TGE Origin Story

Thanks to a mutual friend who wrote Trane 514, Curve and Esteme met in 1997 on Broad Street in Philadelphia. The two became quick friends, inspired not only by a love for Philadelphia graffiti culture, but also for the international graffiti styles that they discovered in graffiti magazines. The two set out to explore Philadelphia, pushing each other's creative development, and creating art in many of Philly’s iconic graffiti locations including the Rez, R line tracks, Queen Lane Train Station and abandoned Septa stations. By 1998 Esteme had begun schooling in Atlanta and Curve remained in Philadelphia until 2000. Though the two would spend less time in the coming years, they committed to solidifying their creative collaboration with the creation of a crew in 1999. The Great Escape (TGE) Crew was a way to connect their expanding networks, their approach to life, and style. TGE became a collection of artists that represent the friendship and creative partnerships that Curve and Esteme encountered as they moved through life and the country. After founding the crew, Curve and Esteme immediately put down June, a Philadelphia transplant from Tokyo Japan, and Ronin, a high school friend of Esteme. Also going to school in NYC, Ronin would then connect Mast and Empty to the crew and Curve would meet Jedi 5 and Eptic in college. Meanwhile in Atlanta, Esteme connected with Totem(Tats) and Save(DOA), two artists who had already created significant impact on the Atlanta and National graffiti scenes. By the early 2000s the crew was firmly situated up and down the East Coast. In 2005 Underpressure Jam in Montreal in 2005 would add Jurne, an Oakland based scientist from Maine to the crew. In Oakland, Jurne connected with Jake, a Philly native traveling for school, and Twigs, an Olympia Washington native, who would also be added to the crew. In 2006, Seyce, a well-known Whip City Specialist was added, and most recently Faipe, a New Yorker with Brazilian roots, was put down in 2017.