Mr. Melty (various versions)
“Who is this guy?” That was my reaction upon first encountering the saccharine colored, ultra vibrant art of Buff Monster. And, over a decade later, I’m still taken aback when viewing his perfectly painted oozing ice cream depictions. Whether it’s Buff’s street art, fine art, or toy art, the precision and care he puts into his pieces is evident. But, more importantly, it’s the creativity he imbues his works with that allow him to dip into similar themes again and again while keeping them looking fresh. What’s your art background? I made lots of art as a kid. When I started painting graffiti, I loved the thrill of it and that really restarted my interest in making art. What first attracted you to creating street art? When I first got involved in doing stuff illegally in the public, I loved the adventure. Usually, art and adventure don’t go hand in hand. As time went on, I stopped painting and switched to putting up posters. That was a lot of fun, and the audience for the work grew. Now that I live in New York City, I’m
back to painting walls again — legally now. I look at the street stuff as a contribution to the city. We can all take responsibility for our visual environment, and if we all do our part, we’ll all enjoy a great looking city.
Art and business are certainly entwined subjects in the modern world. Do you find that having studied business in college has helped you in your artist career?
Why choose the name Buff Monster? Does it stem from the term for removing graffiti?
An understanding of business will help you no matter what career you pursue. Everything around us is a business, though usually not as straightforward as the art or toy business. Surely the biggest artists are also the best businessmen. As [Andy] Warhol said: “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art.”
I never know how to answer that. I came up with that name in 2001 and the reasons for it are irrelevant today. Were you ever formally trained as an artist? Yes, I went to college for art and business.
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