Krink Studios had the pleasure of receiving one of the triple OGs in the game, none other than JonOne, the founder of the legendary 156 crew. He came a long way from the hallways, from the MTA subway tunnels to prestigious Parisian galleries with his signature abstract street style that can be recognized by writers and art lovers instantaneously. What started as a rite of passage growing up in New York in the late 70’s and early 80’s, has become a lifelong quest that has brought international fame and many great opportunities for the infamous Dominican bomber from Harlem. To be able to observe him in the studio and be able to get a glimpse of his creative process is truly an honor.

JonOne is no stranger to mops. He’s been using them since the 80’s and as a result had built one of the most recognized graffiti brands in the game. This is also very true for KR and Krink markers who similarly kept the raw street essence over the years so when the two worlds come together; it’s only natural that the outcome is lovely.

Every writer has to test the marker before he strikes. The Krink K-60 in hand, the testing begins and the colors are coming out looking buttery and loud. The beauty in all of this is the simplicity. Krink and JonOne are masters at creating complexity out of refined simplicity by injecting style into what is already a true classic.

It all boils down to “the hand”. You can do the most colorful piece with the wildest style and take a whole month working it to perfection and it will look fly at the end but if your hand is weak, something just doesn’t jive well with that. The hand is your core it is the simplest interpretation of you so it must be the fliest. Those with strong hands get strong respect but few get it like JonOne does.

What takes time to make, time respects. JonOne’s evolution took many decades but can be beautifully summed up with a few colorful squeeze mops and a blank piece of white paper. That’s visual jazz right there, straight from the slums of Harlem to a gallery near you.

Your hands are too short to box with GOD. JonOne posing in a classic boxer stance representing both cultures which give him the feelings of true freedom and power. “It’s just me against the world”.

It’s not a job or a hobby, this is a lifestyle. JonOne has been living this to the fullest for a very long time and he’s been on fire the whole way through it. Much respect!

Photos courtesy of Craig Costello.

What is Joe Huffer’s Paint Shop all about? What is your mission statement?

Joe Huffer’s Paint Shop opened for business on July 2nd, 2010 with one goal: to be a graffiti store for graffiti writers. We saw what the stores we used to go to did, and wanted to improve on that wherever we could. This meant trying to keep stock levels (especially for colours like black and white) as consistent as possible and keeping prices as low as possible. The realities of retail and dealing with imports have made stock levels something we’re always working on improving, but our paint prices haven’t gone up once since we opened. We always avoid fancy bullshit that writers don’t really care about, like a pretty store front, nice floors, or cool lighting because that helps us keep our prices low, which is more important to us than looking a certain way.

This next question is asked countless time, yet the answer is always a different one: I’m curious to know, what does graffiti mean to you?

As a graffiti store we have an obvious interest in people doing graffiti as much as possible, and it doesn’t really matter to us how they do it or why, as long as it doesn’t fuck with us in any way. Graffiti to us is and always has been about letters. Your style, technique, etc. can be as crazy as you want, but you can’t lose your letters. At the end of the day though, graffiti is just about doing graffiti, however, wherever, and whenever you want to do it, regardless of what us or anyone else has to say. Just don’t be a toy about it.

Describe a typical day in the office.

A day working at the shop usually consists of a few visits from friends, a few kids looking for (and finding!) deals, a couple artsy types wanting to try their hand at spray paint tagging, some curious passers-by visiting our neighbours down the hall, a dash of graff politics, some internet videos, maybe some art or design work, some local Chinatown or Kensington Market cuisine, and a lot of aerosol fumes.

I just want to take a few moments to focus on some specifics surrounding your city. First, how would you describe Toronto’s graffiti scene?

Toronto’s graffiti scene is stylistically diverse and thriving, with writers across the spectrum from all-city bombers to stylemaster piecers, and everywhere in between. The scene is a little younger and maybe a little smaller than some other cities, but has plenty of talented writers. Like every city with a graffiti scene, the way people do graffiti is largely based on the actual physical form of the city. We’re lucky here because Toronto has a bit of everything and not one type of spot or way of painting graff dominates the scene entirely, which has allowed it to be as diverse as it is.

Second question: What role does Joe Huffer’s Paint Shop play specifically in the growth and maintenance of TO’s scene?

We’re here to sell paint and other graffiti supplies to the city’s writers for the best prices we can. Obviously it’s in our best interest business-wise to have the scene grow, both in terms of size and quality, but we’re not in this to get rich on the backs of writers so we try to give back to the community by selling zines, art, and other writer-made stuff on fair split consignment, as well as sponsoring events, walls, etc. when we can. We get a lot of up-and-coming writers in the shop too, and we’re always happy to share a bit of advice with them, within reason of course (some stuff you have to learn on your own kids!).

Third and final question dealing specifically with Toronto’s graff scene; one of the most unique and lively spots, hands down, is the Spadina region. It seems to embody a lot of what graffiti is “supposed to represent”. In your opinion, what makes Spadina such a great location? And how does it add to Joe Huffer’s aura?

Spadina is like the unofficial graffiti district of the city. Pretty much any Chinatown you go to in North America is like that. There’s something about the griminess of the streets, the diversity of the people and food – Chinatown just has more character than a lot of other places in the city, and writers seem to be drawn to that. We located our shop as close to Spadina as we could for that reason, and we were lucky enough to eventually find a spot right in the heart of it at our current location just north of Dundas. We have a strong connection with Chinatown, both in terms of the business as well as personally, so we really try to represent that whenever we can through aspects of the shop’s look etc.

Back to the business side of things: What quality or trait do you feel best reflects your company’s success?

If there’s one quality or trait that’s helped us be as successful as we’ve been it’s probably that we aren’t greedy. We don’t charge more than we need to for what we sell just for the sake of making more money. Gouging people is wack.

Aside from offering your clientele fair rates on products, what, in terms of building a solid reputation, would you say has been integral to Joe Huffer’s success?

There’s no one thing that really impacts a store’s reputation, but if we have a good one it’s because over the last 5 years we have stuck to the principles we outlined earlier. We don’t think we’re better than anyone, and don’t think anyone owes us anything, so we treat our customers with respect as long as they do the same. Nobody likes people, or businesses, with shitty attitudes.

For the readers living outside of Toronto, do you offer an online shop? And if so, where can people reach you?

People can shop with us online for paint, caps, markers, ink, clothes, DVDs, books, art, etc. at www.joehuffers.com. All prices are in Canadian dollars, and we ship from Toronto.

Last question. Where do you see your company growing in the next five years? What big plans are in store for Joe Huffer’s Paint Shop?

We’re always looking to improve and grow so we’re working on a few ideas right now for how we can improve the shop space to better serve our customers, but nothing is set in stone. We’re also planning on getting more involved in events and art shows over the next little while to get back to the vibe we had going the first couple years we were open.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and friend us on Facebook (@JoeHuffer for all three) to stay up-to-date with what we’re doing.

Shout-outs!

Shout out to our loyal customers, shout out to our homies in Toronto and around the world, shout out to our various suppliers, shout out to our future customers, a special shout out to all those who recommend us to their international connections when they come to visit, shout out to bahn mi sandwiches and Chinese buns, shout out to the liquor store, shout out to the dudes that drive the trucks that deliver our shipments, shout out to the internet, and last but not least shout out to all those who write. Keep spraying.

Who is Art City Co.? When did it start? Who is affiliated with it? How did the company come to fruition?

ART CITY CO. (ACC): Art City Co. is an independently run art supply company, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We sell graffiti-supplies to the public.

ArtCityCo. began as a fun side business and to get the best art supplies to the Atlantic Canada area. I’ve always been involved in art in one way or another so when I decided to do a side business I wanted to do something that I was into. I also do web design and wanted to build an online store. So artcityco.com was my first!

Aside from Revolution Records – a music store/ graffiti supply shop which was in operation ten year ago – I can’t think of too many shops that offer solid graffiti supplies. With the particular market being as small as it is here, how difficult is it to operate a graffiti supply shop in HFX? Do you look at the more traditional art supply shops like DeSerras or the one at NSCAD as competition for you?

Revolution Records: I remember the first time I walked in there! Well I don’t know much about their business so I don’t want to speak out of turn, but a record store/graffiti store (which they were) was facing two niche markets. I think our lower population makes each niche a little too small. I’d like to add that I also have no idea why they closed and am just speculating. I’m assuming the “Internet” and ”Napster” age must have a negative effect on the record stores and graffiti industry, also. Technology I don’t find it hard to run Art City Co., but to be honest, what I’m doing is very different from Revolution Records. I’ve adapted my model to fit with the current times. I mean no one who worked at Revolution had the option of being interviewed over an iPhone, and I can control my full store right from that same phone. I would say technology is what differentiates us from them.

As for Deserres and NSCAD: well yeah they are competition, but aren’t focusing on graffiti. I specialize in graffiti – that is my niche. Right now, I’d like to take Art City Co. to that [bigger] level someday. I just started with my key artistic interests.

Halifax is an art-friendly city, yet graffiti doesn’t seem to be as widespread as it used to be a few years ago. Has the recent surge of gentrification and other forms of “urban renewal” the cause, or are few writers getting up in Halifax? Everybody seems to have an opinion, so what are your thoughts on the matter?

Any answer I have to this question is totally speculation. The decline of the graffiti scene around the Halifax could be caused by a dozen different reasons. The main thing is that is still exists. There’s never been a shortage of painters in Halifax. I could literally drone on for hours on this subject! But like I said before, it would just be speculation.

In your opinion, what role does ACC play in Halifax graffiti? There aren’t too many shops around, and you’re one of the few suppliers in this city. Do you feel ACC gets the credit/recognition it deserves?

Well I’m not sure we play a huge “role” Halifax graffiti. The Graffiti was here before Art City Co (ACC) and will be here forever. Honestly there are dozens of stores in Halifax that have been supplying supplies long before ACC. You have places like: Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart, Michaels, DeSerres, Kent, Home Depot, and Rona. All of these places cater to graffiti artists whether they realize it or not. A graffiti artist will find a way to get supplies. In my opinion, graffiti is the act of marking something illegally, rather than urban art in general. I’m an artist who happens to sells art supplies for other artists to use. What they do with those supplies is none of my business.

As far as credit and recognition, I’m not looking for any really. I’m just here to offer quality art supplies!

I’m fascinated with the aspect of independent hustle, and independent business, as a whole; being able to stay above water is not easy. How do you stay focused in spite of Halifax’s small marketplace? I’m sure it’s not as thriving as Montreal or Toronto, yet you stay inline. Where does your mental-drive come from?

Well I’ve always enjoyed operating a business. When I was ten years old, I was the kid who had a lawn mowing business. I guess the whole business-mindset just comes natural to me. I’ve always preferred to work harder at my own hustle than for someone else. I’d much rather be my own boss than work for another person.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about starting up their own business?

My business advice would be to have a concrete business plan, listen more than you speak, work hard at what you do, and always stay humble.

by Matthew J

Who is KIF? Where are you from?

I´m a female graffiti writer and I have 26 years old (about to turn 27) that always struggle to achieve its objectives. My name is Karina Alejandra Soto Hernandez, I´m a proudly student of the University of Guanajuato (the highest seat of learning in my state). I was born in the city of León, that place that fills me with satisfaction and joy, like my Mexican nationality.

This year I discovered that I´m a feminist (haha). In Mexico, that concept has been distorted by singers (such as “Paquita la del Barrio”, “Jenny Rivera”, etc.) who only assault the male figure and they do nothing to improve relationships between men and women in society. Personally, I didn´t like the label [feminism], until I met, my now close friend and collaborator of ideas, “Luisa Herse”.

I´m also someone who tries to find proper balance between life and spirituality. Apprehend humility, which quoted Socrates, “The pride divides men, the humility joins.”

¿Quién es KIF? ¿De dónde eres?

Soy una mujer graffitera de 26 años (próxima a cumplir 27) que lucha por siempre lograr sus objetivos. Me llamo Karina Alejandra Soto Hernández, soy orgullosamente una estudiante de la Universidad de Guanajuato (la máxima casa de estudios en mi Estado). Nací en la ciudad de León, una ciudad que me llena de satisfacción y alegría, al igual que mi nacionalidad mexicana.

Este año descubrí que soy feminista jaja; en México ese concepto está distorsionado, gracias a cantantes de música popular (como “Paquita la del Barrio”, “Jenny Rivera”, etc.) que sólo agreden a la figura masculina y que no hacen más por mejorar la relación mujer – hombre – mujer en la sociedad. Por eso no me gustaba ponerme dicha etiqueta, hasta que conocí (a mi ahora entrañable amiga y colaboradora de ideas) “Luisa Herse”.
También soy la persona que trata de tener una vida y espiritualidad equilibrada. De aprehender a la humildad, que citando al buen Sócrates –El orgullo divide a los hombres, la humildad los une-

What’s happening with Lady’s Graff, at the moment? What are you working on now?

Lady’s Graff is in a period of inactivity. I haven’t had the time I would want to work fully on the project. I definitely want to continue it and see it prevail. Recently, I was together with Luisa and Pris (Female graffiti artist from “Chulas Klan” crew and my friend too) at a conference in Mexico City (Aesthetic of the Street) where the three were speakers. They both want to collaborate with Lady’s Graff, and help ensure that all the work doesn´t fall only on me. Unfortunately we couldn´t synchronize our schedules to start working (of course the distance doesn´t help a lot, because we are established in Mexico City, Chiapas and Guanajuato). Still I am optimistic; we will make it work.

¿Qué pasa con Lady´s Graff?

Lady´s Graff está en un período de inactividad, no he tenido el tiempo que quisiera para poder trabajar de lleno en el proyecto. Sin duda quiero que siga prevaleciendo, justo hace poco me reuní con Luisa y Pris (Graffitera del crew “Chulas Klan” y amiga mía) en un congreso en la Ciudad de México (Estéticas de la Calle) en donde las tres estuvimos de ponentes. Ellas dos quieren colaborar con Lady´s Graff para que el trabajo no recaiga solamente en mí, lamentablemente no hemos podido sincronizar nuestros horarios para empezar a trabajar (por supuesto, la distancia no ayuda mucho ya que estamos establecidas en México D.F., Chiapas y Guanajuato).

Now that you’ve been studying more traditional and technical forms of art, how do you now view graffiti? Is your approach to graffiti different? If so, how have you been able to adapt your new knowledge to your graffiti work?

Of course not, my approach to graffiti is still the same, I love to see the “dirt” that graffiti is going to leaving on the streets; in the public space. The academic background allows me to work more on my graffiti composition. i.e.: I try to experiment more with color, shapes (directionality and movement), proportion and the technical itself.

I´m also desirous of have more knowledge about the “mapping” and other artistic variants of digital media to experiment together with graffiti, or if it´s not with graffiti, public space intervention.

Ahora que has estado estudiando formas y técnicas más tradicionales de arte, ¿Cómo ves ahora el graffiti? ¿Tu enfoque al graffiti es diferente? Si es así, ¿Cómo has sido capaz de adaptar tus nuevos conocimientos a tu trabajo de graffiti?

Por supuesto que no, mi enfoque al graffiti sigue siendo el mismo, me encanta ver la “suciedad” que deja el graffiti en las calles, en el espacio público. La formación académica me permite trabajar más en la composición de mi graffiti, es decir, trato de experimentar más con el color, las formas (direccionalidad y movimiento), la proporción y la técnica en sí misma.

También estoy deseosa de ya tener mayor conocimiento sobre el “mapping” y otras variantes artísticas de soportes digitales para experimentar conjuntamente con el graffiti, o bien si no es con el graffiti, intervenir el espacio público.

Continuing off the last question, has your concept of graffiti shifted since studying at Art College? I ask because many people who start out as graffiti writers have switched up their perception of graffiti and after going to school have distanced themselves from their “graffiti roots”. (Do you still feel it’s an important form of expression or should more importance be placed on traditional art?)

The concept of graffiti that I have (since I started) is that it should remain as part of the illegality, of struggle and resistance. Ourselves put it inside the law, and consequently, moves into a comfort zone… I think It obeys, to circumstances of life itself, that is, the fear of being caught by the police and causes mortification to our families; that it´s risky to our health, to seek recognition (either fame, money, etc.) and to place it in galleries, and even a search of plastic experimentation selves.

I´ve distanced of my roots, not by choice, but because now I want to stay focused on my studies and they´re highly absorbent. But when I have spare time I try to paint, including in schoolwork each that I can add a touch of graffiti on them, I think is now that I cling to not let go of what I’ve been for the last 13 years of my life.

I was chatting with my professor of aesthetic about if graffiti could be to able consider like an art and He told me that yes, but the problem is that same graffiti writers don´t want to do it! And I think it the reality.

Graffiti is a expression form by itself, no need to enter into the categories of traditional art. Well I would say that semiotically and aesthetically, the creative process of the author and the perceptive process of the viewer, is the same in all types of art.

Continuando la última pregunta, ¿Tu concepto del graffiti ha cambiado desde que estudias en la escuela de arte? Lo pregunto porque muchas personas que empiezan como escritores de graffiti han cambiado hasta su percepción de graffiti y después de ir a la escuela se han distanciado a sí mismos de sus raíces graffiti (¿Todavía sientes que es una importante forma de expresión o debería ser de mayor importancia colocarlo en el arte tradicional?)

El concepto que tengo del graffiti (desde que comencé) es que debe de permanecer en el marco de la ilegalidad, de la lucha y la resistencia. Que nosotros mismos lo metemos al margen de la legalidad y, por consecuente, lo adentramos en una zona de confort… Obedece, creo yo, a circunstancias de la vida misma, es decir, el temor de ser capturados por la policía y causar mortificación a nuestros familiares; que sea riesgoso para nuestra salud, que busquemos el reconocimiento (ya sea fama, dinero, etc.) y lo coloquemos en galerías, e incluso, por una búsqueda en la experimentación de la plástica misma.

Yo me he distanciado de mis raíces, no por elección, sino porque ahora quiero permanecer enfocada a mis estudios universitarios y son muy absorbentes. Pero cuando tengo tiempo libre trato de pintar, inclusive en los trabajos escolares cada que puedo agrego un toque de graffiti en ellos, creo que es ahora cuando más me aferro a no desprenderme de lo que he sido durante los últimos 13 años de mi vida.

Estaba platicando con mi profesor de estética sobre si el graffiti podría ser considerado con un arte y él me dijo que sí, pero el problema es que los mismos escritores de graffiti no quieren hacerlo. Y creo que es la realidad.
El graffiti es una forma de expresión por sí misma, no necesita entrar en las categorías del arte tradicional. Pues me atrevería a decir que semióticamente y estéticamente, el proceso creativo del autor y el perceptivo del espectador, es el mismo en todos los tipos de arte.

For those who don’t know, what is Lady’s Graff and specific role has it played in terms of helping female graffiti writers, both in Mexico and abroad?

Lady’s Graff began as a website of dissemination in 2002 (the truth is that I can´t remember well the timing of events), gradually got to know the site and got to a point where I had to include international graffiti artists. Then it was mutating to blog and coming soon… ummmm, better I don´t advance what we have in mind until it´s more seriously and real. Well, Lady’s Graff is a space to spread and support graffiti done by women, not as a matter of segregation, but being a minority (in number of elements, compared to boys) is a communication network contact us all and share what we do and what we think.

Although I’m not updating the blog constantly, I try to participate in different groups created on Facebook (by colleagues who have the same intent), I share there news and interesting things that have to do with other women, not just my work.
Because of my work like a webmaster in Lady´s Graff, I´ve had the opportunity to collaborate in magazines, websites, books and graffiti events dedicated to the female gender.

Para aquellos quienes no saben, ¿Qué es Lady´s Graff y el rol especifico que ha desempeñado en términos de ayudar a las escritoras de graffiti, tanto en México como en el extranjero?

Lady’s Graff comenzó como un sitio web de difusión en el año 2002 (la verdad es que ya ni recuerdo bien la temporalidad de los sucesos), poco a poco se fue conociendo el sitio y llegué a un punto en el que tenía que incluir a graffiteras internacionales. Después fue mutando a blog y próximamente… ummmm, mejor no adelanto lo que tenemos en mente hasta que ya esté más palpable y concretado. Bueno, Lady´s graff es un espacio de difusión y apoyo al graffiti hecho por mujeres, no por una cuestión de segregación, sino que al ser minoría (en número de elementos, a comparación de los chicos) es una red de comunicación para contactarnos todas y compartir lo que hacemos y lo que pensamos.

A pesar de que no estoy actualizando el blog constantemente, trato de participar en distintos grupos creados en Facebook (por colegas que tienen la misma intencionalidad), ahí comparto noticias y cosas de interés que tengan que ver con otras mujeres, no solamente mi trabajo.

Debido a mi labor con Lady´s Graff, he tenido la oportunidad de colaborar en revistas, sitios web, libros y eventos de graffiti dedicados al género femenino.

What can you tell us about heading back-to-school? What are you studying, at the moment, and how has that affected your way of thinking and perceiving art — all art, not just graffiti:

I’m studying a bachelor’s degree in Digital Arts, I honestly didn’t have much notion about art in general. What more I known it was about the forefront artistics and some things Greco-Roman.

My introduction to graffiti was the total influence of the street; by my brother´s friends who spent their nights walking the neighborhoods of the city to paint over trends of territorial graffiti, cholos and gangs … So I always minimized the academic art, because it´s pretty appearance, what it liked to society.

My courses about art history were taught by a very passionate Architect in the subject (Armando Perez), whose classes showed me the great architectures in human history, from prehistoric era – Wonderful techniques in different periods for painting; order and proportion, even deconstructing of all them. Studying some of the amazingly detailed sculptures of different eras, I fell in love with Mexican art; with everything from prehispanic symbolism to expressionism of the great Mexican authors, specifically what David Alfaro Siqueiros, who created for all political activity, the mindset of struggle and resistance he had.

Now I think that all the important artists of the history of art and their various techniques, deserves great respect and admiration, even Marcel Duchamp with his horrible urinal (for me it had had more credit if he had defecated doing a protest performance against critics and “experts” in academic art).

¿Qué nos puedes contar sobre tu actual movimiento de “regreso a la escuela”? ¿Qué estás estudiando por el momento? y ¿Cómo ha afectado eso a tu manera de pensar y percibir el arte, todo el arte, no sólo graffiti?

Estoy estudiando la Licenciatura en Artes Digitales, honestamente yo no tenía tanta noción sobre el arte en general. Lo que más conocía era sobre las vanguardias artísticas y un poco de los greco-romanos.
Mi introducción al graffiti fue por la influencia total de la calle; por los amigos de mi hermano que pasaban sus noches caminando los barrios de la ciudad para pintar, graffiti con tendencias más territoriales, de cholos y pandillas… Por eso siempre minimizaba el arte académico, pues era el aspecto bonito, lo que le gustaba a la sociedad.

Mis cursos sobre historia del Arte fueron impartidos por un Arquitecto muy apasionado en el tema (José Pérez), sus clases fueron las que me mostraron las grandes arquitecturas en la historia del hombre, desde la prehistoria… Sus técnicas maravillosas en distintos periodos para la pintura; el orden y la proporción, incluso la deconstrucción de éstas. La escultura tan detallada de las diferentes épocas. Me enamoré del arte mexicano; desde la simbología prehispánica, hasta el expresionismo de los grandes autores Mexicanos, específicamente lo creado por David Alfaro Siqueiros con toda su actividad política, la mentalidad de lucha y resistencia que él tenía.

Ahora creo que todos los artistas importantes de la historia del arte universal y sus distintas técnicas, merecen un gran respeto y admiración, incluso Marcel Duchamp con su horrible mingitorio (para mí hubiese tenido mayor crédito si él hubiera defecado haciendo un performance de protesta frente a los críticos y “expertos” en la academia).

In your opinion, what can you tell us about the current position of female graffiti writers; not only internationally, but in your Province of Leon Mexico, as well? Are female writers getting representation?

In this moment I´m somewhat disconnected about the international scene. I think we should put more work on our warmth human and our quality graffiti.

Sometimes, it´s very sad and stressful for me to see that several people and I have been making a projects basis, efforts and ideas that are of no use. The girls in my country and my town are still having super high ego, even not for the quality of their work or their actions, but because they keep playing the role of “pretty girls”. A stupid competition has achieved social pressure, interested to be prettier than the other, be able to take the boyfriend to the other girl, and endless betrayals between us.

Leaving of centralized on the important things and focus to attack each other, but yes, seek recognition, attention and representation by the mere fact of being women and playing with the feelings of men.

There are all kinds of people and minds in the graffiti world, I reason to further develop ideas and joint projects with women who have left all that shit back, I´ve come to establish good friendships with girls who are in the same synchrony that me. I admire and respect their work, to their person because they have quality and warmth, because they´re women who are interested in taking seriously what they do and what they are passionate about. By the way hello to all, especially girls as Shady, Rank, Dita, Chulas Klan, Nuz, Peste, Traumas, Nala, Tysa and many others that deserve my utmost respect, not only in Mexico but throughout the world.

En tu opinión, ¿Qué nos puedes decir acerca de la posición actual de las escritoras de graffiti, no sólo a nivel internacional, pero también en tu provincia de León México? ¿Son escritoras consiguiendo representación?

En este momento me encuentro un tanto desconectada de la escena internacional. Opino que deberíamos ponernos más a trabajar en nuestra calidez humana y en nuestra calidad graffiti.

A veces es muy triste y agotador para mí ver que todo lo que varias personas y yo hemos ido logrando a base de proyectos, esfuerzos e ideas no sirve de nada. Las chicas en mi país y en mi ciudad siguen teniendo el ego súper elevado, ni siquiera por la calidad de su trabajo o por sus acciones, sino porque siguen jugando a ser “las niñas bonitas”. Una estúpida competencia que ha logrado la presión social, el interesarse por ser más bonita que la otra, ser capaz de quitarle el novio a la otra y un sinfín de deslealtades entre nosotras.

Dejan de centralizarse en las cosas importantes y se enfocan a atacarse unas con otras, pero eso sí, buscan el reconocimiento, la atención y la representación por el sólo hecho de ser mujeres y de jugar con los sentimientos de los hombres.

Hay todo tipo de personas y mentalidades en el mundo del graffiti, yo me motivo a seguir desarrollando ideas y proyectos colectivos con mujeres que ya han dejado toda esa mierda atrás, he llegado a entablar buenas amistades con chicas quienes se encuentran en la misma sincronía que yo. Admiro y respeto su trabajo, a su persona porque tienen calidad y calidez, porque son mujeres a las que les interesa tomar en serio lo que hacen y lo que les apasiona. Por cierto un saludo a todas ellas, especialmente a chavas como Shady, Rank, Dita, Chulas Klan, Nuz, Peste, Traumas, Nala, Tysa y muchas otras más que merecen mi máximo respeto, no sólo de México sino del mundo entero.

Family is important, whether they are biological or the ones we choose – friends turned family through bond. I want to know, in your mind, what does family mean to you and how are you able to keep a balance of work, art, family, and personal goals? How do you keep things level? How does your family help center-you within your day to day
life?

Family for me is my daily engine, my strength, my pride, my admiration and what I’m structured. I think that balance is something that I´ve not yet succeeded, I´m no longer with my family (I speak of biological and friends) to address school issues. Living in a different city, it´s very difficult to have the time to be with everyone and also focus to college; further away from home I’ve managed to have other links with people that I cherish most, people that I met in college and I want to preserve in my life (Brenda, my boys from “Coliseo”, classmates of generation, etc.).

There are weekends where I go back to Leon and I spend time partying with members of my crews (IKS, CK and Female Soul); and others in which the gang will not notice that I´ll be in town and I´m only with my mother, my brothers and my dog. There are days in which I prefer to disconnect from all of them and I´m going to paint, others in which I stay in Salamanca locked for hours in my apartment studying for exams and / or preparing a project or task.

I always do what I crave, when I think I should give time to my people, I let go a bit of work to be with them. My family (you see that I have the joy of having a large family) they understand that the priority for me right now is to finish my degree, they know that I´m pleased learning and for this reason they try to tolerate that I no longer spend as much time with them.

La familia es importante, ya sean biológicos o los que se eligen (Amigos que se volvieron familia a través de vínculos). Quiero saber; en tu mente, ¿Qué significa la familia para ti y cómo eres capaz de mantener un equilibrio entre el trabajo, el arte, la familia y las metas personales? ¿Cómo mantener el nivel de las cosas? ¿Cómo funciona tu centro de ayuda familiar dentro de tu día a día?

La familia para mí es mi motor diario, mi fuerza, mi orgullo, mi admiración y lo que me estructura. Creo que el equilibrio es algo que no he logrado aún, he dejado de estar con mi familia (hablo de la biológica y los amigos) por atender asuntos escolares. Viviendo en una ciudad diferente, es muy difícil tener el tiempo para estar con todos y además enfocarme a la universidad; además lejos de casa he logrado tener otros vínculos con personas a las que aprecio mucho, gente que conocí en la universidad y que deseo conservar toda la vida (Brenda, mis chicos del “Coliseo”, los compañeros de generación, etc.).

Hay fines de semana en los que vuelvo a León y me la paso en la fiesta con los integrantes de mis crews (IKS, CK y Alma Femenina); otros en los que ni le aviso a la pandilla que estaré en la ciudad y sólo estoy para mi madre, mis hermanos y mi perro. Días en los que prefiero desconectarme de todos ellos y salir a pintar, otros en los que me quedo en Salamanca encerrada por horas en mi departamento estudiando para algún examen y/o preparando algún proyecto o tarea.
Siempre hago lo que se me antoja, cuando yo considero que debo darle tiempo a mi gente, me desprendo un poco del trabajo para estar con ellos. Mi familia (mira que tengo la dicha de tener una familia grande) entiende que para mí ahorita la prioridad es terminar mi licenciatura, saben que me satisface el aprendizaje y por eso tratan de tolerar el que yo ya no pase tanto tiempo con ellos.

Since learning more about art and expanding your skill set, how would you describe your evolving style, as an artist? How have you changed? In what aspects have you grown? Where do feel further growth is needed?

KIF: I’ve noticed that my graffiti style is very marked in what I do custom for college classes. I love my philosophical readings relating to art, classes like aesthetics and semiotics I´ve fascinated me a lot, even though it costs a bit of work to have the habit of reading, because I come from a culture where since childhood has not been inculcated reading. I need more growth in the drawing, because I still do hard time human figures and faces, spray I´ve not tried, only with the software.

Desde aprender más sobre el arte y la expansión de tu conjunto de habilidades, ¿Cómo describirías tu evolución de estilo, como un artista? ¿Cómo ha cambiado? ¿En qué aspectos has crecido? ¿En dónde sientes que necesitas un mayor crecimiento?

KIF: Me he dado cuenta que mi estilo en el graffiti se ve muy marcado en lo que hago por encargo para las materias de la universidad. Amo mis lecturas filosóficas referentes al arte, materias como estética y semiótica me han apasionado mucho, aunque me cuesta un poco de trabajo tener el hábito de leer, pues vengo de una cultura en la que desde pequeños no se nos ha inculcado la lectura. Necesito mayor crecimiento en el dibujo, porque aún me cuesta mucho trabajo hacer figuras humanas y rostros, con aerosol no lo he intentado, sólo con el software.

Shout-outs?

Again, thanks Matthew for following up on my work within graffiti and personal situations, as does a good friend.
Thank you very much to all the people who support me, appreciate me, respect me and have left positive knowledge and ideas in my mind.

Special greetings to the members of my crews: IKS, CK and Female Soul; My family of Mexico (and those who are warriors around the world, dealing with racist and absurd situations), the man who has captivated me for the past 4 years (NAGM); To my friends I know in “real life” -lol- and stay with me forever (poxo, Ivette, Vicky, Bei) … Of course my colleagues graffiti writers, MCs, DJs and Researchers, people that I met through the “graffiti life”: Dita, Anahí, Rank, Saha, Shady, Kirs, Daniela, Luisa Herse, Peste, PSF (Germany), Sax (Spain); Caitlin Bruce, ARE2, Jessica Pabon and Tiffany Evans (USA) … CAB (LA), DJ Raven, Oex, Deker, Spok, Warner, Husmer, Pes, Sketch, Sk@pe, Weva, Wes, Reak, Beis, Ruben Jasso, Pedro Rangel and crews like KW7, Chulas Klan, UK, FEGS, BR, EIN, TFK, GSK, HEM, ODK (Netherlands) …

People from ENAH who invited me this year in their annual event “Aesthetic of the Street “.

More than greetings, I thanks to important people in my academic life: My teachers who always fill me with knowledge; My guys from the Colosseum (Yure, Tavo, Luis, Marcelo and Luis Mi); To my co-generation (Jhony, Martha, Sus, Lexy, Estefy, Nalle, Angy, Fran, Jess) and also absent but still communicated with me Craes and Bruno… To my roommates Brenda and Pau.

THANKS TO EACH OF YOU.

Saludos?
Una vez más, gracias Matthew por darle seguimiento a mi labor dentro del graffiti y en situaciones personales, como lo hace un buen amigo.

Muchas gracias a todas las personas que me apoyan, me aprecian, me respetan y que han dejado conocimientos e ideas positivas en mi mente.

Saludos especiales a los miembros de mis crews: IKS, CK y Female Soul; A mi familia de México (Y a quienes están de guerreros por el mundo, lidiando con situaciones racistas y absurdas), al hombre que me ha cautivado durante los últimos 4 años (NAGM); A mis amigos que conozco de “la vida real” –lol- y permanecen a mi lado siempre (Poxo, Ivette, Vicky, Bei)… Por supuesto a mis colegas graffiteros, MCs, DJs e Investigadores, personas que conocí a través de la “vida graffiti”: Dita, Anahí, Rank, Saha, Shady, Kirs, Daniela, Luisa Herse, Peste, PSF (Alemania), Sax (España); Caitlin Bruce, Are2, Jessica Pabón y Tiffany Evans (Estados Unidos)… CAB (LA), DJ Raven, Oex, Gerry Corzo (de “Ganja”, reggae mexicano), Deker, Spok, Warner, Husmer, Pes, Sketch, Sk@pe, Weva, Wes, Reak, Beis, Rubén Jasso, Pedro Rangel y a los crews KW7, Chulas Klan, UK, FEGS, BR, EIN, TFK, GSK, HEM, ODK (Holanda)… A la gente de la ENAH que me invitó de ponente este año en su evento anual “Estéticas de la Calle”

Más que saludos, agradezco a personajes importantes en mi vida académica: A los docentes que siempre me llenan de conocimientos; A mis niños del Coliseo (Yure, Tavo, Luis, Marcelo, Luis Mi); Para mis compañeros de generación (Jhony, Martha, Sus, Lexy, Estefy, Nalle, Angy, Fran, Jess) y también a los ausentes pero que siguen comunicados conmigo Craes y Bruno… A mis roommates Brenda y Pau.

The ‘Transition’ Documentary is a short film featuring the graffiti artist Does.

Who is Opia?

Opia is my art-alias, nickname, moniker, the name I “write” in graffiti terms. I received this name about 15 years ago. I was a teenager then and had befriended lots of people with whom I had many things in common, graffiti art being one of them. I recall chatting with someone about my initiative to start writing, but I didn’t have a name to go by. After trading ideas on names, I finally settled on “Opia,” which was the preferred (shortened) version of the full word: utopia. I preferred this because it was a four letter word, therefore, quick and easy to paint. Beside all this, I did take a liking to its meaning, the ethereal quality of the word brought out a longing for the real thing in me.

This was a time in my life in which I had entered into a stream of intrigue over graffiti. It captured my eyes and by being inclined to art, it challenged my competency to do it. Everywhere I’d look, there it would be; and because my friends then were interested or into it themselves, I had a creative environment to practice my ability.

Fifteen years later, I still represent this name. I’ve entertained thoughts of changing what I write for quite some time, because the truth of it all is, it isn’t all that pretty! I dealt with deep-seated guilt and searing shame. I wanted to escape the reputation that I had caused to fall upon myself. This name became a banner of identity and the life I’ve lived, all negative. Nevertheless, it is a part of my timeline and genuine history. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new, I am a new creation in Christ (ref: 2 Cor. 5:17). It is a part of my testimony.

Little did I realize as a youth that this abbreviated alias, Opia, became an ideal place I longed for; a little bit of Heaven, a place of peace, sanctuary, rest — Eden, itself. Not until I opened my heart to Jesus, did I find the strength to finally stop running away from myself and face the truth.

How did you first get involved with graffiti? What drew you to this particular medium rather than say “classical sketching” or gallery style painting?

I had the real-deal in front of me. Exposure to art and graffiti was the norm when growing up in the South Bay Area of Los Angeles. I admired the talent, techniques, and skills of the few murals within the community and I can think back to being about five years old telling myself, “I want to paint something like that!” I’d stand outside of the storefront murals and would twist my neck all the way around to take in the image. The sheer size of the space compared to my little frame was impressive.

It then progressed to rubbernecking as I rode in cars, to glimpse the latest burner, throw-ups, or tags. I’d also look for landmarks, long-time running spots and markings. By doing this, I learned which areas were doused in graff. There were the hot spots which stood temporarily, but received one of two reactions: a round of applause or a fist in the air. There was also the older stuff, especially around the tracks, that I quickly learned to treat as an ancient hieroglyph. Along with what I picked up by observation, I started sketching what I thought was “like” the graffiti I saw. I’d hang out with friends at school, after school, and on the weekends where there was lots of skating, looking at graff mags, drawing in sketchbooks, listening to music, talking about what we liked and such. I was surrounded by many gifted artists and their inspiration rubbed off on me. Their creativity further propelled me into my artistic ventures.

I admire many other forms of mediums and expertise. I actually dabble in a few, but I’m no expert. I believe what drew me to this particular medium was my circumstances (location, personal influences, and sub-cultures) along with my interest for the unusual form of art captivated me. I was an at-risk youth and was balancing on the scales of life. I eventually became heavy on the side of taking risks as a way of seeking attention at whatever cost. My graffiti became about recognition, the more I was “up,” the more I became validated by others. The more vandalism I caused, the more my suppressed anger was released. The more improved in style, technique and skill I became, the more pride ate away at my humility. I had no balance and the choices I was making at that time (drinking, drugs, etc.), wasn’t directing me to use that talent in productive ways. I was on self-destruct mode, spiraling down, full speed ahead and taking down my creativity with it.

Does your faith ever cause problems with your choice in artistic expression; meaning does the fact that graffiti is seen as a crime does that conflict with your beliefs?

People have different perceptions about graffiti as an art form. I paint graffiti-style murals with owner consent, all legal. I’ve received criticism from some because there is a stigma to graffiti, and I can see where they come from. I respect that. However, my intention is not to paint for self and what I write, but for something fruitful. I realize that I have a certain ability to get a message across, and as a Christian, I have to use my talents wisely. As long as I can stay true to that, my conscience is clear.

I find it encouraging when the positive reactions far outweigh the negative critiques. I believe the content of the work speaks life to people and it sparks hope. Some may receive it openly, and some will reject it totally – both the mural and/or the Message.

It’s important to stay ambitious and keep oneself focused. I would like to know what keeps you focused on improvement. Motivational speaker Eric Thomas talks about the importance of having a why (as in a reason why people stay committed to a particular task). What is your why, and how do you keep yourself focused on self-improvement?

I focus on Jesus. It may sound cliché to some, but unashamedly, this is my faith and my faith is in Him. As the blind man once said, “I was blind but now I see!” My aim is not on self-improvement, but rather on becoming more like Him; a transformation. It’s like metamorphosis, like how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. It’s a beautiful thing.

California has a layered graffiti community. How do you see the culture in California? What do you like best about the scene?

I see graffiti in California as multi-faceted because of the artist’s preferences. You have preferences in locations, numerous combinations of “ups” (tags, throwies, and/or pieces, etc.), colors (monotone or wild), type of surfaces, and the list goes on. I’ve seen interest in it come and go, and come again. Through the decades I’ve lived so far, I see it as an appetite that cannot be satiated.

What I like best is creative process, from start to finish. It reminds me much of my life, how I’m a work in progress. I also like ingenuity, some can think up really amazing stuff, like structure and flow, color combos, techniques, and others.

You’re associated with two crews- I.S.I. Collective and GG Crew. I want to take time to look at both crews, so first we’ll start with I.S.I: What does I.S.I. represent? What is its history? What is your mission statement?

I.S.I. Collective started in 2008; it stands for “Iron Sharpens Iron” which is derived from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” It is a fellowship of accountable and creative souls who use the arts to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. It was started in Northern California by “Fasm” to hold Christians that spray painted (which consisted a majority of Gospel Graffiti crew members worldwide) accountable to Biblical standards and encouraged those involved to seek and give wise counsel, which in the long-run, is a blessing. In 2010-2011, the crew leadership was passed on to Wes77 and its main root is in Los Angeles. There are 7 members and all have unique talents to contribute to the mission: Cawst, Fre(e) of Sin, Joey Digitals, Skrybe52, Vox, Wes77, and myself.

Now, let’s talk about the other crew you’re associated with, the GG Crew. When was it established? What is its mission? Where’s it based?

GG Crew (Gospel and Graffiti) began as a crew in 1996 by Sno & Fasm. It is a group of worldwide members that share the call and desire to use legal graffiti art as a tool to seek and share the message of salvation. We live to yield our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to reflect Him, and to share His love with the world; on and off a wall.

We have members in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South Africa. It’s a culturally diverse group with God and graffiti in common, it’s a beautiful thing! The crew has undergone changes throughout the years and just recently, the crew leadership role has been passed on to Camer1. There’s some activity in the works for our crew to step into another level; ideas are popping up, members are engaged in conversation, and there’s a sense of organic development going on. We’re just going with the God flow.

Just as your crew grows and develops, I imagine the individuals do, as well. Who would you say has had the biggest/most positive impact on your life? And what does that person’s mentorship mean to you?

From a personal and an artistic standpoint, two people have had the biggest and most positive impact in my life; surprisingly, both have entered my life not too long ago. That being said, both are dearly cherished and I’m grateful for their life, in mine.

A personal mentor of mine is an older woman that I met in church when I moved to a smaller mountain community about a year and a half ago. Her name is Helen and she is very kind and a sincere person. She has become a “Titus 2” woman in my life, in which she models her faith in action, extends wise counsel, encourages, and builds me up. She embraces me for who I am and appreciates my many traits. Like many, I had a rocky childhood; and due to mental illness, I grew up with a present, yet, “absent” mother. My mother was responsive, able to care for herself, my family, and I; she taught us what is moral (don’t lie, don’t curse, cover yourself up), and the basic life-skills (how to cook, clean, read, etc.), but nevertheless, was detached emotionally and didn’t engage in relationship building. Growing up, my older sister, my aunties, neighbor women, and my friend’s mothers would become “mother-types,” and I’d look up to them for teaching, guidance, and direction. I was very observant and copied many behaviors. When Helen took me under her wings, I learned so much within that short period of time than I EVER had in my entire life! She’s taught me about womanhood, the privilege of training up a heritage, and much more. I’ve experienced a major development in my late 20’s, but hey, better late than never right? It’s only that much sweeter.

Artistically, I consider my husband Wes as a mentor. He selflessly pours into me and provides me with encouragement, support, and inspiration. Our conversations about art projects and such are very interesting because he introduces me to new ideas, works of art, and literally draws water from my well. He’s a visionary type and perceives many things from a different perspective as I, so he’s helped me to think outside-the-box. I see how much he’s grown also, he’s balanced out his desire to paint with more of an art appreciation outlook; now, there’s moderation. I welcome his constructive examination of my work because I admire his palate, and he’s graceful about it as well. The both of us come from an illegal graffiti background, so he totally gets where I come from and how that specific painting skill exists long after I’ve stopped committing vandalism. To me, my husband and artistic mentor is an ally in my becoming fruitful.

Now I would like to give you the opportunity act as a mentor to some writer who may be reading this article. What advice, if any, would you give to an aspiring writer who is struggling to catch their rhythm, artistically?

Check the intentionality. If one struggles in catching their rhythm by trying to please others, that one will struggle indefinitely. Now, if one struggles simply because, I wouldn’t call it a struggle, but rather a stepping stone. It’s part of the program. Artistic struggle is a growing pain; it can be a lesson learned, wisdom and understanding gained, and fewer mistakes to be made.

Oftentimes, an aspiring artist gets caught up in fears; such as, fears of being inferior in comparison to others, or, of discouragement (among others). This can be a torment, hindering a productive and creative flow. I myself can feel trepidation, so I find comfort in 2 Timothy 1:7 from the Scriptures. I am reminded of having a sound mind, and that an ounce of truth ousts the negativity and dispels the doubts.

Who are some of the writers, in your area, whom you feel people should be checking out? Who do you think is producing some serious artwork?

To be honest, I don’t stay up to date with writers and their work much anymore. I was at one point in my life; I’d drive around and take pictures and would know who “got up” on such spot and when, and this and that got buffed, and this person is on beast-mode and that crew is getting capped everywhere, etc. You can tell a lot of what’s going on by what you see. The interest in staying up to date phased out of my life as I started my venture back in recommitment to my faith and beliefs. I grew weary of focusing my attention on that, it profited me nothing.

To be able to give you an honest opinion, I’d have to dedicate some time to research and visit a few showings and galleries to consider someone to be producing some serious artwork. When I do have the time to spare, I’ll catch an occasional posted article or Twitter link on current art events and its’ producers; however, the articles I’ve read lately have not been artists from the Southern California area. I’m sure that there is, but at this very moment in time, I am just not aware of it.

Earlier we talked about the reason why you write; now I want to know how you are able to maintain your motivation as a writer? How do you stay motivated creatively?

Externally, I am surrounded by people who themselves motivate me by their encouragement and/or feedback of appreciation; my husband, my family, my church, my crews, my friends, passing by onlookers at wall productions or events, or notice via social networks. I make do with the skills that I have, and hopeful of increasing my current expertise to a higher level.

Internally, I do what I do as a gesture of gratefulness for this beautiful privilege of producing art; I am a creative soul, created by the Creator of all. I find that by acknowledging whatever creativity I have, I realized the weight of it; then suddenly, it’s not just a mere few talents, but many more! Taking inventory helps keep interest and action aflame. The longer my list, the more spurred I become to “do something” with it.

What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment to date – graff related?

Thus far, it has been traveling and painting. Never in my wildest dreams did I fathom that the very thing that has caused me much strife (graffiti vandalism), would be redeemed, and be a catalyst for journeying, especially to distant places. Just last year, my first time (ever) in an airplane was to Holland, and it was about a 13-hour flight, following with visits to Belgium, England, and Hawaii.

For those that are interested in learning more about you, as well as your work, where can they find you online?

I’m a part of 2 crews (I.S.I Collective & GG Crew) and you can find some of my work on their websites: www.isicollective.com and www.ggcrew.org. I have a personal blog at www.opiaone.wordpress.com and you can follow me on Twitter:@OpiaOne

I want to discuss legacy, because I feel it’s important that we all leave an impression – making the world a better place. When all’s said and done, and you’re no longer writing, what legacy do you hope to have left behind? How would you like “Opia” to be remembered?

That’s a good question! I would like to have “Opia” remembered as having more than just one positive impact, but to sum it all up; it would have to be as an overcomer. One would have to question, “An overcomer of what?” Well, to glory in the latter would have required trekking a humbling road.

By the skin of my teeth, I have escaped many wrecking situations in my past. To name a few, I’ve been in some serious life-or-death situations where I could have died of swallowing pills at 14, been left paralyzed or dead from evading gun shots, or of have been involved in horrible car wrecks while DUI. The Lord had mercy on me! I came to my senses and turned away from a path of destruction to a way of life.

I want to plant seeds that will keep the perpetuation of faith, hope, and love alive, long after I am gone from this place. I hope that many can learn from my life, as I learned from Jesus. Matthew 11:29 comes to mind and better explains it this way, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Before we wrap up, I just want to thank you for taking time out of your day to share your story with us. I appreciate your honesty and your sincerity, and I am sure the readers do, as well. *salute*. Here we go, final question: Is there anybody out there that you would like to shout-out or acknowledge?

I’d like to start off by thanking God for His saving grace and this opportunity to share a bit of my story, and to you Matthew J., for being open to it. I’d like to acknowledge my amazing and beloved husband, my loving family, and sweet friends; from my past, present, and of the future. I would not be where I am now, if it were not for those in my past who helped shape and mold me (both good & bad). For those that share life with me in the present: let’s find the joy in life and take it day-by-day! For those that await to enter my life in the near future: I hope to become a blessing. To my fellow creative souls in I.S.I. Collective, GG Crew, and other crews: Matthew 6:33. Hello to the Body of Christ worldwide and to my local body- remain strong in the LORD and in the power of His Might. My sincere apologies to those that I’ve brought hurt; I pray that you can find it in your hearts to someday forgive me. To all, God bless you!

Introduce yourself to the world. Tell us who exactly “TEK” is, and what differentiates you from other writers?

TEK: My name is Tekar (Tek) and I am a Graffiti writer/Street Artist based out of St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada.

What differentiates me from other writers is that I don’t paint letters I paint style. I prefer painting pieces over bombing, but enjoy doing both. I write FOG (Frozen Ocean Graffiti) with a small group of other writers from St. John’s. I started painting outside four years ago as a way to avoid creating objects and to bring painting into the streets and off of the canvas.

You have a background in gallery-art, but chose graffiti over big gallery (art). Can you tell me what exactly spurred you to leave gallery world. Was there a particular moment that gave you the motive to leave or did you just want to shake things up?

TEK: I continue to be actively involved in the gallery world as a volunteer and am occasionally employed within it. I believe it is important to have spaces for people to experiment in with any medium. I also think it’s important to preserve and maintain that art left to us from the past and be inspired by contemporary and historical work. However that being said I find that many people within our society do not enter these institutions. People don’t have time, they are intimidated or simply don’t realize they exist. I have worked within several galleries and I am often frustrated with the lack of bodies within them. This frustration caused me to create outside. I am not opposed to the creation of works for galleries; I just prefer to create work within public space. Creating work in public space enables you to avoid a lot of the bureaucracy associated with working inside.

Why do you, personally, prefer ‘mural graffiti’ over text-based graffiti? I realize that an individual can be more creative with images instead of words, but I want to know, what caused you to focus on murals rather than typography?

TEK: I have never been big into typography. I have always had terrible hand-writing and I had a lot of trouble learning to read as a child. I loved the look of graffiti but I never really wanted to make letters. I have always loved the style, the shapes, and colour of the letters but I never really wanted to choose letters for myself. I find handwriting frustrating and I think that childhood resentment for language has stuck with me through the years. I don’t necessarily even want to create recognizable images either. I am more interested in creating an emotional response through shapes, colours and forms, than writing a word that people can’t identify with other than appreciating it aesthetically. One of my complaints with the art world is the wordy write-ups that people can’t identify with. If I throw away the text and leave the style people don’t need to wonder what it says or what a word means, or what the piece means. People can simply enjoy the shapes colours and forms of the work, and if I want it to mean something else it doesn’t really matter.

What does graffiti mean to you?

TEK: Graffiti is direct action. Graffiti is a way to get outside bureaucracy. Graffiti is a way to shake things up and break people out of their daily routine. For me graffiti is a way for me to bring my painting practice outside of the white cube. It is a way to make large gestural instantaneous marks. It’s going on adventures and meeting interesting people along the way. It’s bright, fast, immediate, and intuitive. Graffiti is any mark placed outside that does not have consent from the owner of the property. Ultimately what graffiti means is up to the individual to decide. I know many writers who don’t consider street art graffiti. I know many people outside of the scene who consider any mural painted in graffiti style to be graffiti. What I love about graffiti is that it doesn’t really matter what you think it is or what it means to you; someone will like it, someone will hate it, and it doesn’t really matter either way, do it for whatever reason you need to do it.

If you were to critique your work, what aspects/areas would say are your weakest points? Which ones are your strongest? How do you build on the weak areas?

TEK: My major weak point is my tendency to overwork pieces. I often push them too far and end ends up looking overly detailed and like a chaotic mess. This happens because the majority of the times I paint I paint freestyle. As I paint I try and do too much and it sometimes becomes overly cluttered and complex. Recently I have begun to try and create more variety within my marks so that the piece looks less uniform and has more rhythm. Being able to knock out solid freestyle pieces is one of my stronger points but it also causes me to develop bad habits. I find a way to paint that works and repeat it, which can limit the amount of experimentation I do. One habit that I am currently trying to work with/break is how I often favour heavy outline within my work. Outline is an easy out to clean up a piece and requires you to do way less cut backs, but this can also flatten a piece, it can be distracting, and sometimes takes away from the work.

What I have been doing lately to try and improve on not overworking pieces is reminding myself to step away from the wall more often and take time to look at where a piece is going. I also try and take some time to look at the wall I am about to paint on and plan my piece so it integrates more of the shapes that are unique to that space. I have also started trying to step away from freestyle work a little and to push myself to recreate the drawings I do in my blackbook. This enables me to experiment more within my drawings and then I am able to consistently get solid pieces when I paint. Painting freestyle is an amazing feeling, but there are many pieces I walk away from not feeling. Painting freestyle can also be a huge waste of paint. By recreating works form my blackbook, that I already love, it enables me to waste less paint and ads a level of guarantee that I will be happy with the finished product.

What is the origin of name “Tek”? Is there a story to tell about it?

TEK: I have always been an Internet kid. Since I was small and we first got high speed I have been a heavy Internet user. The origin of Tekar is that it started out as a digital identity. I could usually register on websites with that name. When I first started making marks outside I rarely signed anything. As I continued to paint more and more I decided I needed to call myself something; so I started signing things Tekar. I couldn’t find any other writers named Tekar online and it meant something to me so I began using it. I like that is an anagram for Taker, and the “Tek” aspect can be seen as a reference to mass media and technology, but mostly it was just a name I had been familiar with for a long time.

Recently, I took a trip to St. John’s and was blown away to see so much graffiti throughout the downtown core – especially in spots surrounding Water Street and Gower Street, as well. Despite having such a strong-graffiti-presence, St. John’s is rarely mentioned when people talk about some Canada’s “graffiti cities”. I had no clue your city was active, and I feel it’s a shame that mainland Canada doesn’t recognize the contributions being made in the 709. Could you tell me a bit about the scene in your city and its progression over time. How does the public embrace the art? Who are some of the more active writers (crews)?

TEK: The scene in St. John’s is relatively young compared to most cities in the world. I’m not from the city but I know most of the writers who were born here. The scene here really didn’t start until the early 2000’s and there have been various crews that have formed & died paint since then. The main crews I have experienced in St. John’s during my time here are AVC, SYS, NTC, and RC. The most dedicated writers in town usually end up writing one of these crews and often write in more than one. AVC or Audio Visual Crew has been an influence to many writers in town. Early on they were up more than any other crew in town, Dr. West and Sois were the primary writers for that crew for a long time. Sois still writes, and over the last few years he has organized several graffiti jams within town, getting young writers paint and legal spots to practice and learn. There’s also one new crew, RTB, who have been around for just over a year, I like their style and am excited to see where they go.

I write FOG, Frozen Ocean Graffiti, I started the crew with my buddy Rayd. I had played around with the idea of joining one of the other crews in town I never felt connected to them. I paint with most of the writers in town, but outside of Graffiti we never really hung out that often. I wanted my own crew, something where I wrote the rules as to who got to rep it and what we stood for. I wanted what I wrote to represent people I hung out with inside and outside the graff scene.

I can’t talk about St. John’s without talking about RC or the Rong Crew. You can’t walk 20ft in St. John’s without seeing an RC tag. They are St. John’s biggest bombing crew. They have several large rollers in and around town and many burners. Specifically you can’t walk around town without seeing a Semy or Seone tag. Semy and Seone are known for being brazen and have had some pretty heat spots on lock in downtown St. John’s. RC is a large crew but the most prominent members are Bird, Game, Semy, and Seone.

One thing to remember about St. John’s is that it’s small. It doesn’t take a lot to get noticed here and because of that we have had several big busts in town that have had a major impact on the Graff scene. The first big bust was in 2007 and at the time Dr. West was the biggest name in town. He and several other writers were arrested and that cooled down the scene here for a while until the Rong Crew started tearing shit up.

One of the main reasons there is so much tagging within town is that we have no freight. Every Newfoundland writer’s dream is to get to the mainland and hit a train somewhere. So if you want people to notice you in St. John’s one of the major locations for tagging has become downtown. People want to be seen and for visitors to this island most people will walk through downtown St. John’s at some point. Like many cities in Canada our downtown also has a lot of abandonment due to shopping being taken to big box land, which means you can hit a spot and it will run for a while.

The scene here has continued to progress during the period I have been here. We have several great chill spots outside of the city where the majority of the piecing happens. We have two free walls within downtown St. John’s and there are some pretty great abandoned spots within town where if you’re careful you can paint without worry. Every year we have our usual batch of new toys coming up, some stay around some fade away, same as most cities, but in general the quality of work within town has continued to grow.

The majority of the styles seen within the community are lettered pieces drawing inspiration from 1980’s NY graff. If there was one thing I would be critical about the scene here is the lack of new and unique individual styles. Sure I can tell who wrote what within town but largely the styles here are drawn from other styles around the world that already exist. What I try to do is make my own style and push that and it’s my hope that other writers will do the same.

As an artist whose style and techniques are constantly evolving, who would you say has had the biggest influence on your approach to your work? Is there a particular collection or artist(s) that you credit with helping you push your own boundaries as an artist?

TEK: I draw my influences from contemporary graff writers/street artists, modernist abstract painters, and mass media culture. Without the internet and websites like Wooster Collective and Unurth I would never have begun painting outside. Long before I made my first mark outside I was continually looking at street art and graffiti on the internet. I have always loved turn of the century early abstraction, Kandinsky (& the rest of the Blue Rider Group), the Russian Constructovists, Futurism, & Cubism. For contemporary artists I love the work coming out of the scene in Melbourne Australia, Slicer and Reka from the AWOL crew. I continually look to other artists working outside who are painting abstraction, Rubin, Alexey Luka, Poeta, Duncan Passmore, and Nelio are always inspiring to look at. I had the opportunity to meet and paint with Nelio this past summer here in St. John’s and that experience has had a major impact on my work. I’ve looked to his work for years and having the opportunity to paint with him was amazing. He gave me great advice on how to push my style.

Follow up to last question, how have you been able to separate TEK’s work from that of those influences? How have you been able to maintain your own artistic identity?

TEK: I think it’s important to follow your own intuition when it comes to whatever sort of work you do. Find a method, technique, medium, or style that makes sense to you and do it as often as you can. I make the marks that I am drawn to create; the feeling of using your whole body to create large continual bright marks makes sense to me. I think I am able to maintain my own personal style because I never try to mimic others painters styles. I draw inspiration from others, and have learned techniques from other painters, but I use those techniques in my own way. I believe if you have the confidence to just create and push yourself without fear anyone can find their own unique form of mark making. Trying to push yourself into your own painting direction is never easy, it’s a terrifying experience to continually go outside of your comfort zone and develop. You won’t always like the pieces you create but the times when everything works makes it all worth it.

I know the downtown of St. John’s is ripe with graffiti; almost everywhere you look, some sort of tag or mural can be seen. Where are some of the best spots to see graffiti while visiting St. John’s?

TEK: If you are passing through the St. John’s area and are looking for something chill and not one of our high traffic legal’s I would take a trip out to Red Cliffs. The easiest way for vistor to get there is to just Google Map “Red Cliff Rd.” It’s just outside the city — drive to the end of the road and follow the trail marked “East Coast Trail”. Red Cliffs is our 5Points. It is a series of abandoned US military radar buildings. All along the East Coast of Canada you can find these old buildings that were once part of a radar defense system known as “the PineTree Line”. Red Cliffs is chill and an interesting spot to paint in, it gets toyed every now and again but it is well worth the 20 min hike along the path, there are usually some new untouched pieces from the local painters there. This spot gets painted regularly, especially during the summer, and the view from the cliffs alone makes the hike be well worth the effort. Who knows, you might even catch me up there as I end up in that spot every couple weeks.

Final words? Any comments or ideas you’d like to share with the readers?

TEK: Yes, if anyone out there who paints wants to paint when they come through town I’m always down for a session. I’m planning on getting off this island for a journey at some point within the next year – I’m thinking about a Cross Canada Tour or perhaps a European Tour. So if you want to paint get at me. In the meantime, I’ll be outside or in my studio.

Here’s a shameless plug for my social media:

Instagram: @frozenoceangraffiti or @tek4r
Twitter: @tek4r
Tumblr: tekarworks.tumblr.com
Flickr: flickr.com/photos/fragface
Email: Tekarart@gmail.com

I also am involved in a project called “The Coloured Box Project”. Through this we aim to bring contemporary painting practices to the streets of St. John’s. If you are interested in being involved either by sending us a paste to put up or even coming here to paint send an email to colouredboxproject@gmail.com.

Push yourself. Keep inspired. Keep creating.

As we get ready to go and end this interview, are there any people you’d like to shout-out and give thanks to?

TEK: First I’d like to shout out to all the guys in St. John’s my buddies in FOG Rayd, Barek and AntiDote, the Tweak and the other NTC Guys, the whole RC crew but specically Bird, Game, Sloe, Semy & Seone, Sois and AVC they’ve been around forever and had huge impact on the St. John’s scene and to the young guns shaking things up in RTB. I’d also like to shout out to some other East Coast writers, thanks Yron and Space5 from BME for showing me a good time every time I visit Halifax; those guys have some amazing style and are always good for a round of painting. I’d also like to shout out to the boys in HCV from Moncton, I always have a good time hanging with Munk and Store. I want to send a special shout-out to ‘340′, for helping keep the East Coast graffiti community alive.

I can’t forget to send a big thank you to Nelio for coming to St. John’s this summer – it was a wild few days.

Lastly, I want to say thanks to SensesLost.com and Matthew Johnson for doing this article. It’s always nice to see Canadian content on SensesLost and I do appreciate the recognition. Cheers.

Watch as the graffiti artist Does paints a large mural on an interior wall of a warehouse.

Eyewitness News reports on recent graffiti popping up around central Connecticut on bridges, overpasses and road signs that reads “9-11 Truth,” “W-T-C” and “Building 7″. The Connecticut Department of Transportation is fed up with the graffiti and doesn’t have enough resources to keep up with it.

Read the full article here.

We recently caught up with the graffiti artist Does to ask him a few questions about his recent projects and how he first started doing graffiti. He also talks about signing his first contract as a professional soccer player. Read the full interview with Does here.