There’s no intentional message behind my painting besides an underlying current of being anti-establishment. I try to paint things I would find interesting if I weren’t the painter. I approach my work as someone outside myself, a fictional character. I want my art to make you think and laugh about the absurdity of life.
I practice illustration, paint movie sets & signs, and create fine art. I also try to play different instruments occasionally. Being primarily a visual artist, playing music, by far, has challenged me to think differently about “art.”
When I started painting there was a surge of writers traveling around, so it was interesting to see the different styles & approaches to graffiti come to the city I was living in. I traveled and tried to absorb as much as I could about America.
To me, the mythos of Philadelphia’s handstyle culture is one of the most interesting takes on graffiti. The idea of treating tags with the same importance as pieces really changed my outlook. Sketches can be just as important as a finished work.
Art, graffiti in particular, has brought me a lot of fun and adventure, getting to travel around with friends and meet people on the fringes. It also has brought strain, but that comes with the territory.
There are no rules when it comes to my creating, but I try to enjoy what I’m doing, whether it’s finding a great spot or getting a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. It’s all a part of the game.
Regarding what impact the community can create, I hope graffiti can bring more trouble to other art forms. ツ ✌︎︎
-SOVIET.
