Atome - Graffiti Artist Interview

May 2009

Interview with Atome, a graffiti artist based in Sydney, Australia who represents IBS Crew and the mighty TFP Crew from New York.

Where are you based?

I live and work in Sydney, Australia.

How long have you been painting and writing graffiti?

I started graffiti writing in the summer of '84.

How did you get into graffiti and what made you start painting?

I caught the train to school everyday. It was quite innocent at first an had nothing to do with graffiti or the act of graffiti… but like most kids, I was exposed to what was exploding around me and once I realised what was going on then I was hooked!

Where did you paint your first piece?

On a wall near my football (soccer) club, it said "FUNK" - blue fill / white final!

How would you describe your style?

Pretty simple. Aesthetically it's traditional New York in the sense that's where my influences are from.

How did you choose the name Atome?

It wasn't my first tag, it was one of many at a time when having different names was kind of cool. I liked the word "atom" but I liked 5 letters - so I added the "e" for no reason other than wanting 5 letters in the tag.

Do you write with any crews and if so which ones?

The crews I represent are IBS Crew and TFP Crew, there have been others along the way but these two are made up of friends that run deeper than just graffiti.

You were invited to join the legendary New York graffiti crew "The Fantastic Partners", how did you come to be involved with those guys?

I met a guy who became a good friend… we hung out a lot, travelled a bit and have common friends in different countries around the way. It's always been an honour to be down with one of the most legendary crews in NYC subway history.

What are you feelings about the graffiti scenes in Sydney in Australia?

I don't consider myself a part of the scene so much, but in saying that I still see a lot of what gets done and I think Sydney has a good strong scene! There are a lot of good writers, some have gone on to become pretty successful outside of the scene and whilst they are pushing boundaries elsewhere newer guys are coming up that are super dedicated and active. There's a lot of dope styles and it can definitely hold its' own.

You have travelled abroad many times for your art, where is the most exciting or interesting place you have painted?

The most exciting place is always New York, there is a feeling in the air when you paint or hang out there. Most interesting would have to have been Europe in the early 90's, what was going on was just nuts! I mean it's out of control now, but in those years seeing it taking off was just amazing.

Have you ever done any commercial work and if so what would you say was your most well known piece?

Ive managed to do a little here and there over the years, I'm not sure which has been more well known than the other and it's not something I target or go out of my way to do so with that I don't really look to see which or if any become well known.

You have a book out called "Atome Un*leaded", would you like to tell us a little about the book and what inspired you to create it?

I love PRINT format and always wanted to do something. I was approached by a few different people but the timing and the essence of what they wanted was never right. In the end some people close to me encouraged me to do something, I thought about it for a while and really tried to do something that was a little different… offer something that was a little deeper than "here are some pieces I've done" and I was pretty happy with it in the end. It was an amazing experience and journey. I'd love to continue to publish.

I read that you were persuaded by Mode2 to start keeping a blackbook, what is the story behind that?

Not so much persuaded… more encouraged and I mean if you know Mode2 then you know he has these blackbooks that are just beautiful, they also represent real moments in time. When your stuff is on loose paper then you definitely lose that. In saying that, drawing in a blackbook can be a discipline of its own and my approach for many years was just "lose", "like it - keep it", "don't like it - toss it"! I have never been one to tear pages out, so suddenly there's an added pressure of sorts… this matched with the fact I really didn't like drawing with pencil all defeated the idea of keeping a blackbook.

Has graffiti become a full-time career for you now and if so was it a long journey to get to this stage?

NO, not at all. I still paint because I enjoy it, I don't earn a living off it and never have.

What do you see as your greatest achievement to date?

It would have to be the opportunity to start travelling in the early 90's, the friendships made and the experiences had… together they kept the fire burning and kept it all a lot of fun.

What are your thoughts on graffiti being just a likely to be found in a gallery as on the streets these days?

It's a sign of the times really, in saying that though, nothing beats raw tags, throw-ups or pieces on the streets or subways. There's a level of freedom that you can feel from seeing graffiti in its natural environment, but all said and done it's still always impressive to walk into a gallery and see GOOD graffiti hanging… it's a different dimension… it's a different world.

The art form crosses all boundaries and in many cases has consumed cities… and it keeps growing! At some point 'people' were going to stop and realise this is not a fad…

Atome

There seems to have been a sudden surge of interest in graffiti and street art recently, why do you think this is?

It's got a lot to do with the art developing for in excess of 30 years… it's an undenying part of art history now and it has the same attraction that its always had. The art form crosses all boundaries and in many cases has consumed cities… and it keeps growing! At some point 'people' were going to stop and realise this is not a fad… at some stage so called "scholars" were always going to look into this and try and understand it. As soon as big business's realised they could employ it and use it to sell product that too captured a lot of interest, some genuine and some not so but all in all it's added more fuel to a fire that's been burning for a long time.

It was the voice of the ghetto and it's now the number one art of this century, in terms of sheer numbers of people involved with it.

There is a very fine line between those who see graffiti as art and those who see it as vandalism, what are your views on this?

I go to art galleries and I see things that I question as ART… it's no different right?

Do you prefer doing legal or illegal pieces?

I like painting for the experience of painting and to enjoy that moment in time. In many ways I'm still challenging myself in different ways and again most importantly I'm still enjoying the act of painting. After all this time, that's the most important part of it for me personally.

Anything else you would like to add?

I'm constantly amazed at the levels the art has gone to, the skills that some writers have and not to menton seeing graffiti reach some of the furthest places on this earth. I can't wait to see where it goes in the future and how it develops. The art of "letters" has been under construction and development from the start of time and through our art, that development has taken on another form… another dimension which I can't see that stopping any time soon that's for sure! It is WUT it is!

Peace out.

Atome IBS / TFP Crew

For further information about Atome please visit:

Atome Profile

Atome Website

http://www.atomeunleaded.com

Atome Blog

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