caseks pictures and interviews...

ok, so, the reminents of my old webpage being resurrected for the 12oz crew...gah, you guys are going to hate me...i'll post the interviews seperately for your viewing pleasure....

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first off, the ceas gc pics

mind that i have a dial-up...this may take some time....

 

 

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ok, i have more, but i'm going to have to look them up...next up, the ceas gc interview. maybe he'll drop in some of his newer stuff...

INTERVIEW WITH CEAS GC

 

 

when did you start writing?when i was in seventh grade i started to notice graffiti around my neighborhood in miami.i loved the form of the tags and throwees.i was into art so i tried to learn all i could about what i saw.i had no idea what it at first,but i figured it out and picked up my first tag when i was 13- about 1989.it was SEEZ

 

why did you start writing?at frist,i was just intrigued by the art.as a kid i would just see these works of art suddenly appear-to me it was mysterious and i loved that.at the time in miami,most people didn't know anything about why or who did graffiti.i saw graff artists as the cutting edge of societ-deciding to say "fuck everyone else,i'm going to make this piece of shit town an interesting place for everyone!"they didn't care if everyone was against them.i idolized these artists and hoped one day i could do the same.

 

influences?at first,guys from my neighborhood like STER STV,who was up everywhere.MEER,AIM crew,and RAGE FA.then,as i got older,i travelled further north into the heart of the city and watched the Ink Heads blow shit up.the Ink Heads were my single biggest influence-I never looked at magazines or anything.sure,i had Subway Art and Spraycan Art,but to see good piecing in person is way different,i also have to say the guys from GC influenced me alot.

 

what crews are you down with?i've been diown with many crews in the past,but the only crew that i'll give props to is the Ghetto Clownz.i'm really dedicated to a single crew.the guys in a crew have to be my homies and painting partners.i got into the GC crew when i was in high school.many of the guys that i was painting with in high school no longer paint very often,but i keep it alive and always will.the GC gives another identifying originality to my name.even if there were anotherCEAS,he wouldn't be CEAS GC.many times i paint alone,because i can concentrate on my work,and i can work quicker.

 

are you down with legal walls,illegal walls,or both?why?i'll paint anything that comes my way.i honestly love to paint.illegals are more satisfying and i cherish my illegal pieces far more than the legals,but i paint legals alot too,just to paint and improve.fame ain't too important to me.being the best is,and i know that i'm far from that.

 

what qualities do you think that a piece has to exhibit in order to be a burner?you can always tell a burner when you see one.a burner shows a full range of an artists abilities.an artist puts everything he has into a burner,physically and mentally..a burner dares all that see it first hand to rise to the challenge.can you compete?

 

handstule is very important to me,not only for tags,but piecing as well,(i.e. control of a medium:paint,marker,brush,etc.)what is the most important aspect of painting for you?handstyle is almost the most important thing.in something as simple as a tag or throwup,you can pretty much tell what level a particular writer is at.the only way to get a good handstyle is to practice all of the time.yeah,you can study other peoples styke for years,but that won't get you anywhere until you actually do it yourself over and over.it has to be to the point where your handstyle is second nature.when you are at that point,,anything you do with any type of medium will look good.sure,you gots to practice and practice to gain complete control over a spraycan,but style will always reign supreme.

 

do you have any advice for younger writers(toys)?the first thing,don't compare yourself to the king or the guys in the FX crew,etc.start small and make reasonable goals.learn to tag properly first and do it all of the time on everything."yeah,i'm a writer 'cause i go bombing once every two weeks."fuck that-write on something every day,even if it's with just with a marker on a bathroom wall.then learn to do throw-ups and simple get-ups.it is crucial to learn basic letters before you can alter them with style.i know that when i first started i wanted to do wildstyle pieces,but i had to regress after a year and relearn basic letters 'cause my letters individually were weak.also,those who learn the fastest are the ones who take their sketches to the walls the most.the more you use a spraycan,the quicker you will learn!besides that,be modest and keep practicing.

GIANT ONE FLIX

 

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this one is huge, sorry....

 

 

i received these before the book was actually published...it's called "the millenium prject" done with pen and marker, freehand...no pencil sketching...

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to be fair to Giant, i'm only going to post one more of the pages....they were included in the webpage, but it's gone now...

 

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GIANT ONE interview

 

millenium interview

by CaseK

q)you've got a new project underway called the "millenium project".please explain what it is and what you're going to do w/ it once completed?

 

a)Well, the Millenium Blackbook was made specifically for an artshow. I filled the

book with 40 double page spreads in 27 days. I was really trying to see how fast

I could fill a book, and still retain a sense of detail. All the drawings in it

were done without pencil sketches, just straight ink. That made it difficult in

some ways, but lots of fun in other ways. It should be getting published as a zine by June.

 

q)where did you get your inspiration for the millenium project?

 

a)From the world in general. I dealt with a lot of religious stuff in that book.

I also mentioned a lot of conspirancy stuff. Just whatever was on my mind when I sat down to draw.

 

q)besides the "millenium project",what else are you doing?

 

a)I've been working on some commissions for posters and freelance illustration.

I've also been working on some websites.

 

q)you're also a tattoo artist,where do you work and how can people get in

touch w/ you about having work done?

 

a)Usually I'm working at Newskool Tattoo in San Jose. I also work at East Side

Ink in NYC a few times a year. The best way to reach me for work is to e-mail me:

giantone@mindspring.com

 

q)how did you become a tattoo artist?

 

a)It started with getting tattoo'd. I've been getting them for about 10 years. A

lot of my friends over the years have been tattoo artists. I showed some

interest in it quite a while ago, but my friend Nalla said he'd never teach

anybody. Well, I pretty much gave up on the idea of tattooing, until a year or

two later Nalla asked if I was still interested. Of course, I said, "Yes!"

That was about 3 years ago.

 

q)how has being a writer influenced you as a tattoo artist?has it helped?

 

a)Well, in a lot of ways, they are opposite mediums. Graffiti is inherently

impermanent, so there's a looseness to it. If a piece comes out wack, fuck it.

The next one will be better. With a tattoo, you can't wack out. Every tattoo

has to be well thought out and technically perfect. And guaranteed, the tattoo

isn't gonna get buffed by the city. Another big difference is surafce.

Graffiti is usually done on flat surfaces. Tattoos have to interact with the

curves of the body, so I've had to learn to design drawings to fit on

3-dimensional surfaces.

 

 

q)who are your major influences in the traditional art world?why?

 

a)I think the main influence would have to be Charles Burns. Every time I see

something new from him I damn near shit my pants. Nobody has better linework.

His liberal use of black is fuckin' fresh. I can't praise his work enough.

 

I'm also into poster art by Coop, for most of the same reasons I like Charles

Burns' work. I'm into the poster style because it's got mostly solid bright

areas of color. I like to keep things simple like that.

 

I'm also super into paintings by Dave Kinsey, Dalek, D23, and Rust. They're

working with similar elements, but done in their own distinctive styles.

They're work is really inspirational, especially for development of characters.

 

Joker has always been a huge influence, as far as pushing myself to not be so

constrained by conventional thinking. Sometimes when I feel like my work is

getting stale, I look at Joker's stuff to get me hyped again. His influence is

much more mental than visible.

 

q)tell me about the commissioned wall in Dallas,TX that you did.how did that

come about?the location?time it took?etc...

 

a)I was contacted by my buddy Johnny in Dallas. He flew me out there to paint his

new store. I think it took me about 2 days to paint. It was fun. I like to do

that kind of thing once in a while.

 

q)i hear that you do canvases,are they for sale?can people commission you

to do them?how can they reach you if they wish to do so?

 

a)I do lots of commissions. I don't paint on canvas much. I prefer ink on paper.

If anybody wants to commisiion me for anything, just e-mail me.

 

q)what's going to be happening with your website in the near future?any plans

for change?new stuff to be added,etc.?

 

a)I try to update it at least a little every month. I don't have any really big

plans for it this year. I don't really have the time to get completely into it.

I put all my time into tattooing.

 

stuff from the "millenium project"

 

part 2 of the interview

 

q)how have things going on in the world today influenced your graffiti?

 

a)Well, my graffiti work is pretty much 90% influenced by other graffiti. My

personal work tends to reflect currents in pop culture more than my graf stuff.

My personal work is very much based on current ideas in philosophy and

religion. I think that stuff is the most important stuff in our lives, and I

gravitate towards that stuff in my art.

 

q)what do you plan on doing in the next year?(graff,art,and tats)

 

a)Just putting 100% into whatever I'm doing. I hope to do lots of graffiti, art,

and tattoos. That's what I do. I can't really imagine doing anything else at

this point. I'll definately travel a lot. I like being on the road, meeting

people. I get bored if I stay anywhere too long. New people and places are

inspirational.

 

q)what makes a good writer?

 

a)I think a good writer needs to be really well-rounded. You need to have good

tag styles, nice throw-ups, simple styles, and wildstyles. I don't think

characters are an important thing to learn, they're just the icing on the cake.

I also think there needs to be a good balance between time spent bombing and

piecing. Of course, I think it' super important that the majority of it is

done illegally. Doing it without permission is most of the point.

 

q)do you have any advice for younger writers?

 

a)Just study the old letterforms, and build from there. The basic NY letterforms,

when done right, always look dope.

 

q)do you believe writers should study typography?

 

a)Not in particular. I would just study classic graffiti letters. Typography

changes quickly based on graphic design fads. I think a lot of old graffiti

letters are timeless, like some fonts, and don't much elaboration.

 

q)anything else writers should study?

 

a)Not really. I think knowledge of history is important, to a degree. I don't

think kids have to know who was writing during the 70s. I think the most

important thing for a writer to create is a personal style. You can bite a

little bit of everybody's style, but it doesn't become your own until you start

to study yourself instead of others.

 

q)what is the best advice you could give anyone on life itself?

 

a)Just be honest, with yourself especially. And keep your ego in check. Your ego

is the root of your suffering. Most of the time people aren't fucking you over,

you're fucking yourself over to retain your self-image

Joker flix...he'd never do an interview with me..he likes to remain in the shadows, all incognito, bruce lee style...

 

these are huge, i apologize...i'm lazy and these have a great quality..meh.

 

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dammit, why didn't you do an interview????

 

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ok, next up, the random san fran flix...stay tuned...

 

 

 

 

 

cigarette break.

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i'm getting tired up uploading on this 56k...so, a few more and i'm calling it quits...

 

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two or three more..then, for real...damn

 

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more later, maybe.....

DAIM interview

(i got the feeling that he had standard answers back in the day...)

 

 

 

 

 

CASEK:When did you start writing?

DAIM:I started in the summer of 1989.

 

CASEK:What got you started?

DAIM:I have been interested in art for a long time.I have been drawing since my early childhood days.

That is why I had a certain knowledge prior to this.

 

CASEK:Who are your major influences is graffiti?

DAIM:As far as spraying is concerned we (RENATE,KEWEN,and myself) had to start out from scratch.

We were not acquainted with any other sprayers,so we had to find out everything by ourselves.If you are open to new ideas,experiment alot,think about hints and suggestions from others,and use them in your work,you can develop rapidly.As I started out spraying illegaly,I soon got a good feeling for the can.Planning pictures in advance,and spraying fast and efficiently are things best learned when you're spraying illegaly.Pretty soon we started accepting smaller jobs.This meant we often had to try out something new.Especially with this it is very important to design whole walls,not only some writing in the middle of the wall,but also characters and backgrounds.I never had any real teachers,but you learn something from everybody who is working with you and doing it betteror differently or with more experience.Learning from one teacher would only mean one-sided learning.

 

CASEK:What are your major influences in traditional art?

DAIM:Photorealism,Impressionism,Pop Art,advertiesment,and design are all important influences

on Graffiti and on my work too.

 

CASEK:How does the German graff scene differ from the various countries that you've travelled to?

DAIM:In Germany,most of the writers work together.We can just go bigger and bigger and will

have success in the future if we work together.Because the public tries to fight graffiti,we don't get get the chance to use their structures.So we must build our own structures)magazines,the internet,sell paints and caps,books,exhibitions,etc….).But you can build complex structures if you work together.The developing of graffiti in Germany is much more further than in most other European countries.In a lot of these countries,graffiti is not so old,so they are still working on building these structures.

 

 

CASEK:How has graffiti influenced you in life?

DAIM:There is nothing that influenced me more than graffiti.It's my life.I do nothing else than graffiti or artwork that is similar to graffiti.

 

 

CASEK: Do you like painting on canvas or walls more?

DAIM:These are two different things.Working outside on the street,to have direct contact with people

who like your art or not is something completely different than working in a studio with no noise,wind,

or any other people.I love to do both.I always try to be flexible.

 

 

CASEK:What are we going to see from DAIM in the future?

DAIM:Hopefully more sculptures and canvasses,not so much walls anymore.

 

 

CASEK:I read in an interview that you did with "ART CRIMES" where you said that "DAIM" doesn't mean anything,you just like the way that the letters go together.If you could put a definition on your name,what would it be?

DAIM:In the beginning,I called myself "CAZA",but the letters were not really suitable for painting.That's why I changed my name into "DAIM".I liked the letters and their combination.That was the most important thing to me.My definition would be:a logo,a rock,a pyramid.Three dimensional.

 

CASEK:What does it mean to be DAIM?

DAIM:Nothing special.I am I.

 

 

CASEK: Do you have a partner or crew that you paint with regularly?

DAIM:I'm in a lot of crews.FBI,TCD,FX,GBF,SUK,and ES.I paint with most of the members of these crews once in a while,but this crew thing is not that important to me.If I like the guy behind the writer,I don't care if he is in my crew or not.FX is always a special crew for me because I had a lot of adventures with them when I was in New York.FBI is something special,too.Because it is one of the oldest crews in Europe.Most of the members started in '83 or '84.TCD is my first and own crew,so there are a lot of memories.

 

 

CASEK:How are you involved in the FX crew?

DAIM:When I first came to New York with HESH in 1995,I was anxious to meet writers.I didn't know anyone ,and wasn't sure if they would like my 3d pieces.I was afraid they wouldn't accept people trying to go different ways.The contrary was the case.Everyone I met gave us respect.Even those that didn't personally like the 3d stuff said that it was good to explore that direction,too.I met few writers elsewhere that were as open-minded about new things as those from NYC.And later I realized that this was the reason graffiti could grow so big.Narrow-mindedness and fear of new ways would have killed it a long time ago.I can't say much about the scene as a whole.I can just sense that it isn't the way it used to be by far.But still,you can feel the hip-hop flavor everywhere in New York,and you always realize that this is where it all started.We stayed at POEM's house and he introduced us to PER ONE,he brought us to the Bronx,where we stayed the whole time.

 

 

CASEK:Talk a little about MATE.

DAIM:He was my partner in Switzerland.I studied fine art in Lucern/Switzerland.MATE studied at that school for more than six years.He introduced me to that school and we worked for more than two years together in that school.There were a lot of influences between he and I.

 

 

CASEK:Explain why nature has such a big impact on your work:

DAIM:Nature has always interested me a lot.I used to collect all kinds of things you can find in nature:insects,seashells,minerals,etc.I always wanted to become a geologist,until the fascination with writing brought me off that track.I believe that all inspiration begins in nature.There are all shapes,colors,patterns,etc. in nature,you just have to keep your eyes open.Many people are inspired by things in their direct surroundings,e.g.,publicity.But publicity gets it's ideas from nature as well.When you work on four letters for years and try to make them a unit,it is only logical to let perfect things from nature influence you.Insects especially are perfect for that.Together,with MATE,I work on the metamorphosis between letters and other things,like insects or architecture.The fisheye series gives you a good feeling for colors and shapes.They're more of a technical excercise and encourage me to try out colorshadings or shapes in my pieces.Just like landscapes or nudes,they school the eye and provide inspiration.It's new and very interesting to paint untypical motives using the techniques typical for graffiti:spraypaint(and vice versa).

 

 

CASEK: Do you have any suggestions for new writers?

DAIM:Not really.You must do a lot of excercising.Check out how 3d,light,shadow,and perspectives works in nature.You just have to copy it and bring it together with letters or your personal creative ideas.

CASEK:Any last comments?

DAIM:Spraypaint is absolutely dangerous for our health,so if you paint once in a while,there is maybe no problem.But if you do it a lot,for years,I'm sure the aerosol will do something to your body.To use a gas-mask is absolutely necessary.

______________(some text from the site)____________________

 

 

i'm posting this letter in whole because i think alot of kids need to read it.much props to ALONE

whats up? Allright, you asked for contributions to your site, and I'm gonna

do something that is very rare in graff culture, I'm gonna take the time to

write up some shit and contribute to your cause. In terms of tips for

"toys", I just wrote something for this girl the other day. I told her that

she should start writing, mainly because she needs the therapy that it gives

you. She needs something productive and adventurous to put her energy into

rather than just mulling around and feeling shitty and lonely. I love

graffiti, and I love what it's done for me. sure there's assholes, and way

too many fuking egos, but it's still a beautiful subculture, and I;'ve met

so many beautiful juvenile delinquent personalities through my association

and practice of the shit that I owe it back. So here you go.... "tips"for

those who want learn.

 

Rule number fuking one: Don't be an idiot. Don't do it for the wrong

reasons. Don't do it for fame, or cuz you want phoney attention. Don't be a

tool or a jackass. Graffiti culture already has too many phoney assholes in

it. Fame will get you nowhere. It's false, and it's not bein real to

yourself. Instead, do it cuz you want to love it. Do it cuz you love the

art, the color, and most importantly, the adventure. That sense of adventure

that makes graffiti what it is. In graffiti there is freedom, and that's why

it's so addiciting. It's a very powerful tool, and the only that's more

powerful than the idea of writing on a wall is the idea of a talented and

skillful writer writing on a wall. If you do it for the "right" reasons and

put your heart into it, and put all the enthusiasm of a four year old behind

it, you 'll start to flow. You'll teach yourself. Just don't be an idiot.

Fuk egos and Fuk fame.

 

Tip #2.... Whatever you do, do not do not do not try to copy the shit that

you see in magazines, especially if you haven't mastered the simple art of

throwups and tags, yet. The writers in magazines have been doin their shit

for years, if you're just starting out, there's no way you're gonna be able

to be that good,hell you probably won't even be "good" in general. You're

gonna suck ass. Not only that, but if you try to copy all that magazine

shit, you're gonna end up looking like nothing but an idiot who's trying to

produce a lame, shitty rip off. I see that stuff all over. An imitation

piece or fill-in which looks like it was bitten out of a magazine straight

by some idiot with a spray can. Just like all those dimestore artists who

tried to get rich off of biting Picasso. Fuk that, those paintings have been

hanging in my grandmas house for years and they still suck and make me scoff

whenever I look at them. Instead, let the shit that is in magazines inspire

you, let it fuel your energy and enthusiasm for graffiti. Then do your own

style and let it come from your own ideas and creativity.

 

#3 - Okay, so we've established that you're going to suck at first. There's

no doubt about it. You're gonna encounter so many shit talkers and ego

maniacs that there will be times when you'll either become a shittalker

yourself or you'll get discouraged and wanna disassociate yourself with the

whole culture in general. Don't let either one happen. Be confident and keep

up. Dealing with assholes has just become a necesary part of life nowadays.

Deal with it, just don't let it fuk with you.

 

#4 - A repetition of number one: Do not let yourself become a dick. Do not

let yourself get an ego or become a shit talker. Don't become a famewhore.

However, on the other hand, don't let yourself get dicked around, be

friendly and supportive of other writers in that you both share a love of

the art and the game, but don't let others bullshit you around or pull that

egotistical superiority bullshit, with you or anybody else. No matter how

good you get, no matter how skilled you become, and no matter how many

bridges, billboards, heavens, and rooftops you rock, the minute you become

an asshole, the minute you start acting like and egotistic dick, you lose

any worthiness of respect that you have before. I know kids that have been

writing for nine years and get up like crazy in the craziest spots, but I

don'tgive them respect cuz they're fukn dicks, they got egos the size of a

hundred car freight train, and they're not friendly or cool, or helpful at

all. They're intimidated, insecure, and weak, and being a dick is how they

go about dealing with it.

 

#5 - You love graffiti, start paying attention to it! Notice it all and

start appreciating it. Be an active part of the culture itself. If you write

but you don't interact with other writers, or pay attention to what's going

on in the scene and what pieces have gone up and come down, than you're not

doing enough. Spectating is as important as painting.

 

#6 - yeah yeah, and now on to the fun part. "Learning" letter form, style,

and skill. First off, you don't "learn" it, there's no one to teach you how

to do the shit aside from yourself. Consider yourself your own teacher. And

how do you "teach yourself"? Well, everybody's got their own method. Some

start off by trying to just do straight up type writer letters, only making

them thicker. Then once they get that down, they start trying to distort

them and integrate style (their own of course). i dunno, though, see it's

different for everybody. That's the fun of it. You gotta EXPLORE it all

yourself.

 

#7 - And last, what it comes it down to is this: Put your heart into it. You

get from it what you get out. You go about it for fame, you'll soon be

forgotten. You put your passion into it, and it'll show. You'll meet so many

decent, chill people through it and you should appreciate them all, this is

your community.

 

#8 - Oh yeah, I forgot to mention law enforcement. It's simple, too. Fuk em.

Of course, if you're writing on houses and on buildings that will be hurt

from your scrawls, you deserve to get busted and you probably will. If you

cause pain with your art, it'll eventually come back to you. But overall,

the pigs suck, and they're not all that smart, don't underestimate them, but

don't give them too much credit. Be smart and alert, DO NOT BE PARANOID. Oh

yeah, and learn how to run.

 

That's all, take care, thanks for your time. alone....free delinquent

artists cru...chicago

 

 

 

______________(the reply from CEAS)________________________

 

here are some emails that I've received from CEAS recently on the subject of graf,style,etc...enjoy

 

 

 

YEAH I READ THAT LETTER FROM ALONE. I PRETTY MUCH AGREE WITH MOST OF IT.

HOWEVER, A WRITER CAN'T HELP BUT ENJOY THE FAME. MAYBE HES NEVER HAD REAL FAME

BEFORE SO HE DOESNT REALIZE. LOL. I SAY ITS NOT ABOUT FAME MYSELF, AND THE MAIN

REASONS I DO GRAFF ARE NOT FOR FAME, BUT I SURE AS HELL DON'T MIND IT! FAME IS

INEVITABLE IF YOU ARE A REAL WRITER WHO PUTS ALOT OF PASSION INTO HIS WORK SO

YOU BETTER LOVE THAT ALSO. I MEAN, ALMOST THE WHOLE PREMISE BEHIND GRAFF IS TO

GET YOUR NAME AND WORK OUT TO THE PUBLIC. ITS ALL ABOUT BEING IN THE PUBLIC AND

AFFECTING WHAT THEY SEE. SURE, I LOVE THE CREATIVE ACT OF PAINTING AND ALL THAT,

BUT WHAT MADE ME PICK THIS MEDIUM OVER ANOTHER MEDIUM?! IT'S BECAUSE I CAN

QUICKLY CREATE MY WORK IN A LARGE FORMAT IN THE PUBLIC REALM. I'LL ADMIT - I'M AN

ATTENTION SEEKER. I CAN'T SIT BY AND GO UNNOTICED. I HAVE TALENT AND I WANT

EVERYONE TO KNOW IT! AND I WORK BEST UNDER PRESSURE- WHEN I KNOW EVERYONES GONNA

SEE MY WORK AND BE CRITICIZING IT. THAT'S WHAT MAKES ME JUST FUCKING ATTACK THE WALL. MENTALLY, I GO INSANE. I'LL PUT SO MUCH EFFORT

INTO THE PIECE I'LL BE GOING THROUGH EVERY EMMOTION POSSIBLE.I'LL BE INTENSLY

PISSED, WORRIED, PHYSICALLY BEAT, OVERWHELMINGLY ECSTATIC, AND IN A STATE OF

TOTAL RELAXATION. PAINTING A CANVAS IN MY BASEMENT NEVER BROUGHT OUT THIS MUCH

EMMOTION IN ME!

 

--------

 

"Style" is a touchy topic and there is no

real definition of it. All i know is that busting the same letters over and

over isn't "style".

i also like what you said about "discovering" graff at 14 and realizing thats

what you wanted to do. i was exactly the same way. sure, i liked art before

that but nothing was like the love i had found in graffiti. i would study a

picture of somebodies piece for hours in my bedroom. just analyzing the

letters and colors becoming extremely inspired. Today i do the same exact

thing, but instead of studying someone else's piece for hours - i study my

own. so in a way i love graff more than i ever did.

 

------------

 

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I ENJOY VISITING THOSE "ANTI-GRAFFITI" SITES AND

THEIR MESSAGE BOARDS/FORUMS. IT'S FUNNY TO SEE THE PRO-GRAFFITI KIDS TRY AND

ARGUE THAT GRAFFITI ISN'T VANDALISM. REAL FUNNY! SURE THEY MAKE GOOD POINTS

(SOMETIMES), BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT REAL GRAFFITI IS VANDALISM. I DONT CARE

HOW YOU LOOK AT IT - SPRAYPAINTING A TRUCK, A WALL, A FENCE, ETC., BY DEFINITION

IS VANDALISM (IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DEED TO IT).

BUT, THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT GRAFF. IF IT WASN'T VANDALISM IT WOULDN'T NEARLY BE

THE SAME. I GOT INTO IT BECAUSE I LIKE THE POWERFUL STATEMENT THAT WELL EXECUTED

VANDALISM MADE. SO, I'M FUCKING TIRED OF THESE KIDS SAYING IT ISN'T VANDALISM. IT

IS! STOP TRYING TO DOWN PLAY IT. LET'S SAY EVERYONE STARTED TO BELIEVE YOUR

ARGUMENT AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS NO LONGER VANDALISM BUT SOLELY ART, THEN THE

WHOLE POINT WOULD BE LOST.

I KNOW THE PEOPLE I LOOKED UP TO AS GRAFF ARTISTS WHEN I WAS YOUNG WERE TAGGING

EVERYTHING IMAGINABLE. 'RAGE IHS' (FOR EXAMPLE) WAS EXTREMELY PROLIFIC WHEN I

WAS IN MY EARLY TEENS. HIS WORK WAS ON NUMEROUS PRIVATE FENCES, WALLS, ROOFTOPS,

ETC. AT NO POINT DID I SAY "THAT'S NOT VANDALISM". BUT BECAUSE IT'S VANDALISM

DOESN'T MEAN IT CANT BE ART ALSO. I RESPECTED IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO REBELLIOUS AND

SOMEWHAT EVIL, AND BECAUSE IT WAS A WELL EXECUTED REBELLION BACKED BY TALENT.

SO IF YOU AREN'T READY TO BE A VANDAL THEN DON'T TRY AND BE A GRAFF ARTIST. STICK

TO THE CANVAS. ALOT OF THE "ART" IS IN THE ACT, AND NOT THE MANIFESTATION. THAT

CAN'T BE STRESSED ENOUGH. AND I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH MAGAZINES AND

WEBSITES - THEY REMOVE THE ACT FROM ITS CONTEXT, AND THE STRENGTH OF THE

STATEMENT IS LOST! I'LL SEE A BIG "TWICE" GETUP ON A FENCE ONE MORNING RIGHT OFF

US-1 (A VERY BUSY AREA IN MIAMI DURING ALL HOURS)AND BE LIKE - "THAT SHIT IS

ILLLL!!". THEN SOME PUNK KID WILL SEE IT IN A MAGAZINE AND SAY - "AAAHHH - I

COULD DO A BETTER THROWEE THAN THAT - HE'S WAK!". THAT KID'S ONLY ANALYZING THE

TECHNIQUE, BUT IT'S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE. THINK OF THE ACT - WALKING ONE MILE ALONG

THE HIGHWAY, JUMPING IN THE BUSHES TO WAIT TILL A COP ROLLS PAST, AND KNOWING

THE FENCE WAS JUST ERECTED SO THE VANDAL SQUAD WILL BE ON ALERT. AND YOU HAVE TO

BE IN A PARTICULAR MINDSIGHT TO LET LOOSE ON A CITY - A "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK

ABOUT YOUR SHIT" ATTITUDE. THERE CAN'T BE ANY GUILT. !

ZERO.

IT'S STILL ART THOUGH. NO DOUBT IN THE WORLD. IT'S SOO BEAUTIFUL TO ME.

werd

I SAY ITS NOT ABOUT FAME MYSELF, AND THE MAIN

REASONS I DO GRAFF ARE NOT FOR FAME, BUT I SURE AS HELL DON'T MIND IT!

 

that quote from CEAS sums it all up

bump for posterity

giant

?

Casek, that's probably more words than most people on here are willing to read. some nice flix in there tho, especially GIANT. I forgot how good he was.

Nice pictures and interviews foo

well, fuckshiytup and dredz read em...dammit, swiiss....post some of your new shit here...yeah, remember, you've posted shit with your name in paper chase..and the miami thread, if memory serves me correctly...so, get back to work...i'll drop you an email soon, i've got some new shite i need to take flix of.

casek i'm retired now and havent done anything new graffiti wise for awhile. I dont feel like posting old stuff up here even though the stuff you posted up there is WAY older......1996-1999

here's some links to a couple threads of my other art (nothing recent though) if anyone cares. I'm making sculpture now when I have the time.

 

http://www.12ozprophet.com/forum/showthrea...&threadid=34765

http://www.12ozprophet.com/forum/showthrea...&threadid=36140

 

ceas nsh

swiss, i knew you retired, but i didn't know about the sculptures...you got some flix? what medium?

do you ever get in trouble for browsing 12oz while you're at work? heh...

yeah I was fired (seriously). Not just for the internet surfing. I didn't like it there anyway. So, for awhile I went on a road trip around the northwest of the country, living out of my car and camping in national parks or RV parks, wherever it is was real cheap or free.

Before that I was making some wood relief sculptures. I broke my camera on my roadtrip, and now I can't afford another. I dont have air conditioning so I'm at the library.

damn, dood....wtf? are you back in the place where you were working? or back in the hometown?

wow! :ballcap: some very nice pics and words there casek. how do u meet these guys and able to interview em ? or is it in your line of work ?

 

anyway, good thread :ballcap:

back when i got into graffiti..years ago, i always wanted to do a book on style, needless to say, that idea kinda fuckin sucked, but i was young.

anyway, i tried to organize a b-boy summit in atl and made a bunch of contacts, and that fell through because i was basically the only one working on it...i had to get presentation packages ready, etc...coca-fucking-cola was involved...i had a meeting set up, but i was still young, so, i started coming online and trying out my hand at html and got in touch with a shit-ton of people...the interviews came about as favors...from them. i think i grovelled for a couple. the website was just a creative outlet, if you will...i had all that pent up energy...had to let it out.

 

sorry for the blabbering, but you asked. i turned the website over to ciste, so maybe he'll do something with all of those old files and pics. there are a few people i've met in my travels since i shut that site down that i think i could interview, and i'd still be interested in doing things for the site, but not controlling it...hope that wasn't too long

And I drew this cover for a magazine he was going to do.

he paid me with drugs. (that was for you, right? my memory can be sketchy).

Urban Scribe........

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid52/p614502cae07e11de0ebd8a7de94d0e74/fc9b33d0.jpg'>