A legend of Sydney graffiti has died recently, I saw a post on Instagram about his passing. The graffiti artist in question is Dax from Black Connection. In 1987 I spent some time hanging out with PIC (Partners In Crime) and other crews from that clique; it was absolutely mental and drama-filled. When I think of Dax I think of PIC because it was through them that I met a lot of writers including Dax. The first time I was with Dax was about five of us and we were doing insides and went to some shops where I was told to distract the sales clerk in a clothes shop so Dax could pop the till. He was discreet and we all left and went back to the trains for my effort Dax gave me a can of Coke while he pocketed the money. I was younger than many of these guys, so I was tolerated rather than accepted by anyone from those crews. After a bunch of guys from PIC came to my house in Randwick and stole my Mum’s wedding ring I kind of got the picture of where things were going.

I started spending more time on the Bondi line and doing pieces around the Eastern Suburbs just keeping to myself and only seeing Sie and other guys around Randwick. I looked up to guys like Dax and Puma, Koste and Kade and all of PIC as well as all of the Sydney legends from the mid to late eighties. Dax was one of a kind and he was a true writer to the core.When I met those writers I knew I was in the company of graffiti gods, they got up so hard and they lived and breathed graffiti. They were hardcore in every way and Dax will be remembered through stories and legend. By around 89 a lot of those writers disbanded and they embarked on criminal interests for money rather than fame.

I never got to know Dax personally as I only spent a short time around him and I was younger and quite shy as well. A lot of people will miss him, his old crew and those he was friends with, I wish them healing and I know he was respected by many Sydney writers from the messages on Instagram. I thought I would share my brief story of hanging out with him and I can tell you, that he got up and was as real as graffiti can get.