Screen PDF - Daab

RareKind), David Samuel, says: “Graffiti in a gallery
is not a real thing, what people need to know is that the
work is by graffiti artists, people with a history, people
who painted at first not for money, but for appreciation
within their culture. When they hit the gallery scene they
put themselves out there as artists, not as graffiti writers
and have the same struggles as any other artist.” Do you
agree?
Yeah, it’s true… Somebody like EINE who used to
be a tagger and paint trains is always going to do something
interesting in a gallery and it will be informed by every other
experience he has had prior to that. It’s like moonrocks, take
a rock off the moon and it loses its context, BUT as an
artefact it still is relevant.
“We need to have the feeling of exhilaration from meeting
an artist and seeing their work.” What is your view
about the chances for graffiti-inspired illustrators and
artists in the current commercial market compared
with the past?
I think illustration is kind of drawing from the head, and
art is more from the heart. The main aim is to be an artist and
I find that then the commercial offers will come in. If you have
your own style and it’s really strong then people will come to
you. HOWEVER it sometimes helps to be in the right place
at the right time and meeting some people who can help you
really is useful. One great piece of advice I heard was from
an artist who wanted to move on up, he looked at where all the
artists he liked and admired were exhibiting, and what kinds
of awards and projects they had been getting, and then he just
went along that route. It’s no good just blanket-bombing every
location, it’s more important to do a bit of research before
you drop those art bombs willy nilly.
Besides running a gallery you are still a street-artist.
How do you manage to straddle the commercial, artistic
and street worlds?
It’s quite a conflict, but I am managing. I don’t do
psychedelics anymore, I think if I did I would flip out
with all the pressures I am under… ooh poor me.
Do you ever see yourself as becoming part of
the commercial art establishment?
Yeah I can’t wait until I get to do that whole Andy Warhol
thing, and crazy people are shooting me because they think
I have too much power over them. It’s going to be AWESOME!
Where do you see the relations between urban art
and traditional art?
Well we’ve been able to create our own media, create our
own galleries and create our own art stars independent of the
mainstream. Lets see what happens next, I’m pretty excited and
also a little bit apprehensive.
What advice can you bring to upcoming illustrators and
graffiti writers/artists who would like to experience their
work in a gallery environment?
HEY ARTIST! If you want people to take you seriously,
take yourself seriously. Get your work together in a decent
folder or create a good way to present it all. People who come
in and go “Er hey I have one good sketch in my book, check
it out” or fumble with their phone trying to show you a 2-inch
by 2-inch picture aren’t going to get taken that seriously.
HEY GALLERIST/ART DIRECTOR! I always think that
ANYONE who comes to show you their art is coming to
show you a piece of their soul so it is important to be respectful
and to give them good advice. If their work doesn’t fit with
your particular gallery then maybe there may be suggestions
that you can give them as to where their work may fit.
16 17
–––