SAMO© LIVES with Al Diaz

Al Diaz is coming to Cherokee Gallery

Al Diaz putting up a SAMO tag in NYC

Al Diaz and Jean Michel Basquiat collaborated on the creation of the enigmatic graffiti tag "SAMO©", pronounced "same oh" as in "same 'ol shit" or "same 'ol thing." It was a blasé expression of boredom in reaction to the repeated patterns of daily activity offered by modern life. Diaz and Basquiat worked to build the SAMO© concept by writing short cryptic slogans on the streets of New York City from 1977 to early 1980 tagged with the name SAMO©. According to Diaz, "SAMO© was never intended to be a person." It was meant to be a brand or place holder for the empty promises presented by religion and consumer culture. Basquiat took over the SAMO© identity for a while as his art world alter ego, but Diaz says it was never intended to be that and he presents an alternative viewpoint of what the enigmatic SAMO© actually was. 

vintage NYC SAMO tag Photo by Henry Flynt

An Al Diaz "SAMO Cross" Tag in the NYC Subway.

Cherokee Street Gallery is having Al Diaz come to St Louis this September to exhibit work and share his perspective on SAMO© "As an end to mindwash religion, nowhere politics and bogus philosophies."

Albert Diaz explains how SAMO came about and how he and Jean Basquiat created the world renowned brand, including how reports of it's death were misunderstood.