WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
Robert Rauschenburg, Banksy, Kofie’One/Draftsmen, Chaz Bojorquez, Restitution
Press, Andy Warhol, Retna, Kime Buzzelli, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Donny Miller,
Katharine Hamnet, Maya Hayuk, Christopher Wool, Mike C and Peter Young.

HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIMENTED WITH SPRAY PAINT, GOTTEN UP ON ANY WALLS?
SPOONFED

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU COULD BE AN ARTIST FOR A LIVING?
In 1995 I interned in the Art Department at Sony Music and got a job there soon
after I graduated from Cal State Fullerton. I ended up working there as an Art
Director for 9 years, so before I realized it I was already doing it.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR FIRST SILK SCREENING PARTY?
I learned how to silkscreen in March 2000 after I bought a compact screenprinting
kit online. I was burning screens, experimenting with printing techniques,
silkscreening on everything I owned, but always needed more things to print on. I
bought a bunch of thrift store tees to practice on, and often asked friends to
give me their old shirts or clothes to ruin. The first real party I had in my
apartment was in January 2001 and was called “SEW WHAT?”. I invited people to
bring over their own clothes, screens and sewing machines. We printed all through
the night and ended up making quesadillas under the flash dryer.

FOR THE UNINFORMED, WHAT EXACTLY IS A SILKSCREEN?
A silkscreen is a rectangular wood or aluminum frame with a fine mesh stretched
and glued across the bottom. At one point in time the mesh was silk (hence the
name), but nowadays its a synthetic polyester. This mesh is coated with a light
sensitive emulsion that when exposed to a bright light for 5-10 minutes can
“burn” any image from a piece film. Film is a clear transparency with a rich
opaque black image on it. Areas exposed to the light (clear) harden and “block
out” the holes in the mesh. The black areas remain hidden from the light, do not
harden and wash out, leaving an inverse of the image on the screen. Once burned,
ink is pushed through those open areas of the mesh onto paper or a t-shirt to
make a print. Water-based inks dry by themselves and are mostly used on paper.
Plastisol ink is what we use on shirts and must be heat-cured with a flash dryer
(20-30 seconds) for the ink to set and not wash out.

WHO WAS YOUR FIRST CLIENT AT HIT + RUN?
By March 2006 we had only done about 7 events when Louie & Netty from Temple Bar
hired us to print at a private party. Right after that Stones Throw had us at
their Coachella party, and a month later Red Stripe put us on a six-city
nationwide tour. We’ve done 250 events around the United States, Europe and Japan.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE HIT + RUN COLLECTION IN 2009?
We started printing very small runs of shirts by ourselves and selling them on
our web store, at pop-up shops and select places. We just put out our first mix
cd by KUTMAH and have two more planned for summer release. We give them out with
the purchase of a tee or at select events. The next mix is gonna be by THE
GASLAMP KILLER, and the third cd is by DJ NOBODY.

BRANDYFLOWER.COM SHOWCASES YOUR VARIOUS PROJECTS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR OTHER WORK?
MARK OF THE BEAST is a rabbit hole full of remixed logos, igniting topics
surrounding drugs, government, conspiracies and contemporary society. I think of
it as social satire, commenting on our current world. Humor might be more
important than art, well actually I’m kidding….sarcasm is.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE COLLABORATION?
Any chance we get to work with dublab or ArtDontSleep is always a good time.
Recently we had the honor to work with Andrew Lojero and the Mochilla posse…B+
and Eric Coleman are LA’s flyest ambassadors to the world. They travel
everywhere, make documentaries, dj, take ill photos and last March curated a
series of composer tribute concerts called “Timeless”. We helped print their
merchandise and it was an honor to create exclusive gear for Mulatu Astatqé, Ma
Dukes and Arturo Verocai. We also just screenprinted sketchbooks for Michel
Gondry, and are currently planning a 10th anniversary celebration with dublab.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?
Everyone.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER/SHOE BRAND?
New Balance should give me free shoes.

IF YOU COULD RE DESIGN A BOOK COVER,WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
“A People’s History of The United States” by Howard Zinn

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
Don’t be right be kind.

FAVORITE COUNTRY TO VISIT?
Home.

MUSIC TO LIVE BY?
The voices in your head and Zackey Force Funk.

PLUG IN, BRANDYFLOWER.COM/HITANDRUN.COM

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ART?

My first works were created in 1976, when I was three. Been doing it ever since.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?

If memory serves, my earliest inspiration to draw was sparked by my parent’s record collection, and cartoons. My folks really exposed me to some amazing music at a young age, as well as my oldest sister that indirectly   introduced me to punk in the late 70’s, early 80’s.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?

I have many. Rick Griffin, Norman Rockwell, J.C. Leyendecker, John Fogerty, Jim Phillips, Preston Blair, Ub Iwerks, Keith Moon, R.Crumb, Stanley kubrick,  and Gil Elvgren to name a few.

I NOTICED THAT THE TYPE OF ART YOU CREATE WHEN USING PEN AND INK DIFFERS FROM YOUR OTHER WORK, IS THIS AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE MATIRIALS OR DO YOU CREATE FROM A DIFFERENT MINDSET WHEN USING INK?

I love working with Pen and ink. In fact, I only worked in that medium for many years prior to working with acrylics. I think the approach is definitely different, because you have to think of things in a different sense so to speak. for example, with acrylics, the lighting and highlights come last, but with pen and ink you consider the lighting early on, due to the fact it is more like negative space. The content isn’t that much different, unless it is just a very graphically driven piece.

YOUR ILLUSTRATION WORK WOULD BE GREAT IN PRINT, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF CREATING ANY COMIC BOOKS?

Some years ago, a good friend of mine inquired about potentially doing a graphic novel. We started work on it, but I was not quite focused at the time.  I’ve never been into comics. Although I would love to do a book or comic cover.

IN REGARDS TO GRAFFITI, WHICH AREA HAVE YOU BEEN MOST PROUD TO GET UP ON?

I enjoyed painting at the Belmont Tunnel, and the Motor Yard more than anywhere else in the world straight up.  Mainly because those were formative years in my life, and I met some of the best people there.

OF ALL THE MEDIUMS YOU CREATE IN, WHICH DO YOU FEEL BEST REPRESENTS OR EVOKES YOUR TALENTS?

I enjoy all mediums, primarily because I learn something new each time I use one.

IF YOU COULD RE-DESIGN THE COVER OF ANY BOOK, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

The Holy Bible.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF SNEAKERS/SHOES?

Vans Old School High tops.

WHATS IS YOUR HIGHEST GOAL OR ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN ARTIST. IF THE SKY WERE THE LIMIT?

The sky IS the limit. I just want to be comfortable. Not fame or fortune, just comfortable. For example, if I wanted to purchase a new Bentley, I would have that option.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PAID JOB, AND WHY?

I would have to say the t-shirt graphic I did in 1994 for ACDC, for three reasons. One, I drew their logo on every pee-chee folder I had from 1980- 84. secondly, because it was the first time I felt I made some decent money for my work. And third, because of how I got the gig. There were about 8 other artists that were asked to submit pencil sketches in 2 days. I stayed up those 2 days doing a full color painting. They picked mine immediately. The gig was presented to me by my friend Ash (Owner of Conart). Thanks man!

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW SAINTY AND DAVE FROM BRISTOL, DID YOU ACTUALLY GET TO WORK WITH THOSE LADS IN PERSON FOR THE ACURA COMMERCIAL?

Yes. They were fun to work with. Actually,  I think they’re from Leeds. The commercials and ads for “Leeds” matresses, drove them nuts! “I won’t be beat!”, and some Stella Artois, made for some laughter and good times!

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?

My favorite super hero is Thor. He’s a viking. need I say more?

WHAT MUSIC DO YOU PREFER WHEN YOU ARE WORKING?

I listen to everything from Django Reinhardt, Public Enemy, Black Flag, Blues, classic rock, Motorhead, psychadelic 70’s rock from England, to classical, even Britney Spears and tons more. I do listen to certain types of music when doing certain things.

ANY UPCOMING GALLERIES OR PROJECTS YOU WOULD CARE TO LET PEOPLE BE AWARE OF?

Sure. I just inked a deal to produce my own toys, and a small line of t-shirts, both of which will be available by fall, or earlier. I am also working with an MMA company called Sanctioned Violence. I train and I am a big enthusiast of the sport so it’s awesome to be a part of that. I’m re-vamping the whole line. It’s a lot of work, but they are good folks. Other than that, just tons of graphics, and planning a two-man, and solo show for the end of 2009, and early 2010. I will be running in the AIDS Marathon on march 21,2010, so I am training for that as well. Working on my band too. We will be playing a lot this summer. Look out for “The Pain”. Myspace.com/thepainhc

to view some of  my work visit www.stylepig.com

Cheers and thanks to Guerilla One!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ART?
I’ve been drawing seriously since i was about 12 yrs old i had my first art show at school when i was 13 but my first real gallery show was in Soho in NYC in 92. It was group show called “Ten Women” at a non profit gallery that still exists in Soho.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?
I was an awkward kid and used to spend a lot of time along just drawing. I always wanted to go to art school but couldn’t afford not having a full time job so I went to study Textile design after graduating I moved to work in NYC it was here that most of my friends just happened to be working in art galleries, working for well known NYC artists or where young emerging NYC artist or curators. By accident I ending up being convinced to show some small collages i had made as a gift for a friend in a group show and it went from there. I’d work full time in the Fashion industry as an art director by day while making art in my kitchen, going to exhibitions and curating exhibition by night.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
I studied  artists from Renaissance  though to the Impressionist periods at school -my favorite artists stem from the such movements as the Pre-Raphalies -  I  love art history and am draw to how artists and art has evolved to its current state of being.  Along with this fascination I love to watch how today how artists pull from the masters a great example would be the young artists Kehinde Wiley who has selected to morph hip hop influences with classic Flemish  painters portrait postures. Now that I’ve been In living in LA for over ten years  I’m very much drawn to the works of the Ferris Gallery artists and all that stemmed out of that whole movement.

WHERE IS YOUR GALLERY AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THE CERASOLI GALLERY?
The Cerasoli gallery in on Washington Blvd in Culver City. We opened over here as The Lab 101 back in 2004 before this we were over in Santa Monica for a year and then before that we curated shows all over including SF, LA, NY, Berlin and London. The Lab 101 basically stated pretty much in my bed room then graduated to my living room then into where we are now re named as the  Cerasoli Gallery.

BESIDES PAINT HAVE YOU EXPERIMENTED WITH OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA?
Yes I love to work with collage and collect a lot of bits of paper and odd things I have boxes of this stuff in storage.

DO YOU FREE FORM YOUR LAYERS IN A PAINTING OR DO YOU MAP IT OUT PRIOR TO TOUCHING THE CANVAS?
The series I call the “Flyer Miles”  Series all the layers are hand painted on to canvas, some times i project on the images and tray the out lines form pre made computer images other times i’ll use graphite  paper to trace on my images. Years ago i would free style every thing and a mate off mine was like “hey are you crazy get yours self a projector” Some of my works do have free styled back grounds swirls and shapes etc..

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?
I’ve been fortunate to have already gotten to collaborate on paintings with  Crash, Otwo, Man One, Kofie One, J. Shea ……. i guess who ever would be down.

IF YOU COULD RE-DESIGN THE COVER OF ANY BOOK, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Walking on Glass by Ian Banks or some other science fiction book.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF SNEAKERS/SHOES?
I don’t have one I’m not a sneaker head i just wear them to walk in.

WHATS IS YOUR HIGHEST GOAL OR ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN
ARTIST. IF THE SKY WERE THE LIMIT?
I think every artists dreams of having a museum show me I dream of having a huge barn in the Tuscan country side to simply just paint and create art  in.

HAVE YOU COLLABORATED WITH ANY CLOTHING COMPANIES?
I’ve done a bunch ; shoes for a girl company Osiris, jewelry for minx, snow board jackets, and a bunch of ts for various people and companies. I also used to work as a textile designer and though that my designs got to be on all kinds of clothing form under pants to the run ways.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
I don’t really have one I’m not too into the duel personality thing I’m more a sponge bob kinda girl.

WHAT MUSIC DO YOU PREFER WHEN YOU ARE WORKING?
trip hop and experimental

ANY UPCOMING GALLERIES OR PROJECTS YOU WOULD CARE TO LET PEOPLE BE AWARE OF?
Way Way too many to mention – I personally like to go to the off the beaten track style gallery the one that’s in someone’s back yard or garage. If you have one of those shows coming please email me the info so i can pop along to it.

last word…. be true to self and others and  the rest doesn’t matter.

cerasoligallery.com

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ART?

I’ve been making things my whole life, but I’ve been doing it full time for 7 years.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?

My Mother and Grandfather were both really good artists and trying to be as good as they were was a huge inspiration. Now my ma’ asks me for art tips.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?

I get enjoyment from anyone doing their thing and creating the work they want to make. Artists who live it. There are tons on the list!

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE PORTRAITS OF FIGURES FROM EARLY AMERICA?

I feel a strange connection to the time period, its some sort of genetic memory I have to my own past. Something in my DNA relates.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE FEATURES IN YOUR ART ARE THE CONES, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEN INCORPORATING THEM INTO YOUR WORK?

The spikey things? If so, I have been doing those for about 5 years.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?

My grandfather.

YOUR PAINTING STYLE WORK WOULD BE GREAT IN PRINT, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF CREATING ANY COMIC BOOKS?

Growing up I thought I would become a newspaper comic strip illustrator.

IF YOU COULD RE-DESIGN THE COVER OF ANY BOOK, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

“On The Road” not that I feel it needs it, this book had a profound effect on my brain, which also led to reading the rest of the collected Keropuac works. I would redo any Dr. Hunter S. Thompson book as well just because I am such a huge fan of both those men.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF SNEAKERS/SHOES?

I’ve been reppin Vans for about 25 years.

WHATS IS YOUR HIGHEST GOAL OR ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN ARTIST. IF THE SKY WERE THE LIMIT?

Pure Freedom

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PAID JOB, AND WHY?

The N.I.N. Campaign for the Year Zero album that I did with 42 entertainment. Super inspiring, one of those personal turning the corner moments.

HAVE YOU COLLABORATED WITH ANY CLOTHING COMPANIES?

Yeah my girl and I did a line with Lewsader and I just finished a new jammer with Sezio.org , plus a few other projects over the years.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?

“Francis M.H. White”

WHAT MUSIC DO YOU PREFER WHEN YOU ARE WORKING?

As of late, refer to the answer above

ANY UPCOMING GALLERIES OR PROJECTS YOU WOULD CARE TO LET PEOPLE BE AWARE OF?

I just had a 2 man show at The Shooting Gallery in SF that runs through August 3rd and I have a solo show at M Modern in December, I’m getting ready to start doing some work inside “The Scripps” building downtown. A sort of Maxwell renovation project taking place. One for the home town. SD for life.

To keep up with Mike and see more of his art visit MIKEMAXWELLART.COM

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ART?

As a kid I drew a bit but I started to take it a bit more serious in 1987 when I started to write on trains.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?

I was inspired by the writers i met in high school and by the writer’s whose names I saw on the walls and the trains in my neighborhood. I wanted to be like them, to paint like them, and I wanted to be up. My neighborhood looked better as a result of the writer’s pieces and throw ups. I loved it.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?

As far as writers go its Phase2, Stayhigh149, MICO, Part One, Chain 3, Kel First, Sonic, Ghost, Sento, Reas, Case 2, Wane, Wolf, and Pure in New York City.
Outside of the NY area I would add Charlie, Risky, Denz, Revok, Hews, Ease, Apex, Persue, Saber, Ich, and Space.
Worldwide there are too many but a few are: Neon, Mode 2, Sabe, Rusto, Smash 137, Askew, Atome, Delta, Oclock, Banksy, Os Gemeos, and Oker.
Besides that Emory Douglas, John Byrne, Jose Parla, Doze Green, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Rodin, Mare 139, Futura, Jon One, Romare Bearden, Hank Willis Thomas, Steve Marcus, Lee Quinones, Dredd Scott, Murikami, and too many others to name…

IN REGARDS TO GRAFFITI, WHICH AREA HAVE YOU BEEN MOST PROUD TO GET UP ON?

Subways have always my favorite. Any city, any country once the mission is complete and the trains are in service I am proud. I am also thankful to have painted with writers that I consider to be legendary figures in New York City’s history: Part One, Fuzz One, and Tack among others.

WHO HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE COLLABORATORS?

Sento, Duel, Ghost, Zeno, Sabe, Cave, Wane, Fuzz One, Part One, Noxer, Smith, and Ven.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU, AFTER ALL THE SUCCESS YOU HAVE HAD, TO GET OUT THERE AND RISK YOUR FREDOM TO CREATE A PIECE ON THE STREETS?

I do it when I can and for my own personal satisfaction. It is important to be in the streets either legally or illegally. It is also important for me to express myself in public freely on my own terms sometimes that means breaking the law. That is fine by me. I, like other writers, do not expect to get caught.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH MAGAZINE EDITING AND PUBLISHING?

In 1995 while in college I launched Stress magazine. The magazine was an answer to the Source magazine which I felt wasn’t representing Hip Hop properly as well as a voice for people of color that were under-represented in media. The magazine went on to have major success and it launched my career in publishing. In 1999 the economy got tight with record label consolidation and the dot-com bust and by 2000 these events caused us to have lower than needed advertising revenues and forced us to shut down. The next year I started to build Complex magazine for the Ecko Unlimited company. The owners Marc and Seth approached me because of my expertise as well as our long standing business relationship and friendship. The magazine is still going and since I finished that project I have moved on to do many custom publishing ventures and book projects. My latest release is SENTO: The Fantastic Partners with my publishing partners in Germany – From Here to Fame Publishing. This fall I am lucky enough to have three releases, two with FHTF: PART ONE, The Death Squad and New York City Black Book Masters, the other is Graffiti Planet 2 which surveys style writing around the globe.

STARTING IN JULY AND RUNNING TIL NOVEMBER, YOU HAVE A CARTIER FOUNDATION SHOW IN PARIS, HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THEM?

I was introduced to the curators at the Foundation Cartier by my friend Jon One. They were looking for someone to help them organize and conceptualize an exhibition on New York graffiti. As a result of my close connections and experience working with many writers in New York City and my expertise as a project manager and with the subject matter I was an obvious choice. After a series of meetings I was offered the opportunity to work with them.

ARE YOU PROVIDING AN INSTALLATIONOR CANVAS AT THE PARIS SHOW?

No, I was able to advise the Cartier team on what to do for the New York historical section of the show. This included commissioning PHASE 2, SEEN, and PART ONE to do site specific installations, something I am very proud of as all three rarely if ever do this type of work and should be recognized. I am pleased that we are able to showcase the work of the photographer Flint Gennari who most people do not know as well as never before seen shots by Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper. In addition, showcasing original art from the UGA collective from 1973 and the videos of early pioneers by COCO 144 were icing on the cake. Of course there are many other components to the exhibition like blackbooks, sketches, and other items but these are some that I think are very rare and satisfying to share with the public. As far as my own artwork I just did some throw-ups on the outside of the exhibition building.

DO YOU APPROACH PAINTING IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY THE SAME AS YOU DO IN THE STATES, ARE THERE TASTES DIFFERENT?

I approach painting everywhere the same. All I need is paint and if I am lucky a local bomber to rock with. I am lucky that this movement is international and there are such great people to paint with all over the planet.

IS THERE ANY SPOTS IN AMERICA PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR WORK SOON?

You can always see my work in the streets of New York and in my neighborhood. If you aren’t in NYC just check out my flickr page where I occasionally upload images of my work to my flickr account. www.flickr.com/ketone

IF YOU COULD RE-DESIGN THE COVER OF ANY BOOK, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Style Writing from the Underground by IGTimes/Phase 2 is one of them.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE HEROES?

Malcolm X, Subcomandante Marcos, El Che

WHAT MUSIC DO YOU PREFER WHEN YOU ARE WORKING?

old Salsa and Cumbia, Mos Def, Mad Lib’s jazz mixes, MF Doom, Public Enemy

Last words….

Support your local writer! Buy a painting, bail them out, give them props. Peace.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ART?
All my life. if ART is the expression of human creative skill, then I’d like to think that most of us express ourselves creatively one way or another. My public ART form is photography. I Shoot Everything.

HOW DID YOU BREAK INTO THE INDUSTRY?
My Family are creative thinkers, Individuals, with that my photographic art form was born. I fine tuned it with some schooling, persistence, and practice. Hip Hop culture has always been a part of my life. I Started shooting friends and emcee’s that my older brother Shel Shock was producing for… Dres, Casual, Vast Aire, AG, etc..

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
Vicente Fernandez
Bjork
Mike Patton
Malex1
Louis Armstrong
Mos Def
Tricky
De La Soul
Sum Majere

WHAT OTHER MEDIUMS OF ART HAVE YOU EXPERIMENTED IN?
I used to flow in a group called Dragons of Edin on a Japanese label in Tokyo called lo-vibes. I still bless mic’s on the low (gotta keep the skill sharp) Lately I’ve been Djing a happy hour and teaching my self drums. I paint or doodle when the moment calls for it, but otherwise my sole hustle is photography.

A LOT OF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASES AND EXPERIMENTS WITH VIBRANT COLORS, WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU SET OUT TO ACOMPLISH?
Subconsciously yes. My eye ,like any, is attracted to certain color palates. But my main angle is framing the picture. I think that is the sole foundation in defining some one’s style. Color, post production, content..that all comes after.

HOW LONG HAS IT TAKEN YOU TO DEVELPOE YOUR SPECIFIC STYLE?
Not yet fully developed. A lot of Photographers push hard in one style and master it. My professors from back in the day would tell me the same, but honestly I think at this day an age you need to shoot everything. My style might be labeled as “organized raw color”

WHATS IS YOUR HIGHEST GOAL OR ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN ARTIST. IF THE SKY WERE THE LIMIT?
Unfortunately i don’t think I will ever be happy. My highest accomplishment would be to understand happiness and the balance of life. Or to shoot for National Geographic and Travel the world again and again with photo openings in Paris, NYC, London, San Francisco, etc.. HA!

HAS ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCED OR CHANGED THE WAY YOU WORK?
Of Course. It has all us film photographers who don’t have over the top big spender clients to resort to digital for its efficiency and affordability. But I still use my film camera on all my personal projects. Technology moves, run with it or get stuck walking….I mean its nice to walk but you just might not see everything. I like rapping with older folk, When you catch wisdom from your elders, the rat race, the grind, the hustle, walking starts to feel jusssst right.

I SHOOT PEOPLE AND THE LOGO, THE GUN WITH THE LENSE BARREL HAS BECOME AN INSTANT CLASSIC. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE GUN CONCEPT?
Thanks. Glad I got that trademarked. LOL. just mess’in around with some ideas one day and it just popped.

WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING FROM TREV IN 2009?
5 City I Shoot People exhibition. 175 photographs of some of Hip Hop’s greatest Artists.
Check the flyer attached for the low down.
check out http://www.ishooteverything.com and pick up a limited edition T-shirt. only got a few left.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

IF YOU REDESIGN A BOOK COVER, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Hmmm If a limited press of  “I SHOOT PEOPLE” comes out in 2012
I’d probably think it was weak in 2015 and want to redesign it.
Have to keep sharp, keep reinventing, keep creative, keep prolific, and stand positive with conviction. All in All.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF SNEAKERS/SHOES?
EZ striders, velcro style.

WHAT IS OR WOULD BE YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VACATION?
I’d like to live in mongolia. So many places. Spin the globe eyes closed and I’d probably be happy with a brand new vision to preserve through my lens.

BIGGIE or TUPAC?
Big L

Be sure to check out Trev at a city near you. Find out where and when at ishooteverything.com

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.

HAS THERE BEEN A TOY THAT REALLY TESTED AND PUSHED YOUR ABILITIES?
Every setup is so different that it’s hard to say. There are a lot of things that factor into what makes a shoot challenging or relatively easy, such as location and weather. The toy can add to the frustration though.

Ashley Wood’s “Bertie the World War Robot” stands out in recent memory. I was given a prototype to shoot, and the accessories were made of solid resin. The joints were a little loose to begin with, and the added weight
made it impossible for him to hold a pose. Normally, I’d use a wax adhesive to shore it up, but it was worthless in the heat of Death Valley. So in the moments before taking an exposure, Bertie would randomly decide to throw down his rocket launcher. It took a good ten minutes to erase the marks in the sand and re-position him. This happened a couple of times.

I NOTICE A LOT OF YOUR WORK IS SET IN THE OUTDOORS…
Just about all of it these days is shot on location, so much so that my “studio” is a home office. On the rare occasion that I’m shooting on a set, I rent a space.

Studio work was almost all that I did back in art school, and I still enjoy the control a set offers. But it’s hard to compare to the act of discovery that happens on location. The photo is more of a reaction to and blending of
realities.

WHAT CAMERA DO YOU PREFER TO WORK WITH?
It depends on the shoot and location. If it’s practical, I’ll use a medium format or 4×5 camera plus digital back. Both involve a fair amount of setup time and ideal conditions. More often than not, I’ll go with a digital SLR
and tilt-shift lens. It gives a lot of flexibility to take the camera into some harsh environments and extreme angles.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2009?
The biggest goal is the release of my first book being published by Baby Tattoo. It was originally set to debut in July, but it’s been pushed back to accommodate some really cool developments. Not spilling the beans just yet, but I’m insanely psyched about who’s writing the introduction.

I’m also excited to start working on the new fine art project I mentioned. It’s been years in the making, and I’ve devoted a lot of myself to getting it made.

DO YOU FEEL THE RECENT POPULARITY OF RESIN TOYS WILL BRING BACK LOCALIZATION OF TOYS?
It’s never gone away on the art-toy level. A successful piece will always reflect the artist and in turn the culture perspective they have. Zoveck is a great example in Mexico of designers that really pull from a local identity.

ON THE MAINSTREAM SIDE OF THINGS, WHICH STAR WARS CHARACTER WOULD YOU LIKE  TO WORK WITH?
I immediately had visions of Yoda giving me shit for bitching about carrying heavy gear. I could be as whiny as Luke sans the force.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
My super political yet true answer is that my favorite artists are the ones I   get to work with. I don’t want to collaborate with anyone that I don’t admire.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. There’s a big list. Towards the top is KAWS.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER/SHOE BRAND?
I spend most of my time in super comfy, indestructible work shoes like KEEN’s, but given the opportunity I gravitate towards PUMA’s or classic PF Flyers. Really though, I don’t have a favorite. There is so much insanely cool shoe design happening right now. It’s a treat when toys and shoes
combine.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
Hong Kong Phooey!!!

FAVORITE COUNTRY TO VISIT?
I’m dying to get over to Japan and Hong Kong, but then Europe calls to me as well. I lived and worked in Italy for a little while, and I’d love to get back there and be a tourist.

MUSIC TO LIVE BY?
There might be too much to list. I’ve got really random tastes from Paul Simon to The Pixies. I love it all though. Let’s see what the next five songs are on iTunes…

1. Sister Morphine – Rolling Stones
2. Break-A-Way – Irma Thomas
3. Johnny Was – Stiff Little Fingers
4. Never Going Back Again – Fleetwood Mac
5. Sprite – Freezepop

THANK YOU, FOR THE INTERVIEW AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO ART TOYS!
Thank you again!!  It’s been a real pleasure!!

Keep up with Brian McCarty and McCarty Photoworks at brianmccarty.com & mccartyphotoworks.com

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.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START DOING LIVE ART SHOWS?
Boredom? I dunno, comics and illustration are pretty tight and controlled ways of working and I guess I always wanted to try something bigger and looser. More spontaneous. So I moved to Arizona in ‘97 and I met the Bombshelter DJs (Z-Trip, Emile, Radar) and I sort of bullshitted my way into rocking live art at their weekly Mission Control event. It turned out to be the #1 weekly event in AZ at the time, so I guess I got pretty lucky.

IS THERE AN ARTIST YOU PARTICULALRLY LIKE TO DO LIVE SHOWS WITH?
I have a good crew of diverse bad ass dudes that I rock with. There’s my comic crew: Mike Huddleston, Dave Crosland, Scott Morse, and Jose Garibaldi. There’s my graf/painter friends: Dumper Foo, Codak, and Kofie. I recently painted with Chor Boogie, Andy Howell, Revise, and Andy Brown in San Diego. All amazing guys.

I REMEMBER BEING BLOW AWAY BY THE FACT YOUR WORK WAS SUPPLEMENTED WITH TRACK LISTINGS, I WAS PROUD TO SEE A FELLOW COMIC GUY DOWN WITH HIP HOP. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO INCORPORATE MUSIC INTO YOUR BOOKS?
Well, I stole that whole soundtrack thing from Jamie Hewlett. He did it in the old Tank Girl comics and I just thought it was so bad ass, I took it and made it my own. And then every young indy comic book artist after that stole it from me. Ha ha. But yea, I have always drawn comics to music, the tunes influence what I write and draw, so it only seemed natural to recognize the musicians and albums that helped me make my art.

YOUR PHOTO/DRAWING COLLABS ARE ILL, WILL WE SEE THOSE IN ANY OF YOUR COMICS?
Yes. Working on that.

ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS IN 2009 YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT?
I just rocked some art for this new video game called Need For Speed: Nitro, which  was fun. Me and my homeboy Scott Campbell (www.scott-c.blogspot.com) are doing a kick ass two-man art show called Supreme Broship in London on June 11th at the London Miles Gallery (www.londonmiles.com). We’re excited about it. New solo stuff and some very fun collabo joints are going to be in it. The night before, on June 10th, we’re doing a signing at Forbidden Planet, the sweet-ass comic shop on Shaftesbury Ave. I’m also doing some comic book work for Megan Fox’s new movie, I guess that’s kind of top secret, so, you know. I also do a new, ongoing, auto-bio comic called Los Angeles Ink Stains that people can check out at www.foodoneart.blogspot.com

HAVING DRAWN SPIDER MAN MANY TIMES, IS HE A CHARACTER YOU CONNECT WITH ARTISTICALLY?
Yes, me and Spidey are down. He’s the most interesting and exciting superhero to draw for sure. He’s the first hero I discovered as a kid, and the reason I even got into reading and collecting comics in the first place.

ARE YOUR COLT 45 CANS STILL AVAILABLE ?
No. That was a limited edition, limited time only type of thing. Too bad. They came out really cool.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO PUBLISH YOUR DAILY STRIP, LA INK STAINS?
Yea, definitely. I’m just waiting until I have enough of them to fill a good-sized book, and I’m looking for the right book publisher to put it out. I want it to be special and classy, if that’s at all possible.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER/SHOE BRAND
I’m a Converse and Vans kinda guy.

IF YOU COULD REDESIGN A BOOK COVER, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, although I can never come close to the genius of Ralph Steadman. But I try.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
James Brown.

FAVORITE COUNTRY TO VISIT?
So far it’s been France.

MUSIC TO LIVE BY?
Funk not only moves, it can remove, dig?

See whats up with Jim Mahfood and his art at 40ozcomics.com

DAVID WHITTLE "A BOY CALLED JESUS"

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ART?
pretty much since i could hold a pencil.  I’ve drawn o everything in sight since i was about 4 years old!

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?
I don’t really know to be honest, as far back as i can remember i have loved drawing.  My older brother Ian was always drawing and designing stuff, so I’m sure that rubbed off on me a bit.

DAVID WHITTLE COLLISION WALL

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
I love a lot of the 50’s animation produced by UPA. The artwork, colours, and character designs are amazing.  In terms of current day stuff, I’m into artists like Will Barras, Andrew Rae and Doze Green, as well as Bristol artists like RichT, 45RPM, and Mr Jago.  All good stuff.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACURA COMMERCIAL?
I work closely with Ben and Chris at Collision Films quite a lot.  I studied at university with Ben, and he usually gives me a shout when something needs drawing! The Acura commercial came along, and was sort of a perfect job for us all.

DAVID WHITTLE. ACURA COMMERCIAL BEHIND THE SCENES

WHAT SHOULD AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT THE BRISTOL ART SCENE?
I think the scene over here in the UK is perhaps a little more experimental than it is over in the US.  You’ll see a huge variety of styles on the streets and in publications etc over here compared with the US.   I think that the wealth of more traditional graffiti and illustration over the pond means we have to switch things up a little more to get noticed worldwide.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?
I’ve worked on a lot of music videos as an animator and artist, so it’s be good to be able to work with some of my favourite musicians, like Aim, Madlib, or even the Beastie boys.  I’d also love to hook up with video artists like Shynola, Their stuff is totally amazing.

HAVE YOU HIT UP ANY WALLS IN AMERICA?
Nope, never really had a chance, I’m not over there as much as I’d like.  would be good to do some big pieces over there, but to be honest I work mainly with canvas and print stuff these days.

DAVID WHITTLE. BIG-TOHO

WILL YOU OR YOUR WORK BE IN ANY AMERICAN GALLERIES THIS YEAR?
Not as yet, but hopefully I’ll be pushing this later in the year.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
Batman every time.  He’d kick spiderman’s ass.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF SNEAKERS/SHOES?
Nikes, Nikes, and more Nikes.  I love my air max 90’s.

DAVID WHITTLE. EMINEM1

WHAT IS OR WOULD BE YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VACATION?
I’ve never been to south America or Asia, so would love to visit either of those areas.  I’m not much of a backpacker though, so 5 star hotels would be the way to do it!

WHATS IS YOUR HIGHEST GOAL OR ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN
ARTIST. IF THE SKY WERE THE LIMIT?
I’d basically love to be able to continue to do what i do for the rest of my life.  If I can earn a few quid along the way to fund my obsession with 80’s coupes, that would be good too.

IF YOU COULD REDESIGN A BOOK COVER, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOSE?
Hmmm.  not sure on that one, maybe some of my earlier work i’m not too keen on!

DAVID WHITTLE. COKE

To keep up with david and his various projects, please visit davidwhittle.co.uk

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST?
I think when i was young I used to copy my brother. He’s an exceptional artist and i used to try to do what he was doing. As I got older I started developing my own style and getting my own influences. I used to read a lot of comic books. I was obsessed with Spiderman and used try and create my own comic strips with him interacting with new enemies i had made for him.

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
I love so many different artists. People like Mike Giant, Ralph Steadman, Mike Mignola, Katsuhiro Otomo. Most of my favorite artists are comic book artists. I think Chris Ware draws some of the most beautiful imagery I have ever seen. When ever I hear he has some new work out I hunt it down as soon as I can. I’m also a huge fan of Charles Burns. His dark and surreal black and white work is truly amazing. Also The late, great Jack kirby has to get a look in here.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACURA COMMERCIAL?
I’m a freelance illustrator and animator by trade and I was working in a production company called Collision in Bristol. I was mocking up mood-boards and storyboards for a pitch to get the job. I did some very early character design and knocked around some ideas for scenarios with Ben (Foley) and Chris (Hopewell), the directors. When Collision got the job they were keen to use my illustrations and character designs. About two weeks later we were in L.A. doing it all for real. It all happened so quickly it all seemed quite surreal.

WHAT SHOULD AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT THE BRISTOL ART SCENE?
The Bristol art scene (in general) is a very co-operative thing. There’s very little rivalry between artists and there’s a great sense of getting as many people involved.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?
When we were doing the commercial we worked with Axis and Sever from the MSK crew. I would like to hook up with them again. We didn’t have time when we visited to do anything away from the studio and they had paint my designs when we were doing the commercial.

HAVE YOU HIT UP ANY WALLS IN AMERICA?
Doing the Acura commercial was the first time I had visited America and we were all so busy doing the spot that we really didn’t have time to do much else. I was there drawing and painting for three weeks and on the few days off I had I didn’t want much to do with paint. I needed to step away from it and unwind. The amount of spray paint around it was good to get away just for my health’s sake.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE ANCHOR PIECE?
It’s kind of an amalgamation of several different ideas that have evolved in the last year or so. I’m a huge fan of traditional tattoos and I suppose that’s where the anchor comes from. The face comes from when I was drawing backgrounds for animations. I used to have draw loads of cartoon trees and I used to try and sneak faces into some of them.

WILL YOU OR YOUR WORK BE IN ANY AMERICAN GALLERIES THIS YEAR?
I have no plans yet but it is possible. I try and exhibit my work as often as I can but there is nothing state side yet.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
Spiderman. Hands down.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF SNEAKERS/SHOES?
Converse All Stars. They are all I have worn for the past ten years.

WHAT IS OR WOULD BE YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO VACATION?
There are so many places I haven’t been to, so this is a tough one. I think anywhere i haven’t been yet. I would really love to go to Tokyo. I imagine that would be a bit of an eye opener.

WHATS IS YOUR HIGHEST GOAL OR ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN
ARTIST. IF THE SKY WERE THE LIMIT?
Wow that’s a tough one. I would love to make a feature length animation on a parr with Marjane Satrapi’s ‘Persepolis’. I’ve always wanted to write a comic book. Maybe I’ll do that first and then make it into a film.

IF YOU COULD REDESIGN A BOOK COVER, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOSE?
I was going to say something by Hunter S Thompson, like ‘Fear and loathing in Las Vegas’ but Ralph Steadman is a genius and does a far better job than I could. It would be sacrilege to not have his work there.
I will probably have to go for ‘The Book of Dave’ by Will Self. I think I could get surreal and dark enough for it.

To see more of Sainty’s work visit his photo stream