Todd Drake (b. 1961) is an American graffiti artist, printmaker, photographer and teacher. Using the street name The Quaker Pirate, he places his graffiti in spots in New York City where they are allowed, like disused postage storage bins and plywood covers on buildings, and in locations in the city that celebrate graffiti, such as Angelina Jolie’s storefront. The graffiti consists of linocut prints applied with wheat paste. While he has concentrated on graffiti lately, Drake has also exhibited art or held workshops in the United States, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Among the several books he has authored, designed or contributed to are Going to Carolina del Norte, Feeling a Type of Way, A Journey Like Us -Getting from There to Here and Give Me Eyes.
Drake is a member of Brooklyn Meeting. He taught art at New Garden Friends School and Guilford College. At Pendle Hill he led a workshop called Graffiti as Witness: The Art and Activism of a Quaker Pirate and he staged the exhibition titled Leading in Linocut – The Graffiti Prints of a Quaker Pirate. Because of his leading to activism, Drake joined other Friends in “Quaker Canvassing Peace Walks” that encourage Friends to speak to people who differ from them politically. He and his wife are the current managers at Penington House, the New York City Friends residence, where he created the Bayard Rustin Residency for BIPOC artists and activists.
I admire Todd Drake’s graffiti very much. They are beautiful, glorious images.
Two quotes:
“One central thing to my graffiti: I am trying to create one of those special moments, where you unexpectedly find something that deeply moves or speaks to you. Like often happens at a museum. But I am trying for that on the street. I have had those moments- seeing a quote or an image that speaks to me. I want to share that they are the same experience while giving people a small taste of Quaker Testimonies, which really are humanist and universal”.
“Graffiti is illegal. That is at the root of my street art name Quaker Pirate – the pirate part. I have tried to boil down my thoughts on this to a phrase, but it’s not yet perfect. “Speaking Truth Without Permission” is the closest I have come….”
(Above is the graffiti “Persistence of Nature” in its East Village location).
Gary Sandman
September 2024