Drypnz - Graffiti Artist Interview

September 2008

Interview with Drypnz, New Zealand based graffiti artist and member of the KKP Crew.

How old are you?

21 years young, but who's counting.

Where are you based?

I'm based in the lovely windy city of Wellington, at the bottom of the world in New Zealand.

You seem to have travelled around a lot before making a home New Zealand, what is the story behind all the travelling?

Followed my parents round is the simple answer.

Why did you decide to settle in New Zealand?

World politics… there are none because NZ is so far away from anything except good old Australia.

How long have you been painting / writing?

5-6 years, so not long at all.

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

Got into it by wanting to express myself large scale (started on my bedroom wall) and seemed like a good idea at the time, but I've always loved to draw and paint so it was just the next logical step.

How would you describe your style?

Hard to say because of having an influential personality, but it's a mix of Euro/S. American Urban Contemporary Street Art… yea that sounds good.

Where did you paint your first piece?

My first piece was under a bridge in Nelson NZ but a few little things in an abandoned hotel in St. Croix USVI (Caribbean).

How did you choose the name Drypnz?

It was originally PYRO (because I liked fire) but I surfed the word wide web and found that name was as common as my dirty socks so I sat with my younger brother and we brainstormed… togehter we thought 'pyro' backwards was 'oryp' but that sounded funny and then my brother said "Hey look, if you add a line to the o you get a d", which made sense because paint drips. I wrote that for a while and I couldn't find anyone else who wrote it so the name stuck. The 'nz' came along a bit later because New Zealand has been the place I have spent my time while developing. So there it is… 'DRYPNZ'.

Do you write under any other names?

Not at the moment.

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

I am a member of a German based K.K.P. Crew, which is a bit far away for just a weekend paint, but I enjoy going solo a bit more.

Have you done many collaborations with artists overseas or travelled abroad for your art and if where is the most exciting or interesting place you have painted?

Unfortunately not yet. I'm planing trips and trying to find a way out of NZ, furthest I have gone is Auckland and some might say that could be considered abroad!

What are your feelings about the New Zealand graffiti and street art scene at present?

It's slacking off and needs to come back… soon!

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

Nope, just a hobby I spend to much time on.

Is there any one point in your career you would class as 'your big break'?

Haven't had one yet I don't think but then I'm still young and havn't been around for long either.

What do you see as your greatest achievement to date?

Being able to trust people who do what I do even though I have never met them.

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

I'm not even sure, I love how the street is where we come together with 'no rules' and the gallery is restricted and awkward but there is a unique feeling when showing work in a gallery that I don't know as bad or good yet. Either or, it's all about a choice to view what is out there on an unlimited amount of mediums.

Have you had your work displayed in a galleries and if so is there any one exhibition that stands out from all the rest?

Not particularly.

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

Flippin' galleries, that and it's beginning to be accepted as an art form.

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

Strong, I wish governments were bit more liberal.

Do you prefer doing legal or illegal pieces?

Illegal, they always seem to turn out better.

Have you ever 'felt the long arm of the law' because of your art?

I seem to be able to talk my way out of things which surprises me and I'm erratic so that helps.

Do you try to keep your identity anonymous where possible?

Not always too much trouble and usually people are so unaware of their surroundings it's not necessary.

Do you see yourself as an artist or a graffiti writer?

Artist.

Which other artists work do you admire?

• D-Face
• Cracked Ink
• Lister
• Phil Frost
• Blu
• Os Gemeos

…and oh so so many more.

Which other graffiti artists would you most like to work with if given the chance?

• Sickboy
• Lastplak

…but anyone really.

What is your preferred medium for making marks with?

Don't really have a preferred but what spends the most time in my hand is a pencil.

Do you have a favourite piece of all time?

Nope, I try and get my to a point where I want to look at it for ages.

What kind of music are you into?

I seem to be into Northern European Gypsy sounding stuff at the moment… but really anything that makes me move faster.

What is the last album you bought?

Urm… sorry… spent all my money on paint lately.

What are you working on currently and what plans do you have for the future?

Working on a show that I'm thinking of calling "Semi-International" but trying to get international artists to send work to the end of the earth is a bit hard… but also interesting. Travelling to Australia next year as well, but the future is coming and I'm just letting it pan out.

Anything else you would like to add?

Thanks for having me Canned Goods… still amazed I got to do this interview.

For further information about Drypnz please visit:

www.drypnz.com