Montana Cans LOOKBOOK 2022
Montana Cans LOOKBOOK 2022 Edition #7 It's that time again to welcome the release of the Montana Cans Lookbook 2022 edition #7. There is no rewind button on life, making it all the more important to reflect on the year that was, and the things that happened during that period. The Montana-Cans Lookbook does just that and reflects on some of the highlights from the year prior. A moment to reflect on those things that may not have received as much shine as they deserved while being "in the moment". The 2021/2022 period was a particularly unique period not only for Montana Cans but for the world as a whole. Mankind arrived at what we hope is the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, there was turbulence in many regions, and the global population started to come to terms with the new financial challenges of life. But apart from increasing prices and challenging health/social situations, there were also many positive moments that brought innovation, fun, color, and creativity back into our lives. The Montana Cans collaborations continued with our many partners, artistic friends, and organizations within the creative world, including a vast array of amazing limited-edition cans, cool collectible products, and new innovations that make painting and creating even more enjoyable than before. Countless brave event organizers pushed forward with their dreams and their world-class events, with Montana Cans as partners on board regardless of the social and political hurdles put in place in the name of health and safety. And off the radar, the global graffiti community kept on creating and pushing our culture forward despite the challenges put in place around them. Regardless of where you were in 2021/2022, steel, bricks, canvas, furniture, and even clothing all got a special creative touch that Montana Cans was proud to be part of. With this in mind, we present to you the Montana-Cans Lookbook 2022 Edition #7 for your enjoyment. Available here digitally and in limited amounts in print at selected Montana Cans partners and resellers.
Montana Cans LOOKBOOK 2022 Edition #7
It's that time again to welcome the release of the Montana Cans Lookbook 2022 edition #7. There is no rewind button on life, making it all the more important to reflect on the year that was, and the things that happened during that period. The Montana-Cans Lookbook does just that and reflects on some of the highlights from the year prior. A moment to reflect on those things that may not have received as much shine as they deserved while being "in the moment".
The 2021/2022 period was a particularly unique period not only for Montana Cans but for the world as a whole. Mankind arrived at what we hope is the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, there was turbulence in many regions, and the global population started to come to terms with the new financial challenges of life. But apart from increasing prices and challenging health/social situations, there were also many positive moments that brought innovation, fun, color, and creativity back into our lives.
The Montana Cans collaborations continued with our many partners, artistic friends, and organizations within the creative world, including a vast array of amazing limited-edition cans, cool collectible products, and new innovations that make painting and creating even more enjoyable than before. Countless brave event organizers pushed forward with their dreams and their world-class events, with Montana Cans as partners on board regardless of the social and political hurdles put in place in the name of health and safety. And off the radar, the global graffiti community kept on creating and pushing our culture forward despite the challenges put in place around them.
Regardless of where you were in 2021/2022, steel, bricks, canvas, furniture, and even clothing all got a special creative touch that Montana Cans was proud to be part of. With this in mind, we present to you the Montana-Cans Lookbook 2022 Edition #7 for your enjoyment. Available here digitally and in limited amounts in print at selected Montana Cans partners and resellers.
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022<br />
EDITION #07<br />
MONTANA-CANS <strong>LOOKBOOK</strong><br />
WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM
#<strong>Montana</strong><strong>Cans</strong> #GermanSpraypaint<br />
WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> #Highpressure<br />
photography by RAMBO
photography by Edward Nightingale
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> #GAMECHANGER
photography by Edward Nightingale
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> #<strong>Montana</strong>BLACK
photography by Musa
MONTANA<br />
CANS<br />
<strong>LOOKBOOK</strong><br />
<strong>2022</strong><br />
Like a passenger on a speeding train, you<br />
don’t always pay attention to all the stations<br />
you pass if the train you are on is running<br />
express to your destination. As a result, we<br />
concentrate on making sure that we get off<br />
at the right stop in those infrequent moments<br />
when the train finally comes to a halt.<br />
For many artists, creatives, and people<br />
active in the cultures of graffiti and street<br />
art, this is how they remember 2021/22. For<br />
the team at <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong>, our partners,<br />
customers, and supporters, this is something<br />
we can relate to. And it is one of the<br />
reasons why the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Lookbook<br />
has been gaining value each year as an<br />
archiving document that helps to remind us<br />
to look back and reflect on some of the<br />
special moments that we didn’t get a<br />
chance to do while in the moment.<br />
A little something for everyone, the<br />
7th <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Lookbook 2021/22<br />
captures some of those inspiring events<br />
and happenings that made an otherwise<br />
challenging period more creative, and<br />
bearable. While we were continuously<br />
being told when we could, and couldn’t,<br />
leave our homes, it was proved that you can<br />
lock artistic people down, but you can’t<br />
keep their creativity on lock. When times<br />
are tough there is often friction. And where<br />
there’s friction, there are some of the most<br />
inspiring creative achievements ever made.<br />
While on the topic of friction, shortly<br />
before the print deadline of this book, the<br />
current state of affairs for our Eastern<br />
neighbors in the Ukraine and Russia escalated<br />
to the point of conflict. Our thoughts<br />
go out to all our Ukrainian and Russian<br />
graffiti writing friends and colleagues in the<br />
interest of equality, solidarity, peace, and<br />
non-violent relationships.<br />
A treasure trove of collectible cans<br />
was released in collaboration with some of<br />
the biggest movers and shakers in the<br />
game. The <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist Edition<br />
cans, the Iconic Series, and <strong>Montana</strong> Collabo<br />
cans all raised the bar for design-savvy<br />
appreciators and collectors of limited-edition<br />
top-quality cans.<br />
A light was shone upon some of the<br />
most innovative artists from within the<br />
graffiti scene and its periphery, giving us<br />
some insight into how and why they do<br />
what they do. Whether it be in Europe, Asia,<br />
the United States, or anywhere across the<br />
globe. We dug a little deeper than just<br />
vibrant colors and eye-candy with some<br />
mind-opening articles and interviews that<br />
covered a wide array of engaging topics<br />
that often only get scratched at the surface.<br />
Topics like the rise of the tag, as it transcends<br />
into the territory of the piece at the<br />
top of the food chain while still maintaining<br />
its historical graffiti form as a handmade<br />
tag. We left the city and got back to the<br />
rusty rails to see how kings can return to<br />
their thrones in the kingdom of the freight<br />
yard. We learned how a graffiti artist can<br />
earn the title of being an icon, while others<br />
shared some depth on personal experiences<br />
and observations.<br />
We look at some of the epic events<br />
that bring street art and graffiti cultures<br />
even further, while in some cases awakening<br />
the consciousness of society as a<br />
whole. While others managed to bring us all<br />
back together on the streets, united in color.<br />
Not to mention all the innovative<br />
products and merch released by <strong>Montana</strong><br />
<strong>Cans</strong> during 2021/22, all for your reading<br />
pleasure within the pages of the MONTANA<br />
CANS <strong>LOOKBOOK</strong> #07 2021/<strong>2022</strong>.<br />
<strong>Montana</strong>-<strong>Cans</strong> <strong>LOOKBOOK</strong> <strong>2022</strong> Editorial<br />
7
7 Editorial<br />
10 <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Edition:<br />
SICOER<br />
18 <strong>Montana</strong> Black<br />
Artist Edition:<br />
CLOAKWORK<br />
26 <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Edition<br />
#01–22<br />
30 <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
ICONIC SERIES<br />
feat. CANTWO<br />
40 1XRUN X<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
collabo can<br />
42 CLAW MONEY<br />
Memes, Maturation,<br />
and Mentorship<br />
50 Supreme X<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
Mini Can Set<br />
56 NYCHOS<br />
Primal Truth<br />
62 Vienna city guide<br />
70 A Chinese graffiti<br />
moment with<br />
YOK & SHERYO<br />
74 RAMBO<br />
76 Introducing:<br />
RUBAE<br />
80 9 works on a Fr8<br />
by REVOK<br />
84 Introducing: HEAPS<br />
88 Introducing:<br />
SUPERSPRAY<br />
96 TEENAGE-KICKS<br />
in Rennes, France<br />
106 Greek Artist<br />
INSANE 51<br />
112 SEA WALLS Boston<br />
We are all in the<br />
same boat<br />
128 LOWBROS in<br />
Juan les Pins and<br />
Annecy, France<br />
138 ART A LA MARINA<br />
in Valencia, Spain<br />
150 About raw materials<br />
and rising prices<br />
154 Latest Products<br />
160 Blackbook<br />
168 Imprint<br />
8 <strong>LOOKBOOK</strong> <strong>2022</strong> content
12<br />
Who is SICOER? If you didn't know<br />
this name before, the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK Artist Series Can number<br />
#21 will make sure you never forget<br />
it now.<br />
From the streets, for the streets.<br />
CLAW MONEY takes us to the<br />
streets of New York to sheds some<br />
light on negotiating memes, mentorship,<br />
and maturing.<br />
58<br />
44<br />
The “Primal Truth” mural by<br />
NYCHOS. Inside this monumental<br />
artwork.<br />
24<br />
A “Cloakwork Orange”. The <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK Artist Series Can number<br />
#22 gets some Asian flavor by<br />
CLOAKWORK.<br />
64<br />
What's going on in Vienna? This<br />
humble European city boasts some<br />
serious big city action.<br />
88<br />
Is it a writer, or is it a hot dog? Graffiti<br />
artist SUPERSPRAY shows us his<br />
unique approach to color, humor,<br />
and style.<br />
76<br />
Shoes off and feet in the sand for<br />
ART A LA MARINA. Muralism at the<br />
beach in Valencia, Spain.<br />
Just keep on going. Holding down<br />
the freights with Ukrainian graffiti<br />
writer RUBAE.<br />
114<br />
Ten years of artists for oceans.<br />
SEA WALLS celebrates a decade of<br />
ARTivism.<br />
138<br />
9
SICOER<br />
Location<br />
Kraków, Poland<br />
Photography<br />
@cabanoss<br />
Profile<br />
@sicoerism<br />
Interview<br />
@team_flightmode<br />
Out of<br />
the blue<br />
Sicoer about signatures<br />
and Sorrento<br />
10<br />
Interview Sicoer
Everything in life is a matter of perspective.<br />
In this case, if you look closely, an innumerable<br />
amount of individual tags appear<br />
out of an initially indistinct pattern. From<br />
afar, these names form a whole. Signatures<br />
are the building blocks of graffiti, the<br />
DNA. Thus, constructing a blockbuster<br />
with tags is an expressive allegory to our<br />
culture. What’s in a name?<br />
→ Coincidence or just<br />
the right colors at the<br />
right time? A Sorrento<br />
Blue Sicoer throw-up<br />
blends into its natural<br />
surroundings.<br />
↑ One on its own. A<br />
Sicoer tag in all its<br />
glory on a single-colored<br />
background. A<br />
jewel in the urban<br />
crown.<br />
→ Ultra Wide and ultra-dynamic.<br />
This<br />
time a building site<br />
siding gets the Sicoer<br />
treatment.<br />
I decided to focus on what was most<br />
pure and intuitive for me, and at<br />
the same time, it was giving me the<br />
most satisfaction<br />
What looks like an easy task, in fact, represents<br />
the supreme discipline of graffiti,<br />
and Sicoer is a master of tags. Finally, we<br />
had the chance to work with the Polish<br />
artist. So, we took the opportunity to speak with him<br />
about inspiration, confidence, permanence, and ephemerality.<br />
We are proud to present the 21st <strong>Montana</strong> Black<br />
artist series can. BLK5270 Sorrento Blue by Sicoer is a<br />
bright shade, located somewhere between watching out<br />
for the boys in blue and Yves Klein.<br />
MONTANA CANS<br />
Hey, Sicoer, it is a pleasure to meet you! After doing all<br />
the different categories of graffiti, why did you choose<br />
tags and hand styles as your favorite discipline? Was it<br />
a conscious choice, or rather a natural development?<br />
SICOER<br />
After many years of painting regular pieces, it got kind<br />
of boring, and too much routine got into the process.<br />
Also, I realized with time that I am not really into the<br />
Interview Sicoer 11
fancy colorful fill-ins, backgrounds, and all the unnecessary<br />
effects for the letter itself to look good. At that<br />
stage, I decided to focus on what was most pure and<br />
intuitive for me, and at the same time, it was giving me<br />
the most satisfaction. I got back to the most simple<br />
form, a tag, and after some time of pushing it, I realized<br />
that you could do a lot more with hand style than just a<br />
quick drunken tag on the way back home from a party.<br />
The more work I have put into it, the more I started<br />
developing new ways to make it look as good as a<br />
separate art form. Over time, I began learning to use<br />
new tools, mix them, play with shapes, and find my own<br />
path. Everything I do on my way is a part of the bigger<br />
picture — my aim is to achieve the perfect shape/tool<br />
mix that will make my style, even more, stand out from<br />
the crowd. So, assuming — it is a mix of natural development<br />
and conscious choices.<br />
Over time, I began learning to use<br />
new tools, mix them, play with<br />
shapes, and find my own path<br />
↑ The onlooker. Sicoer<br />
contemplates if all<br />
colors and shapes are<br />
in exactly the right position?<br />
↓ Letters turn to abstraction.<br />
The message<br />
is clear to the<br />
initiated and beautiful<br />
to those that aren’t.<br />
MC<br />
For some reason, tags seem to be rooted within urban<br />
landscapes. What makes working in the streets so<br />
unique for you?<br />
SICOER<br />
Mainly, the variety of surfaces and spots you have to fit<br />
in, mixed with all the unpredictable street activities. You<br />
never know what will happen and who you will meet<br />
during your walk. It’s an adventure.<br />
12<br />
Interview Sicoer
MC<br />
Sounds like it! Adventures always contain some unpredictable<br />
elements in them, right? So, are you always<br />
confident with the results of your work? Or do you ever<br />
feel uncertain when creating something?<br />
SICOER<br />
To be honest, I feel uncertain most of the time; it is the<br />
constant battle with my own quality standard control. I<br />
am very picky regarding my work, and there is a lot of<br />
stuff that goes in the bin, especially the studio work.<br />
Obviously, I can do my basic tag with muscle memory,<br />
and it most likely will keep up to the standard, but when<br />
it comes to experimenting with shapes, I analyze a lot.<br />
The problem is that I am so much into my forms that I<br />
usually see more than other people when they look at<br />
them. Also, what’s important to me is the flow I have<br />
while painting. Usually, when the hand — and the<br />
brain — is warmed up enough — the best stuff comes<br />
with intuitive movement. I think it’s a bit like sport — you<br />
need to warm up, and then you follow your instinct.<br />
Then it goes out well.<br />
MC<br />
Why did you choose this exact shade of blue? Is this<br />
your favorite color? Instantly, bold black and white<br />
works come to my mind when I think of your work. That<br />
probably derived from watching your video on Tags and<br />
Throws. So, I was surprised to see your choice.<br />
↑ Black and white,<br />
and nothing more<br />
needed. Sicoer mixes<br />
black fat round cap<br />
sprayed lines with<br />
hard brush painted<br />
lines on a neutral<br />
white background.<br />
SICOER<br />
No, I’m not going to lie to you — as you probably know,<br />
the artist series has all my favorite colors locked<br />
already. Hence, I was choosing between the most basic<br />
colors that are left. I needed something dark — since it<br />
can be used well for tagging. Black, white and red were<br />
already taken before. I’m not a fan of green, so blue<br />
seemed to be the best choice.<br />
To be honest, I feel uncertain<br />
most of the time; it is the<br />
constant battle with my own<br />
quality standard control<br />
→ Leave the unnecessary,<br />
with two colors<br />
an image is created<br />
that features both abstraction<br />
and letters.<br />
← A change of palette<br />
and a change of context.<br />
Sicoer tags as<br />
muralism.<br />
Interview Sicoer 13
MC<br />
You selected a lovely shade, in my opinion. Also, bright<br />
colors are versatile and work on any surface, light or<br />
dark. On another note, do you mind talking about your<br />
profession as a tattoo artist? Do you observe any<br />
similarities between graff and tattooing? Tattoos can<br />
be permanent, while tags might fall victim to the buff<br />
tomorrow?<br />
Meanwhile, painting is the opposite.<br />
You still need to be exact, but<br />
the movements are much more<br />
extensive<br />
SICOER<br />
Tattooing as a job gave me a lot of freedom for other<br />
activities and a lot of experience as another creative<br />
medium, which is good, and I am delighted I had the<br />
chance to get into it. But regarding similarities in the<br />
process — there’s not much, to be honest. Tattooing is a<br />
very precise, sterile, and “static” process. Meanwhile,<br />
painting is the opposite. You still need to be exact, but<br />
the movements are much more extensive (whole-body<br />
movements), totally expressive, and you get dirty with<br />
paint all the time. If you compare the final effect (let’s<br />
say tag), it might look alike, but the way it was created is<br />
very different. Painting is the real deal for me. For the<br />
other question — tattoos are only permanent as long as<br />
you live, no longer than human life. Graffiti obviously<br />
← Let’s start with the<br />
letter „S“. Sicoer<br />
builds a foundation to<br />
his concept that is so<br />
precise it almost appears<br />
as if it has been<br />
marked out beforehand.<br />
↓ A little perspective<br />
on scale and effort.<br />
The Sicoer tag/piece<br />
comes to life like a<br />
transformer.<br />
14<br />
Interview Sicoer
← In his own words,<br />
“painting is the real<br />
deal”. Sicoer pauses<br />
in front of his work,<br />
evidence in hand.<br />
<strong>Cans</strong> long before we started working together, which is<br />
even more satisfactory — to get supported with your<br />
favorite spray can company. And this is not an advert,<br />
haha! Big up!<br />
MC<br />
While we are at it, what qualities are essential when you<br />
select your tools for painting? What’s your favorite cap<br />
and can combination? Team high or low pressure?<br />
SICOER<br />
Well, I am a fan of powerful lines, but smooth valve and<br />
the BLACK series provide a good compromise between<br />
those factors, even with the stock cap that comes with<br />
it. The Level 6 fatcap works well for me if I got enough<br />
space for human size movements, and beyond that<br />
obviously, the monster ULTRA WIDE can. I love to use<br />
these, but I find it hard to find a good spot when you<br />
want to use them to the maximum. This can is a gamechanger,<br />
and I think there is still a lot of potentials to<br />
work with these tools!<br />
I can not say more than working with<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> team is 100% professional.<br />
I got a good amount of creative<br />
freedom with great technical<br />
assistance, whatever the issue<br />
can be buffed anytime — so in this game, I would say<br />
canvas works are the winner. Usually, they are looked<br />
after with good care by galleries and collectors; they<br />
will stay alive way longer than graff and tattoos. That’s<br />
why I think they have the biggest value of all the mediums<br />
at the end.<br />
MC<br />
That’s an interesting perspective! Speaking of longevity,<br />
now you tap into products, which is something new.<br />
Can you elaborate on the process? What do you like<br />
about the collaboration with <strong>Montana</strong>?<br />
SICOER<br />
I can not say more than working with <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
team is 100% professional. I got a good amount of<br />
creative freedom with great technical assistance,<br />
whatever the issue. I am super happy about this edition;<br />
it is a great feeling to have your own artist edition — kind<br />
of a childhood dream coming to life. I used <strong>Montana</strong><br />
↑ The 21st edition of<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Series cans.<br />
Sorrento Blue by Sicoer.<br />
A piece of art that<br />
is functional in the<br />
process of making art.<br />
← Under the microscope,<br />
the layers of<br />
precisely placed Sicoer<br />
tags make up the<br />
final Sicoer piece<br />
Interview Sicoer 15
Showing how it‘s<br />
done with style, grace,<br />
and BLK 5270 Sorrento<br />
Blue. Sicoer well<br />
and truly taking tagging<br />
to the next level.<br />
16<br />
Interview Sicoer
Interview Sicoer 17
CLoakwork<br />
Orange<br />
Under the cloak of CLOAKWORK<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist<br />
Series Can #22 – BLK2070<br />
CLOAKWORK ORANGE<br />
Many lovers and practitioners of graffiti grow up being exposed to the iconic history and<br />
media of American graffiti culture. Spraycan Art, Subway Art, Wild Style, and Style Wars,<br />
are all media releases that helped document, shape, and form how graffiti was to develop<br />
all around the world. As with all information, some people are lucky enough to develop<br />
an opinion or understanding of the culture by making a pilgrimage to the source,<br />
others grow up with their own version of graffiti culture that often pays homage to New<br />
York with the stylistic tip of the hat, to acknowledge the architects of our culture who<br />
came before us.<br />
Location<br />
Kuala Lumpur,<br />
Malaysia<br />
Profile<br />
@cloakwork<br />
Photography<br />
WAV. Studio<br />
Interview<br />
René Van Kan<br />
→ Cloakwork takes on<br />
the challenge of creating<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK Artist Series<br />
can number #22, reborn<br />
as “Cloakwork<br />
Orange”.<br />
18 Black Artist Edition Cloakwork
However, Asia and more specifically Malaysia is<br />
not New York. Although crossable, the boundaries<br />
of culture, popular culture, experience<br />
language, and beliefs can mean that the experience<br />
of a graffiti writer is very different from that of one<br />
growing up in Europe, the U.S.A, or even English-speaking<br />
countries in general.<br />
In the development of the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Series can number #22 by Malaysian artist<br />
Cloakwork, the opportunity presented itself to try and<br />
learn more about graffiti culture in Asia and his country<br />
Malaysia, and how he came about designing his Cloakwork<br />
Orange variation of the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK, Clockwork<br />
Orange BLK2070 color. After a few online chats,<br />
we got nearer to the perspectives of this talented young<br />
artist. This is what he had to share with us.<br />
The team behind <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> is<br />
really professional and efficient,<br />
when I received the proof of my<br />
design, it was really amazing and it<br />
looked exactly like I designed it on<br />
the screen.<br />
An interview with Cloakwork<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
Firstly welcome to this <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> interview in light<br />
of the release of your new <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist Series<br />
Can. It is a pleasure to have worked with you. How do<br />
you feel about the result of the final product?<br />
Cloakwork<br />
I’ve always been a fan of <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong>, honestly. I<br />
never dreamt that this day would come. I feel great and<br />
it is unbelievable. No words can truly describe how I<br />
feel, it’s like a milestone for me. The team behind<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> is really professional and efficient, when<br />
I received the proof of my design, it was really amazing<br />
and it looked exactly like I designed it on the screen.<br />
MC<br />
How did it come about that you have become a featured<br />
artist for the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist Series <strong>Cans</strong>?<br />
CW<br />
When I was approached by the team to create some<br />
designs for the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> cotton bags, one of the<br />
designs I had submitted was a Cloakwork Orange<br />
artwork. They really liked the design and proposed that<br />
it should be considered for the upcoming <strong>Montana</strong><br />
Black Artist Series. I was so stocked! Design-wise, it is<br />
totally different but the concept is still based on Cloakwork<br />
Orange. I had to come up with an idea that worked<br />
well on the cylinder can.<br />
I designed the character holding up<br />
a board as if he just got punished<br />
by the authorities for causing chaos<br />
in the city. But, he can’t wait to paint<br />
after that.<br />
MC<br />
How did you come to the idea of working with the color<br />
BLK2070 Clockwork Orange and is there any connection<br />
to the movie “A Clockwork Orange”?<br />
CW<br />
I noticed that there is a color named Clockwork Orange<br />
when I was approached by <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> for Halloween<br />
Project in 2019. It immediately caught my attention and<br />
I imagined how cool it is to have my own color back then.<br />
I always like to incorporate some sort of interaction in<br />
my designs. For this can, I approached it with something<br />
playfulness and mischievousness. I designed the<br />
character holding up a board as if he just got punished<br />
by the authorities for causing chaos in the city. But, he<br />
can’t wait to paint after that.<br />
Black Artist Edition Cloakwork<br />
19
When I started with the tag Cloak, I had no idea<br />
what Clockwork Orange was. I was just looking up<br />
words beginning with “C” in the dictionary and came<br />
across the word “Cloak”. Which was cool because it<br />
means stealth, as in the act of graffiti. And the word<br />
“work” represents movement. Like when a plain concrete<br />
wall is gray during the day and overnight something<br />
colorful appears. It moves from one form to the<br />
other.<br />
MC<br />
Is “A Clockwork Orange” as significant in film or youth<br />
culture in your home town Kuala Lumpur or in Malaysia<br />
generally? Is there a connection between this and<br />
Malaysian graffiti culture?<br />
CW<br />
I think most of the youth undergo a rebellious stage,<br />
where some people move into graffiti, skating, music,<br />
etc. I don’t think there is a direct connection to the<br />
movie though.<br />
MC<br />
This brings us to a topic that is a big question mark for a<br />
lot of foreigners in graffiti culture, how is Malaysian<br />
Graffiti culture in general?<br />
Like when a plain concrete wall is<br />
gray during the day and overnight<br />
something colorful appears. It<br />
moves from one form to the other.<br />
↑ A perfect balance of<br />
concept, character,<br />
graffiti, color, and the<br />
creative vision of<br />
CLOAKWORK.<br />
CW<br />
Malaysian graffiti culture is more towards piecing and<br />
less towards bombing. This is because most of the<br />
local people appreciate graffiti and it’s easy to get nice<br />
public walls, and we can spend long hours painting<br />
something nice. But of course, there are still groups<br />
that enjoy the adrenaline rush of bombing. For me, I<br />
enjoy both of them! There are definitely opportunities<br />
for writers to paint legally and connect to other writers.<br />
In Malaysia, we have a very peaceful graffiti community<br />
that supports each other.<br />
I grew up spending a lot of time joining graffiti<br />
events as a spectator, sitting down to observe and<br />
trying to understand how each writer slowly crafted<br />
their masterpiece. And also growing up in the city gave<br />
me opportunities to see more street pieces (tagging,<br />
throw-ups, stickers, etc ) done by both local and international<br />
writers.<br />
MC<br />
Is the historical origins of graffiti driven by different<br />
cultural drivers in Malaysia? For example, is the graffiti<br />
scene connected to punk culture or another form of<br />
social rebellion? And how did you get introduced to<br />
graffiti?<br />
20 Black Artist Edition Cloakwork
← A fan of analog creation,<br />
pencil, and paper<br />
are always at<br />
arm’s reach.<br />
CW<br />
In Malaysia, its historical roots veer more towards the<br />
rebellion side of things where writers want to get<br />
recognition on the street by doing street-based graffiti-like<br />
tagging and other forms of bombing. I’ve always<br />
been attracted to images over texts. And growing up<br />
disliking study made me a rebellious kid. I like being<br />
bold and want people to see my art. I came across this<br />
wall of fame and notice one unique character during my<br />
studies in college. I told myself that I’m going to do<br />
something cool and attractive like that.<br />
MC<br />
Do you have a graffiti discipline that you feel is your<br />
strength?<br />
CW<br />
I always plan things out and sketch. Even scribbles help<br />
get you to where you want to be. I still can’t get away<br />
from the traditional way which is pen/pencil and paper.<br />
For me, both characters and letters play a big role in a<br />
piece. They both compliment each other to form a<br />
balanced piece. Of course, sometimes they can be<br />
separated too. If I had to choose between letters or<br />
characters, I’d choose both! Most of the time I’d like to<br />
plan things out before spraying. But occasionally I’d go<br />
for freestyle on the spot.<br />
MC<br />
Do you identify more as a street artist due to your<br />
strong connection to characters and figurative elements,<br />
or do you identify more as a writer tending<br />
toward classic style writing letters as important?<br />
CW<br />
Personally, I feel both of these are just labels. I think I’m<br />
more of a creator.<br />
MC<br />
As a 31-year-old as you are today, have you managed to<br />
support yourself through your graffiti practice, or do<br />
you have to do other forms of work to get by?<br />
CW<br />
I’m grateful that I still manage to support myself<br />
through my graffiti practice. Apart from that, I still have<br />
a clothing business named Against Lab with a few other<br />
partners. My dream is to try out painting in zero gravity<br />
space, or in a spaceship.<br />
MC<br />
For you, what’s the ideal time frame to paint in? Do you<br />
prefer big laborious murals with lots of planning? Or is a<br />
quick and simple piece with your friends preferable?<br />
CW<br />
The ideal time frame is around 4~6 hours, depending on<br />
other aspects too. I’d prefer both actually, sometimes<br />
intensive mural and sometimes chill pieces. Having<br />
Black Artist Edition Cloakwork<br />
21
CW<br />
I have nothing against it but I think it’s good that some<br />
commercial cooperations are starting to appreciate it.<br />
It’s a good way to go. But as for the artist’s point of view,<br />
we just have to try to balance it out and not sell out.<br />
Always remember the street.<br />
MC<br />
As a Malaysian artist, how do you, your peers, and<br />
colleagues see your graffiti community? Are you a<br />
locally based entity, do you actively connect and work<br />
with other writers nationally, or is it a continental thing,<br />
and your friendship reach and art practice is Asia-wide?<br />
I grew up spending a lot of time<br />
joining graffiti events as a spectator,<br />
sitting down to observe and trying to<br />
understand how each writer slowly<br />
crafted their masterpiece.<br />
CW<br />
They are very open and interested in it and often ask me<br />
to bring them around when I’m dropping a piece, or<br />
going to a graffiti event. Yes, I’m locally based and I<br />
always connect to other writers. I always like to have<br />
fun jamming around regardless. In my opinion, Asia<br />
graffiti is still catching up and we are still exploring and<br />
finding our own identity. Also, Asian graffiti is not really<br />
that hardcore in terms of train bombing and streets. We<br />
need to fill that gap! Most people in Asia are likely to<br />
accept graffiti, as they think this is something fresh and<br />
colorful. They are really welcoming of it. Whereas in the<br />
USA, Europe, or the UK, I understand that it’s saturated.<br />
For example, if you just walk out of your house, you’ll<br />
see graffiti around you. I think that makes the people<br />
kind of sick of it?<br />
↓ “Will work for cans”.<br />
Cloakwork reminds us<br />
that cans are currency<br />
in the graffiti game.<br />
graffiti jams is definitely a lot of fun as we can all share<br />
laughter, jokes, and ideas together. I like that. I do have<br />
days when I like to paint small walls and just spend time<br />
alone crafting a piece with nothing but music and no<br />
stress.<br />
MC<br />
In the past, we have featured the boat project you<br />
worked on. That’s not something many writers can say<br />
they have done. How did you get involved with that<br />
project and was that a significant job on your C.V?<br />
CW<br />
I’m an “always up for a challenge” type of person, and<br />
one day my Taiwanese friend (Bamboo) asked me if I<br />
was interested to paint on a tourist cruise ship. Immediately<br />
I agreed to it. Due to the covid19 situation, I wasn’t<br />
able to travel to Taiwan to paint it myself so I had to<br />
communicate this with my friend Bamboo. He and his<br />
team managed to do it for me. Everything went smoothly<br />
and it was one of the most significant jobs for me.<br />
MC<br />
How do you see graffiti being used for commercial<br />
purposes? Do you have an opinion or a mindset on this<br />
aspect of graffiti culture?<br />
22 Black Artist Edition Cloakwork
MC<br />
Is illegal graffiti aspired to or frowned upon by the<br />
writing community?<br />
CW<br />
Not at all, we always like to see both of them growing.<br />
MC<br />
Are there any special considerations to being a writer in<br />
Malaysia that other countries may not even think about?<br />
For example weather conditions or dangerous animals<br />
in painting spots?<br />
CW<br />
One of the things to be considered is that our weather is<br />
unpredictable, it can be very sunny and a moment later<br />
it’s raining. One good thing about being in Malaysia is<br />
that we get to enjoy longer daylight (7:30 pm sunset).<br />
We don’t have dangerous animals in painting spots<br />
besides mosquitoes that cause dengue fever.<br />
MC<br />
Is it cultural in Asia that the elder writers assist and<br />
“bring up” the younger guys? Or is there a divide?<br />
CW<br />
In my case, I provide the opportunity to younger or more<br />
inexperienced writers and would ask others to paint<br />
together with me. Or encourage them to go to a graffiti<br />
festival so that they can learn from observation and<br />
experience.<br />
Most people in Asia are likely to<br />
accept graffiti, as they think this is<br />
something fresh and colorful. They<br />
are really welcoming of it. Whereas<br />
in the USA, Europe, or the UK, I<br />
understand that it’s saturated.<br />
↑ Lost in the moment.<br />
An experience that is<br />
universal for graffiti<br />
writers all over the<br />
world.<br />
MC<br />
Any career highlights for you until now on your graffiti<br />
path?<br />
CW<br />
The chance to have my design painted on a tourist<br />
cruise ship (painted by my Taiwan friends due to travel<br />
restrictions during covid19) was a highlight. Besides<br />
that, I was also given a chance to paint one of the top<br />
airline company’s offices in 2019.<br />
MC<br />
Do you have a favorite cap and can combination and<br />
why?<br />
CW<br />
Definitely the combination of a <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD or<br />
BLACK with the <strong>Montana</strong> Level 1 cap for small fills and<br />
outlines. Or the <strong>Montana</strong> Level 5 cap for filling in larger<br />
surface areas.<br />
Black Artist Edition Cloakwork<br />
23
24<br />
Black Artist Edition Cloakwork
MC<br />
What other hobbies or interests does Cloakwork have<br />
outside of graffiti? Do any of these influences creep<br />
back into your artwork?<br />
CW<br />
Besides painting, I’m into jogging, hiking, and plants as<br />
well. It keeps my mind recharged and at peace.<br />
MC<br />
Where do you ultimately want to take your graffiti<br />
practice and art-making in the future?<br />
CW<br />
A dream of mine is to be able to travel at least once a<br />
month to spray and leisure at the same time.<br />
MC<br />
Thanks for your time, and for sharing an insight into<br />
your life and experiences with us. We look forward to<br />
seeing more Cloakwork in the future.<br />
Perspective is an objective thing. What one person sees one way, another sees through a<br />
completely different set of eyes. The beauty of graffiti culture is that we are all connected<br />
by the common glue of graffiti. A language that transcends cultures, countries,<br />
boundaries, and even religion. Thanks to writers like Cloakwork, the Asian graffiti story<br />
is now being told to a wider audience resulting in even more ingredients in the international<br />
melting pot of style.<br />
Black Artist Edition Cloakwork 25
MONTANA<br />
BLACK<br />
Artist<br />
Edition<br />
01<br />
02<br />
Do I use them, or do I collect<br />
them? That is the question.<br />
Location<br />
Heidelberg, Germany<br />
Photography<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
03 04<br />
Profile<br />
@montanacans<br />
05<br />
Since the introduction of the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK Artist Edition can series, the question<br />
of whether to use or collect them has<br />
been troubling graffiti writers and aerosol<br />
can collectors on every corner of the earth.<br />
Every carefully chosen <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Edition can color has been painstakingly<br />
reinterpreted by a world-class graffiti<br />
artist who has taken their favorite color<br />
and given its can lithography their personal<br />
touch.<br />
01 GOLDEN GREEN<br />
@goldengreen179<br />
4230 Galaxy<br />
02 BORIS<br />
@goodguyboris<br />
2093 Code Red<br />
03 NYCHOS<br />
@nychos<br />
4230 Kidney<br />
04 SOBEKCIS<br />
@sobekcis<br />
5125 Dove<br />
05 FORMULA 76<br />
@formula76<br />
6080 Mescaline<br />
26<br />
Artist Edition <strong>Montana</strong> Black
06<br />
06 KAOS<br />
@kaossthlm<br />
3145 Punk Pink<br />
07 DMITRI ASKE<br />
@dmitriaske<br />
9100 Snow White<br />
08 NAWAS CREW<br />
6005 Acid<br />
09 DMOTE<br />
@dmoterola<br />
3155 Purple Rain<br />
10 TRISTAN EATON<br />
@tristaneaton<br />
5070 Horizon<br />
11 BUFFMONSTER<br />
@buffmonster<br />
P4000 Power Pink<br />
E<br />
ach can, with the same premium quality, the<br />
same dynamic color, and the same exceptional<br />
handling as any other <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK 400ml<br />
can. With all the other added benefits and traits<br />
that have made the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK NC formula cans<br />
the optimal graffiti writing tool.<br />
The artists that were chosen for the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK Artist Edition can project have all earned their<br />
stripes in the international culture of graffiti writing.<br />
Leaders of their fields, international innovators of their<br />
craft, the best of the best on the streets and in the yards.<br />
Most have extended their graffiti practices well beyond<br />
the norm and jumped at the chance to use a <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK can litho as their next canvas.<br />
07 08 09<br />
10 11<br />
Most have extended their<br />
graffiti practices well beyond<br />
the norm and jumped<br />
at the chance to use a <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK can litho as<br />
their next canvas.<br />
Artist Edition <strong>Montana</strong> Black 27
12<br />
13<br />
12 RAMBO<br />
@rambch<br />
Silverchrome<br />
13 FUNC88<br />
@koolfunc88<br />
3940 Magic<br />
14 LUGOSIS<br />
@lugosis<br />
7130 Lambrate<br />
15 BRUCE<br />
@bruceontherocks<br />
5200 Ice Blue<br />
15 MINA<br />
@theminamania<br />
6310 Olymp<br />
16 MOST<br />
@thatsallmost<br />
7230 Nostradamus<br />
17 FELIPE PANTONE<br />
@felipepantone<br />
IN3000 Infra Red<br />
And why not? It is a win/win situation for<br />
everyone. The artists extend their visual playing fields<br />
with a can design that will travel across the whole world<br />
that becomes part of graffiti history, the brand <strong>Montana</strong><br />
<strong>Cans</strong> gets the opportunity to pay homage and give<br />
thanks to those that have given so much to our culture.<br />
And the writers, supporters, and collectors buying the<br />
cans get so much more value than just the best functional<br />
graffiti tool that they are used to.<br />
The popularity of these 22 collectible treasures<br />
amongst the possible 187 colors in the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK range has sold through as fast as they were<br />
released. Proving we must be doing something right.<br />
With the initial feature artist being graffiti writer Golden<br />
Green, it was clear that the quality bar was going to be<br />
set high from the get-go. The following artists included<br />
GOODGUY BORIS from THE GRIFTERS, NYCHOS,<br />
SOBEKCIS, FORMULA 76, KAOS, Dmitri Aske, NAWAS<br />
CREW, DMOTE, Tristan Eaton, BUFF MONSTER,<br />
RAMBO, FUNC88, LUGOSIS, BRUCE & MINA, Felipe<br />
PANTONE, MOST, RAGE, DEMS333, ATOM ONE,<br />
SICOER and the most recent release, <strong>Montana</strong> Artists<br />
Edition can number #22, CLOAKWORK. Covering an<br />
exceptionally broad spectrum of approaches to the art<br />
of graffiti writing, this phenomenal list of graffiti giants<br />
is only the beginning, with can number #22 by CLOAK-<br />
WORK waiting patiently just around the corner.<br />
The popularity of these 22<br />
collectible treasures<br />
amongst the possible 187<br />
colors in the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK range has sold<br />
through as fast as they were<br />
released. Proving we must<br />
be doing something right.<br />
14 15 15<br />
28<br />
Artist Edition <strong>Montana</strong> Black
16 17 18<br />
19 20 21<br />
22<br />
18 RAGE<br />
@art.of.rage<br />
9001 Black<br />
19 DEMS333<br />
@demsky__<br />
5080 Ultramarine<br />
20 ATOM ONE<br />
@atomoneski<br />
2120 Megablast<br />
21 SICOER<br />
@sicoerism<br />
5270 Sorrento Blue<br />
22 CLOAK<br />
@cloakwork<br />
2070 Cloakwork<br />
Orange<br />
With a limited amount of <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Edition cans being produced as normal <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK stock for each release, the unique part about<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist Edition cans is that with a<br />
little effort, most people have (or had) a chance to<br />
collect them all. The difficulty occurs when the seemingly<br />
accessible cans disappear as fast as they came.<br />
Not waiting too long after their release to buy them will<br />
put you on the right path for a full <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Artist<br />
Edition can collection. Visit the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> site and<br />
Blog regularly for more information and release announcements.<br />
Artist Edition <strong>Montana</strong> Black 29
Can two<br />
Location<br />
Mainz, Germany<br />
Profile<br />
@cantwo<br />
Photography<br />
CANTWO<br />
Interview<br />
René van Kan /<br />
<strong>Montana</strong><strong>Cans</strong><br />
1986<br />
<strong>Montana</strong><br />
<strong>Cans</strong> ICONIC SERIES<br />
feat. CANTWO —<br />
The German Graffiti artist CANTWO has rightfully earned the title of international<br />
graffiti icon. For well over three decades, CANTWO has maintained a<br />
creative consistency and output that has put him into a graffiti style writing<br />
league of his own. Born 1970 in the German city of Mainz, CANTWO's artwork<br />
has graced the walls and galleries of a greater part of the globe. Inspired by the<br />
pioneers of the original New York graffiti movement, CANTWO's self-described<br />
"semi-wildstyle" lettering has long morphed into a unique style of his own, also<br />
encompassing his now-famous take on illustrative characters and figures. The<br />
latest <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> ICONIC SERIES feat. CANTWO containing a white color<br />
tone "Cotton Candy" made from the <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD range.<br />
MONTANA-CANS - Highest quality made in Germany.<br />
1986<br />
Paying homage to a<br />
German graffiti icon<br />
30 Interview Can two
New York 1996<br />
1986<br />
It’s always strange when<br />
people call me ICON or KING<br />
because I never felt that way<br />
Interview Can two<br />
31
Düsseldorf 1993<br />
Hamburg 1995<br />
1987<br />
Wiesbaden<br />
After the release of the CANTWO Icon Series<br />
spray can the focus was once again turned<br />
on to an artist that has earned his undisputed<br />
place in graffiti writing history. As an<br />
Oldschool German graffiti writing innovator, CANTWO<br />
quickly turned his reputation as a national graffiti<br />
writing king into that of an internationally recognized<br />
graffiti artist. From his prolific creation of graffiti style<br />
writing, graffiti characters, and his iconic CANTWO<br />
hand style, to his professional collaborations, design<br />
work, apparel designing, and online activities, CANTWO<br />
has been at the forefront of so many aspects of contemporary<br />
graffiti. Understanding the path that led to<br />
CANTWO’s iconic status is a long and intriguing one.<br />
The twists and turns in his creative process, the travels,<br />
and the global interactions all amounted to the CANTWO<br />
we see today. It intrigued us so much so that we decided<br />
to spend some time with the artist himself and hear<br />
more about the experiences that formed him. Here is<br />
what he had to share with us.<br />
MONTANA CANS<br />
You were born in Mainz- Germany in 1970 and started<br />
writing graffiti in 1983. This means you have spent a<br />
large portion of your life doing, or being involved in<br />
graffiti. How do you feel about being celebrated as an<br />
“ICON” in the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> ICONIC SERIES?<br />
CANTWO<br />
I feel absolutely honored that <strong>Montana</strong> puts me in the<br />
same category as greats such as FUTURA and MAR-<br />
THA COOPER.<br />
Bad Kreuznach 1990<br />
I feel absolutely honored that<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> puts me in the same<br />
category as greats such as<br />
FUTURA and MARTHA COOPER<br />
32 Interview Can two
Neuss 1999<br />
Unna 2001<br />
MC<br />
Do you acknowledge or accept (as most of the<br />
graffiti world would confirm), that you have<br />
become an “ICON” and a reference point over<br />
multiple generations in international graffiti<br />
culture? How do you feel about this idea?<br />
CT<br />
It’s always strange when people call me ICON<br />
or KING because I never felt that way. I still see<br />
myself as a part of a global movement. I’m happy that<br />
I have inspired so many other writers around the globe.<br />
I was just there at the right time when it all started in<br />
Europe. Like so many other kids I was immediately<br />
fascinated by the B-Boys and writers we saw on TV.<br />
Those were my heroes and icons. But of course, I’m<br />
flattered when people see me as their influence or<br />
honor me with their “titles”.<br />
MC<br />
Can you tell us a little about the history of your chosen<br />
color “Can2 Cotton Candy” for the ICON can, and what<br />
your affiliation is with its development?<br />
CT<br />
It was a long process to find the right design and the<br />
right color. I’m a perfectionist, and creating a design for<br />
the iconic series was a big challenge. <strong>Montana</strong> and I<br />
worked closely together and we made a few test prints.<br />
The first attempt was to create a blueish design, as<br />
there had already been the “Can2 Blue“ within the<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Writer Team Colors and the „Can2 Cool Candy“<br />
within the <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD range. But the test prints did<br />
not convince me at all. So I had to start from scratch<br />
and a classic white design came to my mind. Coloring<br />
the character was no option, so I used white, grey, and<br />
black instead. I also wanted to give it a royal touch. And<br />
what color is more royal than gold. So I decided to play<br />
with some golden elements and I used the cross<br />
symbol from the old “Irritant-Danger” sign that used to<br />
be on all cans. The final name „Can2 Cotton Candy“ was<br />
chosen by my wife.<br />
MC<br />
This touches on your extended involvement with the<br />
development of spray paint, and spray paint colors in<br />
general over your many years in graffiti culture. Can you<br />
give us a little overview of all the different paint types,<br />
brands, or colors that you worked with and assisted in<br />
the development of?<br />
CT<br />
You are right, this wasn’t my first involvement. I was part<br />
of BOMBER’s Art Agency „Oxygen“ in Frankfurt in the<br />
mid-nineties. Besides conveying Graffiti artists to<br />
clients for commissioned jobs, we ran a mailorder for<br />
Heidelberg 1997<br />
I’m a perfectionist, and creating<br />
a design for the iconic<br />
series was a big challenge.<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> and I worked closely<br />
together and we made a few<br />
test prints<br />
Interview Can two<br />
33
Wiesbaden 2001<br />
blackbooks, markers, and cans. Back then we worked<br />
with RAL Colors that were available on the market.<br />
Soon after that, the idea was born to create our own<br />
cans named „Oxygen Colors“. We picked 20 colors from<br />
a Pantone color chart that were all mainly pastels.<br />
MC<br />
Your valued, ongoing relationship with <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
has accompanied you through many generations of<br />
your graffiti history, and many years of international<br />
graffiti culture development. How, and when, did your<br />
involvement with <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> originally begin?<br />
CT<br />
It started 21 years ago when some guys from <strong>Montana</strong><br />
introduced me to their cans for the very first time.<br />
MC<br />
Were there any highlights in this period that stand out<br />
for you?<br />
CT<br />
All the touring with the <strong>Montana</strong> Writer Team between<br />
2000 and 2006. They brought me to Helsinki, New York,<br />
Moscow, Dubai, Rome, Milano, Warsaw, Basel, Barcelona,<br />
Sao Paulo, Brighton, and Berlin. Every trip felt like a<br />
vacation with good friends.<br />
We had absolute artistic freedom<br />
when we were planning<br />
our walls. So there was no<br />
difference between painting<br />
with my crewmates from Stick<br />
Up Kids or with the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
Writer Team<br />
Dortmund 2003<br />
34 Interview Can two
MC<br />
You have been involved in many graffiti<br />
groups like the original <strong>Montana</strong> Writer Team,<br />
Stick Up Kids, and United Artists (to name a<br />
few). These represent both artistic and<br />
commercial aspects of graffiti culture. Was it<br />
difficult to maintain this balance of commercialism,<br />
free creativity, and integrity? And<br />
were there ever any moments when it was a<br />
struggle?<br />
CT<br />
The commercial aspect behind a spray can<br />
company sponsoring artists was never an<br />
issue because we never got any guidelines from<br />
<strong>Montana</strong>. We had absolute artistic freedom when we<br />
were planning our walls. So there was no difference<br />
between painting with my crewmates from Stick Up<br />
Kids or with the <strong>Montana</strong> Writer Team. We always had a<br />
perfect balance between our friendship and teamwork<br />
within the crew and <strong>Montana</strong>. There were never any<br />
troubles or struggles.<br />
MC<br />
With all the national and international artists and<br />
brands you have collaborated with until now, are there<br />
any stand-out, or special experiences, that you reflect<br />
on? Was there a “greatest project” amongst them?<br />
CT<br />
I’ve been working with so many companies like Adidas,<br />
Bosch, Carhartt, COKE, Chevrolet, Jägermeister,<br />
Lufthansa, MTV, Puma, Roche, Toys ’R’ Us, Wrigley`s…<br />
just to name a few. The cooperation with ADIDAS, when<br />
I created designs for shoes and clothing was probably<br />
the best so far. This is because Adidas was and is my<br />
favorite sports brand since the 80s. Working with COKE<br />
is also worth mentioning. It was a pleasure to work with<br />
such a professional team.<br />
MC<br />
During the rise of graffiti culture in the mainstream in<br />
Germany around 1995, you were involved in a television<br />
interview with fellow writer BOMBER, where you<br />
commented on the notion of “selling out” and what that<br />
meant to you then, at a time when living off graffiti was<br />
not common. How do you feel about this notion now<br />
almost 30 years later? Do you manage to live solely<br />
from your artwork now?<br />
CT<br />
I think things have changed a little. I always replied with<br />
a big smile when people stated „Sell Out“ to me back in<br />
the 90s. I already painted for 12 years in 1995 and I was<br />
part of the networking process in the mid-eighties that<br />
Sao Paulo 2010<br />
Wien 2008<br />
Toulouse 2006<br />
Interview Can two<br />
35
Hamburg 2015<br />
I was just practicing, testing<br />
out shapes, colors, 3D’s, and<br />
shadows<br />
brought Breakdancing, Graffiti, and Hip-Hop forward in<br />
Germany. So I never saw myself “selling anything out”.<br />
Neither back then, nor today. Nowadays it’s called<br />
“commercialization “, but it has the same meaning.<br />
When I do a commissioned graffiti job I don’t hurt<br />
anybody or take anybody’s place. And it doesn’t hurt the<br />
movement either. Only the poor and narrow-minded<br />
people envy the success of other people. I make a living<br />
with a mix of commissioned jobs and canvases.<br />
MC<br />
How would you describe the process of coming to your<br />
style? It is easy to say that it was NY influenced for<br />
example, but were there any iconic artists for you that<br />
had the greatest impact on you then, which led to the<br />
stylistic decisions that you made to enable you to be<br />
where you are stylistically now?<br />
CT<br />
It was a slow process. I was changing my artist name all<br />
the time. I sketched different letters with different<br />
styles all the time. I was just practicing, testing out<br />
shapes, colors, 3D’s, and shadows. When I went to<br />
Hamburg for the first time in 1987 I used CANTWO as<br />
my name to introduce myself. After this point, it was too<br />
late to change my name again as the other writers had<br />
gotten to know me by this name. SEEN had the most<br />
profound influence on my style, obviously due to his<br />
feature in Style Wars. I’ve watched this movie at least a<br />
hundred times, and every time I saw a SEEN piece on<br />
the screen I was impressed by his ability to write his<br />
name in so many different styles. Even though he<br />
admits that he got a lot of his style from Billy 167.<br />
However, he mastered it and made it his own.<br />
Frankfurt 2013<br />
Istanbul 2017<br />
36 Interview Can two
MC<br />
Ironically, the term ICON has already<br />
played a part in your career path by way of<br />
the “CANTWO – ICONS” solo show in<br />
Halle 02, 10 years ago in Heidelberg,<br />
Germany. In this exhibition, you featured<br />
many character-based works that<br />
featured some of the iconic artists / people<br />
in your life. Do you have a preference<br />
for working with characters or letters in<br />
your artwork?<br />
CT<br />
It was a great opportunity to showcase my works in<br />
Heidelberg. Letters are my main preference, but I love to<br />
put characters beside them. Either one of my own<br />
distinctive B-Boy characters or another cartoon-based<br />
character. They simply fill the walls with life.<br />
MC<br />
In a digital world where visual inspiration is only a click<br />
or a scroll away, even if you were to not know or relate to<br />
them, do you see any particular graffiti writers as<br />
special leaders/icons/role models in graffiti today? If<br />
yes, what is it about them, their artwork, or their actions<br />
that caught your attention?<br />
CT<br />
I don’t know if they are leaders, but there are so many<br />
talented writers out there. One, in particular, is CESER<br />
(@ceser87) whose creativity is mind-blowing, but also<br />
evergreens like BATES (@greatbates), WANE (@<br />
waneonecod), or BIO (@biotatscru) are still on top of<br />
the style game. When it comes to trains, MOSES &<br />
TAPS (@moses.taps) are probably the most creative<br />
ones, SHARK (@shark.tuf) for his fascinating comeback,<br />
JESUS (twister_yckb_acm_vets_crew) for his<br />
hunger to paint and evolve, and ATOM (@atomoneski)<br />
for remaining prolific at a high level since the ’90s. They<br />
are absolutely worth mentioning among so many other<br />
crazily good artists. There are just too many to name.<br />
MC<br />
If you had the choice to work with any artist you wanted<br />
to, on any project worldwide. Who would it be, and what<br />
would the project be?<br />
CT<br />
I was blessed to work with Mark Bode a few years ago.<br />
Actually, I’m a great fan of Virgil Abloh (@virgilabloh),<br />
KONGO (@cyril_kongo) MIKAEL B (@mikaelbrandrup),<br />
DEMS (@demsky__), CEY (@ceyadams) and I’m sure<br />
that I’ll meet them (again) sooner or later to do any great<br />
project, whatever that will be.<br />
Helsingborg 2019<br />
Budenheim 2019<br />
Wiesbaden 2019<br />
I sketched different letters with<br />
different styles all the time. I was<br />
just practicing, testing out shapes,<br />
colors, 3D’s, and shadows<br />
Interview Can two<br />
37
MC<br />
You have often been cited as prioritizing your<br />
work on walls rather than on canvases. Has<br />
the gallery space, creating sellable artworks,<br />
or the importance to create studio artwork increased<br />
or changed for you?<br />
CT<br />
Working on canvases was a hassle in the beginning.<br />
I love the freedom of space so the<br />
letters and the artwork can breathe. I painted<br />
my first canvas in 1986 and over the last years,<br />
I started to enjoy it more and more. Nowadays<br />
I arranged myself with limited space and<br />
actually, I love the challenge to work on<br />
smaller formats.<br />
Nowadays I arranged myself with limited<br />
space and actually, I love the challenge to<br />
work on smaller formats<br />
MC<br />
Do, or did you, have any phases in your career until now<br />
where you achieved something extra special or important<br />
to you? If yes, when was it, and what was it that<br />
stands out as important to you?<br />
CT<br />
Being part of an art agency, creating colors for spray<br />
cans, building my own brand, working with big companies,<br />
etc.… influenced me as an artist and a human<br />
being. But in the end, it was always about the people<br />
behind the process that I’ve met over the years during<br />
these phases. There were only 2-3 people that really<br />
changed my life, opened my eyes, and steered me in the<br />
right direction.<br />
MC<br />
Your position in the international graffiti movement has<br />
often earned you the place on judging panels for graffiti<br />
contests and events. How do you feel about the role as<br />
judge?<br />
Beckum 2020<br />
Bochum 2020<br />
Koblenz 2019<br />
38 Interview Can two
Koblenz 2020<br />
Dortmund 2020<br />
CT<br />
Being a judge is usually a very difficult job, especially<br />
when it comes to graffiti. Every participating artist or<br />
crew wants to win, and every graffiti artist has his own<br />
artistic opinion about style, letters, colors, swing, and<br />
arrangements, etc… So you can imagine how difficult it<br />
is to award points to these categories.<br />
MC<br />
For those that aren’t aware, what are the origins of the<br />
name CANTWO?<br />
CT<br />
I had several names in the beginning, like RATTY<br />
FRESH, RASTEY 177, VIVID LEGS just to name a few. In<br />
1986 I came up with the name COOL CANDY. I soon<br />
shortened it to CANDY and then to CAN. I added the<br />
number 2 because my family and I used to live in a<br />
house that was No.2.<br />
MC<br />
What is your favorite <strong>Montana</strong> Can and cap combination<br />
to paint with?<br />
CT<br />
I use both, <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD and<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BLACK. And I only use<br />
a few caps like the Level 1 Skinny,<br />
Maclaim, NY Fatcap, and the<br />
Level 6 Cap.<br />
The iconic path of CANTWO doesn’t stop and we are<br />
sure we will be seeing more of what this legendary<br />
graffiti artist creates in the days, weeks, months, and<br />
years to come. All the while taking his unique style<br />
further and deeper into the vaults of future graffiti<br />
culture history.<br />
Gallery of CANTWO Pieces over three decades<br />
This interview was also published on the<br />
<strong>Montana</strong><strong>Cans</strong> Blog<br />
I had several names in the<br />
beginning, like RATTY FRESH,<br />
RASTEY 177, VIVID LEGS just<br />
to name a few. In 1986 I came<br />
up with the name COOL CANDY<br />
Interview Can two<br />
39
1XRUN x<br />
MontanA<br />
<strong>Cans</strong><br />
collabo<br />
Location<br />
Detroit, USA<br />
Photography<br />
Jake Mulka<br />
@jmulka<br />
Profile<br />
@1xrun<br />
“Light ’em Up” by PEZ<br />
@pezbarcelona<br />
The Detroit-based publishing house 1XRUN<br />
has been steadily going about its business<br />
since 2010. What started as a small gallery<br />
space in the then, regenerating creative<br />
melting pot of Detroit, has since become<br />
one of the global online destinations for<br />
the purchase of limited edition art prints.<br />
← The 1XRUN <strong>Montana</strong><br />
<strong>Cans</strong> collabo<br />
can. A work of art that<br />
celebrates the publication<br />
of works of art.<br />
1XRUN x <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> collabo can<br />
In 2021, the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> 1XRUN collabo can, celebrated<br />
the 11th anniversary of the Detroit-based 1XRUN<br />
publishing house. Supporting artists and collectors of<br />
art since 2010, 1XRUN is famous for its limited-edition<br />
single-run original artists prints. What better way to<br />
signify such a moment than to create a limited edition<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> collabo can in the premium quality<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> GOLD color, Magic Blue. Loaded with the<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Skinny Cap black/black, the can is not only<br />
the iconic graffiti and mural making tool of precision,<br />
but it also becomes a collectible can for any purveyor of<br />
contemporary art. Featuring the famous x-frame<br />
symbol from the 1XRUN logo, this can is bound to<br />
become part of international aerosol can history.<br />
40<br />
Collaboration 1XRUN x <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> collabo
Times have changed! Who wants mass-produced<br />
artwork that is lovelessly produced and can be<br />
seen hanging in every second house or studio?<br />
Artwork is not only something to view, be inspired<br />
by, or decorate your living spaces with, it’s a reflection<br />
of the person who collects it. A window into who they<br />
are, what makes them tick, or what’s going in their lives<br />
at the time they collect it. Collecting art is no longer<br />
only for the rich or the academic. As the street art,<br />
urban art, and graffiti writing communities around the<br />
world grow and mature, so does their taste in the art<br />
that they want to have in their lives.<br />
→ The 1XRUN logo is<br />
at the forefront of<br />
the printed artwork<br />
revolution.<br />
↓ Quality before<br />
quantity. It’s not just<br />
the quality of the artwork<br />
that has priority<br />
in a 1XRUN print edition.<br />
The symbol says “insert artwork here”<br />
1XRUN (“One-Time-Run”) knows all about this. They<br />
figured it out long ago. For over 11 years now, they have<br />
been empowering fans in the shaping of their art<br />
collections while supporting the artists they collect in<br />
the creation of exclusive limited-edition printed original<br />
artworks. At the core of every artwork is the universal<br />
x-frame symbol. The symbol says “insert artwork here”<br />
without needing to say a word. The symbol that has also<br />
become the basis of the 1XRUN identity, itself an icon of<br />
creativity.<br />
The collaboration between 1XRUN and <strong>Montana</strong><br />
<strong>Cans</strong> was the next logical step. And the celebration<br />
of the 1XRUN 11th anniversary was the perfect<br />
occasion to create a can as unique as the artwork it can<br />
create. The leader of the limited edition print game,<br />
collaborating with the leader of the spray can game.<br />
The product; the spray can. A tool that is the icon of art<br />
on and from the streets. The preferred tool for muralists<br />
and graffiti writers globally. Within this recipe, the<br />
1XRUN x <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> collabo can was born. A beautiful<br />
extension of the <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD color “Blue Magic”,<br />
that is loaded with the <strong>Montana</strong> Skinny black/black cap,<br />
for precision and aesthetics.<br />
The symbol that has also become<br />
the basis of the 1XRUN identity,<br />
itself an icon of creativity.<br />
“Don’t just follow us. Run with us.”<br />
↗ Art for all occasions.<br />
At the core is<br />
always the streets<br />
and the voice of the<br />
urban ethos.<br />
← “Light em up.” The<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> GOLD color<br />
Magic Blue ignites for<br />
the new look limited<br />
1XRUN collabo can.<br />
The significance of the universal x-frame has now gone<br />
to another level. Pushing forward contemporary<br />
art-making tools, just as 1XRUN does for printed<br />
artwork. In the words of the 1XRUN crew, “Don’t just<br />
follow us. Run with us.” A statement of inclusion that<br />
will motivate the 1XRUN and <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> teams, the<br />
artists, and supporters, for generations of art creation<br />
and collection to come.<br />
Just like the exclusive single print runs 1XRUN<br />
is famous for, this can and its legacy will soon become<br />
part of the personal art history for those who were<br />
quick enough to act.<br />
Collaboration 1XRUN x <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> collabo 41
CLAW<br />
MONEY<br />
Memes, Maturation, and Mentorship —<br />
how Claw contributes to the culture<br />
When creating their alter egos, writers usually stick to a<br />
spectrum ranging from pseudonyms to acronyms. Then,<br />
some specimens opt for a different, rather authentic<br />
approach. And then there is Claw. Often, graffiti follows<br />
cryptic codes, almost unreadable to the untrained eye.<br />
Native New Yorker Claw chose other means to communicate.<br />
She circumnavigated any confusion by selecting a<br />
carnal symbol as her throw-up.<br />
Location<br />
New York, USA<br />
Photography<br />
CLAW MONEY<br />
Profile<br />
@clawmoney<br />
Interview<br />
@team_flightmode<br />
42<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY
A<br />
Claw! In addition, her alias is almost a<br />
homophone of Claudia — her real name. We<br />
had the honor to speak to the bustling<br />
workaholic about authenticity, memes, and<br />
maturation in a seemingly ever adolescent scene.<br />
Growing up in the epicenter of graffiti, she<br />
quickly made a name for herself through reckless<br />
street bombing. Eventually, Painting Mad Spots evolved<br />
into a career. Hence, we were curious to see what Claw<br />
is all about. Various art shows, a brand, collaborations<br />
with big corporations, and her podcast “Gold Minds”<br />
represent just fragments of her work. Putting a single<br />
label onto her will not work. Claws need to be sharp, and<br />
Claudia lives up to the name. Behold, as “she’s about to<br />
say some real shit!”<br />
CM<br />
I guess graffiti started really changing mass culture’s<br />
aesthetics when people began making money with it.<br />
All of a sudden, everybody’s elbows went out. Look at<br />
my generation and the OGs- They stopped mentoring<br />
but began criticizing instead. “You guys don’t know how<br />
I guess graffiti started really changing<br />
mass culture’s aesthetics when<br />
people began making money with it.<br />
All of a sudden, everybody’s elbows<br />
went out.<br />
The recipe — cave painting versus letters<br />
MONTANA CANS<br />
Hey Claw! Let’s jump right into it. Blunt question, what’s<br />
your recipe for success? Your throw-up caught my<br />
attention because it appears to be quite unusual. Do you<br />
think strong iconography helps to stick out from the<br />
crowd?<br />
CLAW MONEY<br />
Yeah, this made it more easily understood by people who<br />
didn’t write graffiti, so it had a longer reach. I also wrote<br />
funny little things in my throw-ups. The combination of<br />
the nontraditional graffiti symbol and the humorous<br />
statements made it more relatable. An animal paw is a<br />
universal icon. Sometimes, people would interrupt me<br />
while painting, and a lot of times when it was young<br />
women, they’d be like, “I knew it. I knew you were a girl!”<br />
and I was like, “Yeah, of course, you did,” because, who<br />
else is going to write “sassy” or “sexy” in their graffiti?<br />
Humans learn through symbols, right? So, in a way, it<br />
has a very prehistoric messaging to it.<br />
Mentorship and maturation —<br />
what the game’s been missing<br />
MC<br />
A reoccurring motif throughout your podcast “Gold<br />
Minds” seems to be a perceived lack of mentorship<br />
within the Graffiti culture nowadays. Can you expand on<br />
that? Where do you see potential?<br />
↗ A couple of minutes<br />
in an alley? Relaxed<br />
Sunday sessions at a<br />
daytime spot? Claw<br />
can adjust to any format.<br />
← Nothing beats some<br />
nice throw-ups! MQ<br />
and Claw getting up.<br />
to paint. You don’t know about style.” But nobody really<br />
took any time to show these kids love or teach them the<br />
way they did with me. I was almost one of the last<br />
people that got that old-school mentorship from<br />
legends like Zephyr, Revolt, and Dontay TC5. Maybe, I<br />
was able to sneak in there as a young woman. Now, my<br />
mission within the culture is to step up, especially for<br />
young women and also young men.<br />
MC<br />
You agree with Stash 2 when he said mentorship<br />
dissolved with the commodification?<br />
CM<br />
He’s totally right. Once profit was involved, people<br />
started seeing everybody else as a threat. Graffiti has<br />
all this bravado to it. Sadly, there’s a fundamental<br />
disconnect between the newer and the older generation.<br />
The older generation doesn’t understand why the kids<br />
don’t care about them. They don’t care that some<br />
murals have been there forever. They’re going to paint<br />
over it because they haven’t been taught about the<br />
elders. And since they are rejected, they don’t even<br />
want to learn. Probably it’s because they turned their<br />
back on them, to be fair.<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY 43
← No cutting corners—<br />
Claw is about that paper.<br />
→ These boots are<br />
made for walking?<br />
Well, these heels are<br />
made for climbing.<br />
You go, girl!<br />
MC<br />
Why is that? Do you think maturity or a certain age plays<br />
a role?<br />
CM<br />
I know many people who peaked way too young, from<br />
Graffiti writers to musicians. People that achieved a<br />
certain notoriety in their teens or early twenties. And it’s<br />
tough to keep that momentum going. It seems common<br />
within the Graffiti community that many older writers<br />
can’t get over their peak. Probably, what they did when<br />
they were 16 years old is the absolute most spectacular<br />
moment of their life. Maybe that applies to me, too—but<br />
I think I honestly peaked a bit later — with my career as<br />
a high point and not actually street bombing. Do you<br />
know why, perhaps? I feel society does not respect<br />
young women. They like them in a box, but they don’t<br />
respect them the way they do respect an older woman<br />
or even a young man. So I wasn’t really able to peak<br />
young — plus I became better with age! In a way, it is sad<br />
that so many writers are still holding on to their early<br />
beginnings because it’s a very fleeting time.<br />
I feel society does not respect<br />
young women. They like them in a<br />
box, but they don’t respect them the<br />
way they do respect an older woman<br />
or even a young man<br />
↙ Watch your step, or<br />
some sharp fangs<br />
might rip right through<br />
your Gore-Tex!<br />
MC<br />
Do you have any practical advice for young writers?<br />
CM<br />
Well, advice is all I got! My experience is when I meet<br />
young male writers, they’re so open now. They’re telling<br />
me that they have all these girls in their crew, and it’s<br />
normal for them that women write graffiti. It’s not this<br />
weird novelty or tokenization the way it was when I was<br />
young. Within the culture, it’s normal now. Maybe a little<br />
bit surprising, but it’s also completely normalized.<br />
MC<br />
But do you think this is a recent development? Do you<br />
feel there is a historical underrepresentation of females<br />
within Graffiti media history up to this date? Chris<br />
“Freedom” Pape said something along the lines of Eva62<br />
and Barbara62 disagreed with being part of “Wall<br />
Writers.” Historically, they were there. Still, somehow<br />
they didn’t take part in the documentation.<br />
CM<br />
Since I started doing my podcast particularly, I noticed<br />
that women, in general, are not as open and talk as<br />
freely as men. Instead, they’re somewhat conscious of<br />
what they say, very deliberate, and they’re often held<br />
back. And that I think that was true in graffiti, too.<br />
Maybe they didn’t want the spotlight on them. I heard<br />
Barbara62 and Eva62 were up more than anyone, man<br />
or woman. They were the king of kings of all writers<br />
— truly trailblazing for women. I think women have<br />
to really take their safety as a significant consideration<br />
in their lives, day to day, where it’s very different for a<br />
man. Maybe they didn’t want to put themselves on Front<br />
Street. They just were writing. They weren’t trying to get<br />
into books or make it into the galleries. They were just<br />
doing their thing, then they got into adulthood and<br />
changed their focus from bombing.<br />
44<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY
MC<br />
Or do you think the boys took over the shine more or less?<br />
CM<br />
Yes, of course, of course! It’s a much more remarkable<br />
story when it’s all guys — a story of pure machismo.<br />
Everybody is tough and dangerous. Suddenly, two<br />
women are killing it, which disrupts the narrative.<br />
MC<br />
You’re an exception in many ways. You revealed your<br />
face in Infamy, which is considered taboo as a writer.<br />
You allowed the film crew into your home with your<br />
family. That feature was so intimate it almost felt like a<br />
social study instead of a Graff movie.<br />
CM<br />
Back then, I had signed a book deal, so I knew it was the<br />
beginning of the end of me painting illegally. I was lucky<br />
because the step was calculated. It was a deliberate<br />
choice, and I wanted to own the process rather than<br />
have it happen without my vision. My girlfriends told me,<br />
“Claudia, enough with fucking painting all the time.<br />
These girls don’t know that you’re out here. They don’t<br />
know that you’re a woman, that women do this. So it is<br />
your moral obligation to tell them.” I started my clothing<br />
line when I was bombing again in 2002. When the<br />
clothes were out, Graff suddenly was advertising for my<br />
brand. People said, “Oh my God, I see this everywhere. I<br />
need this.” After all, I was lucky the way the timing<br />
worked, but I did have a rough plan behind all my<br />
choices.<br />
Back then, I had signed a book<br />
deal, so I knew it was the beginning<br />
of the end of me painting illegally<br />
MC<br />
One quote of yours that I found very funny was “Wild<br />
Style is a terrible movie.”<br />
CM<br />
Haha, it is! I get it; Europeans love Hip Hop — it was<br />
funded by German television. It was both terrible and<br />
incredible at the same time — so many amazing cameos<br />
and performances. But honestly, though, if it was<br />
me that was in that movie, let’s say, in Lady Pink’s role, I<br />
would never have allowed them to write the part as they<br />
did. You know, let them call me a ho or whatever? I<br />
would’ve just been like, No, I’m not going to be in this<br />
movie. Let’s elevate this!<br />
Authenticity, business, cliché — a street art 101<br />
MC<br />
Do you consider yourself still a writer or an artist? What<br />
does graffiti mean to you?<br />
CM<br />
First off, let me say this, Hugo Martinez is responsible<br />
for changing the trajectory of graffiti and what graffiti<br />
means in a cultural context. Changing the mindset of<br />
what these kids were doing. Changing the perception<br />
from vandalism into art through his reshaping. The<br />
meaning of what graffiti is will be forever changed. And<br />
that is incredible! But I noticed that when people refer to<br />
me as a Graffiti writer, it’s very limiting to who I am. Now,<br />
there’s so much more; that label just seems very basic<br />
because I have taken all of that life and turned it into a<br />
brand.<br />
MC<br />
Do you mind elaborating on that notion a bit further?<br />
CM<br />
I’m in this business realm where I deal with people who<br />
would never paint graffiti. They imagine me with a ski<br />
mask on, creeping around at night. I’m not really doing<br />
that anymore.I mean, that's where I can no longer be to<br />
bring this stuff out into the light. And I’m here to change<br />
people’s belief systems of what women can do in many<br />
areas. I find graffiti like a one — note thing, but I’m also<br />
old now. I don’t want to paint illegal graffiti. I can’t run<br />
anymore after breaking my leg and shattering my knee<br />
← Top to bottom!<br />
Details of a colorful<br />
mural.<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY<br />
45
cap twice. Maybe it’s me rejecting it because I can’t<br />
really participate the way I used to. Perhaps that’s my<br />
wrath as an old Graffiti writer, you know? Haha.<br />
MC<br />
So, would you consider graffiti still a fragment of your<br />
personality? It sounds like, by your definition, graffiti has<br />
to be illegal. Are you doing something different now?<br />
CM<br />
Well, I am always tipping my hat to graffiti, and I still<br />
have a significant role in NYC with my crew wreaking<br />
havoc on its walls. I am an ambassador of this culture,<br />
and I take that very seriously. It would be fun to go out at<br />
night, get that adrenaline and then drive around and<br />
look at your stuff. I love that; it’s so fun. Real graffiti to<br />
me is illegal, and that’s what I’m a real fan of.<br />
↑ Who said outlines<br />
need to be black?<br />
Sometimes, a nice<br />
pastel palette can do<br />
the job.<br />
↓ Memorial portrait<br />
on a storefront.<br />
I’m in this business realm where I<br />
deal with people who would never<br />
paint graffiti<br />
MC<br />
Isn’t that argument more or less an external attribution?<br />
Obviously, circumstances create different parameters<br />
for painting.<br />
CM<br />
Apparently, the audience senses a throwback when<br />
they see my stuff. Responses are often, “Oh, I remember<br />
when I was a kid, I used to see that everywhere.” But<br />
is it graffiti? No. Not if I’m standing out there, on a<br />
ladder, two o’clock in the afternoon with an assistant.<br />
46<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY
legal. I don’t think it’s right.<br />
MC<br />
Kind of a luxury you can afford to say no to these kinds<br />
of jobs. Where does this integrity come from? What’s<br />
your view on the scene as a New Yorker, being from the<br />
birthplace of the culture?<br />
↑ Outlaws can wear<br />
crowns, too.<br />
↘ That’s right! Miss 17<br />
and Claw, an infamous<br />
duo in the streets of<br />
New York City.<br />
All street art comes from graffiti. Street art owes<br />
everything to graffiti, let’s face it.<br />
MC<br />
Sure. At what point did you recognize a transition into<br />
the art realm?<br />
CM<br />
Probably when Graffiti used to be sold in galleries from<br />
the 1980s on but for myself, officially when I was invited<br />
to Art Basel the first time, graffiti was dominating again<br />
in the early 2000s. Years later, I realized that street art<br />
had taken over the popularity in its vast expanses in murals<br />
in Miami. Graffiti brought everyone’s focus there.<br />
Then street art came, which was more illustrative.<br />
People shifted away from letters because it is an ask.<br />
When you are writing, you’re asking the audience to<br />
read something. In contrast, street art has a lot of<br />
illustrations and iconography that might be quickly<br />
processed. I think that’s one reason why street art<br />
dominates in Miami. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an art<br />
lover, and there’s a lot of skill involved. I have my role,<br />
but I’m always giving a big nod to graffiti — the mother<br />
of this mural culture.<br />
CM<br />
New York’s the best! Writers from here are the best: the<br />
mothers and fathers, the innovators, the architects. I<br />
hate to say it; in a way, it’s not true. Technically, European<br />
writers are some of the most advanced. But, New<br />
York makes you very aggressive as a person because<br />
you have to live here. So, of course, graffiti is the perfect<br />
sport for this type of competitiveness. There’s competition<br />
in business; there’s competition everywhere. This<br />
is the New York ethos. If I wasn’t from New York, I don’t<br />
know if I would be painting graffiti. Everybody from here<br />
used to write at some point in their childhood. It’s<br />
rooted within the youth culture. But it is universal. Let’s<br />
say you go upstate New York for a hike, and once you<br />
reach the top of the mountain, there are a million people<br />
who carved their names into the rock in 1896. Pointing<br />
at your mere existence is a very human experience.“I<br />
was here.” Spray painting your name on a fire hydrant is<br />
all the same thing.<br />
Often, street artists, would see<br />
graffiti on a wall and then wheat<br />
paste right on top of the work<br />
MC<br />
I think many writers hated street art due to a feeling of<br />
cultural appropriation.<br />
CM<br />
Often, street artists, would see graffiti on a wall and<br />
then wheat paste right on top of the work. Initially,<br />
they’d be like, Oh, this is a good wall. We can paint on it<br />
because nobody’s cleaned this up yet. They’re not<br />
respecting what’s on the wall, whereas Graffiti writers<br />
know the rules. You don’t just come in to take the space<br />
unless you are prepared to have some sort of battle.<br />
That’s a reason why a lot of the street art walls get<br />
capped immediately. And that’s why I often decline<br />
when people offer me to paint their storefronts. There’s<br />
already a big throw-up on there; I can’t go over that for a<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY<br />
47
From the block to blockchain—Future Plans<br />
MC<br />
After dwelling on the culture’s history and your past,<br />
let’s turn around and look ahead. What are your plans<br />
for <strong>2022</strong>?<br />
CM<br />
This year is our 20th anniversary of my brand Claw<br />
Money. We are doing 12 collaborations with only<br />
women-owned brands and artists. Some of the names I<br />
can reveal? We’re doing a solid Gold Claw Subway token<br />
with Julie Lamb. I’m working with one of my first hires,<br />
my old assistant and favorite collaborator, who’s a<br />
tremendous fashion stylist, Haley Wollens, and we’re<br />
making some repurposed vintage rugbys. We’re doing<br />
this like slow reveal each month, so it will be a surprise.<br />
I’m trying to put on a lot of friends and many young<br />
women and get some eyes on them. We’re also moving<br />
into the NFT space. I have twenty-five years of digital<br />
art that I have been sitting on, and I didn’t really know<br />
what I was going to do with it. NFTs have allowed me to<br />
revisit all of that work and refocus. I’m excited about it.<br />
Somehow it really goes against all my art principles. I’m<br />
↑ Never not ballin’!<br />
A Knicks-themed colorway<br />
shows Claws’<br />
love for her hometown.<br />
trying to get acclimated with the whole idea of the<br />
metaverse. Usually, I do art in public art, right? Graffiti,<br />
street art, whatever you want to call—murals. I give<br />
them to the public for free, even if someone’s or some<br />
brand is paying for it. It’s free for the viewer. You can<br />
take a picture beside it. Interact with it. It’s for you. To<br />
me, a digital file being owned by someone is very odd.<br />
But I am committed to figuring all this out. This is<br />
another space where women are few. So, of course, I<br />
want to change that. I’m also going to open an all- women’s<br />
marketplace in the NFT space to give many young<br />
women -Graffiti artists in particular- opportunities often<br />
overlooked in these very male spaces.<br />
MC<br />
Sounds like a good move, both for business and empowerment.<br />
I have twenty-five years of digital art<br />
that I have been sitting on, and I<br />
didn’t really know what I was going<br />
to do with it.<br />
↑ It’s spring again!<br />
Claw presents<br />
her rendition of the<br />
easter bunny.<br />
← Psychedelic patterns<br />
from planet<br />
Claw. Trippy!<br />
CM<br />
Yeah, it’s a good story to tell. My life’s work is about<br />
mentorship and helping people, shining the light on<br />
people that need it. To me, that’s more important than<br />
anything else that I really do. When they shine, I shine.<br />
And it’s the thing that is the most gratifying to me. I<br />
learned from graffiti that I could challenge myself and<br />
step up and rise to the occasion. Graffiti taught me all of<br />
those things that I use as my core brand DNA. I owe<br />
everything to graffiti, despite not what I do now.<br />
MC<br />
Ok, I understand you do not like being labeled. If anything,<br />
what would you call yourself—a facilitator?<br />
CM<br />
I’m a connector, I’m a manager, I’m a helper, I’m a<br />
mother. Everybody calls me mom because we all need<br />
someone who looks out for you and gives you straight<br />
talk in your career or life choices. It’s essential. And I<br />
find many women don’t have a support system or feel<br />
48<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY
unprotected. So, if I can offer them that, that’s a huge<br />
thing, just knowing someone is there for you.<br />
MC<br />
Actually, I think that is quite outstanding because<br />
writers are used to dealing with the negativity within the<br />
scene. So you are challenging the status quo? I think it’s<br />
unique.<br />
CM<br />
Well, I think that this is what women do, and they just<br />
haven’t done it in graffiti, and now it’s being done, and it<br />
can only be positive.<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
SPOTLIGHT<br />
get to know:<br />
CLAW<br />
MONEY<br />
I’m a connector, I’m a manager, I’m a<br />
helper, I’m a mother. Everybody calls<br />
me mom because we all need someone<br />
who looks out for you and gives<br />
you straight talk in your career or life<br />
choices. It’s essential.<br />
↓ Instant nostalgia.<br />
Turquoise and purple<br />
is a timeless color<br />
combination that never<br />
fails.<br />
Graffiti writer, street artist, podcaster,<br />
entrepreneur, meme master, mom.<br />
Claw Money fits all these categories.<br />
We are amazed by her winning persona.<br />
Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY<br />
49
Bogo<br />
or<br />
Bogus?<br />
How Supreme is connecting culture and consumerism<br />
A story from meta to <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
Location<br />
New York, USA<br />
Photography<br />
Jordan Katz /<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
Profile<br />
@supremenewyork<br />
Seen by many, owned<br />
by few. The Supreme<br />
x <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Mini<br />
Can Set takes collaboration<br />
to a new<br />
space.<br />
Big and bold letters, legible, in an iconic<br />
color scheme that is universally visible in<br />
streets and alleyways around the planet.<br />
Red and white. Reoccurring again and<br />
again, with self-referential characteristics.<br />
Parameters that sound like they may reflect<br />
the presence of a classic throw-up but<br />
could apply to the logo of a streetwear<br />
brand, too. The Bogo, short for Box Logo, is<br />
a substantial part of decoding their recipe<br />
to success. You guessed right; we are<br />
referring to Supreme.<br />
50 Collaboration SupremE
POWER RED P3000<br />
Much like our beloved modern Graffiti<br />
culture, the label originated in New York<br />
City. To this date, all their work emanates<br />
an aroma of the big apple. Going global<br />
yet remaining a local significance is a split not many<br />
manage. Speaking of balance, Supreme walks a thin<br />
line between many things, but mostly among cultural<br />
relevance and blatant consumerism. Let’s have a closer<br />
look at their universe with its undeniable allure.<br />
Drops, hype, resell - nowadays controversial<br />
concepts that are easily attributed to the brand founded<br />
in 1994 by James Jebbia. Slowly and steadily, they<br />
advanced to a staple within the streetwear industry.<br />
Eventually, the mainstream took notice and attracted<br />
new clientele.<br />
Much like our beloved modern Graffiti<br />
culture, the label originated in<br />
New York City. To this date, all their<br />
work emanates an aroma of the big<br />
apple.<br />
Collaboration SupremE<br />
51
52<br />
Collaboration SupremE
The essence<br />
With their ability to merge high fashion and street<br />
culture, their approach is almost unparalleled. Supreme<br />
products are usually available in limited quantities and<br />
only through their own physical and digital outlets.<br />
Exclusivity creates desire. But, there is more. Apart<br />
from offering their own product, Supreme is famous for<br />
partnering with external parties. Various brands of the<br />
widest variety have boasted the significant colors.<br />
These special make-ups often turn into collector’s<br />
items instantly, with skyrocketing prices in secondary<br />
markets. The concept? Like ready-mades, Supreme<br />
seems to find beauty and significance in odd items.<br />
Exclusive and expensive products are treated equally to<br />
objects of everyday use, with little monetary value and<br />
broad availability. Hence, mass-produced things invert<br />
their attributed value, creating dynamics resembling<br />
those of the pop-art era.<br />
Like ready-mades, Supreme<br />
seems to find beauty and significance<br />
in odd items.<br />
But besides easy to recognize designs<br />
and obvious status symbols,<br />
past collections were frequently<br />
enhanced with more subtle choices<br />
for connoisseurs.<br />
Masters of innuendo<br />
But besides easy to recognize designs and obvious<br />
status symbols, past collections were frequently<br />
enhanced with more subtle choices for connoisseurs.<br />
Sophisticated references reveal a deep understanding<br />
of fashion, art history, and pop culture. Iconic artworks<br />
of different periods, styles, and mediums have surfaced<br />
in their designs regularly, like paintings by Pablo<br />
Picasso, Gustav Klimt, or Jackson Pollock. Furthermore,<br />
Supreme seems to have a soft spot for controversial<br />
discourse, demonstrated by garments bearing “L’<br />
Origine du monde” by Gustave Courbet and “Piss Christ”<br />
by Andres Serrano. Their relation to the art world goes<br />
even beyond the sole acknowledgment of highlights.<br />
Supreme managed to collaborate with many renowned<br />
artists: Damien Hirst, HR Giger, Takashi Murakami,<br />
George Condo, and Jeff Koons are some of the more<br />
prominent names.<br />
POWER BLUE P5000<br />
OUTLINE SILVER<br />
Outline Silver<br />
Collaboration SupremE<br />
53
Grassroots and Graff roots<br />
BLACK BLK9001<br />
Supreme and their founders have a history in skateboarding,<br />
so involving other urban-born cultures feels<br />
natural. Obviously, their interest in art includes Graffiti.<br />
The brand’s archives reflect this affection through<br />
collaborations with legends like Futura, Dash Snow,<br />
Zedz, Rammellzee, Lady Pink, and last but not least, the<br />
self-proclaimed king of Graffiti, Blade. Zooming out to a<br />
more metaperspective, they have produced goods that<br />
are practically rooted within Graffiti culture. Markers,<br />
gloves, bolt cutters, burner-phones, MTA MetroCards,<br />
and numerous Gore-tex garments. As remaining<br />
low-key is a writer’s first concern, enhancing throwaway<br />
products with a prestigious label is bold. But<br />
that’s just a side note. Now, going one step further,<br />
finally tapping into the world of aerosols is the missing<br />
link. Supreme is known to curate their portfolio carefully.<br />
Hence, we are more than proud to present one of the<br />
most influential cooperations of <strong>Montana</strong>ʼs humble<br />
history to this date: the Supreme X <strong>Montana</strong> Mini Can<br />
set. Six colors of high quality spray paint in a limited<br />
edition box demonstrate how big things sometimes<br />
come in small packages.<br />
Now, going one step further, finally<br />
tapping into the world of aerosols is<br />
the missing link.<br />
POWER PINK P4000<br />
POWER YELLOW P1000<br />
54 Collaboration SupremE
Packing a big punch<br />
in a small can. The<br />
Supreme x <strong>Montana</strong><br />
<strong>Cans</strong> Mini Can Set is<br />
loaded with that New<br />
York hustle that the<br />
world loves.<br />
Collaboration SupremE<br />
55
Nychos<br />
Primal<br />
Truth<br />
New Mural by L.A. and Vienna<br />
based artist NYCHOS for<br />
STADT.WAND.KUNST (SWK)<br />
Location<br />
Mannheim, Germany<br />
Photography<br />
Alexander Krziwanie /<br />
<strong>Montana</strong><strong>Cans</strong><br />
Profile<br />
@nychos<br />
www.nychos.com<br />
56 Production Nychos Primal Truth
It’s summer, it’s warm, and the smell of paint fills<br />
the streets of Jungbusch, Mannheim again, as the<br />
STADT.WAND.KUNST project rolls out another<br />
season of its open-air gallery. An event that has not<br />
only attracted the attention of the locals but also that<br />
of street art lovers worldwide. “I belong to myself<br />
again.” A strong statement from an artist that shows<br />
inner clarity and a statement of confirmation as a<br />
process comes to an end with the completion of<br />
Primal Truth, by celebrated Austrian street artist,<br />
NYCHOS.<br />
The image, depicting a man who transparent,<br />
inner energy exposed. He is seated on the earth in a<br />
position of meditation, is merging or melting into the<br />
upper portion of a wolf. Merged, they look upwards to<br />
the sky for guidance, where the magic of astrology<br />
plays out above them. Although transparent, this time<br />
the figures appear to be whole. A long process for<br />
NYCHOS, who primarily resides in Los Angeles, and<br />
had become famous for his large-scale mural works<br />
depicting dissected animals, figures, and popular<br />
culture icons.<br />
He is seated on the earth in a position<br />
of meditation, is merging<br />
or melting into the upper portion<br />
of a wolf<br />
NYCHOS has gone through illness,<br />
his deepest depths, and transformation.<br />
Primal Truth speaks about NYCHOS’s experiences<br />
from his past, like growing up in a hunting family,<br />
facing illness and depression, and the realization of<br />
feeling no inner purpose. Through the more positive<br />
experiences of visiting a shaman and experiencing<br />
what is described as Ego-Death (complete loss of<br />
subjective self-identity), which led NYCHOS through<br />
↑ Scissor lift loaded<br />
and ready to elevate.<br />
NYCHOS‘s selection<br />
of <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD and<br />
BLACK cans colors<br />
does not fit any mold.<br />
↓ High above the<br />
streets of Mannheim<br />
painting in between<br />
the rain and the sun.<br />
← The finishing touches<br />
after a demanding<br />
period of painting.<br />
All the effort was more<br />
than worth it.<br />
↓ A cap of choice<br />
NYCHOS, the Black /<br />
Pink fat cap gets the<br />
job done accurately<br />
and fast.<br />
Production Nychos Primal Truth<br />
57
an inner transformation of healing by facing his<br />
shadows (his fears). Primal Truth marks an arrival for<br />
NYCHOS to where he feels he should be. After many<br />
years of creating images of dissection that often<br />
appeared to express self-destructive tendencies, this<br />
new mural presents a different light. With figures<br />
whole yet transparent, layers seem to effortlessly<br />
conduct light. A technique that is even more dynamic<br />
on the flat black background of the house facade it<br />
was painted on. The image explores the notion of<br />
what lies within, as the connection between man and<br />
nature, but not as a relationship of fear.<br />
A technique that is even more<br />
dynamic on the flat black<br />
background of the house facade<br />
it was painted on<br />
↑ Confronting and<br />
yet soothing, “Primal<br />
Truth” takes us<br />
through a transformation<br />
for the artist<br />
that is bigger than<br />
just street art itself.<br />
← Renowned for<br />
his anatomical dissection<br />
images, NY-<br />
CHOS refers to both<br />
his research and his<br />
imagination when interpreting<br />
what lies<br />
beneath the surface.<br />
↑ Looking on in<br />
amazement, passersby<br />
and those that<br />
knew what they had<br />
come to see watched<br />
as the artwork unraveled<br />
piece by piece.<br />
→ PRIMAL TRUTH –<br />
The veins of the<br />
meditator connect to<br />
the universe<br />
58 Production Nychos Primal Truth
Production Nychos Primal Truth<br />
59
← Up close, NYCHOS‘s<br />
effects reveal the secrets<br />
of the bigger picture<br />
in the form of a<br />
four-story mural.<br />
↑ NYCHOS and close<br />
friend and colleague,<br />
David Leitner. Two<br />
working together as<br />
one in sync.<br />
→ Let the truth be told.<br />
“Primal Truth” in its<br />
finished state. Layers<br />
and layers of paint,<br />
life experiences, and<br />
conception. Now<br />
watching over the city<br />
of Mannheim.<br />
For Primal Truth, NYCHOS painted<br />
at a feverish pace for 3 consecutive<br />
days with his long-term friend<br />
David Leitner to bring the work to<br />
completion<br />
Primal Truth is a painting about the<br />
connection between humans with the spirit<br />
“This has become a very personal mural” claims NY-<br />
CHOS, who completed the 32nd mural for the current<br />
season of the Stadt.Wand.Kunst Project, in Mannheim<br />
Germany. Coming full circle, his current spiritual beliefs<br />
find solid foundations in his well-known technical style.<br />
NYCHOS has not only created something that he<br />
believes is where his heart is at, but also with his<br />
favorite medium the spray can, which is the only tool<br />
that can keep up with the speed of his thoughts. It is the<br />
large wall spaces of this world where he can truly<br />
expand and develop. Above all, they make him happiest.<br />
For Primal Truth, NYCHOS painted at a feverish<br />
pace for 3 consecutive days with his long-term friend<br />
David Leitner to bring the work to completion. In Primal<br />
Truth, man and animal appear to transcend for the<br />
greater purpose of healing, a connection between the<br />
temporary material and the spiritual worlds. A poignant<br />
thought in a time where mankind’s fear of illness and<br />
death is at an unhealthy high.<br />
60<br />
Production Nychos Primal Truth
Production Nychos Primal Truth<br />
61
A virtuous Vienna city guide<br />
Location<br />
Vienna, Austria<br />
Photography<br />
Fabian Pohl<br />
Akos Vincze<br />
Profile<br />
@montanastorevienna<br />
Text<br />
@team_flightmode<br />
↓ Vienna is stunningly<br />
beautiful. There’s<br />
plenty to discover in<br />
the capital of Austria.<br />
62<br />
Street Report BAba und Foi Net!
Servas! Schnitzel, Sachertorte, Schmäh – Vienna<br />
is a city for indulgence and hedonism! The<br />
capital of Austria is certainly a place that<br />
nourishes art and culture, boasting a prestigious<br />
list of renowned international icons. The hometown<br />
of Sigmund Freud, Norbert Siegl, and Elfriede<br />
Jelinek is rich with architectural highlights designed by<br />
the likes of Otto Wagner and Hundertwasser. What’s<br />
more, there are loads of murals all over town – and we<br />
haven ’t even mentioned the trains! A true feast for the<br />
eyes. Sit back, enjoy a Melange and find some inspiration<br />
for your next vacation as we take you on a tour through<br />
the tremendous town. There is plenty to discover!<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Store Vienna<br />
In summer 2021, the only <strong>Montana</strong> Flagship<br />
Store in Austria reinvented itself. Bigger, brighter and<br />
better. With clean shapes and a sleek interior design,<br />
the tidy shop is always fully stocked with the best<br />
supplies for all kinds of artistic endeavors. A combined<br />
space, half store, half gallery, provides a hub for culture,<br />
hosting an array of ever-changing exhibitions. “Right<br />
from the start, it was important to me not only to be a<br />
classic retail business but also to be a meeting point for<br />
international and local artists with our regular exhibitions,”<br />
says Fabian, owner of the shop. Brick and mortar<br />
still have the power to generate momentum. Here, the<br />
well-thought-out concept emanates passion and<br />
competence with meticulous attention to every detail.<br />
All furniture is custom-made and tailored to the location.<br />
Hence, it comes as no surprise the <strong>Montana</strong> Store<br />
Vienna had the honor to co-create a a <strong>Montana</strong> Collabo<br />
can as the first retailer ever. To highlight its cultural<br />
relevance, the shop opening simultaneously launched<br />
an exhibition by none other than @thatsallmost. After<br />
that, @mason.tfp was the next heavyweight to showcase<br />
his works, followed by @sobekcis. To conclude,<br />
the shop has more to offer than just products; it’s<br />
always worth a visit.<br />
Right from the start, it was important<br />
to me not only to be a classic retail<br />
business but also to be a meeting<br />
point for international and local<br />
artists with our regular exhibitions<br />
↑ During the opening<br />
hours, it’s always time<br />
to burn! Most shows<br />
what can be done with<br />
the right amount of<br />
style and practice.<br />
← When credibility<br />
and consistency<br />
meet craftmanship –<br />
all furniture is custom<br />
made.<br />
Street Report BAba und Foi Net! 63
Donaukanal – Bruder Jakob<br />
One of the fascinating aspects of Graffiti to us<br />
has always been its democratic element. Not in secluded<br />
white cubes, but within cityscapes, culture flourishes.<br />
Located in the heart of town, the Donaukanal invites<br />
flaneurs for a raincheck. Locals and tourists love this<br />
spot with its seemingly endless colorful walls for legal<br />
Graffiti. On top, the area offers busy nightlife, perfect<br />
conditions for jogging and cycling, or simply leisure<br />
time – basically anything except swimming is possible.<br />
“Vienna is a perfect city for a free<br />
lifestyle. It offers perfect conditions<br />
for painting because the whole town<br />
is different from other big capitals;<br />
everything is a bit slower and more<br />
relaxed. It’s easy to paint good spots<br />
and find your specialty where you<br />
can be at peace and do your own<br />
thing undisturbed.”<br />
Bruder Jakob<br />
64 Street Report BAba und Foi Net!
Wiener Linien – Public Transit<br />
Big cities usually cater to audiences that are<br />
keen on Graffiti. Nice trains and especially unique<br />
subway systems make all the difference between a<br />
stopover or a must-see destination. Vienna has got it all<br />
– a wide variety of commuters, trams, S-trains, and<br />
subways provide a close net of transportation that<br />
moves with constant cadence. Five lines run on the<br />
U-Bahn, ten on the S-Trains. True beauties called<br />
U-Class (Silberpfeil!), V-Cars designed by Porsche (you<br />
might be familiar with the design if Oslo rings a bell?),<br />
U6 with its toaster, the nimble Wiesel (translating to<br />
“Weasel”), or our all-time favorite ET4020. The stations<br />
An extra tip, the tickets for Wiener<br />
Linien are pretty affordable, so your<br />
commute won’t break the bank<br />
provide plenty of space for art (The Schnitzel Counter!<br />
In “Factoids” by Ken Lum at Karlsplatz), as too does the<br />
rolling stock. For a more elaborate reality check, we<br />
recommend studying Schnellbahn by Astro. An extra tip,<br />
the tickets for Wiener Linien are pretty affordable, so<br />
your commute won’t break the bank.<br />
Ain’t no trash.<br />
Vienna offers many<br />
possibilities to find<br />
beauty in unusual<br />
spots.<br />
Street Report BAba und Foi Net!<br />
65
66<br />
Street Report BAba und Foi Net!
“I’m in a constant act of liberation,<br />
and painting large scale is my way to<br />
go. Also, murals enable me to work<br />
with my favorite tool of all times: the<br />
spray can.”<br />
Nychos<br />
Murals in Vienna – Nychos<br />
← Nychos giving<br />
to birth to his brainchild<br />
in the streets<br />
of Vienna.<br />
↑ Craving a candy<br />
bar? Hang in there<br />
and remember to eat<br />
your greens, too!<br />
↓ Watch out, fresh<br />
paint! Sometimes you<br />
should take a step<br />
back. In this case, to<br />
get a better view of<br />
the finished mural.<br />
Luckily, Vienna is a colorful city. However, not<br />
too long ago, the situation was slightly different. We<br />
took the opportunity to chat with one of the most<br />
prolific artists from Austria about challenging the<br />
status quo and working with extensive formats. “I’m in<br />
a constant act of liberation, and painting large scale is<br />
my way to go. Also, murals enable me to work with my<br />
favorite tool of all times: the spray can. At the wall is<br />
where I meditate, where I reach states of flow,” says<br />
Nychos. While his paintings can be found anywhere<br />
around the globe, shaping the cityscape of his hometown<br />
still is of importance to him. “The basic Viennese<br />
attitude is first of all to reject everything that is new –<br />
and to complain about it. I guess it’s always been like<br />
that, despite that we have a rich historical background<br />
when it comes to groundbreaking art movements. In<br />
the past, I’ve experienced Vienna as a rather slow and<br />
lazy city as far as the Graffiti and Street Art scene is<br />
concerned – but this is rapidly changing. When I came<br />
to Vienna, the city was pretty blank, and I remember it<br />
was quite some effort to change that. Looking at<br />
Vienna now makes me kind of proud. The city is getting<br />
more colorful each year, and people start to appreciate<br />
art on the streets. Vienna provides many legal spots to<br />
paint – but still, organizing permission for long-lasting<br />
legal murals involves a great deal of bureaucracy. Most<br />
of the mural projects are enabled by the homeowners,<br />
so there’s definitely more room to grow.”<br />
Street Report BAba und Foi Net! 67
Vienna, a Spraycity?<br />
“Writing in Vienna is very international. No<br />
wonder – Vienna is located in the heart of Europe, and<br />
other capitals such as Bratislava, Budapest, or Prague<br />
are only a stone’s throw away. If you want, you can see<br />
for yourself by taking a look at the express trains. For<br />
example, at Schedifkaplatz in Meidling – here you have<br />
a clear view onto not only the tracks but also the best<br />
Sachertorte ice cream in Vienna in summer,” is what<br />
curator and local legend Stefan Wogrin recommends.<br />
He runs Spraycity, an extensive Graffiti writing archive<br />
focusing on all aspects of Graffiti culture in and around<br />
Vienna.<br />
I guess it’s always been like that,<br />
despite that we have a rich historical<br />
background when it comes to<br />
groundbreaking art movements.<br />
↑ Start them young!<br />
Nothing beats a relaxed<br />
Sunday session<br />
with your crew.<br />
↗ Devil is in the detail?<br />
No problem with<br />
the Level 1 cap.<br />
→ Eyes on the prize!<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Store Vienna<br />
had the honor to<br />
co-create a <strong>Montana</strong><br />
Collabo can as the<br />
first retailer ever.<br />
68 Street Report BAba und Foi Net!
Savoir Vivre – Indulgence<br />
If you crave a quick snack, the occasional<br />
Würstlstand is a no-brainer. On top, the city offers<br />
numerous more sophisticated options. Here are some<br />
of the locals’ favorites:<br />
Nychos<br />
My favorite restaurant is located at<br />
Am Nordpol 3, 1020 Vienna<br />
Most<br />
„Drinking some wine and enjoying the view over<br />
the city from a Heuriger – one of the famous rustic<br />
taverns on the Kahlenberg.“<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Store Vienna<br />
We regularly have lunch at Schöne Perle.<br />
The Schnitzel is one of our favorites!<br />
Located at Große Pfarrgasse 2, 1020 Vienna<br />
Spraycity<br />
If you want to go benching, check out Zuckero 1120<br />
in Breitenfurter Str. 1, 1120 Vienna.<br />
Close to the tracks, best ice cream, and cakes!<br />
← A carefully curated<br />
selection of printed<br />
mattevr enhances the<br />
assortment.<br />
↓ A true hub for culture.<br />
Changing exhibitions<br />
will make your<br />
visit worthwhile at<br />
any time.<br />
Street Report BAba und Foi Net!<br />
69
Yok and<br />
Sheryo<br />
A Chinese graffiti moment with<br />
↑ The sign of a day<br />
well spent. Dirty hands<br />
and paint stains.<br />
Location<br />
China<br />
Photography<br />
Yok<br />
Profile<br />
@_sheryo, @_theyok<br />
www.yokandsheryo.com<br />
← Big is always better.<br />
Or at least it was on<br />
this day.<br />
↑ Another city that<br />
doesn’t sleep. Not<br />
even painting artists<br />
can distract the locals<br />
from their activities.<br />
70<br />
Artist in focus Yok and Sheryo
↓ Too much coffee or<br />
just pushing the<br />
boundaries? Yok takes<br />
the straight edge out<br />
of outlining.<br />
↑ Some Beijing boogaloo.<br />
Yok shows the<br />
locals he knows what<br />
he‘s doing.<br />
With the current crippled state of the world<br />
travel situation, many of the Spraycations<br />
artists enjoyed up until 2019, came to a<br />
grinding halt in 2020. Some were lucky to<br />
move a little before restrictions came back<br />
into place, others didn’t even make it out of<br />
their countries or states. Let’s spare a<br />
thought for all those people stuck in countries.<br />
Countries they felt they didn’t belong<br />
in, or countries they do belong in which<br />
separate them from those they love who<br />
are in their own countries far away.<br />
↓ The flavor of Asia,<br />
Yok mixes style<br />
with culture in his own<br />
unique way.<br />
↓ Fresh letters, colors,<br />
and characters. It all<br />
comes together in one<br />
place.<br />
↓ A little more perspective,<br />
this SHERYO<br />
piece takes the blockbuster<br />
concept in new<br />
directions.<br />
Artist in focus Yok and Sheryo 71
← The stairway to<br />
heaven. How often<br />
can anyone say that<br />
they have painted<br />
in an abandoned<br />
shopping mall?<br />
↓ Contemporary art in<br />
contemporary architecture.<br />
The surreal<br />
experience of painting<br />
a space that should be<br />
full of people.<br />
Take a look here at a Chinese<br />
version of being locked down<br />
↑ Abandoned locations<br />
are often<br />
old and not well maintained.<br />
Which made<br />
this painting adventure<br />
extremely unique.<br />
TOGETHER IN SEPARATION<br />
This is exactly the case for Australian<br />
artist Yok, and his Singaporean wife<br />
Sheryo. Once Corona restrictions came<br />
into force, Yok, who could no longer leave<br />
China, was unable to see his beloved<br />
Sheryo who was stuck in Bali. What is at<br />
first an uncomfortable situation, is later<br />
an invitation to be creative with the extra<br />
time one has been given.<br />
72<br />
Artist in focus Yok and Sheryo
Yok has done just that and made something<br />
good from a situation that for him is<br />
bad. And the fruit of his new spare time is<br />
graffiti. In an abandoned mall in China, Yok<br />
unloaded some of his frustrations and<br />
developed his graffiti writing craft. With a<br />
little help from his <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK and<br />
GOLD cans, things got a little easier to deal<br />
with, and a lot more colorful. And he connected<br />
with his beloved Sheryo on a different<br />
level. Take a look here at a Chinese<br />
version of being locked down. And may the<br />
next Spraycation be just around the corner.<br />
↑ Yok’s exeptional eye<br />
for color makes each<br />
piece as engaging as<br />
the next.<br />
← No rules required.<br />
Yok reinvents graffiti<br />
for himself.<br />
→ The reoccurring feline<br />
figure is common<br />
amongst Yok’s works.<br />
→ Using the color<br />
chrome cleverly is not<br />
as easy as it sounds.<br />
In this image it takes<br />
a while before the<br />
viewer even realizes it.<br />
Artist in focus Yok and Sheryo<br />
73
74<br />
Peace Rambo
The word “PEACE” has not had so much<br />
meaning as it does right now. Russian<br />
artist Rambo decides to spread a little<br />
peace directly on a Moscow suburban train<br />
station.<br />
Peace Rambo 75
Introducing<br />
Rubae<br />
Location<br />
Kiev, Ukraine<br />
Photography<br />
RUBAE<br />
Profile<br />
@rubae1<br />
of the LEGZ Crew<br />
Running the new ground “Nowadays, you don’t surprise anyone with<br />
standard and classic graffiti”. Whether or not this statement is accurate<br />
could very much dependent on who is saying it and where they are. For<br />
the Ukrainian graffiti artist RUBAE of the LEGZ crew, it more or less sums<br />
up his current approach to his prolific graffiti practice on the Ukrainian<br />
“Kovalska” freight train wagons.<br />
↓ The sky is the limit<br />
for RUBAE at the top<br />
of his game.<br />
76<br />
Artist in focus Rubae
As well as innovative graffiti styles, he<br />
focuses on a clever choice of reinvented<br />
iconic brand logos with his brand of<br />
technically apt graffiti style writing. With an<br />
exceptional choice of <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK can colors, his<br />
work formula is clear, readable, and accessible so that<br />
any member of the public can read and identify with it<br />
as well as maintaining a dialogue with his fellow<br />
initiated graffiti writers who come from all over to leave<br />
their mark on the Kovalska trains.<br />
Since 2002, RUBAE has been an active graffiti<br />
writer developing a well-established name for himself<br />
in his home city Kyiv and beyond. His original thirst and<br />
interest in commuter, metro, and subway trains had<br />
long been quenched as he concluded that the level of<br />
reward for effort seemed less and less valid to paint<br />
them. This made the transition in 2017 to focus on the<br />
green “Kovalska” wagons seem like an easy one. 480<br />
smooth green wagons with no ridges in a size that is<br />
perfect for a single writer to cover with quality seemed<br />
as inviting as the ease to do them and the reward of<br />
seeing them constantly running the new ground in<br />
traffic. Taking their goods from the quarry to multiple<br />
destinations around the city with 50 to 100 painted<br />
wagons rolling together through Kyiv on any single run.<br />
↑ ↑ In a move that<br />
brought peace to all<br />
parties, the Kovalska<br />
train markings were<br />
moved to the upper<br />
part of each wagon to<br />
stay legible for workers<br />
and make space<br />
for the graffiti below.<br />
↑ Business as usual<br />
after the arrival of the<br />
Coronavirus. While<br />
the world turned white<br />
in fear, the freight<br />
trains became brighter<br />
than ever.<br />
Since 2002, RUBAE<br />
has been an active<br />
graffiti writer developing<br />
a well-established<br />
name for<br />
himself in his home<br />
city Kyiv and beyond<br />
↑ The simple style<br />
that caught the eyes of<br />
many and made<br />
RUBAE shine through<br />
the cold Ukrainian<br />
winters.<br />
→ “Caution, wet paint.”<br />
And warning tape to<br />
match. Don't cross<br />
this line, at least not if<br />
you intend to go over<br />
his piece.<br />
Artist in focus Rubae 77
← RUBAE in yellow<br />
and black. This sticker<br />
has been printed<br />
over 30.000 times<br />
and can be found<br />
stuck all over the<br />
world.<br />
→ RUBAE keeps it<br />
simple in black and<br />
white. Proving that<br />
less can be more.<br />
↘ A taste of something<br />
exotic, five letters<br />
that speak<br />
many languages.<br />
↓ An exploration in<br />
style, with the guideline<br />
to keep it readable.<br />
RUBAE<br />
can open a dialogue<br />
with any willing to onlooker.<br />
↓ ↓ Almost as if<br />
straight out of an oldfashioned<br />
jail, RUBAE<br />
shows rail workers<br />
how straight lines are<br />
achieved with spray<br />
cans.<br />
↓ Another Coronavirus-inspired<br />
piece in<br />
green. “Wash hands<br />
and stay home.”<br />
↘ A birthday dedication<br />
to the SEGA Mega<br />
Drive. RUBAE remembers<br />
his inner child in<br />
blue, white and black.<br />
The phenomenon had grown so fast<br />
that the clean wagons of 2017 were<br />
full by 2020. Forcing artists to go<br />
higher to the “second floor”<br />
78<br />
Artist in focus Rubae
← The red and white<br />
Kovalska logo finds<br />
a consistent home in<br />
the background of<br />
many RUBAE pieces.<br />
↓ ↓ The focal point of<br />
the Kovalska project,<br />
RUBAE reinvents the<br />
brands and logos that<br />
not only graffiti writers<br />
relate to.<br />
↓ Showing that he<br />
has a style for every<br />
occasion with minimal<br />
colors required.<br />
However, with the upgrading of the<br />
fleet to 480 wagons and 5 locomotives,<br />
this number soon became a<br />
starting point<br />
The phenomenon had grown so fast that the<br />
clean wagons of 2017 were full by 2020. Forcing artists<br />
to go higher to the “second floor” above the existing<br />
works, or to improve the quality of their works to earn<br />
the right to go over lesser, unfinished, or damaged<br />
pieces. From Autumn 2018 until winter <strong>2022</strong>, RUBAE<br />
had been patiently carving his way through what was<br />
first to be a project that would be completed by the<br />
release of a publication recording 100 painted Kovalska<br />
wagons. However, with the upgrading of the fleet to 480<br />
wagons and 5 locomotives, this number soon became a<br />
starting point bringing the quantity and the quality of<br />
the works to an even higher level. Here is a snapshot of<br />
just some of the previously unpublished artworks that<br />
will also feature in the <strong>2022</strong> release of the RUBAE book.<br />
Artist in focus Rubae 79
9 works<br />
on a<br />
Fr8 by<br />
Revok<br />
Only a few writers can do it all;<br />
Revok glistens. Originally from the suburbs<br />
of Los Angeles, his name has become an<br />
international staple within the graffiti<br />
world. What makes him so exceptional?<br />
Location<br />
Detroit, USA<br />
Photography<br />
Revok<br />
Profile<br />
@_revok_<br />
↓ Keeping it fresh.<br />
Union Pacific Reefer<br />
Car<br />
1<br />
80 Artist in Focus Revok
2→ Monarchy on a<br />
Grand Trunk<br />
Western Boxcar, in<br />
collaboration with<br />
OMENS MSK<br />
His output is non-stop, to begin with. Writers<br />
seldomly are comparably consistent<br />
over decades. On top, quantity and quality<br />
always go hand in hand in his works. A high<br />
degree of technicality can be observed in<br />
his usually very colorful pieces.<br />
3→ Autorack out in<br />
the wild<br />
4↓ Crispy clean piece<br />
on a rusty Boxcar<br />
He is a true master of the craft and knows<br />
his way around the tools. No wonder —<br />
practice makes perfect, and Revok is a prolific<br />
artist. And like any known artist, there<br />
has been a fair share of controversy, too.<br />
Surprisingly, he has been on both ends of<br />
litigations, creating precedential cases<br />
regarding copyright issues for street artists,<br />
making the art world watch.<br />
Artist in Focus Revok<br />
81
5← Holy guacamole.<br />
KCS Autorack<br />
He has worked with big corporations, as<br />
well as against them. Sometimes, you have<br />
to break an egg to make an omelet. Hence,<br />
he paid his dues quite literally in addition<br />
to putting in the work.<br />
Gravel from the yards turned into a stepping<br />
stone, figuratively speaking. Thus,<br />
nowadays, the white cube suits him as<br />
much as clandestine missions on railway<br />
premises.<br />
6↓ PW Autorack with<br />
the Dirty Thirty<br />
7← Tequila sunrise.<br />
KCS Autorack<br />
Raw concrete, rolling steel, or canvas are<br />
all equally frequent media choices for him.<br />
From tags, throw-ups, rollers to burners,<br />
Revok makes it look easy to adjust to any<br />
format.<br />
82 Artist in Focus Revok
8→ Tequila sunrise.<br />
KCS Autorack<br />
However, freight trains seem to hold a<br />
special place in his heart, and it is easy to<br />
see why. Works stay up, and they will go to<br />
traffic; they might even go far. Visibility is<br />
guaranteed. It is refreshing to see him<br />
going as strong as ever, so enjoy an exquisite<br />
selection of crisp freight burners by<br />
none other than the maestro himself!<br />
9↓ Autoracks do not<br />
exclusively transport<br />
automobiles —<br />
they might even carry<br />
burners!<br />
Artist in Focus Revok<br />
83
Heaps<br />
Introducing graffiti writer Heaps:<br />
Heaps good graffiti from Norway and beyond<br />
Profile<br />
@herrsolskinn<br />
Photography<br />
@herrsolskinn<br />
The Norwegian graffiti scene isn’t always<br />
the first thing thought of when you talk<br />
about prolific graffiti writing communities.<br />
To be fair, it rains there a lot! A large part<br />
of their year has little natural light, and<br />
the winters are cold enough to break even<br />
the hardest writers. Who’s expecting<br />
anyone there to be prolific anyway? All<br />
that aside, there is no better anecdote to<br />
excuses than results. And one person<br />
getting heaps of results is the prolific graffiti<br />
writer, Heaps.<br />
84 Artist in Focus Heaps
Artist in Focus Heaps<br />
85
86 Artist in Focus Heaps
As Heaps put it to us, he does heaps of different things<br />
in heaps of different places. All while using heaps of<br />
different names in heaps of different styles. Add heaps<br />
of characters, heaps of ideas, and heaps of colors (we<br />
added that one), and you end up with a writer who even<br />
wants to do heaps more! He admits that his name is<br />
just one name among the heaps of other names that<br />
could be written. He just wishes he had the time to<br />
write heaps more. And he’s not too bad with a camera<br />
either, as you can see in this spread of just some of the<br />
heaps of photos he has taken.<br />
Artist in Focus Heaps<br />
87
Location<br />
Hamburg, Germany<br />
Profile<br />
@superspray<br />
Re-introducing graffiti artist SUPERSPRAY<br />
The hottest dog around<br />
It has been quite a few years since our first<br />
brief introduction to the German graffiti<br />
artist SUPERSPRAY on the <strong>Montana</strong> Blog.<br />
Via a small essay prepared by fellow graffiti<br />
artist and Jim129, we were alerted to<br />
some of the many strengths and unique<br />
factors of SUPERSPRAY’s work that have<br />
not gone unnoticed by a larger world audience<br />
since.<br />
↑ “Slayer”, a suggestion<br />
of music tastes or<br />
a reference to another<br />
subculture? HOT DOG<br />
keeps us guessing.<br />
↓ With just the right<br />
amount of know-how<br />
and concept, this<br />
HOT DOG piece offers<br />
more than just aesthetics.<br />
88 Artist in Focus Superspray
As we have already learned, there is a lot<br />
more to the artist SUPERSPRAY than just<br />
this name. With as many styles as he has<br />
aliases, SUPERSPRAY, is also known as<br />
RIPS, and HOT DOG. The word “Hot Dog” is not exactly a<br />
word that reaks of graffiti spirit or culture. Something<br />
that SUPERSPRAY has single-handedly changed. For<br />
many of those in graffiti culture, the word HOT DOG is<br />
now a symbol of graffiti style, innovation, and just the<br />
right amount of tongue-in-cheek humor to make every<br />
piece worth revisiting.<br />
↑ Three eyes are better<br />
than two. SUPER-<br />
SPRAY’s characters<br />
have more than meets<br />
the eye.<br />
↑ Putting the “Ghetto<br />
Blasters” crew on<br />
top, SUPERSPRAY<br />
challenges the norms<br />
with some the downward<br />
chrome 3D.<br />
For many of those in graffiti culture,<br />
the word HOT DOG is now a symbol<br />
of graffiti style, innovation, and<br />
just the right amount of tongue-incheek<br />
humor<br />
→ Whether blocky and<br />
geometric, or smooth<br />
and flowing, looking at<br />
a HOT DOG piece is<br />
not something you do<br />
lightly.<br />
Artist in Focus Superspray<br />
89
↑ “PANT 1 TWO”.<br />
A playful tip of the hat<br />
to PANTONE, the<br />
Spanish graffiti artist<br />
turned fine artist.<br />
→ Even football<br />
(or soccer) gets a<br />
mention in the SUPER-<br />
SPRAY arsenal of graffiti<br />
humor.<br />
↑ BLADE. A homage<br />
to a king in his own<br />
style with a unique<br />
characterized portrait<br />
of BLADE himself. Another<br />
aspect SUPER-<br />
SPRAY has become<br />
known for.<br />
↓ Another HOT DOG<br />
rendition of respected<br />
graffiti icons. This<br />
time a respectful version<br />
of the OS GE-<br />
MEOS brothers.<br />
Whether it be a homage to a graffiti<br />
legend or a new invention of a re-invention,<br />
his work is often so simple<br />
that it appears complicated. And the<br />
same in reverse.<br />
↓ Stars, fades, and<br />
style. This HOT DOG<br />
piece comes complete<br />
with “GOBERTO<br />
REISSINI” shout-out.<br />
↓ Even SEEN couldn’t<br />
escape the SUPER-<br />
SPRAY homage and<br />
unique personalized<br />
portrait.<br />
90 Artist in Focus Superspray
There are many factors to SUPERSPRAY’s<br />
graffiti writing that make him a standout artist from the<br />
vast array of talent coming out of his home city Hamburg,<br />
out of Germany, and from abroad. Style is just one<br />
of them. Although his pieces have often referred to<br />
those who came before him, his style is always unique<br />
and recognizable as only his. Whether it be a homage to<br />
a graffiti legend or a new invention of a re-invention, his<br />
work is often so simple that it appears complicated.<br />
And the same in reverse.<br />
SUPERSPRAY is not afraid to paint outside the<br />
box. Or the circle, the background, or any other shape<br />
for that matter. As touched on in the essay by Jim129,<br />
for those that look at a SUPERSPRAY piece for the first<br />
time unaware of who he is or what he does, they could<br />
quickly come to the assumption that it may have been<br />
done by a toy. However, in an even quicker period of<br />
time, they promptly come to the realization that the<br />
artwork that they are being dazzled by has been done by<br />
a technically apt graffiti veteran who has made a<br />
conscious decision to paint the piece exactly as he<br />
wanted. With a touch of rebellion and a healthy dose of<br />
humor, SUPERSPRAY, HOT DOG, RIPS (or whatever it is<br />
you may think you know of him as), has carved a path in<br />
his local, national, and international graffiti scene with a<br />
fuck you attitude that is well received all over the world.<br />
↓ An intriguing choice<br />
of repetition, two colors,<br />
and simple hand<br />
styles. Even HOT DOG<br />
tags stand out from<br />
the crowd.<br />
Artist in Focus Superspray<br />
91
92 Artist in Focus Superspray
Artist in Focus Superspray<br />
93
SUPERSPRAY’s graffiti practice is not just<br />
reliant on classic letter-based graffiti alone. The visual<br />
references that find their way into his paintings, (sometimes<br />
repeatedly), can vary from blockbusters, bubble<br />
letters, semi-wild styles to classic New York-influenced<br />
styles. An endless variety of cartoon-inspired characters,<br />
all the way through to illustrative and humorous<br />
renditions of his friends and favorite graffiti writers.<br />
References to periods in time, like the dynamic colors<br />
and imagery of art from the 60s and 70s. Even cultural<br />
references like 90s rave culture and psychedelic art<br />
make you wonder how old he is? Not forgetting his<br />
seemingly effortless ability to play with words. All this<br />
with unquestionable technical skill and the knowledge<br />
of what to apply where. Clean or dirty, straight or<br />
rounded. Just like the dried-up hot dog being kept warm<br />
under the heat lights of the traditional German Döner<br />
Imbiss, when you’re hungry for inspiration HOT DOG’s<br />
pieces never disappoint.<br />
An endless variety of cartooninspired<br />
characters, all the<br />
way through to illustrative and<br />
humorous renditions of his<br />
friends and favorite graffiti writers<br />
↖ As seen before but<br />
in a whole new way.<br />
Every HOT DOG piece<br />
is like a futuristic trip<br />
to the past.<br />
↑ GBR, Ghetto Blasters,<br />
or Ghetto Bromance?<br />
The possibilities<br />
do not start, or<br />
end, with the history of<br />
graffiti.<br />
↓ A technique for every<br />
occasion. If it’s hot,<br />
he will try it.<br />
← The classic rock<br />
background with pieces<br />
extruding interpreted<br />
in that unique SU-<br />
PERSPRAY way.<br />
point.<br />
← Pushing styles further<br />
on paper and walls,<br />
even the drawn versions<br />
of HOT DOG<br />
pieces don’t disappoint.<br />
94 Artist in Focus Superspray
↗ Time to play ball. Although<br />
it is a lot harder<br />
to concentrate on<br />
your game when in a<br />
room full of HOT DOG<br />
pieces.<br />
↓ Where does it start,<br />
and where does it<br />
end? This skatepark<br />
scene is one not to be<br />
missed.<br />
Artist in Focus Superspray<br />
95
TEENAGE<br />
KICKS<br />
in Rennes, France<br />
Location<br />
Rennes, France<br />
Photography<br />
Titouan Massé<br />
Erwan Pinault<br />
Profile<br />
@ teenagekicks_biennale<br />
THE 5TH TEENAGE KICKS In the<br />
north-western region of Rennes in France,<br />
the capital city of Brittany is more than just<br />
a prime example of medieval architecture.<br />
The city is also a cultural hot spot with<br />
many events, activities, and exhibitions<br />
that support and develop the arts on many<br />
levels.<br />
96<br />
Recap Teenage Kicks
o<br />
ne of these events is the biennial Wall Of<br />
Fame event on the Boulevard du Colombier.<br />
Since 2013, 900 square meters of wall<br />
space have been receiving a new coat of<br />
paint and colors from graffiti artists and muralists from<br />
the local region and abroad.<br />
Complimented by bands, DJs, and the great<br />
outdoors, on the 11th and 12th of September 2021,<br />
TEENAGE KICKS gave residents and visitors a<br />
much-needed breath of fresh air, outside and without<br />
the covid restrictions and requirements for indoor<br />
events. As the sun passed over, the onlookers passed<br />
by on foot or by bike. Even the non-initiated felt the need<br />
to stop and take a look, the mandatory telephone<br />
photos as proof of what they had experienced that day.<br />
↓ Anything boys can<br />
do, girls can do just<br />
as well. La Franz uses<br />
every ladder step<br />
available.<br />
↑ A favored mode<br />
of transport, the locals<br />
on bicycles could<br />
be seen in force, often<br />
passing by each mural<br />
more than once.<br />
↓ Always packing a<br />
punch, the black background<br />
never fails<br />
when it comes to contrast.<br />
↓ TEENAGE KICKS.<br />
The name that captures<br />
the teenage kid<br />
inside of us all.<br />
← A breath of fresh air<br />
outside. A welcomed<br />
day out without all the<br />
covid restrictions required<br />
for indoor<br />
events.<br />
Recap Teenage Kicks 97
98<br />
Recap Teenage Kicks
← Not a single element<br />
was not thought<br />
out. From the most<br />
complex to the most<br />
simple concepts and<br />
beyond.<br />
↙ And above, the train<br />
line. Many of the<br />
passing passengers<br />
were most likely unaware<br />
of the magic<br />
that was happening<br />
below.<br />
↑ Robotic, hypnotic.<br />
A place where graffiti<br />
styles and colors<br />
clashed.<br />
← Contemporary graffiti<br />
with a little French<br />
touch. TEENAGE<br />
KICKS was a coming<br />
together of talent.<br />
← Heat from every direction<br />
as the dynamic<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> GOLD and<br />
BLACK can colors lit<br />
up the city of Rennes.<br />
↓ Not like all the others.<br />
Diversity was the<br />
key ingredient for the<br />
Biannual Hall Of Fame.<br />
Some were oblivious to the significance of the international<br />
graffiti-style writing talent in front of them that all<br />
come together for this, the 5th edition of the biennial<br />
event. Graffiti style writing letter styles of all descriptions<br />
unfolded as the days rolled on. From the most<br />
readable public styles to ultra-technical wildstyle<br />
letters, all the way through to contemporary graffiti<br />
abstraction. A little something for everyone with many<br />
of the flavors European graffiti has to offer today. A<br />
welcome change from isolation and bad news, and a<br />
welcomed color upgrade to the local urban space.<br />
Something for the locals to be proud of long after the<br />
crowds had gone home.<br />
Recap Teenage Kicks<br />
99
↓ Even the out-oftowners<br />
exceeded<br />
their goals. In this<br />
case, MOST bringing<br />
a little German<br />
funk to the capital of<br />
Brittany.<br />
→ A great combination<br />
of letters, characters,<br />
and color.<br />
↘ Old-school or newschool.<br />
It didn‘t matter<br />
as long as it had flavor.<br />
↑ Armor on and ready<br />
for battle, albeit<br />
tongue in cheek.<br />
↓↓ Finished with all<br />
the trimmings. LA<br />
FRANZ gives graffiti<br />
a touch of the Italian<br />
way.<br />
→ „Smile, you’re out<br />
on the streets and allowed<br />
to have fun“.<br />
That is what getting<br />
your kicks is all about.<br />
↓ No outline or a<br />
really thick outline?<br />
this one kept them<br />
guessing.<br />
YUBIA (SPAIN), LAIA (SPAIN), FRESH (SPAIN), DEMS<br />
(SPAIN), LAFRANZ (ITALY), SOFIE (ITALY), HONEY<br />
(GERMANY), MOST (GERMANY), FREDONE (GERMA-<br />
NY), RIOT1394 (GERMANY), SMASH137 (SWITZER-<br />
LAND), GOLDENGREEN (GERMANY), DIZE (PARIS),<br />
BUNGLECED (METZ), RODES (METZ), STOM500<br />
(STRASBOURG), MOMIES (MONTPELLIER), HOCTEZ<br />
(PARIS), RESO (TOULOUSE), HAECK (BORDEAUX),DY-<br />
VA (BORDEAUX), ZOIA (NANTES), DIPSE (NANTES),<br />
ARNEM (NANTES), RWICK PX CREW (VANNES), &<br />
HOFUS PX CREW (VANNES), OBSEN (Paris), SECRET<br />
(Colombie), SETH (Paris) and MEST (Italy)<br />
100 Recap Teenage Kicks
Recap Teenage Kicks<br />
101
SWEET UNO<br />
Filling in the boxes<br />
with a style<br />
Location<br />
Karlsruhe, Germany<br />
Photography<br />
@schreiberpoetter<br />
Profile<br />
@sweetunograffsport<br />
↓ Piece by piece,<br />
the puzzle of SWEET<br />
garage doors in a<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
fading gradient come<br />
together.<br />
102 Production SWEET UNO
Is it a piece, or is it a throw-up? German-based,<br />
Swiss-born artist SWEET UNO has been pushing this<br />
question in his graffiti practice for so long, the lines<br />
have become so blurred that they may no longer be<br />
relevant. For the recent indoor/outdoor contemporary<br />
urban art event “ExpoStation” in conjunction with<br />
TEAM COMBO, a series of spaces at the soon-to-be-refurbished<br />
SYBEL CENTER in Karlsruhe became available<br />
for artists to paint. And with the saying “creators<br />
gotta create” in mind, this presented an excellent<br />
opportunity for SWEET UNO to transform an unused<br />
space into an outdoor highly opaque color gradient.<br />
← Laid out and ready<br />
for action, watching<br />
SWEET UNO paint<br />
graffiti is like watching<br />
a speeding train<br />
passing by.<br />
↙ His favorite tool for<br />
his favorite pastime.<br />
The <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
cans fit in his hands<br />
like a glove.<br />
↓ Shake well for optimum<br />
results. SWEET<br />
UNO is no stranger to<br />
doing the prep-work.<br />
Production SWEET UNO<br />
103
↑ There is no second<br />
chance. When SWEET<br />
UNO is ready to put on<br />
the outline,<br />
it has to be right the<br />
first time.<br />
↗ The calm before the<br />
storm, or was that afterward?<br />
The only<br />
thing slowing the artist<br />
down was the<br />
downpour of rain before<br />
the sun came out<br />
again.<br />
↗ The act of outlining<br />
is not just a physical<br />
one for SWEET UNO.<br />
Like a dance or a performance,<br />
his hands,<br />
eyes, and body all<br />
move in sync with his<br />
mind.<br />
There was no second chance for<br />
SWEET UNO when it came to putting<br />
on his final outlines. Every spray<br />
stroke, line, and movement had to<br />
be repeated in the same way<br />
→ Almost there.<br />
Filling in the boxes<br />
one piece at a time.<br />
The artist, who is renowned for his less is more<br />
approach, came up with a concept that was completely<br />
void of tricks or effects. The flavor of the day was one<br />
unique throw-up/piece design, repeated throughout 10<br />
garage doors, with the simple formula of Black outline,<br />
and one dynamic color per door running in a smooth<br />
color gradient. A concept that was light work for the<br />
chosen <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK range colors that covered the<br />
doors with ease and efficiency.<br />
There was no second chance for SWEET UNO<br />
when it came to putting on his final outlines. Every<br />
spray stroke, line, and movement had to be repeated in<br />
the same way to achieve the effect of having the same<br />
piece repeating over and over again in a different<br />
colored fill-in. Work that was made light by SWEET UNO<br />
who made it look like an on-stage performance of<br />
movement and vigor. There was nothing that could stop<br />
him, except for the rain! But even that came to an end,<br />
allowing the artist to bring his idea to completion. Take<br />
a look here at how unused garages are turned into a<br />
life-sized outdoor urban art gallery by SWEET UNO.<br />
104<br />
Production SWEET UNO
Production SWEET UNO<br />
105
Greek<br />
Artist<br />
Insane<br />
51<br />
Location<br />
Photography Profile<br />
Heidelberg, Germany Jordan Katz /<br />
@insane51<br />
<strong>Montana</strong><strong>Cans</strong><br />
Let's talk about “Lust” –<br />
Mural painted in Heidelberg<br />
106 Artist in focus Insane51
A<br />
Athens-based artist INSANE51 is far from<br />
crazy as his artistic alter ego may suggest.<br />
Born in 1992, it wasn't till 2007 as a 15-year<br />
old that INSANE51 (aka Stathis Tsavalias)<br />
picked up the spray can as an art-making tool to start<br />
his new graffiti hobby. Classic graffiti style writing is far<br />
from what he is known for today, so let's fast forward to<br />
2021 to the annual METROPOLINK Festival in Heidelberg—Germany,<br />
where we were lucky enough to not<br />
only see the artwork “Lust” come to life, but also to<br />
have a chat and learn more about what INSANE51 is<br />
really famous for at the moment.<br />
INSANE51 has found a red and blue<br />
niche in street art that he has managed<br />
to make his own. And with a<br />
little help from his favorite <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK and GOLD cans, INSANE51<br />
brings those ideas to life!<br />
← As haunting as it<br />
is enchanting, watching<br />
Insane51 create<br />
his artworks is truly<br />
captivating.<br />
↑ ↗ A mixture of <strong>Montana</strong><br />
GOLD and BLACK<br />
enables the artist to<br />
reach his desired<br />
goals. The perfect<br />
combination for speed<br />
and precision.<br />
→ The tool that got the<br />
concept started was<br />
the simple plastic<br />
lensed, red and blue<br />
3D glasses.<br />
Artist in focus Insane51<br />
107
“WHAT IS ANAGLYPHIC ANYWAY”<br />
As his image titled “Lust” came to life, the first question<br />
we had was, “what is anaglyphic anyway”? This word we<br />
often hear when reading articles referring to the artist.<br />
The dictionary meaning told us “a composite picture<br />
printed in two colors that produces a three-dimensional<br />
image when viewed through spectacles having lenses<br />
of corresponding colors”. For INSANE51, it was simply<br />
the result of some pre-festival ideas that he experimented<br />
with, after having being inspired by the 3D<br />
movies you watch while wearing those funny 3D glasses.<br />
Having painted and developed this style ever since<br />
INSANE51 has found a red and blue niche in street art<br />
that he has managed to make his own. And with a little<br />
help from his favorite <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK and GOLD cans,<br />
INSANE51 brings those ideas to life!<br />
The mural “Lust”, which was being created for<br />
the METROPOLINK festival in Heidelberg, Germany,<br />
explores a new idea INSANE51 is working on internationally,<br />
which puts the spotlight on the “The 7 Deadly<br />
Sins”. The first of the series “Pride” was painted in his<br />
hometown of Athens, enabling “Lust” to be the conversation-provoking<br />
second mural in the series. <br />
→ The calm before the<br />
storm. Before the topic<br />
of lust could get<br />
started, the bulk of<br />
the mural still had to<br />
take shape.<br />
↓ ↘ Layer by layer<br />
we see how the abstract<br />
patches of red<br />
and blue color build an<br />
anaglyphic image.<br />
↓ ↘ ↘ Testing, testing,<br />
1…2…3. A quick check<br />
with the 3D glasses<br />
to make sure everything<br />
is going to plan.<br />
The first of the series “Pride” was<br />
painted in his hometown of Athens,<br />
enabling “Lust” to be the conversation-provoking<br />
second mural in the<br />
series.<br />
↙ There are many ways<br />
to plot out elements<br />
of a mural when working<br />
large scale. But<br />
what if you're painting<br />
two murals in one? For<br />
Insane51, masking<br />
tape is as good a way<br />
as any.<br />
↓ Variations or red, and<br />
variations of blue. The<br />
basis of the 3D effect.<br />
↓ ↓ All seasons, any<br />
weather. The <strong>Montana</strong><br />
GOLD keeps on keeping<br />
on.<br />
108 Artist in focus Insane51
Artist in focus Insane51<br />
109
For INSANE51, it was simply the<br />
result of some pre-festival ideas<br />
that he experimented with, after<br />
having being inspired by the 3D<br />
movies you watch while wearing<br />
those funny 3D glasses.<br />
↖ ↗ Once split through<br />
the blue or red lens,<br />
the mural can be divided<br />
into two. One part<br />
portrait of a man's<br />
face and hands (in<br />
blue), the other, skeletal<br />
forms of the same<br />
image in red.<br />
“BURNED IN FIRE AND BRIMSTONE”<br />
In Roman mythology, the punishment for lust, the<br />
second of the 7 sins was to be “burned in fire and<br />
brimstone”. Although not as graphic as those words<br />
might be, INSANE51 managed to capture essence of<br />
the concept with an array of visual symbols such as<br />
smoke and the color blue (the symbolic color of lust).<br />
110 Artist in focus Insane51
“Lust”, the finished<br />
mural as seen by naked<br />
eyes without 3D<br />
glasses.<br />
Artist in focus Insane51<br />
111
SeA<br />
Location<br />
Boston, USA<br />
Profile<br />
@pangeaseed<br />
@seawalls<br />
Photography<br />
Tré Packard<br />
Walls<br />
We are all in the same boat<br />
Boston<br />
112<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston
↑ Oceans of messages.<br />
Some literal, some<br />
conceptual. Or in this<br />
case a bit of both.<br />
→ A birds-eye view of<br />
East Boston. Although<br />
the view is not the<br />
point of focus at this<br />
moment.<br />
in 2021, the PangeaSeed Foundation returned to the<br />
city of Boston Massachusetts in the United States,<br />
for the second of its Sea Walls mural festivals for<br />
10 days of ARTivism. For the uninitiated, there are<br />
probably already a few questions to answer. What is<br />
PangeaSeed Foundation, what is Sea Walls, and why in<br />
East Boston? And what is ARTivism anyway? Let’s start<br />
from the beginning to build up the picture for this<br />
important project.<br />
The PangeaSeed Foundation headed by Tré<br />
Packard was initiated in 2012 as a non-profit organization<br />
set up to create public awareness of the health of<br />
our oceans through the creation of art, murals, public<br />
speaking, and workshops. The outcome of these<br />
creative undertakings often resulted in the strengthening<br />
of communities which intern resulted in actions<br />
towards solutions and further public awareness. As the<br />
famous French explorer, conversationalist, filmmaker,<br />
scientist, photographer, author, and researcher Jacques<br />
Cousteau once said, “we are all in the same boat”.<br />
↓ Regardless of it being<br />
an international<br />
city, Boston boasts a<br />
green backdrop for<br />
artists at work.<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston 113
One aspect of the PangeaSeed Foundation was<br />
the initiation of the Sea Walls — Artists for Oceans<br />
program. In the form of a traveling mural festival that<br />
encompasses the creation of artwork and workshops<br />
based on the “save our oceans” theme, Sea Walls now<br />
boasts the creation of over 450+ murals in over 18<br />
countries worldwide.<br />
East Boston has hosted Sea Walls in 2020 and<br />
2021 as a fundamental location of the Sea Walls<br />
program due to the particular vulnerability of the region<br />
to flooding and increased heat due to climate change.<br />
Its geography means there is a substantial risk to both<br />
its land-based and water-based inhabitants. Boston<br />
East plays host to rich environmental diversity that will<br />
suffer gravely as the water levels and water temperatures<br />
rise.<br />
↑ From the top down,<br />
Shepard Fairey brings<br />
his unique touch to<br />
the Sea Walls itinerary.<br />
↙ “Are we done yet?<br />
That moment before<br />
Fairey and his team<br />
down tools after a job<br />
well done.<br />
↓ “Protect the Blue<br />
Planet. One Ocean-<br />
One People”. The Sea<br />
Walls event is not just<br />
about great art, it’s<br />
also about raising<br />
community awareness<br />
on the health and<br />
protection of our<br />
oceans.<br />
Boston East plays host to rich environmental<br />
diversity that will suffer gravely as the<br />
water levels and water temperatures rise.<br />
114<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston
In the form of a traveling mural festival that<br />
encompasses the creation of artwork and<br />
workshops based on the “save our oceans”<br />
theme, Sea Walls now boasts the creation<br />
of over 450+ murals in over 18 countries<br />
worldwide.<br />
↓ All the colors of the<br />
ocean and beyond.<br />
The <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD<br />
range is the fuel for<br />
the Sea Walls creative<br />
engine.<br />
→ Mask , gloves, and<br />
an umbrella. The other<br />
tools of the trade<br />
when not working in<br />
the shade.<br />
→ Murals of all shapes<br />
and sizes are featured<br />
at Sea Walls events<br />
which is why it has<br />
such a large reach to<br />
the general public as<br />
well as the international<br />
street art audience.<br />
← The communication<br />
function of letters.<br />
The basis of graffiti,<br />
the forefather of contemporary<br />
street art.<br />
↓ You know it looks<br />
good when even your<br />
bird wants you to stop<br />
so it can take a look.<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston 115
↑ The black background<br />
shortly before<br />
the wave of color commences.<br />
← Social and spiritual<br />
significance is hard to<br />
achieve in public art,<br />
making this piece<br />
even more engaging.<br />
↓ A mural as unique as<br />
the wall it is painted<br />
on with a clear statement<br />
about the impact<br />
of plastic on our<br />
oceans.<br />
A slogan the PangeaSeed Foundation<br />
celebrates proudly is, “a drop of paint can<br />
create an ocean of change”. And don’t our<br />
oceans need it?<br />
The PangeaSeed Foundation set out on a<br />
mission to spread awareness of the vital issues concerning<br />
ocean health and sustainability (such as plastic<br />
pollution, overfishing, and increased water temperature),<br />
by working with artists and communities to create<br />
artwork that identifies these topics in the public space.<br />
With the merging of art and social activism, they coined<br />
the term ARTivism.<br />
A slogan the PangeaSeed Foundation celebrates<br />
proudly is, “a drop of paint can create an ocean<br />
of change”. And don’t our oceans need it? If it isn’t<br />
rising seas levels, overfishing, or plastic pollution<br />
getting public attention, there are many other aspects<br />
of ocean health that the Sea Walls artists put under the<br />
public microscope. Environmental pollution and the<br />
116<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston
eduction of plastic waste are environmental that<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> knows all too well, which is why it prides<br />
itself in reducing plastic waste and its carbon footprint<br />
by having developed the lidless can. The obvious<br />
aspect of no lids on the cans means less plastic, however,<br />
the reduction in can height also leads to more cans<br />
in a smaller space which results in a reduced carbon<br />
footprint during transportation. These as well as<br />
manufacturing to the highest environmental standards<br />
are just some of the aspects that support<br />
their partnership with the PangeaSeed Foundation<br />
which uses <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> products as the art-making<br />
tools of choice for furthering their cause.<br />
↓ A closeup of the artist<br />
and their art. A picture<br />
of satisfaction.<br />
↓ Learning from each<br />
other as street art<br />
makes its way into the<br />
education facilities of<br />
Boston bringing the<br />
message to those<br />
who need to know<br />
about it the most.<br />
↑ In a cocoon of<br />
sound, many artists<br />
create in a musical<br />
world of their own,<br />
undistracted from<br />
what goes on around<br />
them.<br />
Environmental pollution and the reduction<br />
of plastic waste are environmental that<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> knows all too well, which is<br />
why it prides itself in reducing plastic waste<br />
and its carbon footprint by having developed<br />
the lidless can.<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston 117
↑ There is no escaping<br />
the potentially<br />
beautiful relationship<br />
between humans and<br />
the ocean.<br />
→ A homage to the animals<br />
that make the<br />
waters so amazing.<br />
Putting a positive light<br />
on one of the masters<br />
of the seas, the shark.<br />
118<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston
← A balance of positive<br />
and negative<br />
space, as this artist<br />
cleverly negotiates<br />
the architecture of his<br />
substrate.<br />
↓ Birds, reliant on the<br />
fruits of our waterways<br />
for their survival.<br />
A refletion of the<br />
health of our water<br />
systems.<br />
In 2021, yet another host of amazing artists<br />
contributed to making Boston even more beautiful than<br />
it was before. Artists such as Shepard Fairey, Felipe<br />
Otiz, Taj Francis, It’s A Living, Dragon76, and Nneka<br />
Jones (to name a few), all put in where it counted to<br />
bring the cry for help from our oceans onto the public<br />
radar. The vocabulary of visual languages used within<br />
the artworks was as broad and diverse as the creatures<br />
and organisms that live in our oceans. An explosion of<br />
color on a varying array of surfaces brought the oceans<br />
onto the streets, and beyond. Thanks to the online and<br />
social media channels from around the world that help<br />
to spread the PangeaSeed and the Sea Walls message<br />
to screens globally, it isn’t just the residents and<br />
visitors of Boston that can enjoy the artworks.<br />
The vocabulary of visual languages used<br />
within the artworks was as broad and diverse<br />
as the creatures and organisms that<br />
live in our oceans.<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston 119
↑ The Sea Walls message<br />
in the words of<br />
the artist. “Protect<br />
what you love”<br />
↓ “Coexist”. A mural<br />
that tackles the notion<br />
of how humans<br />
can coexist with the<br />
animals and environment<br />
of planet earth.<br />
→ Like a tattoo for a<br />
wall, “Death To Plastic”<br />
is a message that gets<br />
no resistance.<br />
120<br />
Recap Sea Walls Boston
Recap Sea Walls Boston 121
SEA CHANGE – A DECADE<br />
OF ARTIVISM FOR OCEANS<br />
10 Years of ARTivism<br />
Location<br />
Hawaii, USA<br />
Profile<br />
@pangeaseed<br />
@seawalls_<br />
Photography<br />
Tré Packard<br />
↑ SEA CHANGE – A<br />
decade of ARTivism<br />
for Oceans. Even the<br />
cover is a piece of art.<br />
↓ Like a mural from a<br />
Sea Walls event, the<br />
SEA CHANGE book<br />
has had every attention<br />
to detail paid.<br />
↑ Like an ocean over<br />
the artwork, the SEA<br />
CHANGE book cover<br />
adds an extra touch<br />
of class to this unique<br />
publication.<br />
↓ The ocean based<br />
photos by Pangea-<br />
Seed Foundation<br />
founder Tré Packard<br />
put context on the<br />
cause.<br />
on EARTH DAY <strong>2022</strong>, the Pangea Seed<br />
Foundation celebrates 10 years of the “Sea<br />
Walls - Artists for oceans” project with the<br />
release of a limited edition book. The book<br />
titled SEA CHANGES - A DECADE OF ARTIVISM relives<br />
a selection of the 450+ artworks created for the Sea<br />
Walls events. Being released on EARTH DAY, a day that<br />
the world unites to face environmental issues of all<br />
kinds, it seemed only fitting that the celebration of 10<br />
years of art activism in the form of the SEA CHANGES<br />
book should see the public release.<br />
The book titled SEA CHANGES –<br />
A DECADE OF ARTIVISM relives a<br />
selection of the 450+ artworks<br />
created for the Sea Walls events.<br />
122<br />
Recap SEA CHANGE
Based on the actions of their art creation, and<br />
non-profit programs, the book serves as a short retrospective<br />
of the Sea Walls achievements over the last<br />
decade. Featuring 100 artists, the book not only covers<br />
some of the mural highlights from the Sea Walls<br />
program but also features original artworks and unique<br />
underwater photography by PangeaSeed Foundation<br />
founder Tré Packard. The photos, which were taken<br />
while in the field for PangeaSeed projects around the<br />
world, illuminate and pay homage to the sea life that the<br />
PangeaSeed Foundation aims to protect.<br />
Based on the actions of their art<br />
creation, and non-profit programs,<br />
the book serves as a short retrospective<br />
of the Sea Walls achievements<br />
over the last decade.<br />
→ Zoe Keller, “Octopodes”.<br />
Just one of the<br />
quality artist print edition<br />
artworks featured.<br />
↑ Austrian artist<br />
NYCHOS shows his<br />
personal perspec -<br />
tive on life beneath<br />
the sea.<br />
The photos, which were taken<br />
while in the field for PangeaSeed<br />
projects around the world, illuminate<br />
and pay homage to the sea life<br />
that the PangeaSeed Foundation<br />
aims to protect.<br />
↑ A work in progress<br />
featuring the American<br />
artist David Rice<br />
and his mural, “Beyond<br />
Boundaries”.<br />
→ Life in our oceans,<br />
the source of inspiration<br />
for many of the<br />
Sea Walls murals<br />
captured through the<br />
lens of Tré Packard.<br />
Recap SEA CHANGE 123
Set to be an art book for art-lovers, ocean-lovers,<br />
and collectors alike, SEA CHANGES - A DECADE OF<br />
ARTIVISM will be released for general sale in April <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Focusing on the six major issues of ocean health today<br />
including plastic pollution, overfishing, and climate<br />
change, the book will be in a limited release of 2000<br />
copies which will be accompanied by launch events and<br />
book signings in key cities.<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> would like to congratulate the<br />
team at the PangeaSeed Foundation for all their efforts<br />
and achievements in the last 10 years. We look forward<br />
to supporting them in partnership in the future with<br />
optimistic anticipation of seeing the artworks their<br />
programs create.<br />
Focusing on the six major issues of<br />
ocean health today including plastic<br />
pollution, overfishing, and climate<br />
change, the book will be in a limited<br />
release of 2000 copies which will<br />
be accompanied by launch events<br />
and book signings in key cities.<br />
↓ Real-life, and life as<br />
created by the artist<br />
Kilian Eng from Sweden.<br />
Both rely on<br />
each other for a prosperous<br />
future.<br />
↑ More often than not,<br />
Sea Walls murals carry<br />
messages far beyond<br />
the visuals on<br />
offer to the viewer.<br />
124<br />
Recap SEA CHANGE
↓ Life in the ocean<br />
from the perspective<br />
of those who live in it.<br />
Happy<br />
10-year<br />
anniversary<br />
PangeaSeed!<br />
↓ Lost under the sea.<br />
Engaging and imaginative,<br />
only at a second<br />
glance is it clear<br />
that this artwork is<br />
the work of an artist.<br />
↑ A marriage of methods.<br />
Typography, animals,<br />
oceans, and<br />
much, much more<br />
come together in one<br />
artwork.<br />
Recap SEA CHANGE 125
Big doesn’t have to<br />
mean better. But in<br />
the case of this Dside<br />
mural in Napier New<br />
Zealand, it’s definitely<br />
an eye-catcher.<br />
126<br />
Recap SEA CHANGE
Recap SEA CHANGE 127
LOW<br />
BROS<br />
Low Bros- Transforming environments near you.<br />
The Low Bros have been making moves in<br />
the international mural scene for quite<br />
some time. As their projects get more and<br />
more elaborate, we are constantly impressed<br />
by their use of the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
products that they choose to work with. It<br />
is not only their image content that keeps<br />
crowds watching, it is also their high-quality<br />
technique and application that keeps<br />
their artwork “up there” with the best of<br />
them.<br />
Profile<br />
@low_bros<br />
128<br />
Production Low Bros
“Passage”<br />
Mural by<br />
LOW BROS<br />
The new artistic gateway to<br />
Juan les Pins, France<br />
↑ A short moment of<br />
contemplation and<br />
some sun on their<br />
backs before it‘s back<br />
to the scissor lift.<br />
Profile<br />
@low_bros<br />
@coulheuresdautomne<br />
Location<br />
Juan les Pins, France<br />
Photography<br />
@low_bros<br />
Located exactly at the passage between<br />
Antibes and Juan les Pins,<br />
the mural marks one of the entrances<br />
to the Juan les Pins seaside resort<br />
← Up high in the<br />
clouds. That is if<br />
there was any. This<br />
blue-sky day offers<br />
ideal painting conditions.<br />
Managing the fine (yet tense) line between<br />
tradition and progression is what the LOW<br />
BROS from Hamburg-Germany do best.<br />
The brothers Christoph and Florin<br />
Schmidt who make up the artistic duo have become<br />
well known for their retro-futuristic approach to making<br />
art and murals. In their latest large-scale mural called<br />
“Passage”, the duo have created a new artistic gate into<br />
the Juan les Pins region of the French Riviera.<br />
Beware of the wolves!<br />
The figure of the wolf is normally one that<br />
communicates fear, respect, or tension in artworks and<br />
cultural stories. That is unless it is in a LOW BROS wolf.<br />
For the LOW BROS, the wolf has become an iconic<br />
symbol much like an avatar, that helps viewers navigate<br />
the LOW BROS visual spaces. Located exactly at the<br />
passage between Antibes and Juan les Pins, the mural<br />
marks one of the entrances to the Juan les Pins seaside<br />
resort. In a context that seems perfect for the imagery,<br />
their wolves, structures, and retro digital spaces which<br />
appear to still run on floppy discs are given a contemporary<br />
feel as if streaming live from anywhere on earth.<br />
Depth, color, and palms bring the Hawaiian shirt feeling<br />
that is complemented by the smell of sea air and waves<br />
rolling in, in the distance.<br />
→ Blocking out the<br />
bulk of the mural,<br />
on-lookers are far<br />
from informed as to<br />
what the Low Bros<br />
have for them ahead.<br />
The work created in the context of the Festival<br />
Coul’Heures d’Automne is a prime example of when art<br />
gives back to its location. Negotiating the shape of the<br />
building and the context of its location, the LOW BROS<br />
managed to create a neighborhood-friendly concept.<br />
The blue of the background sky, present in a welcoming<br />
mural that shines with dynamic <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD colors<br />
and layers of acrylic paint. The breeze blew calmly as<br />
the sun shined on the backs of the LOW BROS, raised<br />
above sea level in the comfort of their scissor lift. Or at<br />
least we can imagine it was that way by the looks of<br />
their short film which captured the making of “Passage”.<br />
Production Low Bros 129
← The final touches. If<br />
you didn‘t know before,<br />
you do now. Low<br />
Bros<br />
The Low Bros’ work mostly deals<br />
with ambivalences, especially in the<br />
field of tension between tradition<br />
and progression<br />
Video Link<br />
vimeo.com/646489363<br />
↓ „X marks the spot“,<br />
or „Click here to close<br />
the screen“? PAS-<br />
SAGE brings the digital<br />
to the analog.<br />
The mural “Passage” speaks about the social change<br />
towards an increasingly digitized and global society<br />
and the simultaneous individualization of living conditions<br />
(in the cities) and the resulting reduction in the<br />
status of rather „unattractive“ but essential work.<br />
The Low Bros’ works mostly deals with ambivalences,<br />
especially in the field of tension between<br />
tradition and progression achived through the elements<br />
created in their retro futuristic worlds.<br />
This wall is the perfect example of the involvement<br />
of the inhabitants in the process of creation and<br />
artistic transmission of the Festival Coul’Heures<br />
d’Automne. The mural works as the new artistic gate of<br />
Juan les Pins.<br />
130 Production Low Bros
The completed work<br />
PASSAGE stands<br />
proud, just as the residents<br />
who are glad<br />
that their building is<br />
now a work of art.<br />
Production Low Bros<br />
131
LOW BROS mural<br />
in Annecy, France<br />
Giving new faces to urban spaces<br />
Thanks to “La Friche des rails” in France, which is<br />
a project that’s beautifying a less aesthetic part<br />
of its host city, the Hamburg brothers Christoph<br />
and Florin Schmidt have taken their iconic<br />
retro-futuristic wolves to the otherwise charming city of<br />
Annecy. In a 3 year government-funded project aiming to<br />
improve the urban environment of the region, the LOW<br />
BROS as they are also known, were called in to make a<br />
mega mural in the picturesque place also referred to as<br />
“Le Bassin” (an artificially created water basin). On a<br />
blank walled hangar, their magical mural came to life,<br />
with a focus as they put it, “the human longing for<br />
control and availability”. But what does that mean? The<br />
mural looks at the human desire to constantly minimize<br />
coincidences and risks. A logical progress a reader may<br />
think, but the LOW BROS are asking us to consider if we<br />
lose more than we gain in this unexciting quest for<br />
control. Is the journey more exhilarating than the final<br />
destination of possessing something?<br />
→ Regardless of the<br />
surface, the Low Bros<br />
know how to work with<br />
all the challenges.<br />
Location<br />
Annecy, France<br />
Photography<br />
Juliette Travers,<br />
Anne-Laure Chemin,<br />
Marc Domage<br />
The mural looks at the human<br />
desire to constantly minimize<br />
coincidences and risks<br />
↑ Perspective. A challenge<br />
for every mural<br />
artist working on large<br />
scale artworks. Another<br />
strength of the<br />
Low Bros artworks.<br />
← From <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK, to GOLD, and<br />
back again. The right<br />
tools for every job.<br />
LA FRICHE DES RAILS<br />
While some think deeply about this message, others are<br />
fulfilled visually with the other aspects of the mural.<br />
Visually, we see three variations of the teen wolf character,<br />
positioned centrally while other elements and<br />
images challenge the spatial depth we see, and remind<br />
us of the push and pull between analog and digital,<br />
which the LOW BROS are famous for. Is it the future? Or<br />
is it the recent past? In today’s accelerated world, it is<br />
hard to know. The perfectly painted geometric wolves<br />
with their vibrant <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD and BLACK can colors,<br />
partially float in a pool of symbols. All with those unique<br />
LOW BROS aesthetics.<br />
THE HUMAN LONGING FOR CONTROL<br />
AND AVAILABILITY<br />
Reminding us of the push between analog and digital<br />
Regardless of if the viewer looks at the mural philosophically,<br />
or simply for visual appreciation, it offers<br />
something for everyone and helps bring the community<br />
interaction back into the urban landscape.<br />
132 Production Low Bros
„LE BASSIN“ / ANNECY, FRANCE<br />
An artificially created water basin<br />
Our mural deals with the human longing for control and<br />
availability. While shaping the world around us we are<br />
constantly trying to minimize coincidences and avoiding<br />
dangers and risks. This seems to be a logical<br />
progress, but is there a point where we lose more than<br />
we are gaining? Isn’t the ambiguous, coincidental and<br />
uncontrollable part of the excitement? And the longing<br />
often more exhilarating than the possession?<br />
On another layer the work examines space and the<br />
varying experience of spatial depth, both, in the analog<br />
and the digital realm.<br />
We are particularly interested in the tension<br />
between tradition and progress and how humans find<br />
their way in today’s accelerated world.<br />
The geometric wolves function here like a kind<br />
of avatar and serve as projection surfaces for human<br />
characteristics, so-called anthropomorphisms.<br />
→ Up close and personal.<br />
The marriage of<br />
analog and digital is<br />
explored within the<br />
notions of nature and<br />
color.<br />
↓ German efficiency.<br />
The mural takes shape<br />
as the Low Bros work<br />
on two scissor lifts<br />
side by side.<br />
Our mural deals with the human<br />
longing for control and availability.<br />
While shaping the world around us<br />
we are constantly trying to minimize<br />
coincidences and avoiding dangers<br />
and risks<br />
↓↓ Basking in the sun,<br />
the Low Bros take a<br />
moment to pose for<br />
the camera after a job<br />
well done.<br />
↓ Yellow with black<br />
eyes, the „smiley face“<br />
is a common feature<br />
in many Low Bros artworks.<br />
Production Low Bros<br />
133
The mural was part of the La Friche des<br />
rails, Parc éphémère des Trois Fontaines<br />
Bruit du Frigo project.<br />
For those that attended the festival, the La Frichedes<br />
rails served as a fun and poetic set design that was<br />
installed in the abandoned railway yard in Annecy’s,<br />
Trois Fontaines neighborhood. To create this installation<br />
the Bruit du frigo collective drew on the site’s<br />
strong identity. A collection of unusual railroad cars<br />
traveled along imaginary rails through plants that were<br />
growing wild on the site. These wooden platforms could<br />
be used in many ways including as picnic tables, gaming<br />
tables, lounge chairs, stands, stages, etc, providing<br />
space for families to enjoy the festival and be together.<br />
Interventions of a graphic nature coordinated<br />
by the Annecian collective Art By Friends livened up the<br />
installation. The Low Bros mural found its home on a<br />
neighboring hangar which proved to be an ideal surface<br />
for the duo to create on, while brightening the neighborhood<br />
generally which is the mission of the local council<br />
to achieve needed redevelopment and reinvigoration of<br />
this neighborhood over the next 3-year period.<br />
The artist Sophie Weidler-Bauchez intervenes<br />
on the ground with the realization of a monumental map<br />
of the district.<br />
Website<br />
www.annecy-paysages.com/en/la-friche-des-rails-ap2021-en/<br />
The Low Bros mural found its home<br />
on a neighboring hangar which<br />
proved to be an ideal surface for the<br />
duo to create on<br />
↑↑ Watching on as<br />
the festival unfolds,<br />
bringing people, color,<br />
and sound together as<br />
one.<br />
← La Friche des rails<br />
Parc. Recreating urban<br />
spaces to make<br />
them more user-friendly<br />
for the locals<br />
and visitors.<br />
↑ Now a space for<br />
community creativity,<br />
the Low Bros mural offers<br />
a vibrant backdrop<br />
as opposed to industrial<br />
gray metal<br />
sheets.<br />
134 Production Low Bros
Child-friendly wolves<br />
look over as children<br />
enjoy themselves in<br />
the warmth of the sun.<br />
Production Low Bros<br />
135
The calm after the<br />
storm. The Low Bros<br />
artwork rests as the<br />
crowds have long<br />
gone home. Watching<br />
and waiting for the<br />
next chance to shine.<br />
136 Production Low Bros
Production Low Bros<br />
137
Art a<br />
La<br />
MArina<br />
Project Art a La Marina in Valencia<br />
Walking along a beachside promenade can<br />
be one of the most enjoyable moments of a<br />
summer day. The sun shining, the wind<br />
blowing, and the sound of waves rolling are<br />
hard to top.<br />
Location<br />
Valencia, Spain<br />
Photography<br />
PARETS<br />
Profile<br />
@paretsforum<br />
138 Recap Art a La MArina
That is unless you add world-class graffiti and<br />
street art to the experience. The Art a La<br />
Marina at the Marina de Valencia did just that.<br />
Since December 2020, 10 murals have been<br />
created in the beachside area of Marina de Valencia,<br />
making the journey through the area for tourists and<br />
locals an even greater sensory pleasure.<br />
↓ Graffiti meets design,<br />
where the ocean<br />
meets the sun. SAWE<br />
stirs the pot of graffiti<br />
ingredients for a<br />
unique visual result.<br />
→ There is no escaping<br />
the allure of<br />
SAWE’s hand and the<br />
lines of a spray can.<br />
↘ Artworks that follow<br />
the lines of the<br />
surrounding environment<br />
can be a colorful<br />
adventure at Art a<br />
La Marina in Valencia.<br />
10 murals have been created in the<br />
beachside area of Marina de Valencia,<br />
making the journey through the<br />
area for tourists and locals an even<br />
greater sensory pleasure.<br />
Recap Art a La MArina<br />
139
← The less is more<br />
approach. Black,<br />
white, and some good<br />
ideas make for engaging<br />
public art.<br />
↓ Taking a call on the<br />
job. The modern life<br />
of a mural artist.<br />
↑ No wall is too short,<br />
too long, or too high<br />
for Gordo Pelota as<br />
long as the sun is<br />
shining, and the paint<br />
isn’t finished.<br />
Commissioned by the PARETS organization,<br />
Art a La Marina featured both local and international<br />
creative giants such as Felipe PANTONE, Gordo Pelota<br />
(Buenos Aires), 2SHY (Paris), LAIA (Barcelona),<br />
ROSH333 (Elche, Spain), NANO4814 (Vigo, Spain),<br />
Spok Brillor (Madrid), Marta La Peña (Soria, Spain),<br />
LETS OR NOT (Valencia, Spain), Marina Marco (Valencia),<br />
and SAWE (Barcelona).<br />
140 Recap Art a La MArina
↑ A stunning point<br />
where black meets<br />
blue along the seaside.<br />
One of many<br />
small focal points<br />
within the larger context<br />
of this mural by<br />
LETS OR NOT.<br />
↑ A diverse array of<br />
color and graphic elements,<br />
yet a connection<br />
to graffiti and typography<br />
is ever<br />
present.<br />
↓ The “highlight” is<br />
an integral part of<br />
graffiti writing culture.<br />
Here interpreted<br />
in yet another unique<br />
way.<br />
Powered by the color of <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK and GOLD, large-format<br />
mural styles of every description,<br />
form, and color came to life over the<br />
last 6 months making going to the<br />
beach in Marina de Valencia, like a<br />
treasure hunt of art.<br />
Recap Art a La MArina<br />
141
← With nothing more<br />
than blue and white,<br />
this square shaped<br />
wall comes alive.<br />
→ Waving the local<br />
flag, the Valencian<br />
artist Marina Marco<br />
brings some local flavor<br />
to the international<br />
lineup.<br />
↑ Zoom in: gradients<br />
juxtaposed next to<br />
opaque color. A composition<br />
of graphic<br />
art framed within a<br />
larger work of art.<br />
→ Zoom out: eyes,<br />
mouths, and noses<br />
radiate with vibrant<br />
color. What is it that<br />
they are reacting to?<br />
142 Recap Art a La MArina
↓ Palm trees, and<br />
smily faces. Laia<br />
presents some classic<br />
graffiti camouflaged<br />
within the<br />
bright palette of the<br />
local environment.<br />
Recap Art a La MArina<br />
143
↓ „Lucy in the sky<br />
with diamonds“. Even<br />
the Beetles would<br />
have liked to see<br />
2SHY’s finished wall.<br />
144 Recap Art a La MArina
↓ Shine brightly or<br />
fade out? With the<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BLACK as<br />
fill-in colors, shining<br />
brightly is the only<br />
way.<br />
→ Creative check<br />
mate, or just another<br />
visual challenge to<br />
overcome? With the<br />
sun on your back, it‘s<br />
best to stop and think<br />
for a moment.<br />
← Graffiti elevates.<br />
Whether it brings color<br />
into our communities<br />
or puts artists<br />
like 2SHY up on ladders<br />
to create their<br />
artwork.<br />
↓ Looking from below<br />
is often the best way<br />
to see things better<br />
for when you are up<br />
and in front of a large<br />
mural.<br />
Recap Art a La MArina<br />
145
Off the back of the recent spotlight Art a La<br />
Marina project in Marina de Valencia, Spain, the wellknown<br />
and locally-based graffiti fine artist Felipe<br />
PANTONE, also had his chance to enhance the local<br />
scenery.<br />
Powered by the color of <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK and<br />
GOLD, large-format mural styles of every description,<br />
form, and color came to life over the last 6 months<br />
making going to the beach in Marina de Valencia, like a<br />
treasure hunt of art.<br />
↑ Elements of crockery<br />
or symbols of culture?<br />
Possibly both,<br />
as Marta La Peña<br />
challenges the passing<br />
traffic to think a<br />
little deeper.<br />
↓ Spok Brillor turns<br />
his simple structures<br />
into a unique interpretation<br />
of his name.<br />
All served up in the<br />
flavor of graffiti.<br />
↑ There are two ways<br />
to look at a situation.<br />
As a problem, or with<br />
a solution. And not<br />
having a ladder is not<br />
a problem worth worrying<br />
about on this<br />
day.<br />
↓ Even if the artist<br />
takes a break, <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK and<br />
GOLD cans are always<br />
ready for action.<br />
146 Recap Art a La MArina
↓ Claiming number 1,<br />
Felipe PANTONE<br />
with his trademark<br />
digitization with<br />
spray paint.<br />
↑ It’s not how big<br />
you are, it’s how big<br />
you think. And if you<br />
think big, there is a<br />
good chance you will<br />
paint big.<br />
↓ Optically fulfilling,<br />
gray tones fade as dynamic<br />
reds, yellows,<br />
blues, and greens<br />
take our attention.<br />
Making the journey through the area<br />
for tourists and locals an even greater<br />
sensory pleasure.<br />
Recap Art a La MArina<br />
147
→ It’s only two steps,<br />
but they make all the<br />
difference when it<br />
comes to reaching for<br />
the top.<br />
→ A melting pot of<br />
mark making all with<br />
the added flavor of<br />
spray paint.<br />
148 Recap Art a La MArina
↑ Precision time. After<br />
the larger surfaces<br />
are blocked in, the<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BLACK and<br />
GOLD cans are called<br />
in to do their thing.<br />
For those lucky enough to visit the<br />
location, it is not hard to find the<br />
murals if you follow your instinct.<br />
↑ With the ocean<br />
beside you, the sun<br />
above you and a<br />
mural in front of<br />
you, it doesn’t get<br />
much better.<br />
→ Contemplating<br />
what goes where is<br />
easily done for<br />
ROSH333 with the<br />
sound of the sea rolling<br />
in the background.<br />
For those lucky enough to visit the location, it is<br />
not hard to find the murals if you follow your instinct.<br />
For those experiencing the artwork from the comfort of<br />
home, take a look here and imagine the sea breeze in<br />
your face while enjoying the art.<br />
Recap Art a La MArina<br />
149
About RAw<br />
mAterials<br />
And rising<br />
prices<br />
What’s behind raw materials price increases?<br />
Profile<br />
@montanacans<br />
Photography<br />
Daniel Schreiber<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
You may have visited your local graffiti,<br />
paint, art & craft, or hardware store and<br />
wondered why the prices of <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
and other spray paints or paint in general<br />
have risen. Of course, the arrival of the<br />
corona pandemic and the forced stoppages<br />
of many industries across the globe had<br />
a major impact on this scenario. An increased<br />
demand evolved and implicated a<br />
lack of availability. The current events in<br />
eastern europe are driving forces for further<br />
price instability.<br />
150<br />
Insight Raw Materials
← Nearly every element<br />
of a can has<br />
some connection or<br />
process that requires<br />
crude oil.<br />
T<br />
o give you a little insight about the key materials<br />
used in aerosol manufacturing. Crude oil<br />
plays a major role as it is the source of many<br />
other materials used in a spray can, however<br />
even more significant factors are the raising in the price<br />
of solvents like Acetone, Ethyl Acetate, Methyl Acetate,<br />
Vinyl, and Acrylic Emulsions, the massive surge in the<br />
price of tin plate which spray cans are made of, and the<br />
gases used to propel the paint like Propan and Butan. It<br />
is not just one element in the production of spray cans<br />
that has risen in price, it is most of them! And most of<br />
these ingredients are in some way connected to the<br />
price and availability of oil.<br />
The development and availability of Acetone<br />
have been one of the most alarming factors in our<br />
industry. Acetone is one of the main liquid ingredients<br />
in paint that keeps it fluid and helps it dry. It is a derivative<br />
of petrol manufacture, a product of crude oil, and<br />
can only be produced in controlled quantities each year<br />
by its manufacturers. If world consumption of acetone<br />
increases, new plants to make it need to be created.<br />
The development and re-establishment of the steel<br />
industry post-pandemic have also meant that prices<br />
have increased exorbitantly. And if it is not the prices<br />
that have risen, the availability of steel and tin plate has<br />
decreased as those buying are doing so in larger<br />
amounts to catch up on manufacturing that didn’t<br />
happen during pandemic restrictions.<br />
↑ Color consistency<br />
is paramount for<br />
quality. But color<br />
without chemicals<br />
and gases won’t<br />
spray it out of a can.<br />
It is not just one element in the<br />
pro duction of spray cans that has<br />
risen in price, it is most of them!<br />
And most of these ingredients<br />
are in some way connected to the<br />
price and availability of oil.<br />
Insight Raw Materials 151
Once the world thought it came to terms with<br />
the coronavirus and all its new considerations, some of<br />
us thought that things may be getting back to normal.<br />
That is until new challenges hit the producers of spray<br />
paint raw materials. Extreme weather of prolonged<br />
freezing temperatures played havoc on refineries and<br />
chemical producers who were forced to shut down and<br />
unable to produce materials safely. This created a<br />
domino effect worldwide. The re-start of consumption<br />
of Asian-made goods meant that an extreme demand<br />
for raw materials, containers, and shipping space was<br />
also concentrated in that region. For European producers,<br />
the increase in demand for goods (such as spray<br />
paint) with decreased access to raw materials was<br />
compounded by a shortage of containers, container<br />
space, and transport vehicles that were no longer able<br />
to move goods efficiently, leading to increasing costs<br />
and massive delays throughout the whole transport<br />
sector. The development of all these trends has led to<br />
prices of just about all goods and services skyrocketing<br />
globally in nearly all areas of life.<br />
The scarcity of shipping space worldwide<br />
causes a huge impact on pricing as well. Even if goods<br />
are available to supply the shipping companies only can<br />
offer very volatile service.<br />
It should not be forgotten that we are in this all<br />
together. To bridge the gap of uncertainty it is important<br />
to remain positive. The times ahead will be challenging.<br />
Not just for the producers and consumers of<br />
spray cans, but all manufacturing industries.<br />
Once the world thought it came to<br />
terms with the coronavirus and all<br />
its new considerations, some of us<br />
thought that things may be getting<br />
back to normal.<br />
↑ When they are not<br />
keeping the quality at<br />
its peak, our lab team<br />
is always on the lookout<br />
for better ways to<br />
do things.<br />
← What’s that sound<br />
in your can? These<br />
are the mixing balls<br />
that help keep your<br />
highly pigmented<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> paint<br />
colors mixed to perfection.<br />
→→ Countless ingredients<br />
go into every<br />
can, of every color, in<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong><br />
spray paint ranges.<br />
152 Insight Raw Materials
F.A.Q.<br />
Frequently asked Questions<br />
Will this affect the quality of <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong>?<br />
To the best of our ability the quality and performance of<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> will remain as high as it has been thus<br />
far. Our Laboratories and R&D teams are working<br />
vigorously to resolve any issues in raw material supply<br />
that may arise, as well as developing new technologies<br />
for a sustainable future.<br />
When will this current situation end?<br />
How do other major industries affect the<br />
prices of <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> products?<br />
All major industries such as the automotive and furniture<br />
industries are reliant on chemicals for all aspects<br />
of their production. If their supply on these chemicals<br />
decreases but their demand increases, it affects the<br />
prices of chemical products worldwide. For example,<br />
oils for cars, foam for seats & mattresses, coatings to<br />
paint and protect, or chemicals to create the glue that<br />
holds things together are just some of the contexts that<br />
major industry uses the same chemicals required to<br />
produce spray paint. If the price of these raw materials<br />
increases, so do many elements of our everyday life,<br />
including the cost of producing spray paint.<br />
Although analysts can predict and diagnose the current<br />
state of raw material prices and demands, nobody<br />
knows when, if, or how these current trends will develop.<br />
As long as the elements of nature are in control of the<br />
weather conditions, producers, distributers, and<br />
re-sellers, are all working together to maintain the best<br />
supply possible, at the best possible price.<br />
As long as the elements of nature<br />
are in control of the weather conditions,<br />
producers, distributers, and<br />
re-sellers, are all working together<br />
to maintain the best supply possible,<br />
at the best possible price.<br />
Why have the prices increased<br />
so drastically?<br />
Believe it or not, the prices of spray cans have been<br />
below what they should be for nearly three decades.<br />
Regardless of the continual increase in prices of raw<br />
materials, can manufacturers, distributors, and re-sellers<br />
have all partially absorbed the price increases to try<br />
and keep the development in retail price as low and<br />
slow as possible. However, the current situation is<br />
extreme and was unforeseeable. Some chemical<br />
produces even stating closure or decreased production<br />
due to “force majeure”. Making the price increases<br />
required to maintain the stable production of spray<br />
cans greater and more rapid than the industry has<br />
passed on since the early 1990’s.<br />
Are Spray paint suppliers making more<br />
money now?<br />
The new trends in raw material prices does not mean<br />
that producers like <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> are making more<br />
profit on their products. The price developments are<br />
literally just to balance out the ever-increasing costs to<br />
produce the products that you love.<br />
Insight Raw Materials<br />
153
german quality spray paint since 1996<br />
Latest<br />
Products<br />
1<br />
ICONIC SERIES CANTWO<br />
“Cotton Candy”<br />
With a graffiti writing career that expands well over 30 years, CANTWO has<br />
rightfully earned his place as a recognized international graffiti icon. This<br />
is why we welcome the release of the <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> ICONIC SERIES can,<br />
“Can2 Cotton Candy”. As an extension of the pre-existing Can2 Cotton Candy<br />
G6210 color of the <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD range, this limited edition can shares<br />
the same premium paint formula, color qualities, and performance of the<br />
GOLD range version.Limited edition.<br />
An iconic blockbuster<br />
for the release of the<br />
“Can2 Cotton Candy”<br />
Iconic Series can.<br />
See pages 30–39 for<br />
the full story.<br />
2<br />
CANTWO ICONIC Pinset<br />
Pin Set<br />
To celebrate more than three generations of committed graffiti writing<br />
practice and the release of his <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Icon Series can, we are proud<br />
to present the CANTWO <strong>Montana</strong> Icon Series can Pin-Set. The set boasts<br />
two classic CANTWO designs starting with the iconic “CANTWO” tag<br />
(50mm × 31mm) in gold and white, and a stylized mini spray can pin (20mm<br />
x 36mm) in black, white, and orange, featuring his historically re-occurring<br />
“X” symbol which was the former health and safety symbol for “irritation”.<br />
Each pin is made of high-quality soft enamel and is fitted with two sturdy<br />
steel pins for secure fastening. The pins are able to be attached to clothing,<br />
jackets, bags, and other soft materials, and is prestigiously presented in a<br />
100mm × 100mm × 30mm box, which itself is embellished with a golden<br />
“CANTWO” tag.<br />
154 Products <strong>Montana</strong>-cans.com
3<br />
GOLD True Tone Swatch<br />
Color Chart<br />
The <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD True Tone Color Chart has just been reissued to include<br />
all the products used by artists and creative professionals. Aside from the<br />
practical new cardboard package which will provide extra protection from<br />
UV exposure, you will find the latest release <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD Gray tone colors<br />
and newly released Effect sprays like the <strong>Montana</strong> METALLIC and GLASS<br />
Paint ranges. The <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD True Tone Color Chart is the ideal tool for<br />
artists or creative professionals requiring premium results.<br />
4<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Enamel Mug<br />
“TYPO LOGO”<br />
Painting in the sun is not only fun, but it can also be exhausting. Avoid dehydration<br />
or broken cups with the <strong>Montana</strong> Enamel Mug “TYPO LOGO”. This<br />
sturdy metal mug is coated in durable beige enamel, that is cook-top, dishwasher<br />
and campfire-friendly. Embellished with decorative spray paint<br />
over-spray and the <strong>Montana</strong> TYPO LOGO in the black and red colorway, this<br />
almost unbreakable vessel is travel-ready, or perfect for home and studio<br />
use. Hand-made in Europe, its 95mm radius and 80mm height offers 300ml<br />
of hot or cold liquid filling capacity. At 170gm of weight (unfilled), taking a<br />
drink break has never been so easy.<br />
5<br />
BLACK Artist Edition #21 SICOER<br />
High Pressure Graffiti Spray Paint<br />
More than two decades have passed since the Polish graffiti writer,<br />
street bomber, and artist SICOER had started his graffiti journey, which<br />
has now led him to the unique position as a forerunner in the creating of<br />
artworks focussing on the development of the tag. We welcome the release<br />
of the 21st edition of the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist Series cans featuring<br />
the SICOER BLK5270 Sorrento Blue.<br />
For the release of the<br />
21st <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Artist Edition can,<br />
Sicoer makes light<br />
work of creating a<br />
hybrid between tagging<br />
and piecing. See<br />
pages 10–17 for the<br />
full story.<br />
BLK 5270<br />
Sorrento<br />
Blue<br />
PIGMENTS: N.A.<br />
LIGHTFASTNESS: N.A.<br />
COVERAGE: OPAQUE<br />
CMYK: C100 M90 Y20 K4<br />
RGB: R36 G50 B125<br />
HEX: #102E88<br />
Products montana-cans.com<br />
155
6<br />
5 Panel Caps<br />
Unisex <strong>Montana</strong> 5-Panel Cap<br />
There is no wrong season to wear a cap. With the new <strong>Montana</strong> 5-Panel Caps, wearers can protect<br />
their heads in style and comfort. Available in the traditional <strong>Montana</strong> TYPO LOGO design (in white<br />
font) on a black or blue cap, or the Sergey Shapiro STICK TAG design (in white font) on the timeless<br />
color black, the unisex <strong>Montana</strong> 5-Panel Cap offers taped seams for extra strength and support as<br />
well as moisture absorbent inner liners for comfort. The famous #GERMANSPRAYPAINT hashtag is<br />
woven discretely on the back adjustable closures, which enable a perfect fit for nearly any head size.<br />
These 100% cotton caps are the ideal headwear for all seasons, for anybody, anywhere.<br />
7<br />
Cotton Bag Superspray<br />
High-quality 100% cotton bag<br />
If there is anyone who knows the value of a brick wall, it’s the German artist<br />
SUPERSPRAY. A lot of SUPERSPRAY’s artwork plays out on this iconic<br />
graffiti painting surface which is why he created the new <strong>Montana</strong> Cotton<br />
bag design, “BRICK BLACK”. Bringing our focus back to the essentials of<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK can and the much-needed brick wall, this quirky double-sided<br />
design in white print, features an untouched brick wall on one<br />
side, and an illustration of double-handed <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK can action<br />
painting over the same wall pattern on the other. Printed on a 38 x 42cm<br />
black, high-quality 100% cotton bag, “BRICK BLACK” is the next addition<br />
to your <strong>Montana</strong> Cotton bag collection.<br />
Clever designs with<br />
humor and skill.<br />
Learn more about the<br />
artist Superspray in<br />
our Superspray feature<br />
article on pages<br />
88–95.<br />
8<br />
Cotton Bag CLOAK<br />
High-quality 100% cotton bag<br />
Nobody knows better than the Malaysian artist<br />
CLOAKWORK that you have to be ready when<br />
opportunity knocks. “Always Prepared” is the<br />
first of two designs by CLOAKWORK for the<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Cotton Bag range. Capturing the essence<br />
of CLOAKWORK’s wit, ability, and style,<br />
“ALWAYS PREPARED” is a cool mix of humor, illustration,<br />
and graffiti culture. The design is<br />
featured in green print on a 38 x 42cm white,<br />
high-quality 100% cotton bag, suggesting that<br />
we should always be ready for anything. From<br />
those obligatory shopping trips for milk and<br />
bread through to those unplanned spraycations,<br />
a <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> Cotton bag should always be in<br />
reaching distance.<br />
156 Products <strong>Montana</strong>-cans.com
9<br />
1 x RUN Collabo Can<br />
Blue Magic<br />
The Detroit-based publishing house 1XRUN has been steadily going about<br />
its business since 2010. What started as a small gallery space in the then,<br />
regenerating creative melting pot of Detroit, has since become one of the<br />
global online destinations for the purchase of limited edition art prints.<br />
The celebration of the 1XRUN 11th anniversary was the perfect occasion<br />
to create a can as unique as the artwork it can create. A tool that is the<br />
icon of art on and from the streets. The preferred tool for muralists and<br />
graffiti writers globally. Within this recipe, the 1XRUN x <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> collabo<br />
can was born. A beautiful extension of the <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD color “Blue<br />
Magic”, that is loaded with the <strong>Montana</strong> Skinny black/black cap, for precision<br />
and aesthetics.<br />
Teamwork is worth<br />
celebrating. The<br />
1XRUN collabo can is<br />
more than just another<br />
collectible. Read<br />
the full story on pages<br />
40–41<br />
10<br />
Pins BLACK CAN + Logo<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Pin series<br />
The <strong>Montana</strong> Pin series welcomes the addition of the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK<br />
Can and LOGO Pins to this exciting range of merchandising products.<br />
Both as a collectible item, or practical addition to the personalizing of your<br />
private belongings, each pin is fitted with two secure fasteners for carefree<br />
attachment to clothes, jackets, bags, or any soft material surfaces.<br />
Made of high-quality soft enamel, their vibrant colors and cool designs<br />
are destined to be a timeless addition to any collection.<br />
11<br />
Counter Mat – DON´T GET BUSTED<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Counter Mat<br />
The DON’T GET BUSTED mat is made of the same sturdy PVC vinyl material<br />
as the existing counter mat range and is cut in the practical 40 x 25cm<br />
sizing. The 3 color embossed image features a small <strong>Montana</strong> TYPO<br />
LOGO located on the bottom right-hand side, while centrally, knowing<br />
eyes peer from the wrong side of symbolic jail bars. DON’T GET BUSTED<br />
is an ideal merchandising tool for counters, tables, or in-store decoration,<br />
while adding value as a limited collectible merch product for end-users.<br />
Products montana-cans.com<br />
157
12<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BEACH TOWEL<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> typo Logo Beach Towel blue<br />
The new <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> BEACH TOWEL has a new addition to the collection. There is no substitute for<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong> TYPO LOGO BEACH TOWEL if you are at the beach, in the pool or just getting out of the<br />
shower. The 70cm x 140cm sizing is perfect for any body size, just as its easy machine-washable<br />
care. This super-comfortable, 450GSM 100% bright Blue Cotton Frotee towel with white <strong>Montana</strong><br />
typo logo design will be the ultimate eye-catcher at any swimming outing, in wet areas, after showering,<br />
or at the park on a summer's day.<br />
13<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> X Kleen Kanteen<br />
drink bottle<br />
Kleen Kanteen is a company that prides itself on creating long-life, multiuse<br />
drinking containers that are made from high-quality materials that<br />
help fight the war against single-use plastic waste. The ideal partners for a<br />
limited edition <strong>Montana</strong> <strong>Cans</strong> X Kleen Kanteen drink bottle with a unique<br />
Sellout-Industries train yard screen printed image. This elegant black bottle<br />
holds 800ml (27oz) of cold fluid and is made of a stainless steel body<br />
with a BPA-free sports cap for easy use. Mandatory for any creative or active<br />
adventure wherever you are.<br />
14<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> GOLD Active Cyan<br />
New <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD Fluorescent color: Active Cyan F6200<br />
The <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD Fluorescent range with its superior coverage, handling,<br />
and luminosity has just grown one color stronger. By public demand,<br />
we welcome Active Cyan F6200 to the now 8 colors strong <strong>Montana</strong> GOLD<br />
Fluorescent color assortment. With its water-like turquoise orientations,<br />
it rounds up the Fluorescent color palette!<br />
158 Products <strong>Montana</strong>-cans.com
15<br />
Black ArTist Edition Cloakwork<br />
BLACK Artist Edition #22 CLOAKWORK<br />
The Asian graffiti scene is unique within the world graffiti movement and<br />
often dances to the beat of a different graffiti drum compared to its American<br />
or European colleagues. This is one of the reasons why the work of<br />
the Malaysian graffiti artist CLOAKWORK stands out from the crowd. With<br />
a mixture of meanings for the artist, the marriage of the words CLOAK and<br />
WORK are a sum of CLOAK (to be hidden or stealth) and WORK (which reflects<br />
his drive for action and movement). As the 22nd feature artist on<br />
the <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK Artist Edition can, it is no surprise that he chose to reinvent<br />
the much-loved color Clockwork Orange BLK2070 with a visual<br />
homage to the cult film “A Clockwork Orange”. The movie from which the<br />
color's name is inspired.<br />
BLK 2070<br />
Clockwork<br />
OranGE<br />
PIGMENTS: N.A.<br />
LIGHTFASTNESS: N.A.<br />
COVERAGE: OPAQUE<br />
CMYK: C1 M58 Y97 K0<br />
RGB: R239 G128 B13<br />
HEX: #EF800D<br />
How did the <strong>Montana</strong><br />
BLACK Cloakwork<br />
Orange Artist Series<br />
Can concept by<br />
Malaysian writer<br />
CLOAKWORK come<br />
about? Find out on<br />
pages 18–25.<br />
16<br />
Cotton Bag<br />
CLOAKWORK ORANGE<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Cotton Bag CLOAKWORK ORANGE<br />
The new CLOAKWORK Orange design <strong>Montana</strong><br />
Cotton Bag is the perfect accessory to celebrate<br />
the release of the CLOAKWORK Limited<br />
Edition <strong>Montana</strong> BLACK artist can. With plenty<br />
of humor and a lot of skill, the Malaysian-born<br />
artist CLOAKWORK who resides in Kuala Lumpur,<br />
has cleverly extended on the cult cinema<br />
classic, “A Clockwork Orange”. Picking his favorite<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> BLACK color, Clockwork Orange<br />
2070, with his bag design CLOAKWORK<br />
has added yet another icon to the collectible<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> Cotton bag range. The now-classic<br />
38cm x 42cm sizing which is made of 100%<br />
quality cotton, ensures practicality and style<br />
when ever you need to carry anything.<br />
17<br />
PERMANENT SHORT marker black<br />
The new improved <strong>Montana</strong> PERMANENT SHORT marker<br />
Short and sweet, that's the secret to a small marker for all those moments<br />
when you want to make your mark discretely. The 4mm, alcohol-based<br />
<strong>Montana</strong> PERMANENT SHORT marker black has always ticked those boxes.<br />
With its new formula, the PERMANENT SHORT marker black now<br />
flows with an even richer black ink. Maintaining its place as an ideal small,<br />
robust, managable marker for tagging, marking, calligraphy, and daily use.<br />
Products montana-cans.com<br />
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1<br />
5<br />
160 BLACKBOOK
3<br />
2<br />
4<br />
6<br />
1 CREME<br />
2 HOMBRE<br />
3 KNOWS (WANE)<br />
4 PHEO<br />
5 LAIA<br />
6 SOBEKCIS<br />
7 ABUSE<br />
7<br />
Blackbook<br />
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8<br />
11<br />
162 BLACKBOOK
9<br />
10<br />
12<br />
8 MINA<br />
9 CLOAK<br />
10 TAPS<br />
11 FRESH<br />
12 BAKER<br />
13 LUGOSIS<br />
13<br />
Blackbook<br />
163
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#GERMANSPRAYPAINT
Imprint<br />
<strong>LOOKBOOK</strong><br />
022<br />
Media owner and publisher:<br />
MONTANA-CANS<br />
Editorial Staff:<br />
MONTANA-CANS<br />
Editorial design & Art direction:<br />
Matter Of (MO-P-154)<br />
Alexander Krziwanie (MONTANA-CANS)<br />
Nico Gnad (MONTANA-CANS)<br />
Texts:<br />
René Van Kan<br />
Flightmode<br />
Special thanks to all contributing artists & partners!<br />
Cover Photo:<br />
@cabanoss<br />
© <strong>2022</strong>, MONTANA-CANS<br />
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