Ewok Speaks

[azad]

http://graffmuseum.com/?p=497#more-497

SASTER: How long have you been involved in Graff?

EWOK: Graffiti found me in about 1990 by way of tags around my hometown,

and further looking the into Subway Art book that got me hooked, about 91 I was driving to NYC a lot with my family taking pictures of tags in downtown and all the parking lots and especially the highway era, which influenced me to think about straight letters for impact value as apposed to throw-ups that I would look over when driving by highway walls fast. If I was going to use paint I wanted to stand out on a wall of many, instead of falling victim to a bunch of white noise. The str8 letter mentality is still ingrained in me to this day.

SASTER: What are the things that interested you most about Graff?

EWOK: What struck me the most was the mystique behind the “people†who came in the night and left their mark. The other thing that intrigued me was hand styles, and how some people’s tags looked more stylish compared to others. Also, how some people were up so much, but their shit looked like a little kid did it, not concerned at all with making their name look good, I didn’t understand that. I wasn’t really into pieces until I went thru the Bronx in 91-92. I saw all the HARD ROCKS and KD walls with Louie 167, Cope, Sie, Trab, and Dero. Back then; I also saw walls downtown in parking lots like Ces, Clark, and the IMOK guys who had a bunch of lots smashed back then. This was the shit that sparked me to do pieces. I was already drawing shit like comics back then so it only made sense to put a character next to my letters.

SASTER: Are you a NYC native?

EWOK: Nope, and I always get a kick out of these guys who think their dropping some kind of hidden knowledge about where I’m from, like I got some reason to hide something. The truth to all you clown asses is: EWOK was born in New Jersey. Picture that you big dummies… parents divorced around 78ish.I moved to upstate New York wit mom dukes to a shit hole town where I was raised up thru high school and broke out in the fall of ‘96 to Downtown Brooklyn. And I’ve lived downstate for almost 11 yrs now, long before the herbs took over Williamsburg into Bushwick with their spiked belts and trucker caps. So you haters can stop acting like this guy just got here, or that I’m from Connecticut that I’ve heard before, OH, or the best of all that I’m from Connecticut and I come from a rich family, that’s one of the best ones I’ve heard. Pay attention… I have been paying my own rent for over a decade in New York City and that’s longer then 95% of these haters even been writing graffiti. Figure that out.

[azad]

part II of III

SASTER: How is business doing with you at the moment? Are you still working on gear?

EWOK: Pay attention…. Business is booming! Put your stocks into EWOK 5MH yall, for real, I have more work then I can handle. As for gear I’m the senior designer with SCIFEN.

SASTER: I know you were working with Ecko for a minute. How did that treat you?

EWOK: I learned a lot about the industry back then… you could say that much. Raven from 12 oz. Prophet vouched for me and put my portfolio into Marc’s hands, the next day I had a job, worked on salary for almost two years, and left on bad terms. Since then, I think Marc has tried to make a few good gestures to make up for any bad history. I’d get contacted from time to time to do some random job that their art department couldn’t do, like paint a fuckin’ 900 lb. iron Rhino statue for a few gees. I’d get scooped up in limo and driven all the way out to some auto body shop in Long Island where the driver sits outside all day and waits for me to finish. Then I’d get dropped off back in the city at my crib. Bugged out Shit like that.

It’s the least they could do is throw me a few gees here and there. They’re still using my hand styles and str8 letters all over the place on their clothing almost 5 yrs later. I’m not talkin about a little tag here and there, I’m talking about full blown tags across the chest of a major item, like a track jacket with a matching bottom, shit like that. But like I said I’ve learned a lot about the industry, as well as realized my own worth. I got my stake in a few established endeavors (as we speak) going nicely.

SASTER: Whom have you worked for since?

EWOK: I freelanced for a few years and worked with all kinds of companies. I’m not even going to start naming shit. I’ve worked with everyone! I’m valuable baby! (laughs)

[azad]

SASTER: What is Ewok going to be up to 10 years from now?

EWOK: 10 more years from now I’ll still be swinging for the fences with whatever I’m trying to work on at the time. And whatever it is I’m doing, I’m sure it will still be making grown men act like lil’ schoolgirls bitchin’ and whinin’ on these websites. But you know what? I rather them be bitchin’ and gossiping about me then about someone else. Good or bad I want’m talkin about me. These people who will never meet me in person, but wanna act like they know who I am, and what my favorite color is.

SASTER: Any words to writers out there?

EWOK: I’ll let the body of work speak for itself. I been in this game 16 yrs now, and I’m not going anywhere…

SASTER It seems to me that there is some type of animosity towards some New York writers, is this the case? Or is it something that is being directed at a specific individual?

EWOK: Nah, nobody specific, just chatter. I’m either told about by people close to me, or stuff I read about myself on these sites. Just a lot of misguided hate from people who hide behind fake names, and even worse when sometimes you find out it’s someone who you respect for what they’ve accomplished for themselves. It’s sad to see them try to gain yardage by smearing people they find as a threat, when I’m not even out here like that. I’m directly competing with the world, not anyone in NYC. This is where my heart is. I want NY to shine bright, not sit around throwing rocks at each other.

SASTER: What do you suggest to the kid who wants to get into the Graff game?

EWOK:: Learn your history first. Study Subway Art book, Dondi book, Cope’s book, and T-kid’s book. These are your bible’s to understand letter structure and basic fundamentals, and PLEASE stay in books until it’s good enough to be in public where everyone has to see it. There’s too much toy shit out there already, in 2006 you got toys with more ups then people with style. It’s sad. And most of all, do what you do for YOURSELF, and not to impress anyone else. If you wanna go all city, go all city cuz you love writing on shit and seeing yourself up. Don’t do it to feed your ego, there’s enough ego on this island already.

SASTER: One final question for the time being. Your tag says a bunch for itself as far as style is concerned. Its unique and distinct like many other writers out there. Do you see others emulating on what you have created for yourself?

EWOK: Hmm… I don’t know. It’s a hard thing to say… my E is a Brooklyn E, so I never made that up, but my K used to look like a question mark or as RK9 says, “it’s a rabbit leg!†that has since evolved into something more streamline for speed. I don’t think I see anyone emulating it, or maybe I’m not just paying attention. You obviously asked the question for a reason, so I’ll have to look around more. Now that I think about it, I’ve seen some variations of my K made into R’s, maybe that’s what you mean, I see that all the time, but they don’t do it right, it’s like JA’s tag, no one can really do the top of his “A†the way he does, so it’s sorta like a trademark protection.

SASTER: And indeed, that’s what we’re talking about… Thanks for the time.

EWOK: No doubt… good looks on the shine and peace to everyone who shows the kid love, and even the haterz, I ain’t mad at ya, ya’ll just need a hug hahahaha.

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check the site for a selection from his repertoire.

[englandmj7]

Did you know that the Ewok language as featured in Star Wars is indeed, Tibetan?