Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I’m an artist, living and working in New York City (Manhattan).
Do you have any opinions on the amount of work being produced by artists in this current climate?
There’s so many artists in this world, young and old. Maybe social media is what has provoked this question. Before social media, we never saw what people were really doing unless we were in their studios or at their shows. It’s different now.
How do you deal with this yourself?
I think about this more of a question about evolution. In my time I went from a land line as my sole source of communication, to this strange, magical, mini-sci-fi device that connects me to the entire world, and it lives in my pocket.
What is one of the bigger challenges you and/or other artists are struggling with these days and how do you see it developing?
For those that don’t come from privilege and a supportive family, the answer is always money. The economy is upside down at the moment and we have a dictator dressed as a president at the wheel. So, it’s utter chaos and the luxury markets are affected first.
Your stickers are all over New York City. Do you think this instills your relationship with the city?
To be honest, I really don’t know how that happens. Maybe it’s from all the people that take them from my studio. It’s fun how people put them up, I do think it’s against the law though.
Your work frequently references cartoons and other childhood television imagery. How do these symbols work for you?
Cartoons are a fun way to talk about America.
Do you have a specific process when experimenting with forms?
I never know when, where or what is going to happen in my mind. I go with the flow.
Do you find a lot of your work to be historically referential?
When working with the figurative side of my brain, I seem to be very attracted to nostalgia. Who knows where that will go. For now, it brings me joy. Most likely a form of mid-life crisis.
There are many times that you’ve collaborated with other artists and brands. Do you think this is important to do as an artist?
I can’t speak for other artists, but for me it’s usually about the experience. Brand collaboration is either about community (usually skateboarding) or a paycheck. Collaborating with artists is always about having fun. When collaborating, sometimes the mixture of strange brains brings something out that’s not expected. These are the little magic nuggets that I cherish.
Your work almost always exhibits faces. Is there a reason behind this?
That’s a great question! Something about the eyes I think, maybe it’s the decades of working in service. One can tell a lot about a person by their eyes. At first glance any ways. This was a tool one needed to sharpen to be successful in nightlife in New York City.
What artists do you think are making important work right now?
That’s a long list, if I named one, I’d have to name them all. Too many to mention, and if I left one out, I’d hurt someone’s feelings.
But I am thinking about Joe Roberts today , he’s hard not to think about.
Do you think your paintings might take on different contexts when shown in different areas of the world?
I think they take on different contexts from one viewer to the next to be honest. With living in NYC, I get so many eyes from around the world. This question is tricky.
What was the last show you saw that stuck out to you?
A group show curated by Joe Coleman at my lady’s work. She worked really hard on making it perfect.
How has skate culture influenced your work?
Skateboarding saved my life. If it hadn’t been for skateboarding, I’d most likely be dead. I grew up in a poor area and I was a minority so-to-speak. Drugs and gangs were prominent in my hood. The skateboarding community took me out of harm’s way… for the most part.
The art licensed by skate companies is very present in a lot of what I do, in my eyes any ways. I’ve been able to tie the imagery into my most recent paintings and that’s really fun. Skateboarding is an American story, I see its relevance in my narrative.
Is there anywhere specific you go to for reference material or does it happen more naturally?
Living in Manhattan for 30 years has been very inspiring; you step out of your building and it’s unavoidable. Traveling for shows also inspires me, Mexico City, Japan, Europe, ect. One just needs to open their eyes, inspiration lives everywhere.
What is something that you’ve always wanted to do and are working towards achieving?
Giant bronze sculptures. There’s also a project I’m discussing with a client in Asia that is very different from my usual insanity. I can’t share anything more as it’s in the incubation stages.
Can you tell us a memory of someone interacting with your work that frequently crosses your mind?
Probably when I was showing with Tony Cox at Club Ruhbarb in New York City. One of my hero’s visited the exhibition- Robert Longo.
He was interested in the painting that I was showing, so Tony took a photo of him in front of the painting. That was a mind-melter.
Interview conducted and edited by Liam Owings