(Q) How long have you been taking photos of graffiti & what interests you to do so?

(A) The first stuff I photographed was around 01-02 but I wasn’t really “documenting”.. I couldn’t afford to shoot film and the cameras were around 3-4 megapixels which, quite frankly have some poor quality.. It wasn’t until about 2005 when I moved into the Treehouse Gallery (RIP) in the warehouse district in downtown los angeles that I got into it.. Mostly going on drunken sprees at night around the area and checking out all the art shows.. Being around artists and photogs again really got me back into taking more pictures and opened my eyes to what people were doing on the streets..

(Q) Do you own photo albums of actual prints or do you prefer digital??

(A) I’m too disorganized for albums but I do have prints scattered around.. I originally started shooting film of urban landscapes and random shit in the nineties when I had free access to a darkroom and free chemicals but all that became expensive when I moved back to LA. I prefer digital because it’s so quick and easy to shoot and cheap..

(Q) How many photos are in your personal collection??

(A) In total about 20,000+ I’m a pack rat so I have them stored all over the place.. Straight graffiti I have maybe 8,000… maybe a little less.. A lot of them I haven’t put up yet..

(Q) Do you feel photography plays a major role in documenting graffiti culture??

(A) I understand more about the culture now than ever before but I still have a lot to learn.. I was also on solo photo missions, not just graffiti but I’d go out and take whatever I saw. My background is rooted in old school punk and death metal so “graffiti” to me was the shit my friends and I and their older brothers were doing… scribbling anarchy signs everywhere and CRASS symbols and anti-system slang.. In terms of documentation, photos are like a history of living frozen in time..

(Q) Do you have any crazy stories or memorable moments while taking photos??

(A) The one moment that comes to mind is almost walking into a lot lizard session.. I was with RATHANDSOME and he was motioning me to get away cuz I was around the corner from some shit going down.. I ran over and we hid behind some trains while these two started going at it.. Both of us were kicking ourselves for not having zoom lenses.. Nothing beats life in the raw!! People doing what they want and not giving a fuck..

Location: Los Angeles, CA

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