I grew up between two coasts, NYC and Tijuana, Baja California. Lately I’ve been painting Mexico City.
I feel like there’s a lot more police in New York and gang culture in California. Tijuana is a little bit of everything: police, deported gangsters, cartels, everything. Living between them all was like visiting separate, distinct melting pots. Everything I’ve picked up from traveling has all melted down to one name, just like these places.
I feel like what I paint is an emotion, a time capsule. It’s the mood of that instant in the five minutes that I’m doing my throwie. It’s a little crazy for me to narrate my process ’cause I’m coming from a different headspace every time.
I don’t think about stopping anytime soon. I don’t even think about doing graffiti, it’s daily.
I don’t think there’s too many rules. Don’t go over people and find your own spot, the basics. None of that get in where you fit in.
A lot of people like to cut the crust out of their sandwiches now, tiptoeing around the dangerous & grimey parts of this lifestyle. Look, Mom, I’m an artist now! But it’s sick that it’s starting to get appreciation from other subcultures.
I feel I’m living a mix of many different lifestyles, from frontera life to city life. I take a lot of film photos of my surroundings & experiences.
I feel like graffiti’s taken me to a lot of places I never thought I’d see or exist in or be part of. I enjoy interacting and being part of a city I might only be passing through.
-DALE187 for Dead Relatives.
