Is there any significant meaning behind the name Seen?
Seen: Yes there is, “SEEN to be SEEN”. Thats what every graffiti writer wants : to be seen by others.
When did you get involved in the graffiti scene?
Seen: What I believe your asking is when did I start writing, I started at the age of 11. It was a very exciting time for me even though I didn’t know much at all at that time about it, but that was the fun of it, finding out about the world of graffiti .
What influenced you to start doing graffiti ?
Seen: I was influenced by watching the trains roll through my neighborhood covered with Tags, I would stop and watch every time one went by.
Is there one particular graffiti piece you identify as one of your favorites?
Seen: There were just too many pieces that I did to pick favorites, I like many of them, I could tell you about one I didn’t like at first. It was the HAND of DOOM I didn’t like it much at first because I used colors that I had an over stock sitting in my home that I disliked and just thought I ‘d use them on a wholecar just to get rid of them. Well that car ended up becoming world famous and people still talk about it today.
What do you think of graffiti today?
Seen: I think graffiti changed a whole lot since I started, even the medium had changed for some. I think it’s a good thing, change is good. It shows that progress is being made.
You are a huge influence to lots of artists. Who is an influence for you?
Seen: The truth is I really didn’t have an influence in the graffiti world, but I can say I have an influence outside of the graff world. This man’s name is Ed “Big Daddy” Roth : he was the king of the kustom Car kulture as we know it today, he also was an outlaw of his time just like I was.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve either seen or encountered while out painting?
Seen: I never seen anything crazy while painting, I always kept to myself and did my thing, PAINT.
If you were able to do it all over again, is there anything you would do differently?
Seen: If I could do it all again, what I change anything NO. The good times were good and yes the bad was bad, but that’s what life is all about, experiencing what life has to offer. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
You have your own tattoo shop, are you still tattooing on a regular basis?
Seen: Yes, I have a couple of TATTOO SEEN parlors in N.Y.C. and looking to open another one in Paris, France, sometime next year. But I havent tattooed in many years, I had to make a choice either tattoo or paint and painting came first in my life so now im painting full time and currently living in Paris, being a flaky artist that I am.
You’ve recently started a new project called BlkMarket, how is the project coming?
Seen: BLKMarket is a new project I ’m working on and we come a long way from just a website, we just got our new gallery/studio work space here in Paris and things are starting to take off. I ‘m in the studio 7 days a week creating new works constantly and life can’t be any better for me now.
Any last words for the Senses Lost readers?
Seen: Don’t be afraid to take chances in life.
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