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Paint & Destroy THE ART OF BREAKING RULES DESIGNED BY RYAN JAMES WILSON

Thank you to my two boys Jack and Lennon for providing the inspiration for this project by drawing on the carpet and asking “Why do we always have to draw on paper?” After their Mum had finished shouting at them I let them get creative with my studio floor.

// The Project

03 // Foreword By: Louis Fontana 07

// The Report

08 // The Difference Between Graffiti & Street Art 09 // The History & Evolution Of Graffiti 11 // The History & Evolution Of Street Art 13 // Trend Forecasting 15 // The Impact Of Technology 16 // Future Design Scenarios 18 // Conclusion 20 // MERK: The Story Of An Original Graffiti Writer 54 // Damien Mitchell: The Story A Contemporary Street Artist 90 // Reference List

Layout & design by: Ryan James Wilson Instagram: @ryan_the_designer Web: www.ryanthedesigner.uk Special thanks to: David Enamorado (MERK) Instagram: @original_merkone_merk_photos Damien Mitchell Instagram: @damien__mitchell Web: www.damienmitchell.com Louis Fontana Instagram: @louis.fontana_lueone Facebook: All Out Writers + Friends Graffiti Gallery

The Project. Is there such a thing as true creative freedom? A fine artist has the ability to create whatever they like, provided the canvas fits into the specifications of the gallery displaying it. A graphic designer can be as experimental as they like provided they meet the clients brief and stick to the printers’ mechanical data. Rules can be bent or broken, guidelines can be ignored but how far do artists and designers need to go to have total freedom over what they create. Someone once said “The thing about a clean sheet of paper is that it still has edges.” When starting out with this project I wanted to look beyond the edges of the paper, beyond the 27” iMac screen and beyond the so called rules or principles of design. I wanted to explore the truest form of creative freedom or as close to it as I could get and that is what lead me to the art forms of graffiti writing and street art. Graffiti writers and street artists are not limited by the materiel or size of their canvas, they do not need to keep a client happy or ensure their work is kept within guidelines. They decide what they create, when they create it and where it is displayed. They do respect a number of unwritten rules which is more like a code of ethics between artists but this does not seem to limit their creative freedom. This freedom however comes with possibly the biggest limitation above all other art forms and that is that graffiti and street art are illegal.

Why are these two disciplines illegal? Is it because they “deface” public property? Public property is for the use of the public and as members of the public this is how artists choose to use them. Who decides that unsanctioned art is defacement as opposed to big companies plastering adverts everywhere we go. As far as I can tell the only difference between street art and advertising is that someone has made money by allowing advertisers to use the space whereas a street artist has given something to the public for free. Perhaps graffiti and street art are illegal as they give people a voice, the chance to speak out against issues in society in a creative way without being censored by the authorities. To get more of an understanding of the graffiti and street art culture I went directly to the artists to hear their story and find out what makes them not only break the rules but break the law in the name of creativity. I spoke with New York graffiti writers from the 70’s and 80’s and also with a contemporary street artist from Australia to learn about their environment growing up, limitations they face and also the reason behind their work. Hopefully reading the thoughts of artists both from the birthplace of graffiti and also modern day artists will give people an insight into the reasoning behind the work and perhaps give people who simply regard this as vandalism a new perspective on what is undoubtable a form of art. Ryan James Wilson.

Paint & Destroy

The Project

2018

Foreword By:

Louis Fontana

My name is Louis Fontana from South Brooklyn Red Hook. I first saw Graffiti on the corner buildings on my block around 1977 at the time I didn’t think nothing of it. In 1979 I saw a kid a few years older then me spray painting on the building in broad daylight, that was the first time I saw someone writing graffiti. That same year I wrote my name on the wall with a can of silver paint I found, shortly after I started writing on the poles around my block, I would write my name or ACE which was the first tag I had. I was just 9 then and did it just for the heck of it I wasn’t seriously into graffiti at that time. My neighbourhood always had many graffiti writers in it but it wasn’t till 1982 that I got curious about graffiti. On a school trip we took the train and it was the first time I really looked at graffiti on the trains and I was amazed, I thought how do they have time to do these big names with colours? The trains only stop for a couple minutes and pull out again, of course I wasn’t aware of lay up’s and train yards just yet, what I did know was all my class mates were fascinated by it. My first tag was ACE a couple other kids in my class got into graffiti at this time. My friend Eggie who wrote Vel, and John who wrote Zone on Saturday mornings we would take the F and G train 1 stop riding in the last car because it was usually empty and we would take tags between stops get of and go back and forth, it’s what they call motioning because your writing on the train while it’s moving. Most young writers did this before they learned about lay ups and yards. Eggie lived a few blocks away from me and some of the older writers from the area hung out by his father’s bodega which was a block away from his house, so he got to know a few of them one in particular that write Dance and Eggie would ask him questions about graffiti as would I when I met him. Most older writers don’t bother with the younger unknown inexperienced kids, once writers start getting up many get egos because the more you’re up the more attention you get from writers in your group as well as around the city, so associating with younger guys who are unknown was unheard of to most writers but Dance would chat with us a little here and there he would write in our blackbooks and do our names for us. Then we would practice the way he did it as time went on I started to get to know most of the writers that hung out on that corner, even though I wasn’t taken seriously I liked hanging around and listening to their stories and that’s how I found out about the train yards and lay ups, where they were etc. I would practice on paper every night trying to do piece’s because I already knew I wanted to do more then just tag up, The guys who did nice looking piece’s I saw got more respect and they were known more. All of 1982 into 83 I practiced for hours each night, my tag was Slam and I wrote 5

Paint &Louis Destroy Fontana

NS for short Nasty Slam and I was known to all the guys as NS that’s what they called me. Most didn’t know my real name, in graffiti you’re known by your tag it’s common not to know guy’s names. I was getting better slowly and I made friends with another writer my age who hung out there BUF, he was 13 too but big for his age, he seemed to know a lot about graff even though he to wasn’t up yet on trains. That summer we would venture out on the subway exploring. I broke the ice by jumping in the tracks for the first time that summer. It takes a lot to get up the nerve to do it the first time, many guys careers end at that point because they can’t get up the courage to go into the tunnels. I had a little extra motivation I had a big crush on a girl who turned me down too many times to count she was only 12 I was 13 but we were friends. Her grandparents lived by where we hung out but she lived in sunset park and use to take the train home the F or G to the R, so knowing she rode the trains and she knew I wrote I felt if she saw me up on the trains It would impress her. I would be known as a risk taker which what we were. Knowing she would see me up on the trains was good enough for me, at least I figured she would never forget me if she saw me up all the time. That’s one reason I focused on the R line before I started hitting the trains I changed my tag one last time to LUE my name spelled different and that’s the tag I stuck with.

A piece I did on a wall in Brooklyn 1986

Whole car mural by DONDI. R.I.P

Introduction Foreword

1998 Paint & Destroy

Rules Of The Game. Back in my era, the 80’s and the era before writers stuck to a set of rules that were taken seriously. A small portion of writers did not and were either considered toys (a toy is a writer of limited skills and not given respect) the others that did not follow rules were trouble makers. A major rule was we did go over each others work however it was okay to go over tags with throw ups (a throw up is a fast fill in with an outline that takes a minute or two to do). It was okay to go over a throw up with a piece which is another name for a mural. Piece’s can take 15 minutes and up to hours to do depending on complexly of the style and detail. Another rule was if a writer had claimed a tag there writing name another writer did not use the same name if a writer did use the same tag they would add a number to it for example there was JON ONE + JON 156, another alternative was spelling the same name different for example there was CAP and KAP. In my case I wrote LUE as there was LOU. The same rule applied to crew names (a crew is a group of writers who go writing together and all put up the same crew name) My crew that I formed was AOW - All Out Writers. Another rule was when bombing trains, you did not write on the Windows this was never to be done on the insides. On the outsides it was only okay to go over the Windows if we were doing murals. Writers who wrote on the windows were considered toys. The main reason for not writing on the windows on trains was it made it easy for the train workers to know writers were in the lay up or train yard (a lay up Is where they park trains in the middle of tunnels) some lay ups were down on lower levels below the active tracks. Also writing on windows caused more work for the train workers and if they got pissed off they would report graffiti activity at a certain lay up to the cops making it hot. When a lay up or yard got hot we had to beware of raids by the cops who had a special division to fight graffiti known as the Vandal squad. Back in the 70s and 80s the squad consisted of 4 plain clothes cops, today there are dozens of cops who sole job is fighting Graffiti. Back then should we get caught the normal punishment was community service which was making us clean trains or a fine. Today writers are going to jail and getting fines in the thousands compared to the 50 dollar fine we would get. There were hundreds of writers doing trains in the 80s. In 1990 NYC bought graffiti proof trains meaning they were very easy to clean by then the pioneers and second generation train writers all pretty much retired from train graffiti. Since the 90s writers who try and write on trains have their work cleaned off within 24 hours of doing it and the numbers of writers is so little that the Vandal squad takes down their names and they go on a wanted list

Paint & Destroy

LUE, GAPS, ATCO & WILD BILL at Liberty Ave Lay Up 1984

There are no rules when it comes to creativity and designs. Graffiti art has always been about freedom of expression; many writers try to create their own styles but basically all the styles of graffiti art have evolved from the very basic work that was created in the beginning by the first generation of Graffiti artists (1970 to 79). Writers with skills beyond the throw up at one point or another take bits and pieces to other work weather it’s on a picture in front of them or from memory then add their own twist to it creating something new. With throw ups there are writers who have unique original throw ups that stand out for example OE 3, SE 3 aka HAZE, KP as well as dozens of others. Even in today’s era of graffiti writers are creating original styled throw ups to use old school writers most of today’s throw ups are whack (not appealing) but there are a hand full that each writer of yesterday does find nice. Obviously everyone has their own opinion on nice but complete freedom to create whatever you want is what graffiti has always been about. Today we also see a lot of street art which should not be mistaken for graffiti, a perfect example is the artist Bansky he’s a street artist not a Graffiti artist.

Inside of a train 1985. To society this was vandalism to graffiti writers many took pride in there hand style There were some who only focused on doing murals on the outsides and did feel the tagging of insides just made things harder for them, which in fact it did.

Rules Of The Game

Louis Fontana

Limitations. As for limitations, in my era the only limitations were not having enough spray paint at times, obstacles were another story getting up in itself was an obstacle. In those days we stole our spray paint so finding stores that were easy to take paint from was a chore. By the early 80’s many times we took the train all the way to far Rockaway then got on a bus that took us out to the suburbs because the stores out there were not hot like the ones in the city. The MTA parks their trains in many lay ups. I preferred going to lay ups then train yards for the simple fact you were less likely to get caught in a dark tunnel. Of course train yards were much easier to see in, but we had certain lay ups that were perfect for doing a time consuming whole car (a whole car is a piece covering the entire subway car either from the window down or top to bottom) but there were many times we couldn’t get into the lay up when we got there for one reason or another, track workers being there or other times police presence on the platforms. We sometimes had more then 1 way of getting in, we would leave the station and go to the hatch which is in the street. It’s a fire exit from the tunnel and to the average person it’s just another metal grating on the side walk. A lot of the times the hatch would be unlocked so we would enter through it and bomb the lay up while the police monitored the station but when we couldn’t get in to a lay up we would go to another sometimes traveling to the other end of the city. Other times if a lay up already had a lot of writers inside we would not go in. The more people in a lay up at one time has a better chance of getting raided by the cops. The few raids I was in I was lucky enough to get away. As for your art work itself your ability to create was the only obstacle for some. You had writers who just did not have any talent and their writings on the trains compared to writers with talent who did murals was the difference between graffiti art and vandalism to us, of course it was all vandalism to the rest of NYC.

Graffiti art started with the tag, in the beginning (1969 - early 70s) that’s all there was, tags, then writers started outlining their tags, until the throw up was created. The first throw ups were piece’s, simple bubble letter and straight block letter style. As time went on writers starting using more then one colour and the lettering slowly started to take on different styles. The 1970’s was a decade that started with the basic tag but ended with graffiti evolved into an art form. All the styles that were created even to today, stems from

Paint &Louis Destroy Fontana

A view from outside the train yard.

those crucial very important years in graffiti back then. As I witnessed myself in the early 80’s. Styles started getting more complex, more colours were used, stick figure characters took on a cartoon look and so. More colours, more complex designs, every time you turned around someone was doing something new. As graffiti died down on the trains by the late 80’s for the most part because graffiti proof trains from China were replacing the old models as well as an increase in Police whose job was to stop graffiti. We saw more and more graffiti surface above ground, handball courts, highways, roof tops that were visible from elevated trains and so on. By 1990 graffiti was being done everywhere and street bombing became the newer generations focus. Make no mistake writers to this day will go down and hit a train yard take their pictures right there and that’s it. The train gets cleaned before it has a chance to run 99 percent of the time. In the 90’s graffiti magazines came into play and writers would send their photos in hoping to have them published in the next issue. Also during the 1990’s writers doing murals were seeking out walls were try could get permission to do, giving them all the time they needed to do there work they could stand back and redo stuff. Time spent in the past looking out for cops etc. was now spent getting more creative. Spray paint companies like Montana and Belton surfaced making low pressure cans specifically for graffiti art with caps that did not make the paint drip as well as caps that made thin lines to very fat lines. Graffiti writers now had spray paint customised for them to create everything to perfection. I can only imagine how much better our work on the trains would have been given these new tools of the trade. Regardless these are the reasons graffiti art got all the more detailed and is why today’s work is so advanced.

Limitations Introduction

1998 Paint & Destroy

BREAK RULES AND EXPERI MENT.

The Report. The uncertainty surrounding the future affects everyone differently. Contemporary designers can remove some of this uncertainty by attempting to accurately predict trends which may develop, this is known as trend forecasting. There is no magic behind trend forecasting like being able to predict next weeks’ lottery numbers however analysis of historical and current trends along with studying events in society allows designers to make informed decisions on how to best connect with their target audience. The future is defined differently by specific industries depending on their requirement to look short or long term. The dictionary definition of future is ‘a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing; time regarded as still to come.’ Oxford Dictionaries (2017) so technically everything after this sentence will be the future. This report will look a little further than that and focus on what could happen in the next 5 years specifically in relation to contemporary design trends and the influence from subversive art forms. Contemporary design is broad and ever changing and can relate to design in a wide range of industries such as furniture, clothing, architecture and graphic design to name a few. 9

Paint & Destroy

Subversive art describes anything that seeks to make people question the system or the rules and can take the form of magazines, music, film or street art. Whichever medium subversive art is delivered in there is a belief that there should be a meaning behind the work ‘before you embark on this game changing artwork of yours, make sure you know exactly what it is you’re fighting against.’ Frank (2015) This report will analyse the history and trends of graffiti and street art and how the two can influence other areas of design. The report will address issues such as the legality of creating this type of art, problems this discipline could face in the future and if they are avoidable by practitioners. The report will consider if working without limitations the way graffiti writers and street artists do can enhance creativity. If breaking the rules works to the advantage of artists then could this approach be applied to other disciplines such as graphic design, which would otherwise be restricted by columns, margins, font matching and colour theory. Graphic designer David Carson was someone who sought to break the rules of what is considered “good design” and he was described as ‘a criminal of graphics who opened up new territory for the graphic designers.’ (Blackwell, 2000:25) Although Carson worked with more expression than conventional designers he was never under threat of arrest like graffiti writers and street artists are.

Introduction Introduction

1998 Paint & Destroy

The Difference Between Graffiti & Street Art. Graffiti and street art can often be confused with being the same practice and in some cases both can simply be regarded as vandalism, so before this report looks at aspects such as the history, meanings, applications and influences of these art forms analysis will first be conducted in to what makes them similar and yet very different. While graffiti and street art share a number of common aspects such as both being subversive art forms displayed in public and both can be produced using some of the same materials the similarities do not go much further. It has been argued that ‘the difference between graffiti writing and street art is as great as that between for example, jazz and techno music.’ (Lewisohn, 2008:15) Others do not believe there is a difference between the two disciplines and the only aspect that separates one piece of work from another is commercial value ‘Some sell out to brands and make money, some don’t sell out and probably stay poor.’ Bradbeer (2014) however once an artist is commissioned to create the work limitations are put in place that would not exist with self initiated projects. Aesthetically graffiti and street art may appear to display similar characteristics due to the fact that artists and designers follow trends, whether consciously or subconsciously people are affected by popular culture and events in society, which comes across in the work they produce. For this reason, there will inevitably be a crossover,

Figure 1. Tags by various graffiti writers.

Paint & Destroy

which could be colours, letter style or the subject matter however just because things look similar should people assume they are the same? Sugar and salt share the same characteristics aesthetically however if someone were to put a spoon full of salt on their Weetabix they would notice the difference. The only element that truly binds graffiti and street art together is that neither art form will allow the rules to stand in the way of creative freedom. Despite any associations made between the two, graffiti writers and street artists resent the idea of being labelled as the same and ‘are genres that stubbornly refuse rules of categorisation, but which do at the same time adhere to certain codes and fashions.’ (Lewisohn, 2008:9) Street artists attempt to distance themselves from the word graffiti due to it’s association with vandalism however If people are unable to differentiate between the two then the negative stigmas will still be attached to their work as well ‘If art is defined by the artist’s intent then vandalism must be determined by the response of the owner of the thing vandalised.’ Akbar (2008)

Figure 2. Street art by MEEK.

One of the fundamental differences between the two art forms is the intended audience. Graffiti is intended to communicate with other graffiti writers, which accounts for the writing often being illegible to people not part of the culture. (Fig.1) Street art is intended to speak to the wider public and make a statement to entice engagement from the audience. (Fig.2) Often as the subjects are political in nature, street art is believed to be ‘a vessel for socio-political activism for those in power, and even more for those who resist.’ Maric (2014) Whilst graffiti can also have political elements to the work, it acts as more of a code to speak to other writers to gain notoriety, mark turf and make threats to rivals. This was apparent during the 1960’s particularly in Philadelphia when it was said that ‘youth gangs used graffiti to threaten and intimidate others. They marked the boundaries of their turf; these warnings came from the entire gang, not just the individual writer.’ (Stewart, 2009:13) Whilst some street artists attempt to distance themselves from graffiti, graffiti writers too seek to distance themselves from any commercial elements associated with street art. When asked in relation to this report for his thoughts on street art, New York graffiti writer Louis Fontana stated ‘the freedom to create whatever you want is what graffiti has always been about, today we also see a lot

Graffiti

Street Art

of street art which should not be mistaken for graffiti a perfect example is the artist Banksy, he’s a street artist not a graffiti artist’. Fontana (2017) Graffiti writers consider work with commercial value or placed in a museum to lack true creative freedom and street artists do not want the negative stigmas attached to graffiti to interfere with them making money from their art. I believe distinguishing between the two disciplines to be onerous and the factors which separate them are not abundantly obvious to individuals not part of the culture.

The History & Evolution of Graffiti. Graffiti is said to have ‘been around since the beginning of mankind’ (Ganz, 2004:8) An early form of what could be considered graffiti can be traced back to parietal art. This refers to artwork etched onto cave walls and large pieces of stone in the prehistoric era. These etchings were produced using bones or stones to carve into the rock also another technique used, not dissimilar to the spray paint and stencils used in contemporary artwork, was coloured powder blown through hollow animal bones around hands to create silhouettes. (Fig.3) The technique was believed to have ‘yielded a finely grained distribution of pigment, similar to an airbrush.’ Webexhibits (2017) This application

Figure 3. Cave paintings from Cueva de las Manos

Paint & Destroy History

would not have given the artwork the same longevity as the marks etched into the walls which would still be visible hundreds of years later. The word ‘graffiti’ can be attributed to the discovery of cave paintings and derives from the Italian ‘sgraffio’ meaning scratch. The term was first used by archaeologists studying the ruins of Pompeii to describe marks discovered carved into the stonework. The inscriptions found contained little imagery and mainly consisted of words which would seem to back up the argument put forward by Cedar Lewisohn that the barrier between words and imagery was not as great during the period in which the marks were created as it is today. (Lewisohn, 2008) The etchings left in Pompeii have been attributed to the ancient Romans who, much like elements of today’s political graffiti and more so street art, used public markings to express ‘their aversion to the dictatorship of Julius Caesar.’

Figure 4. Humorous Roman graffiti insulting their superiors

Spigelman (2005) The Romans liked to leave their mark wherever they went for the kind of “I was here” purpose people might associate with modern day graffiti writing. (Fig.4) The artwork was said to have been ‘a public and acceptable form of self-expression and advertisement.’ Pilny (2016) This kind of self-advertisement was the case with 1960’s graffiti writer Cornbread, someone considered to be a pioneer of the art form as it is known today. Cornbread rose to legendary status through being the ‘first person credited in modern history to write his name on the walls for hood fame.’ Allah (2015) Today’s writers use a technique known as ‘tagging’. A tag is a writer’s signature or logo, usually consisting of ‘pseudonyms, initials or nicknames, with a street or house number following.’ (Stewart, 2009:28) Tagging is the form of graffiti people not part of the culture struggle to decipher. Cornbread had no other agenda than to gain notoriety by painting his name all over Philadelphia and due to the fact that he was one of the only graffiti writers around at the time there was no code for communicating with other writers, given that, his name was written in a way that was legible to everyone (Fig.5) This was the beginning of an art movement which Cornbread happily takes credit for ‘I changed the historical course of my generation and gave birth to a global phenomenon.’ Allah (2015) During the 60’s the graffiti writing craze began to soar amongst

Introduction Graffiti

1998

youth culture however to outsiders it ‘was unpopular because of the crude masterpieces on the side of subways which people flatly called scribble.’ (Stewart, 2009:5) If connections can be made between modern day graffiti and the etchings made by the Romans, then this report must also consider if the hieroglyphics use by the Egyptians have influenced graffiti too. From the Greek meaning ‘holy writings’ hieroglyphics are another form of parietal art, as such it would be easy to make the assumption that this too did have influence on modern day graffiti writing. However, a number of factors must be considered, not only the surface and tools used to apply the marks but also the actual marks themselves. Analysis has previously shown how the etchings in Pompeii where mainly text based much like modern day graffiti but hieroglyphics were completely image based (Fig.6) and referred to by the Egyptians as ‘the language of the gods’ Millmore (2017). Granted the ancient Egyptians did not have the benefit of a written language like the Romans did however it is not what is actually being applied to the walls it is the reasoning behind the application. It is this reasoning and the context in which markings are applied to surfaces that will separate graffiti from street art throughout this report. When looking at the difference between the Romans etchings and the Egyptians hieroglyphics there is one factor which stands out above all others and that is the fact that hieroglyphics were a formal writing system and people essentially had permission to scribe onto temple walls whereas the Romans simply took it upon themselves to put their message out there. So in direct contrast to the Romans and graffiti writers of today who seek to subvert an established system, hieroglyphics were the established system and were said to be ‘vital in the fulfilment of royal duties and used by powerful Pharaohs and their scribes to record the achievements of their reign.’ Hill (2015) Hieroglyphics are closer to a commissioned piece of street art serving a purpose to the wider audience than graffiti.

Figure 6. Carved Hieroglyphics.

There was no major evolution from ancient to contemporary graffiti until artwork of a much larger scale began to appear on the streets of Philadelphia and tags covered the trains of New York in the 1960’s. Stewart (2009:5) states that ‘the form and content of graffiti remained remarkably unchanged’ until this point. Although there may have been changes in the style, application and tools used to create graffiti over the years, the fundamental principles have remained the same as it serves ‘as an alternative outlet for the individual person or group (outside of the mainstream) to bring attention to or spread knowledge of their personal perspective, ideas, beliefs or who they are.’ Alexandra (2017) Contemporary society faces a barrage of political propaganda and advertisements from multimillion pound corporations just walking down a city high street, graffiti writers do not believe that just because a premium is placed on public spaces that these corporations have more of a right to convey their message than the people living within that society.

Figure 5. Cornbread revisiting his early work.

Paint & Destroy

Graffiti

History

The History & Evolution of Street Art. At the beginning of the 21st century a new term started being used to describe unauthorised pieces of art. The term street art was used to define a broad range of work and was an art movement born out of the graffiti culture. Using many of the principles associated with graffiti not least being an illegal display of public expression, street art is said to lay ‘somewhere between graffiti, murals and other quasi-legal expression outdoors.’ (Gastman, Neelon and Smyrski, 2007:188) The street art movement did not begin when the term was first coined, the evolution of graffiti and advances in technology meant artists were using new methods before the beginning of the 21st century to express their views and resistance against authority. (Lewisohn, 2008:9) states ‘Street art, the natural heir to graffiti, is rooted in the creativity of the dislocated and alienated urban communities.’ It is this creativity that introduced methods such as stencils, (Fig.7) posters, and stickers (Fig.8) as a new way for artists to express their views. Street Art uses various methods to communicate to the wider public and ‘has evolved into complex interdisciplinary forms of artistic expression.’ Maric (2014) Unlike graffiti writers, street artists aim is not to gain fame but to deliver a message, often political in nature that can make the viewer stop and think. Italian street artist Blu believes it comes as a welcome change when subversive art speaks to the wider public ‘I’m happy when I see graffiti writers trying to communicate with people other than us ‘graffiti friends’!’ (Gastman, Neelon and Smyrski, 2007:188) Blu began as a graffiti writer however through his growing use of house paint, rollers and telescopic

Figure 7. Stencil Art By Banksy

Paint & Destroy History

Figure 8. Shepard Fairey’s Andre The Giant.

sticks he was able to create work much larger and became known as a street artist or muralist and his work has been referred to as ‘epic scale murals.’ Street Art Bio (2012) (Fig.9) Two contemporary street artists who aim to engage their viewers are Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Banksy is considered one of the most controversial street artists in the world and rose to prominence in the early 90’s through his style of stencil art which is often very political. He combines dark humour with a mocking of the establishment and believes graffiti is one of the most honest forms of art and allows freedom of speech and says that ‘The people who run our cities don’t understand graffiti because they think nothing has the right to exist unless it makes a profit, which makes their opinion worthless.’ (Banksy, 2006:8) Banksy’s work has been widely praised for the intelligence and creativity behind it ‘His black and white stencils are beautiful, witty and gently subversive: policemen with smiley faces, rats with drills, monkeys with weapons of mass destruction’ Hattenstone (2003) Not everyone has

Figure 9. Large scale mural by Blu.

Introduction Street Art

1998

the same high opinion of Banksy’s work ‘Banksy’s vague, pseudo-subversive preaching is often accompanied by a downright embarrassing hardnut swagger.’ Brooker (2016) Shepard Fairey is an activist, graphic designer, illustrator and the most famous contemporary street artist. His work with stickers and posters is thought to have ‘transformed the status of wheat pasting and poster art from the low brow, counter-cultural realm of punk and skate to the highest levels of national attention and esteem.’ (Schacter, 2006:86) Fairey’s work is very political and his promotion of free speech has lead to widespread praise with his Obama Hope poster (Fig.10) thought to have had an ‘arguably far greater impact than any other single artwork before’ (Schacter, 2006:86).

Despite worldwide recognition for his art critics have accused Fairey of plagiarising much of his work and it has been said to be ‘brazen, intentional copying of already existing artworks created by others - sometimes duplicating the originals without alteration - and then deceiving people by pawning off the counterfeit works as original creations.’ Vallen (2007) Others defend his work believing that ‘his appropriations are legitimate ways to create art’ MacPhee (2007) Shepard Fairey aims to engage his audience and says his work ‘makes them want to look at it and interpret it because it’s going to get under their skin if they try to ignore it’. (Lewisohn, 2008:104)

Figure 10. Obama HOPE poster by Shepard Fairey

Paint & Destroy

Street Art

History

Trend Forecasting. Youth culture editor at WGSN Sara Radin describes trend forecasting as ‘an analytical process that involves spotting patterns.’ Wayup (2017) it is used by brands to understand which direction their specific industry is heading. The importance of predicting tends can vary from business to business however it has been said that ‘Trying to shape a picture of what the future will look like is essential to stay ahead of the game.’ Trend Bible (2016) As much as trend forecasting is about understanding the industry it is also about understanding people, after all, brands rely on their customers to buy their products or use their service so regardless of the industry understanding the wants and needs of people is imperative. This raises the question however, do people follow trends or do trends follow people? Trends have been described as ‘the invisible hand that refines our choices before we even know we are making a choice.’ Seto (2017) This suggests that people are steered towards making the choice the brands would prefer them to make. To explore further if trends are influenced by people or visa versa it is important to analyse the methods used in trend forecasting and their delivery to the target audience. The fashion industry is possibly more reliant on predicting

Figure 11. Dress designed by Jeremy Scott at Moschino catwalk show.

Paint & Destroy Fashion

trends than any other industry. One of the tools clothing brands and retailers use are forecasting companies such as Worth Global Style Network (WGSN) who boast they ‘define what’s next so you can make smarter decisions today.’ WSGN (2017) Companies such as this are tasked with compiling reports specific to their clients’ business to assist them in making decisions based on a number of factors including economical climate, popular culture, politics and environment. According to trend forecaster Zuzanna Skalska this is achieved by ‘constantly monitoring the news across tons of different outlets in several countries and in several different languages.’ Newham (2017) Other methods used by trend forecasters are visiting stores, searching online, focus groups and speaking with editors of fashion magazines. Jane Buckingham, founder of trend forecasting company Trendera believes the information included in these reports are used to provide brands with ‘recommendations on how they should change their product, their PR, their advertising, their social media, and what celebrities or spokespeople they should use moving forward.’ Eggertsen (2016) With so many changing factors dictating trends the process of trend forecasting itself must also adapt, especially with advances in something that affects everyone, technology. In 1991 the internet became publicly available and although at the time most people didn’t understand what it was it has now evolved into something contemporary society is reliant on. The days when fashion trend forecasters would attend cat walk shows to identify which looks might be most in demand then feed the images down to the target market through print media and fashion magazines are gone. Sharing images now takes mere seconds on social media and distribution of images is no longer at the discretion of big brands and publishing houses, anyone with a smart phone can share an image. Seto (2017) believes the internet had a major influence on not only trend forecasting but also who has a say in those trends ‘The general democratization of information that was unleashed by the Internet overthrew many of fashion’s gatekeepers, exploding the top-down, runwayfirst model of fashion into a tangled web of influencers, from teenagers on YouTube to the weirdest corners of Instagram’. With the internet giving everyday people on the street a voice and a platform to be heard on, a degree of power has shifted from big brands back to the people in terms of what trends are presented to would be customers. The hardcore, old school, graffiti purist would denounce the idea that their work is influenced by trends or anyone else’s work ‘Graffiti is born in your soul. It’s not something you learn, make your own style up, you’ll stand out that way’. Skore (2017) These kind of words from Philadelphia based graffiti writer Skore are common on the graffiti scene whereby writers believe their own creativity and environment are the only elements responsible for their art and factors such as trends and fashion play no part in the

Introduction Trend Forecasting

1998 Paint & Destroy

work. As with all art however artists are influenced either directly or indirectly by those around them and those who have came before them. In the same conversation where he dismisses anyone’s influence on his work Skore states ‘I learned from a cool major Graffiti head.’ Skore (2017) Graffiti and street art by their very nature are about disobeying rules, not being instructed where they can display their work and having total creative freedom, so the idea that their work is influenced by trends is something not many writers and street artists would openly admit to but these two subversive art forms do follow trends as much as the create them. Trends in graffiti and street art are closely linked to the fashion industry and as much as fashion is influenced by graffiti and street art, the influence is reciprocated in a way that will have traditional graffiti writers screaming ‘SELL OUT’. Firstly, the influence graffiti has on fashion is evident, time and time again t-shirts, jackets and hats are released that resemble the side of a New York subway train. Guardian fashion editor Morwenna Ferrier states ‘fashion has a longstanding relationship with street art.’ Ferrier (2015) Ok so maybe this particular editor could do with reading a report on the difference between graffiti and street art as she goes onto highlight how the Moschino AW15 show (Fig.11) featured ‘floor-length gowns scrawled with Moschino’s own tags’ Ferrier (2015). As this report has identified, tags are specific to graffiti writing as opposed to street art however when fashion designer Jeremy Scott worked as creative director for this Moschino collection his inspiration was clear ‘I wanted to play with eveningwear so I did the graffiti - it’s eveningwear that’s been tagged, that has a lived-quality of a lamppost or a mailbox.’ Pithers (2015) Just as graffiti writers take advantage of their surroundings and often use their canvas, be it a train or wall to become part of the piece itself, it’s fitting that the launch of the collection was held in New York, a city submerged in urban culture and graffiti. Fashion Director of Saks Fifth Avenue Colleen Sherin believes Jeremy Scott hit the mark

with his designs ‘We love what Jeremy Scott has been doing with it, breathing new life into it and making it relevant.’ Binkley (2015) The collection took graffiti from the streets, to the catwalk into the main stream media through newspapers and magazines which eventually end up back in the hands of the public on the street. Does this however contradict the core values of graffiti writing and street art which is to communicate a message and express uncensored views to each other or the public and give art for free without making a profit. Influence on the fashion industry is nothing new to graffiti writers, but a new form of profiting through advertising has become evermore popular and has divided opinions between writers and street artists and that is Guerrilla marketing. Guerrilla marketing is a form of advertising which requires little budget and is aimed at grabbing the attention of the public in the streets, it is said to be about ‘taking the consumer by surprise, making an indelible impression and creating copious amounts of social buzz.’ Creative Guerrilla Marketing (2016) Brands often use graffiti writers and street artists in an attempt to appeal to their target market which essentially is a clever marketing technique and isn’t something that can be criticised however there is a certain amount of condemnation aimed at the artists who receive payment from companies to create work used in advertising campaigns. New York graffiti writer Merk who was part of the scene during the 80’s believes once an artist accepts payment for their work they cease being a writer and evolve into a commercial designer, he says ‘I don’t hate on anyone trying to make a living out of it but for me they are a sell out.’ Merk (2017) More street artists tend to be commissioned to create work for advertising campaigns than graffiti writers on account of the brands deploying this marketing technique wanting to communicate with the wider public as opposed to specifically other graffiti writers.

Figure 12. Downey in action spraying Berlin’s premier department store with green paint

Paint & Destroy

Trend Forecasting

Guerrilla Marketing

In 2008 clothing brand Lacoste commissioned 11 street artists to create artwork on KaDeWe the largest department store in Berlin. One of the artists enlisted was Brad Downey who is credited with a number of public displays of art, sculptures and installations. Downey is said to ‘intervene with his environment using objects in an unconventional manner thereby questioning their inherent function.’ Leitgeb (2013) Downey is against the notion of what has been labelled ‘paid rebellion’ and saw the opportunity to make a statement by accepting the commission, however instead of painting the mural onto the building which Lacoste had hoped for, Downey covered their display windows in paint in their branded green colour. (Fig.12) Lacoste reported Downey to authorities for vandalism however he successfully argued that he had been contracted by the company to carry out the work. He later said that ‘No company should commission people to commit offences’ Fuchs (2008)

The Impact of Technology on Graffiti & Street Art. Technology, in relation to the tools used to create graffiti and street art has not had a profound effect on the art forms since the introduction of the spray can by Edward

Seymour in 1949. The introduction of stencils and posters have had an influence on style and application time however the go to tool has always been the spray can. An area of graffiti and street art which has been greatly affected by technology is exposure. In the past artwork tended to be created in cities and built up areas to enable the artists work to be seen by as many people as possible. Thanks to social media people no longer need to visit specific areas to see artwork ‘The internet has increased accessibility through the proliferation of blogs and social media’ (Fekner, 2013:7) John Fekner who is a multidisciplinary artist explains how the ability to take a photograph and record a video on a smartphone has fuelled a fan base for certain artists, fan can now document and post their interpretation of the work online. (Schacter, 2013) Not only are the practitioners themselves using social media to spread their work but admirers of their work are also passing by and assisting with the exposure. (Fig.13) Global Street Art is a website showcasing graffiti and street art from around the world and CEO Dr. Lee Bofkin believes ‘most street art tumbles through our news feed now. It doesn’t matter where you paint because that photograph can travel through the internet.’ Jozuka, (2014) Does converting a piece of art into a photograph again raise the issue of taking the art from the street? It is possible that the creator of a piece of work, which is often painted on derelict buildings due for demolition, only intended their work to be visible for a short period of time for people to enjoy while it lasts. Whilst prolonging art which was intended to have a short lifespan and possibly taking it out of context by removing it from its initial environment can have drawbacks, documenting work that can be seen by future generations can be a bonus. Dr. Bofkin believes that images shared

Figure 13. Instagram post showing found work asking viewers to identify the artists.

Paint &Social Destroy Media

Introduction Technology

1998

are influenced by it and LA Graphic Designer Cori Magee says ‘One thing is for sure, there is a never-ending amount of inspiration to be found. For me, I find the most design inspiration on Instagram.’ Magee (2016) Graffiti can show Graphic designers what can be achieved with more creative freedom and experimentation especially in relation to typography, something which both disciplines rely on. Unusual letter forms and tag-like calligraphy is common place in contemporary graphic design as ‘The twisted, puffed up typefaces work well as eye-catching devices.’ (Heller & Vienna, 2012:186) This was the case with a poster for the School of Visual Arts in New York by designer James Victore who used graffiti style letters and quickly drawn illustrations on a subway poster to draw the attention and appeal to members of the youth culture. (Fig.14) Reflecting on his work Victore said ‘I had always toyed with the idea to make a pre-graffiti’d poster, so I took the opportunity.’ Victore (2013) Unlike graffiti, a piece of graphic design needs to clearly communicate and effectively convey a message which may not always be possible if the typography is too experimental or so far removed from traditional letterforms.

Figure 14. Poster for School of Visual Arts in New York Designed by James Victore.

on the internet can sometimes be the only record of the work ‘Most street art is by its very nature ephemeral, and the digital file is often the only record that lasts, because the wall disappears, the building is knocked down, and sometimes all you have left is the photo.’ Martin (2016) The exposure of subversive art through social media and the ease of which it can be accessed has enabled practitioners in other areas of design to draw influence from the work. Social media is flooded with graffiti and street art this is in stark contrast to how the media covered graffiti in the mid 20th century ‘Not one article on graffiti appeared in the New York Times from 1950 to 1971. The word ‘graffiti’ appeared in a February 1967 New York City Transportation Authority report on subway good manners’ (Stewart, 2009:28) Graphic designers, like trend forecasters are tasked with understanding what appeals to their target audience and Instagram gives them the ability to gain this insight on a much larger scale than was available before the introduction of social media. Former editor of Dazed magazine and professional blogger Susanna Lau says ‘You’re privy to their way of thinking, or at least what they want you to think and that changes the way we design.’ Ferla (2013) With so much graffiti and street art appearing on social media it is inevitable that other areas of design

Paint & Destroy

Future Design Scenarios. As society moves further into the digital age children are becoming more accustomed to picking up an iPad than a pencil. Less practice with a pencil leads to underdeveloped fine motor skills, which are critical especially in the art world. ‘Fine motor skill efficiency significantly influences the quality of the task outcome as well as the speed of task performance.’ Child Development (2017) If the children of today are struggling to hold a pencil correctly then any would be street artist in the future would already be at a disadvantage when attempting to use a spray can. The use of computers can also contribute to a diminished skill level in artists due to people favouring to pick up a mouse than a spray can. The easy to use software now and in the future along with the ability to instantly rectify any mistakes makes creating digital art an attractive option. Nick Skillicorn CEO of creative website Idea To Value however believes less credit should be given to people who create artwork on a computer than on the street or canvas ‘anything which reduces the need for skill, such as Smartphone photo filters, reduces the artistic merit of the result.’ Skillicorn (2016) Before the internet, when subversive art forms began, if an artist wanted to convey a message or express their opinions publicly then taking to the streets with spray

Technology

Future

paint was their only option. As this report discovered, social media can be a powerful tool and digital artists can now produce work which can reach a far greater number of people than anyone in the 70’s and 80’s ever could. While in the future artists may physically lack the same skills as practitioners working in the pre-internet age they may have more of a determination to produce work of the highest quality, whether this be on the street or on the screen, due to social media creating a larger audience, who possess the tools to direct criticism to the artist and their work. In the future however what if there was no artist to criticise at all? Drones which are unmanned aircrafts are becoming more popular in contemporary society especially in areas such as surveillance and photography. They are also a tool used by the military ‘in situations where manned flight is considered too risky or difficult. They provide troops with a 24-hour eye in the sky’ BBC (2012) But could artists be the next people replaced by robots in the future? Probably not in the next 5 years which this report is looking at but they could certainly be used as a tool to aid artists in their work. Italian design office Carlo Ratti Associati has developed Paint By Drone ‘a portable technological solution that employs drone

Figure 15. . Kendall Jenner billboard defaced by drone artist KATSU

formations to draw on urban facades.’ Carlo Ratti (2017) The concept of using drones to create work however is not new, in 2015 New York graffiti writer KATSU used a quadcopter to spray a series of red paint gestures across the face of Kendall Jenner who featured on a six story high billboard in Soho in an advertisement for Calvin Klein. (Fig.15) The stunt was said to be ‘proof of concept demonstrating the potential that drones have to transform graffiti.’ Banana Art (2017) KATSU constructed the drone himself which he named Icarus and believes that drones are the way forward in relation to large scale artwork ‘Imagine scrawling your name or a doodle 100 feet by 100 feet. Imagine sitting on a rooftop at night while your drone tags the building across the street.’ Mitchel (2015) KATSU is assisting other writers in constructing their own graffiti drones however for some writers the idea of constructing such an advanced tool to create their work may not fit in with the graffiti lifestyle which includes ‘racking’ or stealing paint. New York writer Seka says ‘Maybe if graff drones were available at Home Depot, and one could rack them, then people would probably be all about them.’ Mitchel (2015) The possibility of using drones is more appealing to 19

Paint & Destroy Drones

street artists who have been open to trying new techniques and tools as they become available as opposed to graffiti writers who prefer their traditional methods and stick to the tools they have always used such as the spay can. The trusty spray can has been a longstanding sidekick of graffiti writers and street artists since paint in an aerosol can first became available in 1949 however in the future artists could potentially struggle to obtain the spray paint they need to create their work. In the 1980’s scientists discovered that chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) chemicals found in aerosol cans were depleting the ozone layer, as a result in 1989 the Montreal Protocol came into effect which ‘has successfully phased out or is in the process of phasing out several key classes of ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)’ ChemSafetyPro (2017) The spray paint on the market today is free from CFC’s however with developments in science a discovery which bans aerosol cans from being sold as freely and openly to the public would seriously affect an artists ability to create work on the street without adapting to new methods. Artists do have the potential to circumvent any kind restriction on certain materials by finding new ones to use however there is also a danger that they will no longer be able to access the canvas they want to apply them on. In the 80’s accessing a writers’ canvas was easy, wait for the guard to take his break and hop the fence to the train yard and choose your car. Nowadays, train yards, business, council buildings and city centres are covered with CCTV which according to surveillance installers TDSI isn’t technology that is new ‘but the way it is integrated and used has evolved dramatically in recent years.’ TDSI (2016) CCTV has not acted as a deterrent to graffiti writers and street artists who tend to cover their faces to avoid being identified anyway but advances in real time video links could potentially catch them in the act. Using alert systems and manned control rooms advanced CCTV systems are ‘performing real-time event detection and post-event analysis, combined with facial recognition, where operators can track suspects and access data.’ CCTV-Surveillance (2017) These systems are currently in use and if they replace the current CCTV cameras over the next 5 years then this would lead to more writers being deterred from places and also a higher number of artists being caught in the act and arrested. This report has highlighted the damage computers and a greater risk of being caught could have on graffiti and street art in the future however these two problems could be combined to create a solution. Graffiti artist Chu has created a virtual reality town named Chutopia (Fig.16) a place he says he ‘created purely to destroy’ Martin (2016) The virtual reality experience gives users the chance to roam Chutopia and paint anywhere they like giving them the practice of spray painting to improve can skills but also prevents them from breaking the law. Available on Google’s

Introduction Future

1998

Figure 16. Chutopia, a virtual reality city created by graffiti artist Chu

Tilt Brush application which is said to be set to ‘revolutionize the definition of painting and push the boundaries of what it can represent.’ CNN (2016) Subversive art was born out of self expression, rebellion and freedom which was said to have ‘altered the environment of New York City and left its mark on the consciousness of millions of subway riders in the 1970’s.’ (Stewart, 2009:19) While in the future VR platforms may be a part of refining techniques and giving non graffiti writers the opportunity to experience the practice on some level, being confined to a fictional world with limitations set by the games creators will never embody the spirit of graffiti writing and street art. He dismisses anyone’s influence on his work Skore states ‘I learned from a cool major Graffiti head.’ Skore (2017) Graffiti and street art by their very nature are about disobeying rules, not being instructed where they can display their work and having total creative freedom, so the idea that their work is influenced by trends is something not many writers and street artists would openly admit to but these two subversive art forms do follow trends as much as the create them.

Conclusion.

The graffiti style has influenced the fashion industry aesthetically without designers truly understanding the meaning behind it ‘This anomaly means that you can see a tag on a model’s T-shirt featured on the cover of a high fashion magazine, but have no idea what it actually represents or means.’ (Lewisohn, 2008:9) The influence is unlikely to diminish in the foreseeable future for as long as graffiti is a part of society, trends will always take inspiration for it. Street art was discovered to be a reaction to events in society, more often than not politics, and the artists desire to convey a message inspires thought provoking artwork aimed at the general public. Street art’s subject matter will evolve to reflect changes in society and artists are more willing to experiment with advances in technology than graffiti writers however the introduction of social media has had a profound effect on both disciplines whether welcome or not. The exposure of street art has led to brands utilising the discipline for guerrilla marketing and therefore removing it further from the practice of graffiti writing. While new technology assists the exposure of subversive art, advances in techniques used to combat the discipline can threaten its existence in the future, at least in the physical world. VR platforms could allow artists to ply their trade legally however, just as a major evolution in graffiti gave birth to street art, street art could evolve into a new art movement entirely to ensure the survival of subversive art. Hacking into a computer system and leaving a message could be the future equivalent of breaking into a train yard and writing Cornbread. Whatever obstacles arise threatening to restrict creative freedom I believe creative people will always find creative ways to circumnavigate these issues and if designers can anticipate potential problems in advance then practitioners can ensure adequate preparations are made to continue working with freedom.

The aim of this report was to analyse how trends in subversive art occur and how these trends can be forecast by designers. Examination into the evolution of graffiti ranging from ancient times to the end of the 20th Century discovered that although styles and application methods had developed the premise of speaking out and gaining notoriety remained largely unchanged until the evolution was so great that a new movement was born. Street art appears to be more accepted in contemporary society, more notice is taken of it and therefore greater influence is drawn from the work. This is due to brands, advertisers and art dealers seeing more commercial value in the practice than in graffiti ‘The graffiti-writing movement from the mid-1960’s onwards had a fractured relationship to art history, but was still very appealing to the art world of the time, and has been to varying degrees ever since.’ (Lewisohn, 2008:15)

Paint & Destroy

Conclusion

PAINT AND DE STROY.

The Story Of An Original Graffiti Writer.

Born in 1970 in Harlem, New York City, David Enamorado grew up in the midst of a graffiti culture. He developed his Wildstyle on the streets with the CAC crew and is better known by his nickname MERK short for Mercury, God of speed. Now 48 years later having become a highly respected writer in the graffiti game, serving his country in the armed forces and creating pieces of art all over the world he provides a short insight into his early years as a writer and talks about some of his most memorable pieces.

BACK IN 2008

5 POINTZ, QUEENS

5 Pointz, Queens, NY. A graffiti Mecca welcoming artists from around the world. An outdoor graffiti space, where aerosol artists were given free reign and freedom from arrest.

Paint & Destroy

Merk

2008

C H I L D H O O D

‘‘ FROM A VERY EARLY START I WAS FASCINATED BY MOVIES AND CARTOONS AND THINGS I’VE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND I WOULD JUST RECREATE WHAT I SAW.

Where did you grow up ? NYC, Brooklyn. The Bronx. Do you remember being interested in art from a young age ? Yes I started to draw at the age of 3. From a very early start I was fascinated by movies and cartoons and things I’ve seen throughout the day and I would just recreate what I saw. Were your parents or relatives artistic or have any interest in art ? No. What about your friends, was drawing something you all did ? Yes from 5 years old and up.

What about the views from other members of society growing up ? It varies, it’s either an alliance because the art is really admired and can be beneficial to another artist for recognition or becomes a hater and becomes a problem when a rival starts going over your work....90% is because they hate and behind that they get fame. How did you first get involved in graffiti and at what age ? Long story but it was the summer of 1981 and I was 11 years old. Generally did you use to get in any other trouble at that age ? Typical kid stuff, fights, cutting school, getting chased by police, fighting, fighting and fighting.

Was there lots of graffiti around when you were growing up ? No only on the subways. They were my rolling source of art. What were your views on graffiti and writers growing up ? I was eager to know how it was done and where it was done, clueless as to what was used to create graffiti. My perception of the artist were that they were scary people.

Paint & Destroy

Merk

Childhood

Brooklyn, NY. A scrap yard in Brooklyn, New York where they took trains that were no longer operable for service and taken to the scrap yard to be broken in pieces.

BACK

1993

B R O O K LY N , N Y

Paint & Destroy

Merk

1993

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E A R LY W O R K

‘‘ WRITING IN THE TRAIN YARD OR BOMBING BY YOURSELF PEOPLE PUT RESPECT TO THE NAME. THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN IF THEY MESSED WITH ME.

What was your main aim when creating graffiti? Was it to become notorious to other writers ? I loved bombing I just wanted to get my name up as much as I could and also after that just be like the enforcer of the crew so wherever we went where the name was it either created fear to other writers to say look we are not to be messed with or when your writing in the train yard or bombing by yourself people put respect to the name. They knew what was gonna happen if they messed with me. That was about it but afterwards you just wanna move on up the ranks, there are people that stay stuck, other people become notorious and become like folk law. Like OMG this is the boogy man. Did you want recognition for it or was the work just for you and other writers to appreciate ? At that time it was just for us to look at who is most up, now I would be happy if anything of mine surfaces and it’s still on display. Can you remember what the very first piece you created was ? I wrote David, I didn’t even have my name yet in spite all my friends calling me MERK for short to Mercury. How did you feel in the build up ? Scared as fuck. Who helped you and where did you get your supplies ? From my friend KCONER.

Paint & Destroy

Merk

Did you know what you were going to create before you got there ? HELL NO! How long did it take you to finish it and did you have to go at night ? About 2 hours and it was a Sunday morning around 10:30am. Where you pleased with what you created for your first piece ? HELL YEAH ! Did you know at the time that it would be the first of many ? No but I knew somehow that this was going to be a calling for my younger days. How long after your very first piece did you wait until your next ? I did not wait long enough I think I waited like a month and a half your talkin about back to 1981 when I did my first toy piece on the train because of the person that I met put me onto it and he just showed me a little pointer here and there but that was basically it. From there it was like I was much more interested in the writing and actually finding a new spot on the inside of the train where everyone could see it rather than the more experienced writers who were doing pieces on the outside of the train on the panels so I chose to do most of my stuff on the inside and from there it was like late 80s that I decided that I wanted to do art.

Early Work

E A R L Y

1 9 9 3

THE BRONX, NY

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Merk

1993

S U B V E R S I O N

‘‘

WE JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE MEANS OR ANY NORMS COMPARED TO PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SUBURBS. URBAN DECAY WHERE THE CITY WAS JUST FALLING APART. IN 1974 WHEN GERALD FORD WAS PRESIDENT HE JUST GAVE A BIG FUCK YOU TO THE CITES.

When spray painting did you like the idea of rebelling against authority ? HELL YEAH! In your opinion why do you think graffiti is associated with bad behaviour ? It was the economic norm back then when it first started, from my point of view it was bad timing in the late 60’s early 70s we just didn’t have the means or any norms that we could attend to compared to people living in the suburbs. Urban decay where the cities were just falling apart. In 1974 when Gerald Ford was president he just gave a big fuck you to the cities. Kids were just going into yards and for whatever reason the media had got a hold of it and dubbed it a crime. They always associated urban decay with graffiti and crime drug use and every other norm.

81-89 those were the golden years when it was really fun to do, where you would go into a tray or lay up and you would bump into people and you do what you do you either create allies or enemies. But street art you have all day long even up to months to do whatever you wanna do. People are just looking for a cheap way to profit from street art. You could go buy a graffiti writer $200 worth of paint but at the end of the day who is really profiting from it? You have advertisers for beer or soda even clothing and sneakers they target a particular type of group of people that they want to sell their products to and they get a street artist to do art for advertising even on digital there is a lot of writers that have gone into advertising and they’re making their money, hey I don’t hate on anyone trying to make a living out of it, but to me its a sell out.

But the kids doing graffiti thought it was channel of putting out their frustration and just became a method of just a method of a message of being put out and from there it became here is a name and see how far you can go and see what you can do with it. What are your thoughts on street art being used in advertising and people profiting from street art ? I don’t really like it because it takes away from what others have done and what I have done, people before me and that were with me. Our stuff was totally illegal and you had a time frame to do it to be in and out also being chased by the vandal squad and getting away and eluding police eluding other writers that was the beauty of being a graffiti writer in the era of 35

Paint & Destroy Subversion

Introduction Merk

1998

F I R S T T R A I N

BACK

1982

The Bronx, NY. My first car in 1982, I wish I would have done more trains but my thing was hanging out with the fellas and writing on the inside of the train.

Paint & Destroy 1982

Introduction Merk

1998 Paint & Destroy

EXPERIMENTING Are there any rules you personally adhere to when creating a piece, no matter how loosely they are followed ? No, in this culture you either evolve and constantly experimenting with different colours and style or you just become like a stamp always doing the same style with just colours constantly changing. The piece that is silver on the white train was my first car in 1982, I wish I would have done more trains but my thing was hanging out with the fellas and writing on the inside of the train. There are 3 kinds of graffiti people The artist, The bomber and The toy.

When did you create your last piece or are you still creating ? The last time I created something was in 2007 and it’s still standing. Am I still creating? I do but it’s just blackbook stuff to see if I still have it and the only reason I still do that is because I broke my ankle and I had nothing else to do beside laying in bed. I might get back into it who knows, there are people who I bump into who are like ‘hey there is painting’ and I’m like I dunno but we will see that’s yet to be determined.

Only thing a toy would have on his side is heart and determination but everyone starts as a toy, I mean everyone, until you start to develop and then things just flow naturally. I don’t take away anything away from any type of artist but graffiti artist can basically do any type of art. Graffiti artists have to create their art under anxiety of being caught by authority or rivals so it’s fight or flight. They have to choose their tools correctly also if one of their cans don’t work they have to improvise on other colours to use. Time is always against the artist. Now a regular artist don’t have that problem, they are home or in a studio creating and the only stress they may have is time due to a project that needs to be done within a certain time or a paying client wants his work at a certain time and the artist would have to deliver.

‘‘

Paint & Destroy

GRAFFITI ARTIST HAVE TO CREATE THEIR ART UNDER ANXIETY OF BEING CAUGHT BY AUTHORITY OR RIVALS SO IT’S FIGHT OR FLIGHT. THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE THEIR TOOLS CORRECTLY ALSO IF ONE OF THEIR CANS DON’T WORK THEY HAVE TO IMPROVISE.

Merk

Experimenting

SPRING

1998

YO N K E R S,

N Y

Yonkers, NY. This piece featured in the movie Freedomland with Samuel L. Jackson 41

Paint & Destroy

Introduction Merk

1998

I N F L U E N C E

‘‘

TECHNOLOGY HAS OPENED THE GATEWAY FOR A LOT OF WRITERS TO SEE OTHER WRITERS WORK FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND IT HAS CREATED A LOT OF ALLIES.

Was there anything that influenced you to start writing ? Yes watching KCONER and other writers do their things and benching a lot in many subway lines looking and exploring other artist works.

What would you say is the most influential piece you have created ? The most influential piece I did I believe was before 9/11. It was just an everyday thing like every weekend me and slim would go out and take pictures and go piecing but the influential one was in upstate New York in Bampton where we had every graffiti writer from New York go to an indoor skate park and piece and again it was with Lindsay from Australia, he drew up a Tasmanian devil in all 4 corners and man it rocked.

Paint & Destroy

Introduction

How do you feel advances in technology have affected the Graffiti Culture ? It has opened the gateway for a lot of writers to see other writers work from other parts of the world and it has created a lot of allies. You get people who look forward to coming to New York to meet with the great writers and artists and visa-versa and its much easier and flexible than word of mouth like back then.

1998

Paint & Destroy

Introduction

1998

SUMMER 2006

B I N G H A M TO N

Paint & Destroy

Merk

2006

L I M I TAT I O N S

‘‘ ONE HATER GOES OVER IT AND IT’S ON..... THEY ARE EITHER WALKING INTO A FEW KNUCKLES ON THE SPOT OR GETTING ROBBED OF PAINT AND WHATEVER THEY HAVE OR JUST BOTH.

Paint & Destroy

Are there any limitations you face when creating pieces and do you stick to any kind of design principles in your work ? A diversified artist can create any form of art around their names. Most graffiti artists always stay within their lettering style because it’s like a signature that everyone in the culture of graffiti can recognized. That’s the difference ...limitation of creativity.....freedom vs client. What are the main stereotypes that you believe are associated with writers ? The Toy - the one just causing havoc nobody respects them and he starts from the bottom and works his way to the top.

Are writers free to put their work up wherever they want ? No....There’s rules to the game..... Obviously if you’re a toy it’s automatically you’re gonna get your stuff crossed out or someone will go over it.... Tags, throw ups over tags, Pieces over throw ups and whole car production never touched until that one hater goes over it and it’s on..... They are either walking into a few knuckles on the spot or getting robbed of paint and whatever they have or just both.....

The writer is much more established mostly for the handwriting and penmanship that they used to distinguish themselves out of many. Then there are those who are the artist that were actually doing pieces on the outside of the trains, panel pieces top to bottom end to end where you just tend to just showcase yourself and compete with other artists.

Merk

Limitations

Paint & Destroy

Introduction

1998

THE BRONX, NY

1993 E A R LY 49

Paint & Destroy 1993

Introduction Merk

1998 Paint & Destroy

B I G

P I E C E S

‘‘

I THINK I STOLE OVER 100 CANS AND I SHARED THEM WITH MY PEERS . WE JUST ROCKED THAT WALL IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WALL WITH CHARACTERS IT REALLY WAS BEAUTIFUL AND EVERYONE GOT TO SEE IT.

What was the longest lasting piece you created and how long did it stay up ? The longest piece that has stayed and is still alive to this very day was done over ten years ago is the last silver blockbuster that’s not too far from me from where I live at and that’s along the Metro North line. It’s still there to this very day ticks, myself, tyke and Slim Monster pieces I’m talkin about this piece is like over 25ft long x 10 feet high its just silver and black and its still there to this very day. Is there a memorable collaboration piece you created ? One of the greatest collaboration pieces I did was with Lindsey from Australia we rocked a wall in Midtown across the street from Lincoln Centre and we just happened to do New York meets Australia were a great white shark had his mouth open and the one train coming out of his mouth and it had pieces on it and peoples names on it and the surrounding names of the other writers on the wall, It was a beautiful wall but it’s no longer there.

Paint & Destroy Big Pieces

Introduction Merk

Is this the piece you are personally most proud of ? The piece that I’m personally most proud of was having the chance to paint at the Graffiti Wall of Fame at 106 and Park. I think I stole over 100 cans of paint and I shared it with my peers and we just rocked that wall it was a beautiful wall with characters it really was beautiful and everyone got to see it because it’s only the best of the best who go down there to paint at the Graffiti Wall of Fame which no longer stands. It’s still there but they made it more recreational for children because it was in a school yard but back then it was still a school but it ain’t have the playground for school kids to play with so its only a few selective artists who go in there to paint but it lost its touch and it lost its love and I just no longer go there.

1998

W I N T E R 1 9 9 9

B U R N S I D E AV E

Paint & Destroy

Merk

1999

Paint & Destroy 1999

Introduction Merk

1998

ART D IN THE TY OF ED URBAN NITIES.

The Story Of A Contemporary Street Artist.

Growing up for Damien Mitchell could not have been much further away from the graffiti filled subways of New York. Born in 1985 in rural Australia, Damien provides a brief tale of how the son of small town motel owners went on to become one of the most appreciated street artists of the modern day. Creating thought provoking photo-realistinc pieces across the world showing that spray paint is not only capable of producing tags on trains. From the skate parks of Wagga Wagga to the streets of New York Damien has travelled the globe developing his style and making his name.

WINTER

2015

CASTLEMAINE

Castlemaine, Australia. I was back in Australia to see my family and my Aunt and Uncle said they found me a wall in their town. Cheers Bernie and Steve!

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2015

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CASTLEmaine

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C H I L D H O O D

‘‘ I GREW UP IN COUNTRY AUSTRALIA WHERE THERE WASN’T MUCH UNSANCTIONED ART. WAGGA IS A REGIONAL CENTRE SURROUNDED BY A BUNCH OF NOTHING.

Did you have an interest in art from a young age? I was always interested in art, drawing as soon as I could hold a pen and writing my name on anything I could find. Were your parents or relatives artistic or have any interest in art? My siblings are all interested in art in some way, My folks were a little hesitant at first but have come to grow an appreciation. One thing they taught was to approach everything with an open mind. What about your friends at that age, was drawing something you all did? Not really, I was usually the one who could draw. When others began getting into letter based graffiti I was usually the one on characters. Why did you choose to do more characters when others were doing more letter based graffiti? Did this give you more or less freedom? I was always doing both. I like the idea of being versatile and able to jump between styles and ideas Was there lots of street art around when you were growing up? I grew up in country Australia where there wasn’t much unsanctioned art. Wagga is a regional centre surrounded by a bunch of nothing. We lived in the town and my folks ran a motel.

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

When did you become aware of it? I was always aware of it through trips to the city but it wasn’t until I moved to Europe that I saw the full scope of what was possible . When did you first become really interested in graffiti? Around age 14. What were the views on graffiti from members of society growing up? I’ve found there has been a growing acceptance of street art, but graffiti is still seen as taboo. The amount of times I’ve heard someone say how much they “love all that stuff, just not the tags” I believe you have to be able to crawl before you can walk and as someone who learned to paint by doing a million tags I think its a great place to start. Where there many places that you could experiment with street art? When I was 16 a few friends and I rented a flat above an aquarium. There weren’t really any neighbours and we were right by a couple of skate spots so most nights we’d be out painting and skating and being little shit heads. What career path did your parents want you to follow? My folks never want me to follow any path. I’m the youngest of 4 kids with a big gap between me and the rest of my siblings. I think by the time I came along they were already done with parenting and just let me do my thing.

Childhood

Yonkers, NY. This was the 3rd wall I’d painted in Yonkers with Chris St Lawrence. Again the face is from my mate and musician: @weirdlucky

SPRING

PA I N T A N D D E ST R OY

paint and destroy paint Ypaint O yR oT rand tSsE eand dDdestroy dD ndestroy aNtA niaTpN I A P paint

2017

YONKERS,

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2017

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Ypaint O R Tand S E Ddestroy D N A T N I AP

E A R LY W O R K

‘‘ EACH WALL IS DIFFERENT. SOMETIMES I WALK IN WITH A PLAN IN MIND AND OTHER TIMES ITS A FREE FOR ALL, MAKING IT UP AS I GO ALONG.

How did you first get involved and at what age ? I’ve always been drawing on walls. One of the first things I remember doing was writing “fuk” on the underside of our families coffee table, then blaming it on my 6 month old niece. Spray paint didn’t arrive in my world until I was around 16 years old when I started working in a paint shop. How did you feel in the build up to creating your first piece on a wall? Before painting a wall I always have a nervous excitement. You never know exactly how something is going to come out, so that lead up time is a fun head space to be in. Do you know what you are going to create before you get there? Each wall is different. Sometimes I walk in with a plan in mind and other times its a free for all, making it up as I go along. Was there anything that influenced your first piece ? Teenage angst. Where you pleased with the first piece of work you created? Looking back now, everything I made for probably the first 5 years was garbage. At the time I knew there was room for improvement.

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

Do you know how long it lasted before being scrubbed off? I was recently back in my home town and was able to hunt down a few of my old pieces that are still running. Did you used to tag with your name in the beginning, and was your tag known to other graffiti writers? When I first started I would jump around from tagging stuff with a name to writing messages and stencilling anonymously. My friends knew what I was doing but I didn’t really know many other writers at that time. What was the reasoning for you changing you name and why do you today personally choose to go by your own name as opposed to remaining anonymous like some graffiti writers and street artists like Banksy? When I started getting more official, sometimes paid jobs I decided to start using a legal name. I still use my old names and sometimes new ones for illegal work but I’m careful not to let those two worlds overlap. It lets me jump from style to style and not feel obligated to keep work looking one particular way. If I get sick of painting realistic faces I go empty some cans writing words on walls.

Early Work

SUMMER

2017

M A N H A T T A N

Lower East Side, Manhattan. Wall was arranged by a local street photographer @just_a_spectator and is a portrait of my mate @bald_pics

Paint & Destroy 2017

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

L I M I TAT I O N S

‘‘

ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT CREATING WORK ON THE STREETS IS THAT THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS ON WHAT YOU PAINT OR HOW YOU PAINT IT. GRAFFITI IS ALL ABOUT INNOVATION AND TO ME, SOMETIMES THE BEST WORK ISN’T NECESSARILY THE MOST AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.

What kind of dog did you have and did you used to take him out painting with you? He was from the shelter. A mutt and the best painting partner I’ve ever had.

Are there any limitations you face when creating pieces & do you stick to any kind of rules or design principles in your work ? One thing I like about creating work on the streets is that there are no limitations on what you paint or how you paint it. Graffiti is all about innovation and to me, sometimes the best work isn’t necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing. Legal work is different. Sometimes you’re working with a landlord or council who want particular ideas shown or excluded. These can be tough. In your opinion what is the difference between a street artist and a graffiti wirier and the two art forms in general? I get asked this question a lot. Over the years, I’ve painted both letter based graffiti and what often gets labelled as street art. It seems the biggest difference is the look of the work produced. At its essence, any illegal marking on the street makes the same

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

point. Whether its your name squiggled and camouflaged or a stencil of a flower, both comment on the invasion of shared spaces in society. When some artists turned away from writing words and started painting pictures, I think the art became more palatable. People wanted to be able to distinguish this from the letter based work they’d seen and invented the name street art. What stereotypes to you feel are attached to street artists and do you feel any of them are true of you? Haha, some yes, some no. I guess the typical street artist “discovered” graffiti in art school and quickly graduates to large scale murals. Unfortunately, I never finished high school and had to grind away honing styles before I attempted full productions. A street artist often pushes their “brand” and keeps their work a clear progression throughout their career. I’ve jumped around so much stylistically I don’t recognize a lot of older work. All that said I do live in Brooklyn, so I guess I must be a hipster graffiti artist. Goddamnit!

Limitations

Paint & Destroy

Introduction

1998

2017 E A R LY 70

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2017

F L A T B U S H Flatbush, Brooklyn. A mate had started up his own little cafe and had asked me to paint his wall. The face is a friend from Baltimore @danialove

N E W

J E R S E Y

SUMMER

2017

New Jersey. I was invited by my friend MeresOne to paint at a jam in NJ. I hadn’t painted letters in a while but it was a great environment to get back into them.

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2017

S U B V E R S I O N

‘‘

WHAT I LOVED MOST ABOUT GRAFFITI AND STREET ART WAS ALL THE QUESTIONS IT RAISED. WHO MADE THIS? WHY? WHAT’S IT SAYING? ETC. WHEN TAKEN AND USED AS “GUERRILLA ADVERTISING” TO ME IT LOOSES THAT ABILITY TO POSE THESE QUESTIONS.

Do you like the idea of rebelling against authority when creating work? I always approached graffiti as a way to say what you think anonymously and in public. Most of my early work was political and it often still is.

Generally did you use to get in any other trouble at that age? Yeah, I’ve spent a couple of nights in the lock-up for graffiti. Other than that I’ve got a pretty clean record.

There is a lot of political meaning behind your work, what else do you like to create pieces about? My work covers a wide range of topics. Some is political and some is just straight “paint and destroy” I usually paint what’s around me. I guess at the moment we’re all surrounded by politics more than usual. What are your thoughts on Street art being used in advertising and people profiting from street art? When I was a kid, what I loved most about graffiti and street art was all the questions it raised. Who made this? Why? What’s it saying? Etc. When taken and used as “guerrilla advertising” to me it looses that ability to pose these questions.

Paint & Destroy Subversion

Introduction Damien Mitchell

In the case of Banksy, do you believe work he creates has a place in a gallery and warrants the amounts paid for his work? On the streets his work is fantastic. Its goofy, sometimes cutting and a commentary given from the sidewalk. When taken from that context I think a little of that gets lost. In your opinion why do you think graffiti is associated with bad behaviour or as you say being little shit heads? I mean, a lot of it has to do with the broken window policing and the view that petty crimes like graff are synonymous with the breakdown of society. Some people may ask what gives you the right to illegally paint on someone else’s property ? Nothing gives me the right to deface private or public property. If I woke up to swastikas tagged all over my house I’d be a little shitty. But if I woke up to art that spoke to me in some way I’d consider that a gift. Its part and parcel of living in a city I guess. We’re bombarded with empty advertisements every day so I enjoy a little one on one humanity that you get from knowing someone made this for no other reason than for you to see it.

1998 Paint & Destroy

AUTUMN

2014

B R O O K L Y N

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2014

Bushwick, Brooklyn. This was the second wall I painted in NYC and the first at the Bushwick Collective. Joe showed me the wall, gave me a ladder and let me have at it.

‘‘ HE WAS FROM THE SHELTER. A MUTT AND THE BEST PAINTING PARTNER I’VE EVER HAD.

Paint & Destroy

Have you tended to work in groups or on your own you ? Usually I work alone. In the past I’ve taken my dog Franta. What kind of dog did you have and was he a good lookout? He was from the shelter. A mutt and the best painting partner I’ve ever had. Did you incorporate Franta into your work? When I moved to Europe I would paint his portrait all over town, doing all sorts of things. There are still a few kicking around I believe. I also met me wife in Prague. Did he have any other influence on you? I’ve painted under many names over the years and Franta was one. Have you ever painted in a crew? RSVP crew (Répondez s’il vous plaît) and OTM crew (Of The Moment).

Damien Mitchell

Franta

B R O O K L Y N

AUTUMN

2014

Bushwick, Brooklyn. This was the 2nd wall I painted at the Bushwick Collective. After the first one my wife’s family dog who we had been looking after got mouth cancer and died shortly after. We were pretty cut up, so I decided to paint this really fiddly wall to keep my mind off things. RIP Dix!

Paint & Destroy 2014

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

EXPERIMENTING Did you create any other art before picking up the spray can? No, spray paint was my first experience with paint. I had been drawing all along but it was only when I got a job at a house paint store that I started using cans. Where did you get your supplies ? I worked as a teenager in a house paint shop. I was able to rack cans from there. It was all shitty paint but I found using the crap paint to start with, makes you appreciate all the new “artist quality” stuff going around these days. Did you enjoy this job, and did it further your artistic flair? Fitzy’s was a great job. Just a small shop with myself and Fitzy. We sold mainly to the smaller contractors, which meant everybody knew everybody. Each Friday Fitzy would fire up the BBQ, get a slab of beers all the painters would come by and hang out. I would usually work Saturdays by myself and would use the large display cardboard displays, box cutters and spray cans and make these basic stencils. You spent 8 years in Prague, how did that come about and what was the experience like? I moved to Prague when I was 18. My older sister was living there so I had a place to stay when I first arrived. It was a bit tough at first but I quickly got a job pouring beers and started picking up the language. It was here I first really saw what could be done with a spray can. There was a shop that had more than 12 colours and walls upon walls to paint. My first apartment was on the edge of town right by an unused metro station. I would spend my days off there, practicing and skating around. I never once bumped into anybody out there. I went back years later and its now surrounded by houses. In Prague I met other painters from all over the world and began trying new techniques and styles. Most of my work then was illegal and I was picked up a couple of times.

Paint &Experimenting Destroy

After Prague it was New York, how did that go? I initially only moved to NYC for a year to meet my wife’s family. We got an apartment in Brooklyn and started checking shit out. I started getting more and more walls to paint so one year turned into five. Here a lot of my work became commissioned. People were willing to pay me to do the same thing I’d being doing for free. I met a great bunch of painters and was able to empty more cans than I had before. That said, the legs are getting itchy again and early next year we plan to move down to Latin America. What is your basic creation process & is there always meaning behind your compositions or is it sometimes just for an aesthetically pleasing piece? As I mentioned, my favourite stuff is that which says something. Either by playing of the architecture of the street or by raising ideas in places where they’re not usually thought of. That said, I also often just go painting just for the sake of it. Neither is better than the other as art means different things to different people.

‘‘ IN PRAGUE I MET OTHER PAINTERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND BEGAN TRYING NEW TECHNIQUES AND STYLES. MOST OF MY WORK THEN WAS ILLEGAL AND I WAS PICKED UP A COUPLE OF TIMES.

My style has changed a lot over the years. I started with letter based graffiti, then went into politically charged stencil work. Then started painting more stylized free hand photo-realism and recently more wild-style letter work Do you consider yourself a Graffiti Artist or Street Artist? Both, sometimes I paint straight graffiti while other times my work is more street arty. Both have their value. Did you take art in school/college and did this allow you to experiment? I didn’t complete high school

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

B R O O K L Y N

Williamsburg Brooklyn. I grew friendly with some bar owners and they let me paint this on their pub wall.

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2015

2015 AUTUMN 85

Paint & Destroy 2015

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

I N F L U E N C E

‘‘

STREET ART IS A GREAT WAY OF SHARING IDEAS. IT’S, AT ITS CORE, AN INNOVATIVE ART FORM IN THAT IT IS GENERALLY BEING MADE WITHOUT CONSENT AND NEEDS TO FIND WAYS TO REMAIN UP WHILE NOT GETTING THE ARTIST ARRESTED.

What influence do you believe Street Art has on other areas of the design world either directly or indirectly? I believe street art and graffiti is most effective when it stands for something. As much as I enjoy pretty pictures, work on the street has the ability to take the viewer by surprise and raise ideas when they’re not expected. The amount of guerrilla advertising disguised as graffiti speaks to this art form’s effectiveness in reaching an unsuspecting audience. What do you believe are the views on graffiti and street art from different members of society? I’ve found there has been a growing acceptance of street art, but graffiti is still seen as taboo. The amount of times I’ve heard someone say how much they “love all that stuff, just not the tags” I believe you have to be able to crawl before you can walk and as someone who learned to paint by doing a million tags I think its a great place to start.

How do you feel street art has changed in the past 15 years and what changes can you see in the next 15 years? It’s hard to me to say. I’ve only painted graffiti for the last 15 years so I can’t really put that in a larger context, but since I’ve been rattling tins the art form has seemed to come back into vogue. Walls have gotten larger and cities have begun inviting artists to paint. A million mural festivals popped up and large amounts of money started changing hands. In doing that, the art has gotten a bit less political and more pretty. When I started painting I liked the anti-hero element of the work. Who did what is secondary to what was done. Over the last 15 years, graffiti celebrities were made which turns me off a bit. Like everything that comes in and out of style, each peak is followed by a trough. The next 15 are where the lifers get busy.

What does Street Art Mean to you? Shit, in my opinion, street art is a great way of sharing ideas. It’s, at its core, an innovative art form in that it is generally being made without consent and needs to find ways to remain up while not getting the artist arrested. Its a public, sometimes coded, conversation. It’s a critique on the world its painted on. It’s something that’s kept me occupied for many years.

Paint & Destroy Influence

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

SUMMER 2015

W O R C E S T E R

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2015

Worcester, MA. My biggest wall to date. Painted on the back of the Hanover theatre and arranged by @viveelche. The city is now host to an incarnation of the POWWOW festival and continues to grow its mural scene every year 89

Paint & Destroy 2015

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

W I N T E R 2 0 1 7

WILLIAMSBURG

Paint & Destroy

Damien Mitchell

2017

Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This was one year ago today, or so the benevolent overlords at Facebook tell me. At the time Trump had been in power for only around a month and the talk to Russian meddling had just started bubbling up. 91

Paint & Destroy 2017

Introduction Damien Mitchell

1998 Paint & Destroy

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Paint & Destroy

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Paint & Destroy 2018

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Introduction Reference List

1998

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