Mr. Unek (CBS) – Born and Raised
Some of the most inspirational experiences over the years have been the moments in time that I find myself in places I’ve never been, and had a little time to take a moment and soak it in. Meeting new people and realizing how many of us there really are. Since I’ve been spending some time in the Southwest, I’ve really enjoyed the unique & diverse styles and the energy of the people.
A little ways back I posted some pics from the “BREAK YO’SELF” Paint Session in El Paso, TX., roughly 60 artists from all through-out the Southwest including L.A. based artist Cre8 – (RTN, WCA, LTS) and artists from CBS & C4P crews. I had a chance to meet Alberquerque-based graffiti artist and photographer Unek (CBS) for the first time face-to-face. Over the past few months, we’ve kept in touch and took some time to talk about his work and experiences.
La Famiglia – Could you give us a little background and introduction?
Unek – My name is Mr. Unek, I was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners of New Mexico. I remained there until I graduated in 1998 and have spent the remainder of my time in Central New Mexico.
I got into graffiti when I was a freshman in High School. I didn’t start counting till the day I actually picked up a spray can to paint, but I was in the 5th grade when I got interested in graffiti. When my parents were still together my dad would take us on vacations to make up for the times he wasn’t there. So we would go to LA, San Diego, Tucson, Vancouver BC, Albuquerque, and so on. Graffiti had caught my eye and inspired me to learn this amazing form of art that was just based on letters.
So when I got back home, I would pull out the paper and start drawing what I saw. From then on I started to develop my own style. When I became a freshman in High School my mom bought me some cans of Krylon and that night I went out painted my first piece on the side of the highway on this old beat up trailer. The next morning on the bus I heard the kids talking about my piece. From there on I fell in love with the hype a name can give and letters would create.
Since then, I kept painting and 18 and 1/2 years later I’m painting with some of the best graffiti artists that I looked up as my mentors to getting into the game. I never thought I’d make it this far ever in my life. Every time I meet people like my good friend Pose2 FX, Vyal, Dytch66, SnowFX, Bates, and the MAC I’m still in shock that I got to meet them. Now I’m rolling with one of Cali’s oldest crews, CBS. That to me is a major accomplishment especially a poor Navajo boy, coming from a small town who didn’t give up and kept pushing to something better. I don’t see too many natives ever trying to better themselves, I want to be that example and inspiration to the Navajo people.
La Famiglia – For those that might not be up on things, could you give us a little more background on CBS?
Unek - Cali Bomb Squad – Can’t Be Stopped Family is one of LA’s oldest graffiti crews. I joined up with CBS about a year and a half ago thru my good friend Dytch66. Since him and I became friend’s we started painting a few productions and he would come out here to Albuquerque because of a graffiti event I would help organize and promote called “Bomb the Canvas”. After a few painting sessions in Albuquerque and in LA, Dytch and Anger asked me to become a part of CBS because of the expansion of the crew was being directed worldwide. It was an honor being placed into the crew. I do wear the 3 letter badge proud when I paint and represent myself, and as well as the crew because we Can’t Be Stopped.
La Famiglia – Where did the name “Unek” originate?
Unek – One day I was trying to figure out a name for myself. Something that would best describes me and who I am. I was always the quiet and artsy person that sat alone and drew. So I thought about the name Unique, but that was too long to write. So I played with the name a bit and came up with Uneek, but that didn’t look appealing, so it just became Unek. I thought that name best suited me as an individual. It became my life. So i sat and sat thought about what this name means to me. That’s how I came up with U.N.E.K. now when i do all my work “Unek” is what I use.
U. N. E. K. (Universal . Native . Endigious . Kaptivator)
Universal- Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, Body Art, Photography and Graffiti.
Native- Just being a Native American (Navajo) my culture. Not forgetting where I come from and how hard it was to get where I am today.
Endigious- Using my surroundings, originality, emotions and pain to show my creativity.
Kaptivator- Using the tools, mediums, style, color schemes, uniqueness, imagination to capture my audience and society to see inside my world.
La Famiglia – How would you describe the influences and styles in your work?
Unek – My influences come from studying tattoos and pin stripers. I got into Pin Striping in High School and loved the a freedom of the flow it has. I mimicked that technique in my graffiti. The sharp look has the tribal effect – which turns into what I call the “Razor Phase.” The style of lettering I’m more known for is the “Razor”. It’s formed of sharp points like a razor and has crazy wild style lettering. This style was formed from pass experiences in life and all that I’ve been through. Sometimes life can hurt like needles and razors. If you let it get to you, it can take you down. This expression is a way to protect myself to show that I can’t be stopped in life.
The other style developed is the 3D form what I called the “Technical” phase. This style of letters I use to challenge myself. It’s much more advance with color schemes, shading, realism, and more technical physics. Today I’ve merged the two styles together, which is known as the “Rebirth.” It’s a way to redevelop myself as a artist and as a individual in a new way.
La Famiglia – Who are some of your favorite graffiti artists and why?
Unek – My favorite current artists today are still my friends like Vyal, Dytch66, Woier, OG Gill, Pose2, SnowFX, Hex, Codak and I can keep going down the list but I will always look up to them. Everyday their work amazes me. I may be up there with them but them’ cats will always be a step ahead of me. I’m just glad that I worked hard enough and stayed in the game long enough to have the privilege to meet them and get to know them.
They influenced me thru styles and skill that I can’t find here in New Mexico. So traveling a lot, I am able to bring back new techniques like blends, colors, style and knowledge. They just make me a better writer. Dytch took my 3d to a whole new level when I paint with him. I like to thank him for it and my boy Woier who has a cutting edge style like mine. So I thank everyone who I’ve met.
La Famiglia – What inspires you as a photographer?
Unek – This is my view from graffiti to model photography. I light the model the way I sculpt my 3d letters, Perfecting the highlights and shadows as I adjust my light. When she poses, I bend, position and mold her like my letters. You can twist, shape, flow and exaggerate just like graffiti a letter . Taking a simple letter/model and making it into a beautiful form of an amazing masterpiece. That’s my inspiration for photography. I always refer back to graffiti with everything I do.
I have other photographers that I like to study such as Joel Grimes and Richard Reinsdorf. They both have amazing styles and lighting that I admire. The other good resource for photographers is Flickr. People don’t know how powerful that site is till they actually sit down and see what it has to offer photography and model wise.
La Famiglia – How you feel you’ve evolved as an artist and what were some of the major transitions in the evolution of things?
Unek – Over the years of being an artist, I’ve developed many styles. Based on what my life was like around that time. Every year it changes as I meet many other artists out there across the country. It’s amazing seeing what other people can create and see thru their eyes of what art is. I feed off their vibes and creativity to better myself. Just like a MC or music artists they will read books, newspapers and magazines to see what’s evolving around the world in news to get that inspiration.
After getting caught with graffiti I took a change in wanting to help others get started. Being a leader in giving back to those in the art and photography field who don’t know where to start. Which is something I didn’t have, I learned the hard way by just jumping in and see where it takes me. I guess the best way of learning, is learning the hard way. Right now my friend Lauren and I started up a project/business called Elaborate Collaborate. It’s the same concept of helping others from fashion designers, make-up artists, photographers, and hair-stylist get started in the field that don’t know where to go.
They build up their portfolios and network by attending our workshop meet and greets. Sometimes I do speeches to the youth in directing them in the right direction. Telling them about my background where I come from. Showing them that you can turn a negative into a positive to better themselves. So guiding others has been the evolution to my life and I’m loving it. Knowing that I inspire others to begin somewhere.
La Famiglia – What have been your greatest struggles as an artist?
Unek – My greatest struggle of being a artist is to keep getting myself out there. It’s a lot of hard work. I learned that it all takes time and years. In time and patience things will evolve. There’s been times I almost gave up on my art life because of the struggles of having no money and no one is buying my work. The hardest part is everyone wants something for free. They don’t understand the craftsmanship and time it took an artist to create that. I get upset a lot of the time and try to explain to a non-artist about that.
La Famiglia – Outside of art, what inspires you?
Unek – Outside of my art life, Mountain climbing and my family is my inspiration. Mountain climbing is what keeps me going… Life is like mountain climbing. You start out at the bottom. Working your way up it gets harder, but you can start to see everything. You want to give up at times, but you can see the top and see how beautiful things are. Once you reached the top it’s rewarding. It’s the best feeling you can ever have, because you made it through life’s challenges and it makes you stronger. Life just doesn’t end there. There will always be higher peaks and bigger challenges to go through.
The best way to put this is I push myself as far as I can get, I don’t’ give up when things get hard or gets in my way. I taught myself there are always other ways around it. In the end it’s very rewarding. I always keep those thoughts in my head when I need inspirations to life. Also my mom is my greatest inspiration, seeing what she has gone thru to make a life for my sister, brothers and I with no father around. She’s the mom and father all in one. I give her my biggest love that she showed me that it’s a lot of hard work and that anything can be done.
La Famiglia – What would you like to do in the future that you haven’t had a chance to?
Unek – There’s a lot of stuff I want to do. I want to travel overseas to paint with some of the Euro writers and to also show them my cultural background of being Native American.
La Famiglia – Any last words?
Unek – My last words to people is, don’t give up on a dream. If you have dreams peruse it. Only you can stop yourself from going forward to a brighter future. It’s a lot of hard work but in the end it’s all worth the effort. I started from a poor family with nothing on the Navajo Reservation to someone.
Mr. Unek CBS World Wide Family
Check out Unek on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/unek_505
The “Golden Age of Jazz” – William P Gottlieb
Here is a small taste of a series of over 200 images by photographer William P. Gottlieb documenting the jazz scene in New York City and Washington, D.C., from 1938 to 1948, a time recognized by many as the “Golden Age of Jazz”.
Gottlieb was both a notable jazz journalist and a self-taught photographer who captured the personalities of jazz musicians and told their stories with his camera and typewriter. His portraits depict such prominent musicians and personalities as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more.
Portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis, Cecil Payne, Miles Davis, and Ray Brown, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948
Portrait of Billie Holiday, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., ca. Feb. 1947
Portrait of Thelonious Monk, Minton's Playhouse, New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947
Portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, Mary Lou Williams, Tadd Dameron, Hank Jones, Milt Orent, Dixie Bailey, and Jack Teagarden, Mary Lou Williams' apartment, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. 1947
Portrait of Howard McGhee and Miles Davis, New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947
Link:
Gottlieb Jazz Photos
Artist Feature: Redrum (AYS)
Redrum (AYS) - Jerm 9 - Obey - Open5
Redrum (AYS) - Jerm 9 - Obey
Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/redrum_of_slumlords
Interview: Rammellzee ~ The Biginnings and Evolution
As most heads have already heard, Rammellzee has passed away. According to his wife, Carmela Zagari Rammellzee, he passed away from a long illness. Today we received a email from Uncommon Records, a small non-related independent label including a podcast of an old interview with Rammellzee from a few years ago. Even though many blogs and sites around the world have already posted information about this tragic loss we thought that this interview was worth sharing. This interview touched base on the beginnings of hip-hop, the evolution of his career and played a bunch of his music including some stuff that was not released at the time. He also dropped a super abstract freestyle at the end of the show.
The tracks featured are:
1. Beat Bop (Original Version) feat. K-Rob {End portion}
2. New Meaning (Japanese Import)
3. Jamming Zabar (Bi-Connicals of The Rammellzee)
4. Quack (Bi Connicals of The Rammellzee)
5. Caution (Unreleased, from Bill Laswell project features Buckethead on Gtr)
6. This Was My School Bag (Unreleased from forthcoming “Gothic Futurism” LP)
Rammellzee, pronounced “Ram: Ell: Zee” was a visual artist, graffiti writer, performance artist, rap/hip-hop musician, art theoretician and sculptor from New York. Rammellzee’s graffiti and art work are based on his theory of Gothic Futurism, which describes the battle between letters and their symbolic warfare against any standardizations enforced by the rules of the alphabet. Rammellzee first became known in graffiti circles in the late 1970s for hitting the A train and other lines around Queens with his signature spiky lettering.
Rammellzee was also instrumental as one of the original hip hop artists from the New York area who introduced specific vocal styles which date back to the early 1980s. His influence can still be heard in contemporary artists such as The Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. Over the years he worked with a wide range of artists outside of the hip-hop industry such as Buckethead, NIN, Iggy Pop, and Bootsy Collins.
Please take a listen to the interview. Do some research if you’re not familiar with what he is talking about. R.I.P.
Artist Feature: Ludo
Ludo is a Paris-based street artist who is best known for his ‘nature’s revenge’ series. The collection of wheat pastes show plants and flowers armed with weapons and electronic devices to show humans threat to nature. Here are a few pics of Ludo’s work.
Links:
www.thisisludo.com
Ben Ein’s Lowercase Letters – Middlesex Street
With the organizational help of Electric Blue Gallery in London, artist Ben Ein has turned Middlesex Street into Alphabet Street. Ein painted the entire alphabet in lowercase letters on the local business’ shutters from Liverpool St. Station to Petticoat Lane.
Links:
Ben Ein
Miguel Paredes ~ “Pulgha World”
This 18’ x 26’ mosaic mural, “Pulgha World,” by artist Miguel Paredes is made up of 550 tiles and is set in the Wnywood Arts District in Miami. It features Paredes’ iconic diminutive anime flea “Pulgha” along with several other of his characters.
Links:
miguelparedes.com
Artist Feature: Steve Locatelli
Steve Locatelli is a Belgium-based artist. Here are a few pieces of his art on canvas. If you get a moment go to his website and check out some of his large mural work.
Gaia – Velencia St to Long Island City
Here’s some new work from New York based street artist Gaia in San Francisco & New York.
Links:Gaia on Flickr
Towers of Simon Rodia
Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet. The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato (“Sam” or “Simon”) Rodia in his spare time over a period of 33 years, from 1921 to 1954. The work is an example of non-traditional vernacular architecture and American Naïve art. The Towers are located near the 103rd Street-Kenneth Hahn Station of the Metro Rail LACMTA Blue Line. We’ve broken this video in to 2 parts.
Jeff Soto – Pearl Jam NYC Tour Poster – Step-by-Step
Artist Jeff Soto just recently created a gig poster for Pearl Jam’s Madison Square Garden show. The show was last night but Jeff just posted a step-by-step documentary of the process of creating this poster in his blog. Over the years he has designed many screen prints but his is first tour poster. We thought we’d share the visual step-by-step process with you. Make sure you take a moment to check out his blog where he walks you through in his own words.
Brainstorm
Linedrawing
Linedrawing
Shading
Highlights
Scanning & Assembly
Colors
Final
Signing
Check out Jeff Soto’s step-by-step process in creating this Pearl Jam Tour Poster:
jeffsotoart.blogspot.com
Photography by Dean Karr
Dean Karr is a photographer, music video and film director who grew up in Seattle. Over the years he’s worked with recording artists such as Eazy E, Cee Lo, MC Ren, NWA, Method Man, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper, Korn, Panera & Machine Head. Here is a few images from some of his fashion photography based work.
Links:
Dean Karr – deankarr.com
Artist Feature: Priest
Here are a few images of the work of a artist by the name of Priest. A mix between stencil work and hand painted wheatpastes. He just recently did some amazing work focused on the oil spills down south. If you go to his flickr page you can see more of his work including the pieces I just mentioned.
INTERVIEW: ELSE ICR PAINTS GAREY STREET
Interview courtesy of: Luna George (Crewest)
Photos courtesy of: Jacobo@seekingthethrone
Else ICR was recently spotted painting a wall on Garey Street, one of the most demanded painting spots in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles. Some know Garey Street and its surrounding streets as the “LA Walls of Fame”. Else has been painting Garey Street for over 6 years solid. Only the best of the best, such as legendary graffiti artists Revok, Saber, Risk and Mr. Cartoon, have shown their skills and contributed to the LA Walls of Fame. “In the last four years those walls have become even better and a lot of competition is heating up in the area” says Else.
It is now, officially the time, to introduce the artistic mastery of ELSE ICR. Check out the following “Official Interview” with ELSE ICR as Else talks about his past, explains his views and sheds light to aspects about him we never knew:
Luna: Let’s take some time to talk about your old days. What was Else about way back when?
Else: When I started doing graffiti, I lived in New York where I was born. I just copied hip hop, albums and tried to copy what ever I could get my hands on. I really didn’t know what I was doing and I never really painted walls, it was all just kid stuff, but I loved it.
I moved to LA right before JR. High (middle school) into an all Mexican neighborhood and I didn’t understand LA gang culture, so I quickly found myself in over my head. This led me to an active gang life, but somehow I kept the graffiti going. I met more graffiti writers and hit busses, went out mobbing, got into bombing, learned how to piece and paint large murals for that time. The 80′s were a mix of reckless fun and danger; sometimes I can’t tell the difference between the two when thinking back.
In those days my mind set was painting and getting up, along with pushing my crew at the time UFK (UFK disbanded and reformed as ICR when coming together with another crew) I was hungry for street fame, for hood bragging rites, and the same was with my gangbanging, I wanted all neighborhoods and gangsters to know I could keep up with the baddest of the bad, the hardest of the hard.
People would pull guns, and I would call there bluff, I wanted my name known; I approached gangbanging like chess, and practiced sociological gangbanging on our enemies. I don’t think I was in a good place, I didn’t have much of a family, and my crew and gang became all I knew and my identity. I could be funny and adventurous in those days, but when it came time for business, I would change up.
Luna: I’ve heard that gangs have had an influence on graffiti back in the day. Is this true and why?
Else: When I was young, 14 maybe younger, the gangs and graffiti weren’t really mixed, that came around in the 90′s. Gang life was an imbedded part of LA culture, and graffiti was like this secret world that the average kid and person knew nothing about. I remember there were hip hop heads that did graff, there were heavy metal stoners, gangsters, even west side rich kids that were drawn in to graffiti. It was a melting pot, but all of us in the early days kept it secret from everyone else. It was a special feeling meeting a writer, because all the LA crews didn’t know each other yet, and it was rare stumbling on another graff writer. I think graffiti drew in kids that had a part of themselves that felt as if they didn’t fit in to the norm. Graffiti used to draw in the fringe people of society. A normal person doesn’t hang off the side of a freeway just to write his name.
I also remember when we started to mix our gang life and our graffiti life. There was K2S/STN that was made up mostly of gangsters, but I remember their gang and graffiti lives didn’t mix. Then there was DCK out of the west side that was the first crew to act like a mob or gang, but they were more on some rolling around tuff, getting into fights with other crews stuff. UFK, the first crew we formed was the first crew that rolled and acted like a gang. All of us were active members of gangs and all of us were down to get it with guns, knives, whatever. I had started the Woodman yard in the SFV, on the railroad tracks by where I lived. In 1990, and 1991 a lot of the bussed in kids that did graff from the surrounding high schools would ditch class and roll by the Woodman Yard to check out the graff. Crews like MWA and others picked up our gangster way of running our crew and later became the first tag/banging crews.
I feel responsible in a lot of ways for what became tag/banging, our influence was a reason it started and kicked off. The only thing I never understood or respected was the way tag/bangers only rolled on graff heads or average civilians, they always steered clear of real gangsters. I felt like they always picked and chose with whom they could be tuff with
We didn’t have that common sense; we rolled and beefed on anyone.
I think when you put that many crews together in LA, with a lot of members in them, some of these crews are bound to get influenced by the LA gang culture, it surrounds us. But there were plenty of crews that kept it just graff, and I respect that a lot also.
Luna: Define your style of artwork and how has it evolved over the years.
Else: My evolution is pretty simple I guess. I went from a bus chaser bomber in the beginning, around the 80s.Then piecing late 80s, then prison and more gang banging. Then I changed my life up, but I didn’t paint until 2002 when PURE ICR passed away and I started back up.
I guess I would describe my graffiti as west coast wild styles. When I’m painting graff I try and change it up, I’ll go through my fazes of painting a certain style, like lower case e’s, then Ill change to upper case for a while, then Ill do techy, then organic, then Ill mix them. I feel like I want to be a graffiti artist that can paint all styles, but still have them all look like my version of that style. Large productions and murals are my favorite now, if it was up to me, I would paint them everyday, always pushing myself. I’m really trying to make my style and ideas and what I paint stand out, I’m trying to pull away from the pack as much as I can these days. I want to tackle original ideas or perspectives, or flip what’s been done enough that it stands out as different.
When I paint canvas and draw, I mix graffiti with LA gang styles, with some pop art thrown in. I feel like I should be painting more of them, and showing more of them to try and make that style of mine more recognizable by people, 2010 I’m going to push them harder. I also want to paint that style on walls more, adding another wall style to what I can do. I’m starting to get a lil well known for my gang letters and gang styles; I want to mix that with the graff and pop elements on walls, large walls I mean. I think angles and perspective have become important to me now also, I want angles where you get in close so you feel the piece or letters or character or what ever I’m painting. I want people to feel my artwork, the basic black and white to the vibrant color pieces; I want motion and emotion to be felt.
Luna: Whose work have you seen that you give props to and why?
Else: The artists I really like these days are Greg “CRAYOLA” Simkins, SWOON out of New York, and Silvia Ji. I get inspired or excited by artists, but again I like my art to look like my stuff.
Crayola is amazing, I feel like every year he pulls further and further away from everyone. I was talking about him the other day with DYTCH CBS who came up painting graffiti with him and we were both saying that he took Tim Burton’s style and flipped it and now does it better than the original. I think it’s only a matter of time till Tim Burton asks Crayola to do a movie with him. Plus the guy is so humble and nice, it blows me away. You meet so many eccentric artists that are clicky or stuck up or full of them selves and they’re not even doing anything interesting, then there’s Crayola who has every right to act that way and is just a genuinely nice person. He’s got nothing but my respect.
Swoon is some one I haven’t met but I’m blown away by her art. I often try and make sure I’m not biting or imitating her style, because I like it so much. I think it’s inspired me, but I try and add my touches to my black and white styles.
Silvia Ji is amazing also, I like the color she applies in her backgrounds, and it reminds me of graffiti for some reason. I also like the Calaveras she paints on her figures faces, and of coarse the women she paints are beautiful. The Calaveras also remind me of the LA gang style which is close to my heart. I talked to Silvia on the phone a couple times, although I have never met her. She agreed to paint collaboration with me on a wall, large scale the way I like. I was really excited about the project, but she got busy and I lost contact with her as she blew up bigger and bigger. Silvia, if you read this, get at me, we have walls to paint!
Luna: How do you see graffiti art in the future?
Else: I’m trying to be one of the artists pushing graffiti in the future. I often think that there are many talented artists out there, and the numbers of talented graff heads grows all the time as graffiti spreads and grows, but most are lacking that pushing the limit factor, that new idea, or new concept, they are just really talented artists doing what’s been done. My strength lies in what I can concept, design, my vision, and ability to work with others and get them to do better art than they have ever done.
I really love trying to do as well as the best out there, then pushing it past that. In the future I know I’ll be one of the graffiti artists doing bigger, with newer concepts, pushing new lay outs, and mixing and flipping more styles and ideas. I hope, or I just talked my ass into a corner.
Luna: Now that your talent has been established and your career in art is taking off, how would you best describe the transition from creating art on the streets to making your art into your career?
Else: It feels good to know my career is moving forward, I get recognized by people and kids a lot now, sometimes when I’m out with friends that don’t know graffiti, or understand how much it can take up these kids’ lives. On New Years I was out and this 20 year old kid recognized me and kind of went into shock. I kept telling him thank you for liking what I do and supporting my art, but he was having a surreal moment. He even quoted me to me about my blogs and interviews, that’s happened to me a few times now, and it’s both flattering and shocking to me that people care about what I say or write. The new years kid told me, “Don’t punch me in the face, I’m not jocking (kissing my ass) you, I’m just tripping out that I’m talking to you. I really like your art.”
So to answer your question, in the beginning I painted graffiti I liked, painted what I wanted to see, and I guess I was lucky kids and people liked it. Now that it’s my career I paint from a combo of things. Now my street art is my career and my career is a combo of me, what I paint, the person I am, the person I have shared with the world and my fans, and those all affect one another. I know one of the reasons I have gotten more and more play in the art world and with the kids is because I open up and either talk about my life and my past, or because I post or write about what I am, or what I have been through. I think once I took art serious as a career, I thought that I had to be honest; I had to put it out there. It’s scary for me, I always think it could turn on me, or I could become a show pony for the upper class, and money, “talk graffiti boy, tell us stories gang person, you articulate yourself so well,” etc… But I keep doing it because of the feedback I get like from the New Years kid who quoted me. He cared enough to remember word for word what I said, and even though he thought I might punch him, he told me any way. I was honored not bothered. So now I paint what I like, as well as what I think the people who follow me want to see, and then I try and guide or bend it into something new that keeps evolving. I try and have street appeal as well as gallery appeal, and I try and keep telling a story and pushing forward.
Luna: Do you think Society is ready for graffiti art to take over?
Else: I don’t think it matters if society is ready; they usually aren’t when some new thing becomes huge and sweeps everything. And when they are ready it’s usually because all these huge corporations are poised to sell the crap out of everything and bank and cash off everyone’s lives. Graffiti is the next, if not all ready is, that big thing. I work and see kids all the time; they care about video games, skateboarding, and graffiti. But you can see and feel the turn, they care more and more about graffiti, it used to be third in that line up, but I don’t think so any more. I can see the change all the time. Soon it will be the thing, or close to the main thing. Skateboarding had its waves of popularity. The 80′s, in the 90′s they tried to ban it and shut down street skating, but it was too much of a force, there were too many kids doing it, that cared and lived skateboarding too much. Society was FORCED to build skate parks to give kids a place to do it safely. And not just for the kid’s safety, but for society’s safety, and the buildings and curbs, and handrails, and parking lot’s safety. They gave them places to skate so they didn’t do it everywhere.
It’s going to be the exact same with graffiti. Its all ready to big, society doesn’t want to condone or except it, like skateboarding, but they’re going to have to because the alternative is worse. Legal graffiti yards world wide, trust me. It’s going to be on and in everything more and more, products, design, everything.
Luna: You worked on a project for Disney, tell me about that.
Else: Disney is one of those things that happened and I sill can’t believe is real. I designed flooring for the corporate walkthrough of the top executives, for a department that is one of the two departments that are very cutting edge when the new Corporate Disney building opened in Glendale, CA. The flooring said “house of mouse,” in graffiti tech letters. After I painted them they were dropped in, clear coated, touched up by me, then they arranged their department’s top work in the hall with my flooring. They arranged two chairs over my floors that were designed for Disney by top industrial furniture designers. The chairs were priced at $250’000.00 each. So half a million in chairs, plus other items arranged over my floors. Plus as they were lying in the floors they introduced me to a few top Disney execs, along with 2 of the 5 Disney master artists, one of which was the number 1 Disney master artist. When they introduced me, they told them I was ELSE, and he said hello ELSE, it’s an honor to meet you. I was thinking, you are responsible for the movie FANTASIA, you just called me ELSE, I can’t ever get introduced by my real name ever again now. It was weird to hear all these old suits saying, thank you ELSE. It was a humbling experience.
Luna: What drives you to create art?
Else: There are a couple things that drive me as an artist. Graffiti has always been very competitive and I think that’s carried over into fine art and pop art for me. I’m also always keeping my eyes on what the public thinks of my work, they don’t control what I do but it does hold some sway. I’m realistic about things. The other top artists out there inspire me, and I think last is my insecurities, drive me. I know not all artists talk about it, but those insecurities are fuel for me. I try and am better than my fears and worries. I try and work through them. I always feel like the clock is ticking, that everyone is only given so much time, and what am I going to produce and make with mine. What am I going to leave the world to see, what will I have said once I’m gone. I want it to be the best it can be.
Else will be back painting Garey Street and other walls nearest to you, even Crewest walls where he will be the Featured Artist in June and will have a super killer installation!
Artist Feature: JR ~ “Wrinkles of the town”
Most of French artist and photographer JR‘s work touches on the personal side of society by mixing portait photography and street art to communicate with the world. His work has always had a focus and theme. For example if you go to his website, jr-art.net, take a look at the work from his international trip for “Women”, a project in which he underlines the dignity of women who are often the targets of conflicts. Of course, it didn’t change the world, but sometimes a single laugher in an unexpected place makes you dream that it could. “Woman” was a body of work that he did back in 2008. Here a few images from one of his more recent projects, “Wrinkles of the town,” which he exhibited on the streets of Carthagene, Spain.
For more info go to:
http://jr-art.ne
Artist Feature: Stinkfish
Stinkfish is a graffiti artist based out of Bogotá, Colombia who work has been mainly inspired by and found on the streets of South and Central American.
For more artwork check out Stinkfish on flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/stinkfishate
Artist Feature: Glenn Arthur
Glenn Arthur is a self taught artist from Southern California. His work has been inspired by many things including 40′s style pinup artists. Glenn’s work touches on themes of love, death, sensuality, and passion. He is currently preparing to open a solo show, “In Love with Lament” at Rothick art haus in Anaheim, California later this month.
Links:
www.glennarthurart.com
Artist Feature: Mister Totem
Graffiti artist Totem has been working on walls for over twenty years now. He’s painted walls and been featured in galleries around the world. Over the years he’s be commissioned to paint for artists such as Goodie Mobb, Outkast, Lil Jon and many artists and companies. Mister Totem currently represents TAT CRU, 3A Crew, Burn Unit crew and a few others. Check out a few pics.
Check Out:
www.mr-totem.com
Artist Feature: Nathan Ota
Check out a few paintings by artist and illustrator Nathan Ota.
Check out:
www.nathanota.com
Artist Feature: Vania Zouravliov
Here are some illustrations by Russian artist and designer Vania Zouravliov.
Links:
www.myspace.com/vaniazouravliov.
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