When and how did you realize McCarty Photoworks was the path for you?
Honestly, having my own studio was always the path. It just took a few years of working for various companies to build my confidence and skill set. In early 2003, everything just clicked, and I finally took a leap of faith. To look back now, I couldn’t imagine any other path. The life I’ve chosen can be challenging at times, but it’s also more rewarding than anything else I’ve ever done.

HOW DO YOU CREATE OR AQUIRE TOYS THAT ARE EXCLUSIVLY USED AS SUBJECTS?
To date, the toys I’ve shot aren’t exclusive subjects. The beauty is that they are plastic and plush works of art, made by a variety of brilliant designers. Anyone can buy them. I’m extremely fortunate and honored to have
close relationships with many artists and art-toy companies. All but a few of my photos involve direct collaboration, even if that’s just having a toy sent along with character information.

As for toys that are exclusive subjects, that’s the next chapter. I’m working on a new fine art series that’s going to have characters designed and built specifically for the it. I’m then going to shoot for several
months, documenting the reality of the characters’ imagined world. This probably won’t come as a surprise, but it’s an enormously expensive endeavor. I’ve had some generous support thus far, but I anticipate another
six months to a year of fundraising before the project fully gets off the ground.

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WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE GRAFFITI WRITERS?
Dondi White was the illest. I’m into Futura, Lee, Haze, Keith Haring, Basquiat (not sure if those two are considered graf writers, but fuck it, their shit was dope), Retna, Revolt, Zephyr, Skribe, Gear, Kofie, Codak, Dave Choe, Anthony Lister, Twist, Miss Van, etc etc.

HAVE YOU EXPERIMENTED  WITH SPRAY PAINT IN ANY OF YOUR MURALS?
Yep. Been using it for the last couple of years, doing mixed media stuff. I don’t really know what I’m doing, it’s just all trial and error, ya know, me making shit up as I go along. That’s the best way
to learn.

WHICH MURAL ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
Probably the one I did in the coffee shop for the Sarah Silverman Program. There’s this one episode where Sarah thinks she’s a lesbian and she’s sitting right in front of my mural, signing this lesbo folk song, and it’s really funny and bizarre that my art would be part of something like that. I laugh every time I see it.

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