Graffiti.



Child of New York.
Today that child has grown and has spawned children of its own traversing from street into gallery.
Of recent, EM had the opportunity to interview offspring of one of Graffiti's finest.

His name is Futura. Please join us. 

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EM: Tell us where you grew up. What were your influences as a child?

Futura: I was born in New York City. The ’64/’65 World's Fair (ages nine and ten) was my earliest memorable influential life experience. Multiple trips to multiple cultures, and in that period I probably went dozens of times between school trips and those with family and friends. My father getting mugged in Central Park is however one particular summer day to remember; in that one of the bad guys from a party of eight held my hand and gave me a lollipop. (laugh) I guess that influenced my fear of dentists…

EM: What were your interests before you began doing graffiti?

F: Being a kid, a daredevil, a class clown that studied hard. played alot of sports, baseball and hockey especially, loved speed skating. Worked at the YMCA with youth programs, was seriously into (Scouting) and (Chess). Babysat for everyone in my neighborhood and walked dogs before clean up was the law. As an only child I had a lot of imagination but no artistic interests.

EM: New York subway culture had an important role in as far as letting names of graffiti writers known throughout the city. Today the medium has changed from subway to gallery. The United Graffiti Artists (UGA) were a grouping of graffiti artists who spearheaded this transition. Tell us about UGA and following do you find it a bit ironic that the very art which was initially met with public resistance, is today finding itself in public grace? 

F: The movement/culture pre dates any organized groups, and or - attempts to transition that movement/culture (to the public) which is of course different than (in the public). From the start, fame via anonymity, and rumor via gossip, created the underground heroes of the NYC subway system. But having said that, the United Graffiti Artists were the first (group) to emerge from the Mecca of the worldwide phenomenon.

At that time, I was a pure fanatic. Almost groupie like and I didn't know anything (really) about galleries, museums, art or the "art world". The exposure to these spaces and such creative diversity would have a very profound effect on me. I knew a lot about graffiti but I was now learning a little about style.

EM: Following there is this debate in regards to street art and fine art. In your opinion was and is street art fine art to begin with? And if so, what factors do you think came into play? 

F: A very interesting topic of discussion I am quite sure will historically change with time. In my day, during the first round of (talks), it was widely suggested that street art was (not) in fact fine art, and that was pretty much that. These days contemporary artists can offer more arguments as to where that line is actually drawn. I don't think about it too much, as my current strategy is to bypass and flank the (art world). I am not seeking their audience.

EM: Tell us about the "Pointman" character. How did its conception come about? 

F: The genesis of these characters can be seen as far back as twenty years ago. Although primitive, they were emerging. But it wasn't until my work for Mo Wax and James LaVelle in ‘92, that they really started to take shape. What had begun as rough sketches had become the birth of the UNKLE logo and subsequently the (Pointman).


                                           


EM: I understand that you derived your name from "2001 Space Odyssey." There is this theory that science fiction had much influence on what we define as street culture today due to the fact that many participants of it came from backgrounds with limited resources hence forcing individuals to look beyond the scope of reality. What are you thoughts on that?

F: Really? There may be some truth to that. The name may be a direct (Stanley Kubrick) connection, but my favorite film of that genre would be (THX1138). I know that I'm from a (B Movie) generation of sci-fi films, which certainly inspired the likes of Lucas & Spielberg and many including myself. Seeing the men on the moon was a very big event when I was 14 and it still seems like some unbelievable concept today. How that effects what I am doing these days is unclear. the fact that we are now in (the future), I was so amazed by thirty years ago, makes the name (futura2000) obsolete. And the future now surely looks less romantic. 



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