place.

My dad says he has an in

but I gotta go for an
interview and a drug test.

- Maybe if you stopped
smoking so much weed

in general, or
smoking, you know,

maybe you can get
it a lot sooner.

- [Zach] Yeah, about that.

(Zach and Ronnie laughing)

Whatever, man.

- [Ronnie] But,
hey, I still think

you'll get the job regardless.

- [Zach] Thanks, man.

(upbeat guitar music)

(Ronnie groaning)

(Zach laughing)

- You asshole!

(upbeat guitar music)

- [Zach] That's the one you
already threw at, dumbass!

(Zach and Ronnie chattering)

- So, you said that you were
studying your college art books

while you were on
your newspaper route.

Now, I wanna know is
what was the point

at which you
actually figured out

what kind of art you
wanted to create?

Or when was it that you
figured out the kind of medium

that you wanted to explore
and give me the details.

- I mean, I like to sketch,

I definitely like to paint.

I reference Picasso a lot.

I like to study and use
a lot of his pieces.

(Ronnie sighing)

You know, at the time,
I really just had

this tiny little laptop
that I would just do

all my color and designings
for my projects, you know?

Take it to Walgreens
and have them print it

on paper and poster.

And I actually got in
a lot of trouble for it

with my college professor.

Hi, my name's Ronnie Carlone

and I'm doing the
Cyanotype Process.

Sir John Herschel introduced
the Cyanotype Process in 1842.

It was adopted by amateur
photographers and draftsman

as it provided a simple
and inexpensive way

to reproduce negative
and/or drawings.

Scientists,
particularly botanists,

also loved this process
for its ability to render

intricate details
of plant structures

in a scientifically pure way.

Um...

(Ronnie coughing)

The skeleton with a lit
cigarette in its mouth

is a juvenile joke

because Van Gogh
painted it in early 1886

while studying at
the art academy

in Antwerp.

The painting shows that he
had a good command of anatomy

as well as his letters
and anecdotes from others

record that he sparred
with his drawing

and painting teachers
and was scornful

of conservative
academic practice.

His time at the academy

lasted only weeks.

He felt he was learning
nothing and later proclaimed

academic training damned boring.

- Ronnie, unfortunately we're
all out of time for today.

I'm gonna have to
stop you right there

and we're gonna pick up with
the next set of presentations

at the beginning of next week.

Read chapters six and seven.

Please email me
your chapter reviews

prior to next's week's class.

Thank you, everybody.

Hey, Ronnie, your art
piece is cool and all

but that was not
really the assignment.

The assignment was to recreate
a piece of art in any medium,

photography, design and
present it to the class.

- Mr. Dexter, that's what I did.

I did the Cyanotype Process.

It's the same printing
and everything.

And I made it my own, I used
a medium just like you asked.

So I don't understand.

- Ronnie, what I
really want you to do

is focus on your portfolio

so you can get a paying gig
when you get out of this class.

No one's gonna pay you for a
cyan blue piece of artwork.

- Okay but...

I don't care about
getting paid for it.

I just wanna be able to get
good at what I wanna do.

So if I wanna do this again,

I wanna know that I
can do it properly

and better than I
did it this time.

I mean, I just don't
understand why you think

it has to be something
people will pay for.

That shouldn't be the standard
of what you're teaching,

in my opinion.

- Well I want you
to get a paying gig

when you get out of college.

You'll get a passing
grade this assignment

but I really want you to focus

and come back
stronger next time.

Focus on your portfolio
to get a paying gig.

- All right.

All right, whatever.

- [Dexter] See you
next week, Ronnie.

- [Ronnie] Yeah, whatever.

- [TV Narrator]
"The Potato Eaters"

is his first
knockout masterpiece.

It's a resume

of everything he's felt
and thought up till now.

Everything that would make
him a revolutionary artist

is already here.

(pleasant television music)

The dark, thick color was chosen

not just for
pictorial effect but,

you might say, philosophically
to say something.

And that something isn't
meant to be charmingly rustic.

I mean, how brown can you get?

This is manure brown, the
gray brown as he explained

of dusty spuds before
they've been rinsed.

Lost in total identification,

Van Gogh paints like clod,

the heavy, loaded brush
doing its own manual labor.

The picture seems troweled
and dug rather than painted.

The total union between
painter and subject,

it's all in the hands.

- I'm trying to
bring out the idea

that these people
eating potatoes by the
light of their lamp

have dug the earth with
the self same hands

that they're putting
into the dish.

Manual labor!

(door knocking)
A meal honestly earned.

Anyone who wants to paint
peasants looking namby-pamby

had better shoot himself.

It's almost as if he's--

- [Man] What's going on?

- [Ronnie] Nothing.

- What the hell's going on?

I've been calling
your phone every day.

You don't answer your fucking
phone, now it's disconnected.

- It's because I
don't have a phone.

I only have a motel phone.

You probably just called
when I wasn't here.

- What're you doing?

You're a smart kid,
you've always been smart.

You had a good job but you
make some fucked up decisions.

- What, I didn't wanna be
married to that bitch anymore.

I'm going to school now and
I'm getting an education.

I don't see what the problem is.

I'm an artist.

- Painting, drawing.

- Yeah.
- Do you know how hard it is

to sell paintings and art?

How're you gonna

make a living?
- It's not that hard.

- How're you gonna
put food on the table?

- It's not that
hard if you're good

and I'm trying to get good now.

It'll probably get put on the
table when I turn 33 or 35.

It'll take awhile but I
will get there, I know I am.

- You had a good job, you
were making good money.

That's how life works.

You get married, you have kids.

You build something.

- Dad, I wasn't happy with her.

She just wanted to
control me for her dad

so he could just
use me at his work.

I wouldn't have been anyone
special or meaningful.

- I drove three hours
over here to talk to you

and you look like you have
your fucking mind set on this.

- I don't wanna work nine to
five like you at a warehouse

working with the
same eight people,

inspiring only the
same eight people.

I want to inspire a hundred
people, thousands of people

to think, oh wow,
he's doing something

really impressive and creative,
I wonder if I could do that.

And then they give it a
shot and they be great at it

or even better than
me, which is amazing.

- I'm fed up with this shit.

I'm tired of trying.

- [Ronnie] Then stop
trying, I didn't ask you to.

- Do what you want.

At least get the hell
out of this place.

Go fucking interact with people.

Don't sit at a place like this

all fucking night by yourself.

Go do something with yourself.

(Ronnie sighing)
(Camera beeping)

- All my dad ever cared
about was a paycheck.

My paycheck.

Make sure that it
was big and stable

for everything I wanted
and needed, you know?

I think,

no,

I know he only liked my
ex-wife and her father

because they had a lot of money.

You know, he offered
me a high paying job

within his company and...

You know, my dad and
school weren't anything

what I thought
they were gonna be.

(Ronnie sighing)

The next day at work
I was so frustrated

that I fucked up
my delivery route.

(door knocking)

Oh, hey.

- Hey, what's up, dude?

So, I kinda got a
favor to ask of you.

So...

I got the home bro
and I was hoping to

spend some time with him today.

Can you take the papers and

do the delivery for me?

I'll even give you the keys

and you can take the car.

These are the routes that
you'd have to hit today.

All right?

It's easy, we've done it before.

- Okay.

- You good?

- Sure.

- Thanks dude.

I knew I can count on you.

All right.

(upbeat video game music)

(faint video game music)

(Ronnie groaning)

(music muting)

(door knocking)

Hey, thanks again, bro.

Yo, what's good, man?

- Nothing.

- Good.

Yo, yesterday was fun.

Thanks again for helping me out.

You got my keys anywhere?

We're running a little bit late

but if we get going
right now we could get

the day started.

Oh, hold on a second, one sec.

Hey, Dad, what's up?

- [Dad] What the hell happened
yesterday with you guys?

- What do you mean?

- [Dad] Don't act
stupid with me, Zach.

You guys missed half of
your route yesterday.

Four different residential
areas had complaints.

This isn't funny anymore, guys.

I gave your routes to
different drivers today.

- What, I'm sorry.
- That way we can pay people

who are willing to do their job.

I want you to take the day
and think about priorities

and I hope you realize

that you both--
- Yeah.

- Need to start acting
like mature adults.

- Yes, sir.

I understand.

Goddamn it, goddamn it!

- Sorry.

- What happened, man?

- I left the map.

- You left the map?

I mean, that's like numero
uno, besides the papers.

- Sorry, I slept in a little
bit and I forgot the map.

- These people are paying
for our service, man.

Like--

- That is true.

But some people who didn't know
about your newspaper company

now know about it

- Jesus Christ.

You know what, fine, fuck it.

Whatever, whatever.

We've got the day off now.

(lighter clicking)

Give me a sec.

Now we can do better shit.

(can rattling)
All right,

just chill for a moment, man.

Yo, what's up, bro.

- Hey, what's up, man?

Check it, check it, ready?

So, it's "boobs," right?

- Yeah.
- But it's "boobs"

from the top.
- Uh-huh.

- And then it's
"boobs" from the front.

And then it's "boobs"
from the side, man.

- Damn, dude.
- Because titties.

- Hell yeah!
- Right?

- Titties, bro.
- What's good with you, man?

It's good to see
you, what's going on?

- Not much, man,
just kicking it.

- Who's your buddy
you brought with you?

- Uh, well, this is Ronnie.

Ronnie, he goes to school
for art and shit, so--

- Hey, Ronnie, come on
in here, you wanna tag?

- Ronnie?
- Sure.

- Come on, bro.
- You go to school for art,

yeah?

- Let's go, art boy.
- Come here!

Come express yourself.

You wanna play
around a little bit?

- [Ronnie] Just right here?

- Yeah, come on, dude.

- The whole world's your canvas.

Whatever inspires
you, man, dude.

- Give it a shot.

- Just like "boobs"
and "titties."

- [Zach] Titties.

(Zach giggling)

(spray can rattling)

Titty king.

(spray hissing)

- [Ronnie] Can I borrow
your white really quick?

- [Guy] Yeah, sure man.

Here.

(spray can rattling)

(spray hissing)

Shit's inspiring.

- [Zach] Dude.

- That's cool, brah.

- Hell yeah.
- I like it.

(upbeat drum music)

(spray can rattling)

(spray hissing)

- Now,

I'd like to take a second
to talk about the first time

that you actually
tagged something.

I think that's a
monumental moment.

- I mean, yeah, it was
the moment I got hooked.

You know, the instant
gratification of
putting your art on

the ultimate canvas.

- The ultimate canvas.

Can you elaborate on
that a little bit?

- Yeah, I mean nothing
beats it, it's the best.

I mean, you just put your
art piece up on the wall

and everyone who passes
by kinda has to look at it

and if in some way
they relate to it

then you just reached
someone in the world

that doesn't even know you.

- So,

so this whole situation,
it made you lose your job?

- No.

I mean, I feel bad that I
fucked up the delivery route

but me and Mr. Satton
talked about it

and cleared everything up.

And as far as Zach and I,
we hung out plenty of times

and he even invited me
out to a party with him.

- [Narrator] A record
of the delightful piece

they're going to
play this evening.

(smooth beat music)

Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen.

(people chattering)

Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Your attention please.

And now the moment we've
been waiting for is here.

(upbeat groove music)

And I have something
to tell you.

♪ Que

♪ Sera

♪ Sera

♪ Que

♪ Sera

♪ Sera

♪ Que

♪ Sera

♪ Sera

♪ Que

♪ Sera

♪ Sera

(people chattering)

- There you go, yeah boy!

(Ronnie coughing)

♪ The future's not ours,
future's not ours ♪

♪ The future's not ours,
future's not ours ♪

- It's the same
thing with my art.

I just have to make
something that people like.

So I mean, I don't think it's
completely impossible for...

(girl mumbling)

Exactly.

Like, I don't think
it's necessary

to do the whole nine to five
thing or be chained to a desk.

You know what I mean?

♪ Que

♪ Sera

♪ Sera

♪ Que

♪ Sera

- Let's do it!

- Let's go.

(people chattering)

(somber beat music)

- [Girl] Hey.

- Hi.

- Hi.

You're really
passionate about art.

- Yeah but I'm also
kind of a coward

when it comes to art as well.

- Why do you consider
yourself a coward?

- I mean,

I knew it would make me
happy almost all my life

but I still never did
anything about it.

- But you're following
your dream, aren't you?

- I mean, yeah, but...

It just doesn't feel the same

because I haven't been
doing it until now, so...

I'm getting there but
I'm just not there yet.

- So what's holding you back?

- For starters, definitely the
number one problem would be

my ex-wife.

I know, it's weird to say.

- Do you miss your ex-wife?

- No.
(girl laughing)

Uh-uh, uh-uh, nope.

(Ronnie chuckling)

- [Girl] What happened?

- Well, her and her
dad, they both wanted me

to just be this guy who made
a lot of money, you know?

And that's just not
what I wanted to do.

You know, I wanted to do art.

I wanted to do something
that I could feel was valued

and was impressive,
you know what I mean?

- Yeah.
- So then I would like

wow people, you
know what I mean?

- [Man] Three round!

- [Woman] Oh, shit!

- Well, are you
financially stable now?

(Ronnie chuckling)

(girl laughing)

- I mean, if you can call
living in a motel stable.

- Sometimes I wish I
lived in a motel, come on.

(girl giggling)

- Sure.

- So,

do you think that

you might wanna be in
a relationship again?

- Yeah, for sure.

But it would definitely
have to be with a girl that,

you know, is happy
that we're together

because we're together.

Not because the
materialistic stuff.

- That's what love is.

Everyone deserves to be happy.

- Well, maybe everyone but me.

- Look, you can have your
art and be happy too.

Everyone deserves that.

Even you.

("Young Dumb & Broke" by Khalid)

(crowd cheering)

♪ Young dumb broke
high school kids ♪

♪ So you're still
thinking of me ♪

♪ Just like I know you should

♪ I can not give
you everything ♪

♪ You know I wish I could

♪ I'm so high at the moment

♪ I'm so caught up in this

♪ Yeah, we're just
young, dumb and broke ♪

♪ But we still
got love to give ♪

♪ While we're young dumb

♪ Young, young dumb and broke

♪ Young dumb

♪ Young, young dumb and broke

♪ Young dumb

- I own that same
book, actually.

I remember getting it
after being inspired

by Zach and his friend
when they took me

to do graffiti
under the overpass.

- See, that's what
I'm trying to get you

to talk to me about.

I want you to talk about
spray painting graffiti.

Now,

I really want to,
in the documentary,

put together a montage
with these pages

and have you talking
about graffiti over it.

Now, am I asking the
wrong questions here?

Like, when did you start
studying this book?

- Look, I'm just trying
to tell the story

how I wanna tell it.

- So you went and did graffiti
with Zach and his friends

and then you never
thought to do it anymore?

You just wanted to hang
out and party and get high?

- No, I mean, see,

you're not even listening
to the whole story.

This is the first time
I've gone to even a party

since I got married.

That party that I did go to
though was were I met Khyanah.

- [Interviewer] Tell me
what happened with Khyanah.

- [Ronnie] You know,
after I met Khyanah,

like a little after,

was when I actually
first did my graffiti.

Like tried it for the
first time and everything.

(upbeat drum music)

(spray can rattling)

(spray hissing)

(Ronnie sighing)

I don't know.

I mean,

I feel like a part of
me wanted to get caught.

At first my nerves were
up and I was really afraid

but it felt amazing
to do it, you know?

- You wanted to get caught.

- I just really didn't
have anything going for me.

You know, and to me
graffiti is just like

this fuck it kind
of movement and

you know, whenever I do it,

it feels like nothing
else really matters and

that first time doing it
was when I first felt that.

- So,

whatever happened
with those first tags?

Do they still exist?

(Ronnie chuckling)

- I don't know, I
couldn't even tell you.

Probably nothing.

- I just recently found these
surfacing themselves online.

- [Ronnie] Oh, wow.

(spray hissing)

(spray cans rattling)

(door knocking)

Hey.

What're you doing here?
- Hi.

I spoke to Zach and I asked
him if I could get your number

and he said that you
didn't have a phone

and told me that the only
way I could talk to you

was if I came by
your motel, so--

- Okay.

I just haven't really
had the chance to clean

but you can just
wait if you want.

- Okay.

I was hoping that
you were gonna be

at the get to together tonight.

I was looking forward
to seeing you.

- I don't think I'm
gonna be able to tonight.

I just have a lot of school work

and I got work in the morning.

But if you want to reach
me outside of tonight,

then you could try taking
my motel phone number.

- Yeah, that would be great.

(Khyanah chuckling)

Here.

- Um...

- So,

you maybe wanna grab some
dinner or lunch sometime soon?

- Um...

I'm not in a really
solid place right now.

I mean, you saw this
place when you walked up.

It's really shitty.

- Look,

I don't think you're a mess.

In fact,

I think you're one of the
first people that I've met

whose got it all figured out.

And it's not your place to
tell me who or what I deserve.

- That night during the party,

I felt like I wasn't gonna
see Khyanah ever again.

When I did those first RC tags,

I felt like I was slowly
becoming someone else.

I just wanted to do this to let
this someone I was becoming,

this persona,

I wanted to let it manifest--

- So, did you have a plan for
what you were going to paint?

Where, what, why, when?

I mean, tell me
details like that.

(Ronnie sighing)

- I wanted to be organized.

I wanted to do everything
the right way I needed to.

(Ronnie sighing)

- Why did people
carve the rocks?

You know, I mean, put the
president's faces on there

on Mount Rushmore?

Why'd they do that?

They got a big kick
out of doing big faces

or did they wanted
to leave a mark?

They wanted to leave a mark.

See, these people right here,

they are our founding fathers,

so we're gonna put their
big faces on this mountain

and fuck who don't like it.

(exciting music)

So the fucker got up there
and started chiseling out

his fucking nose and the
eyes and all that shit.

Who gave him permission
to mark that shit up?

You know what I mean?

Maybe Indians had
a problem with him

putting that dude's
face on a mountain.

How come he didn't get arrested?

It ain't no different, man.

That his fucking mountain
that you scribed that name on.

(exciting rock music)

It's not like an addiction
but more like a sickness.

You cannot control
yourself once you start.

If you really understand
what you're doing,

the minute you get
that first tag,

you feel like, I
could've done that better

and you gotta keep moving.

- [Man In Video] The
repetitiveness of it

gets really addicting.

Every time you do it,

you're like one step
closer to your goal,

whatever that may be.

- [Man On Video]
Graffiti is about

being loved, hated, whatever,
just being recognized.

The egos, the
beef, the jealousy,

the law, the sicknesses,
the injuries,

the hatred, the violence.

That's graffiti.

- [Man In Video]
Instead of looking

at the person doing graffiti,

maybe they should
look at that cause

of why that person
started, you know?

(exciting beat music)

(foreign language music)

(exciting beat music)

(birds chirping)

- Good.

(Khyanah giggling)

So,

I write poetry.

I don't really read
it to people or

really show what I've written.

- You're really good.

- Really?

I want to have them
published in a volume.

- [Ronnie] Yeah?

- My favorite poet is this
woman, Karyna McGlynn.

- [Ronnie] Mm-hmm?

- I wanna buy her work but

I've been reading
her poems online

and they just speak to
me in a haunting way.

Like they're about
transformation and moving on

and letting go in
life, you know?

- Letting go of what?

- I kinda had a
really hard year.

I...

I had a miscarriage.

So,

poetry's just helping
me get through that.

I can express myself through it.

- I am so sorry.

That's...

Wow, I'm sorry.

- No,

I don't want anyone in my life

who pushes me away from poetry.

- I think you should definitely
enter those competitions

you talked about, for poetry.

- Thank you.

So,

how's your art career going?

- It's going pretty
well, actually.

Doing a lot of experimental
things, you know.

Kind of seeing what sticks.

- You should do more
than just try though.

Don't worry about it.

Just do it.

You should do
something big, huge,

so everyone can see it

and then you'll know what
direction to go into.

- So,

this is it.

It's how it all started.

This is how everybody
got to know you

as the great street artist

that you are known
as today, right?

- From studying and researching

all the videos about
the graffiti artists,

you have to blast
your name everywhere

and all over everything
that you can.

- Did you feel like
Picasso about to create

a bunch of cubist paintings

or Jackson Pollock about to
drip some color on canvas?

- I'm not sure, I just
know I had to do something.

Because I told my dad I
was gonna be an artist

and Khyanah seemed to
see something in me

and she told me to do something
so big that, you know,

as many people as
possible could see it.

And I wanted to do
the hard work of

tagging everywhere
that I possibly could.

(upbeat drum music)

- You can see the
center's real tight

but the op is faded
and the bottom is faded

and that's an up and down fade.

- [Man On Video] And I still do.

I just kept doing it and
doing it and doing it.

You know but no one knows you.

Except for, you know, the
few who know why you are.

It's like some superhero
shit, you know?

Like, you just fucking
fly up, do your shit,

come back like you're just some

mild-mannered
reporter, you know?

- [Man On Video] For me,
writing was a release.

It was an escape from my parents

bitching and complaining
in the house,

it was an escape from my block.

I started writing to
get away from all that,

to assume another identity,

to have a good
time with my boys,

to be down with some
rebellious shit.

You stay anonymous
is who you are

and that's the
whole point of it.

- [Man On Video] They're
all like the wind, you know?

You can't see 'em but
you could feel it.

- [Man On Video] You
could have this sort of

anonymous thing about
it where you could like

have one kind of view,
portray yourself as one thing

and then like change
into my other costume

and I'm this other guy.

Super hero.

(exciting techno music)

- [Man On Video] I mean,
graffiti's basically this.

It's one, creating some kind
of letter or message, right?

So we gotta design.

Two, getting the supplies.

Three, getting the spot.

Four, getting to the spot.

Five, attempting it, pull it off

and then coming back
and documenting it.

And that's it, you know?

(exciting beat music)

- The first time I make
certain graffiti was some rats,

some small rats, you
know, like a shadow

running around the
sidewalk of the city.

This is the first rat
that I did in 1981 too.

I wanted to invade
Paris with my images.

- Yeah, it's just like
walking and breathing.

If I'm out and I'm anywhere,

I'm stickering.

- I think that
putting up a sticker

there's a, not show of
force, but a show of defiance

and a show of self identity

that I need to impose who
I am on the social system,

which is what graffiti is.

- You know, leave
your identity or DNA,

a little touch of it
wherever you were.

- And that was part of the
whole sticker community

and that's how it got built up.

People had the same idea I had

of just I wanna make stickers.

- [Man On Video] And
it's kinda like my mark.

This is where I crush.

- [Man On Video] It probably,

in a lot of ways, it probably
saved my life, you know.

Who knows what I would be doing
if it weren't for graffiti.

- [Man On Video] You don't
really choose the arts,

the arts choose you.

You don't pick to
choose the triangle,

the triangle picks you.

You don't choose to
paint watercolors or oil.

Your medium picks you.

I don't know, man.

I didn't paint, I
picked spray paint,

so it picked me.

- I've done a lot
around here, you know?

I felt something and I
will be something, why?

Because I made myself something.

- [Man On Video] They're just
out there risking their life

to paint something that
hopefully a few people

might be able to
appreciate and that's it

and I think there's something
to be said for that.

I think that's
definitely something

that's worth taking note of.

(intense beat music)

(spray hissing)

(police sirens alarming)

(spray hissing)

(spray hissing)

(spray can rattling)

(intense beat music)

(spray can rattling)

(spray hissing)

(traffic whooshing)

- So we've got the
red paint, two letters

and it's gonna be the
first time the entire city

has seen all of this.

Now, would you say that
this was the moment

where you first hit that
artistic expression?

- The biggest thing was
figuring out my organization

and how to achieve my
graffiti and get it done.

- How did you feel as an artist?

Was it different?

Did you feel like you were
gonna get into something big?

- I feel like sometimes
things happen to artists

whether it's success
or failure and it comes

when they least expect
it or deserve it.

- Hold on, are you saying that

you think that some of the
recognition you received

was not what your
artwork deserved?

- In the end, it's really
the audience who matter

and it's the audience
who has the power

to make us who we are when
it comes to being artists.

- All right, so,

I'm just gonna go over this
first part for you guys.

I want you to list two ways
to create a visual weight.

Two ways.

I need you to draw an
example of containment.

It could be any
sort of containment.

Come up with that theory.

Now, number three, multiple
choice as well as number four.

All right, everyone
has a pencil.

You have 25 minutes
starting now.

- Hey, man.

Do you have a pencil?

- What?
- Pencil.

- Hey, have you been
on Instagram lately?

- No, why?

- There's this graffiti artist
that's been going viral.

I've been seeing him
on like every post.

- Yeah.

- He keeps putting
like "RC" everywhere.

I don't know, nobody
knows what it means.

Or like on Twitter,

so many people are
like tweeting about it.

Even Graffiti links, like,
it's getting really popular.

- Jeez.

- And he's like putting
these stickers around.

- What's going on?

- Have you heard of the
new like graffiti artist?

He's been going viral.

Look, so he's on Instagram.

Graffiti Mash posted it.

I don't know, he just keeps
putting like "RC" everywhere.

But like I don't
know what that means.

But...

Look, see, there's the same "RC"

and then he also is putting
like stickers up everywhere.

- They're pretty tight.

- They're so cool, I'd buy one.

(chiming music)

(pleasant drum music)

- All right, what're you
guys working on over there?

Everybody done with
their assignments?

Please pass them
up to the front.

We're about out of time.

- You know, I don't
even have to look

through all these to tell you.

When I first saw these,
my first thought was,

the whole world is
my canvas, literally,

and I could just spray,
spill all my frustrations

all over it if I wanted to.

- Tell me more about what you
mean by that, by frustrations.

(Ronnie chuckling)

- I mean,

isn't that why we're here?

The lights,

the camera,

all your questions?

What's that for?

- You have not paid for
three fucking weeks!

I'm getting tired
of this shit, man.

- [Ronnie] I get paid tomorrow.

- Tomorrow?

- Yeah.
- What?

It's always fucking
tomorrow with you guys.

I'll pick up the
garbage tomorrow.

I'll pay my rent tomorrow.

I'll suck your dick tomorrow.

No!

I'll tell you what
I'm gonna do tomorrow.

I'm gonna come back down
here, if I don't get paid,

I'm gonna kick this
fucking door in

and I'm gonna gather
up all your shit

and I'm gonna sprinkle it

across the fucking
parking lot of tomorrow.

You get it?

- [Ronnie] Yeah, I get it.

- This is a no smoking room.

- I'm not smoking in here.

- I can fucking smell you from
the parking lot of tomorrow.

So, wrap up a towel,

put it under the door

or fucking smoke your
doobie somewhere else.

All right?

Tomorrow.

And if I don't get it,

I already fucking told you.

(Ronnie sighing)

(light clicking)

(Ronnie sighing)

(upbeat drum music)

(train whooshing)

(can rattling)
(upbeat drum music)

(spray hissing)

- All right, guys,
this Seth Williams.

I'm right here.

Hold on man, whoa, whoa,
whoa, don't move, don't move.

This is Seth Williams.

This is crazy,
we're with the guy.

This is the guy, I found him.

I'm the one that found him.

He's crazy!

Crazy!

So, he's over here, he's doing
his new latest art piece.

Hey, it looks like it
says, "We live paycheck..."

It says, "We live
paycheck to paycheck."

So, hold on, man,
don't go anywhere.

Everyone wants to
know who you are.

Everyone, you're all
over the internet.

What's going on?

Everyone wants to understand
what're you doing here?

What does this all mean?

Why do you have a mask on?

What're you, some
Batman out here

doing just art
pieces or whatever?

Tell us a little
bit about yourself.

(crickets chirping)

Okay, all right, if
you're not gonna tell us

a little bit about
yourself, what does it mean?

Why are you sending
these messages?

What is RC?

What the hell are you wearing?

What does RC mean?

What does the RC stand for?

There's fan theories.

Everyone's asked the question.

I have my own fan theory,
I've said it on this channel.

I said it first.

So, what does it all mean?

What does...

(spray can rattling)

What does RC stand for?

Does it...
(spray can rattling)

Does it stand for Rattle-Can?

It means Rattle-Can?

You know what it means?

There he is, guys, RC.

You heard it from me
first, it's Rattle-Can.

His name's Rattle-Can.

I coined it for him.

This is Epic Newsroom,
Seth Williams.

Your boy is out here, he's
out here in the tunnels,

he's figuring it out.

He knows all about
the latest graffiti.

This is the latest art piece
from RC, now named Rattle-Can.

It says, "We all live
paycheck to paycheck."

Come on, guys, we say it first.

You saw it here, right here
on this channel from me,

Epic Newsroom.

Be sure to like and subscribe.

Share it, tell your
mother about it,

tell your father about it
because we're out here,

I'm out here.

Your boy, your boy's out
here talking about it.

We live paycheck to paycheck.

What do you guys think?

Like and subscribe.

(upbeat music)

- I was just so constantly
frustrated about,

you know, about how our society
is just all about money.

But then that whole YouTube
video changed everything.

It was ridiculous.

Everyone was talking
about Rattle-Can non-stop.

- All right, who's ready to
give their presentations?

Ronnie?

You look like you're ready.

Go forward with yours.

Thank you.

- What I did was, at
first I drew it on paper

with a sketch pencil
and then I used a marker

for a little more detail

and then I used a computer
and a scanner here at school,

up in the library,

and pretty much I put
this into a picture file

and used photo editing
and digital illustration

software to detail
most everything.

And also to color the photo.

These are also
really commonly used

techniques in graphic design

and by modern comic
book colorists.

And this particular
work actually
demonstrates progression

of Van Gogh's artistic style
after his arrival in Paris.

As you actually look
above Tanguy's hat here,

it's actually a
really great painting

of Mt. Fuji

and it's also interesting
to note down here with

Kabuki actors...

actresses, down here
in the bottom right

and the left near his shoulder.

And although he was heavily
influenced by Japanese prints,

he does not at all veer from

his own personal style
of portrait painting,

which I really admire.

(clock ticking)

- Look, Ronnie, I
have to tell you

that you're in jeopardizing
of failing this course.

I wanna see how you
wanna utilize your
talents as an artist

to get a job once you graduate.

No one's gonna pay you to
recreate a Van Gogh painting.

- You said for the
assignment you wanted us

to recreate and/or reproduce

a famous piece of
art in our own way.

That's all you said.

You didn't say, recreate,
reproduce a famous piece of art

and after you get your
A or B grade on it,

go try to sell it and
make sure that it sells.

Like, that wasn't the
point of the assignment,

so I did exactly what you asked
of recreating or reproduce--

- What makes you happy?

I mean, why don't you
try to find a way to be

like this guy, RC, the
local street artist.

RC, he's blowing up now, he's
on YouTube, he's on Instagram.

He's gone viral.

Just find a way to
take what's yours

and turn it into pop culture.

- Okay, well first
off, I don't think,

from what I've seen at least,
RC doesn't do pop culture art

and I'm not RC, so I'm not
looking to do anything relevant

or equal to pop culture art.

- Look, I just want you to
make what makes you happy

and then turn it into
something bigger.

- All right.

Can I get my grading paper?

- [Dexter] Of course.

- [Khyanah] Ronnie.

(Ronnie chuckling)

Oh my gosh.

Wow.

It's a book from
my favorite poet.

- [Ronnie] Why, do you
already have a copy?

- No, I never got
around to buying it.

- Oh.

- Speaking of artists,

there's something I
wanted to show you.

- Yeah?

- Have you seen this guy?

He's all over social
media right now.

Look.

How come you don't look up
any of this on the internet?

- I actually don't have
internet, honestly.

- What?

- Yeah, I kinda...

Where did I put it?

I kinda just do
all my work on here

but I still don't have wifi.

I draw some of my
drawings in here

and I'll edit it in here.

Then I'll print it

and it'll come off
like that poster.

- Wait, that's your work?

- Yeah, I did it on here.

There's "Deep 6, High 5."

- If you would just
get a cellphone,

not only could you keep
up with the art world

but I could talk to you everyday

and then I wouldn't
miss you all the time.

- Well, if I got a phone you'd
probably be the only one,

only number I dialed.

- Well, baby, my number's
the only one you need.

- You're right.

(Khyanah giggling)

(dramatic beat music)

(dramatic beat music)

(video game gunshots popping)

- Fuck you.
- Oh, by the way.

- What up, homie?

- You know that girl
I've been talking to?

Khyanah?
- Oh yeah.

That Khyanah.

- Yeah.

So,

we're actually going to
talk to each other more.

So I got this cellphone

but I don't really
know how to set it up.

So I was wondering

if you could help me.
- What the fuck?

(Ronnie chuckling)

You with a phone?

- So, let me stop you there.

While we're talking
about cellphones.

- Yeah.

Fucking cellphones,
what about it?

- You know I have
to bring it up,

you know I have to address it.

Is it true that you made the
painting "Cellphone Society?"

Now, there are rumors that
there was an imposter involved

and that he may have done
the painting himself.

The public doesn't have
an actual truth on this.

Now, we have some
people saying that...

that you did did the painting.

We have other people
saying that you took credit

for whoever didn't
do the painting.

Now you have the chance to
give the truth to the people,

right here, right now.

- Yes, I made the
cellphone painting.

But I make my art pieces
for many different reasons

but I only do them for reasons.

I don't just do them
just to make them.

(Ronnie sighing)

(phone chiming)

(exciting rock music)

(man yelling muffled lyrics)

(spray can rattling)

(exciting rock music)

(spray hissing)

- Here we go.

It just pisses me off because
she found my phone number.

Yeah, she's found my phone
number and sent me this.

I don't get it,

why do cellphones have to
dictate everything we do?

- How's everybody today?

Thursday, right?

This is the wrong test.

I must have misplaced them.

Give me one minute, I
have to go reprint these.

How're you doing today?

- Good, how are you?
- Good.

- Yo, guys, did you hear
that Rattle-Can got arrested?

- What?
- What?

- Yeah, seriously, it's
all over my social medias.

- That can't be right.

I thought he was pretty
good at not getting caught.

- Dude, I have no idea.

Just Google it.

It's gonna be there.

- [Male Anchor] And
now he's in custody.

- [Female Anchor]
The police department

working on the case
since last month.

- [Officer] You didn't
do any of these?

- [Man] I can't say I did,
I can't say I didn't, man.

You know, you got
all them pics, man.

You got all them answers.

- [Officer] All right,
that's why I'm asking.

All right, stand up, man.

Put your hands behind your back.

Put your hands behind
your back. (man mumbling)

Put your hands behind your back.

All right.

Ma'am, can you step back
real quick, thank you.

Nope.

- [Male Reporter] 20 years old,

is the man behind
multiple graffiti tags

throughout the city.

Take a look at this
video right here.

They estimate the
total cost for damages

and clean up for the incidents

more than five thousand dollars.

(Ronnie chuckling)

- Okay, here's the most recent
news apparently had to say.

"This review today is
about his final art piece

"and the artwork appears
to be of a zombie

"with his head displayed
as a cellphone.

"The statement with
the artwork proclaims,

"We are a cellphone society

"and we personally find this
contradicting art piece,

"which lacks imagination,

"and this statement
seems to claim

"phone and the internet are
used to brainwash the public.

"If the intent
was to bring about

"awareness toward technology,

"then maybe Rattle-Can
should consider that

"we as a people
influence the media.

"The media and social
world have been picked on

"for spreading
ignorance in the past.

"The real ignorance
is to believe

"people don't have
independent thought.

"But we say to Rattle-Can

"as it is best to consider
one important fact,

"technology, the
internet and phones

"are literally
the only reason...

"Are literally the only
reason that Rattle-Can...

(Ronnie clearing throat)

"was considered an artist.

"This is a career short-lived
and we should all celebrate

"another talentless
vandal behind bars."

So, I don't know about you guys

but that sounds like complete
and utter bullshit to me.

And, I don't know...

I don't know about you guys,

but I think everyone's
getting a little too offended

by such a little thing.

It's just frustrating.

(Khyanah knocking)

- What's the matter with you?
- Come on.

- [Khyanah] What did
you wanna talk about?

(Ronnie huffing)

- Have you heard
what's going on?

(Ronnie sighing)

This fucking stupid ass phone.

- Yeah, it's all
over social media.

But the guy was caught, his
art piece sucks, so what?

What's going on
between you and me?

- What are you and me?

- [Khyanah] What do you mean?

- Like, what are we?

- I don't know.

- You know, Khyanah,

I was doing really well
with my art career.

I had people
appreciating my art,

they were talking about it

and people were actually
talking about me

and who I was making it

and now they're not because
I got a fucking cellphone

like you asked and it just
completely ruined everything.

Okay?

- What are you talking about?

- The phone, Khyanah,
the cellphone!

Literally going
the polar opposite

of what an artist should be.

The fact that I don't have
an art career anymore.

Bullshit!

- It's you.

You're him.

It's been you this
whole entire time?

- Yeah, it's been me

but it's fucked now
because you had me

get that fucking phone!

My whole career's ruined now.

- Look, Ronnie, I
know who you are

and who you are is amazing.

But those people that are
appreciating your artwork,

they don't even
know who you are.

You're hiding behind a mask.

- You don't know who I am!

- I'm falling in love
with you for who you are.

But if you want to
hide behind a mask,

I'm not gonna hold you
back, not for a second.

Good luck with your life
and your art career.

- [Ronnie] Good luck
with your fucking poetry.

(dramatic music)

- I'm sure that must've
been really tough.

What was it that helped
you cope with everything

after she wasn't around anymore?

And what was it that
kept you moving forward?

Was it the art that kept
on keeping you going?

- Look, I...

I pretty much just gave up
on everything at that point.

(ominous music)

(somber guitar music)

(dramatic guitar music)

(ominous music)

(shower spraying)

(cans clattering)

(spray can rattling)

(spray hissing)

(spray can rattling)

(spray hissing)

(gentle music)

(cans clattering)

(gentle guitar music)

- [Officer] Hands up!

Put your hands up!

Higher!

Don't move!

(dramatic music)

Don't move.

(dramatic music)

(classical violin music)

(spray hissing)
(can rattling)

(classical beat music)

(classical beat music)