Kofie - Graffiti Artist Interview

November 2008

Interview with Augustine Kofie, a graffiti artist and a creative legend from Los Angeles who is involved with the TPS Crew, UTI Crew, RF Crew, VT Crew and WCA Crew.

How old are you?

35 years young.

Where are you based?

Born and raised in Los Angeles.

How long have you been painting / writing?

My very first spray paint illegal was in the summer of 1989 in a West Los Angeles sewer system, it was my last summer before my High School education began. Throughout High School I got caught up in tagging until 1993 when I took my current moniker and focused on characters and developing my painting styles. My work developed and flourished in the early/ mid 90's school.

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

The neighborhood kids I skated with were all pretty much into it, or knew someone who was involved. We weren't gang members, nor was I associated with any, but we just liked to skate, draw, explore abandoned buildings and the refused nooks of our neighborhood. One of these nooks was The Motor Yard. Motor was one of the oldest, steadily painted spots in Los Angeles, especially the West Side. The second most painted spot would have be the original Venice Graffiti Pits. I saw new burners every week as I passed through the yard via the railroad tracks to the local Captain Videos Arcade. Down the line the art form stuck, I connected with the right people, paid attention and ran with crews to slowly develop styles.

How would you describe your style?

Neo Vintage Futurism? Structural Abstraction? I believe it's still finding itself! There are definitely aspects I've maintained in my work since the mid 90's; the idea of making the work float, layering my letters and their break offs and natural, low key color pallets and strong highlights.

The real transitions happened in late 1999 and into the new millennium, I began incorporating house paint into the work and that gave me a new color palette to choose from as well as knocking out shapes and areas quicker. My letters evolved into shapes… abstracting. It started getting really fun and experimental. I felt I was in a position to contribute to the art form when I was experimenting with brushed and house paints.

I didn't come out of nowhere getting weird, I had a foundation. I was just keeping it fun and learning as I went along.

What are the influences behind your work?

• Shapes
• Circles
• Squares
• Drafting Engineers from the 60's
• Freedom
• Thinking outside the box
• Point of perspective
• Decay
• Abstraction
• Structure
• 60's Graphic design
• Growth
• Isometric Perspective
• Weight
• Futurism
• Creative Vandalism
• Found images

How did you choose the name Kofie?

In 93 my writing partner Gachas and his brother Cuba came up with it at their home in West LA. I was about to get into a classic crew called TPS and I wanted to start fresh. I was looking to write something that had loosely to do with the color brown. Bronze and Copper were brought up, but Cuba said "Koffee"… I didn't like it at first, especially the original spelling and it's meaning. After I dissected it a bit and began spelling it phonetically it stated to making sense… K, O, F, I and E. That letter combo was not heard of at the time. That sharp letter combination/connection plus the accent with one round letter made for interesting play.

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

I've painted with loads of crews, I'm in…

• TPS Crew (The Private Sector / Troopers)
• UTI Crew (Under The Influence)
• RF Crew (Rapid Fire)
• VT Crew (Visual Team)
• WCA Crew (West Coast Artist)

You have done many collaborations with artists overseas and have travelled to Japan many times for your art, where is the most exciting or interesting place you have painted?

Painting anywhere outside of your own city and personal comfort zone is interesting.

How often do you travel abroad for your art?

Since 2001 I've been making yearly trips to Japan for my clothing business, this has included live painting and commissions during my stays mixed in with some personal debauchery. I usually only travel if I've got a benefactor covering travel costs.

What are your thoughts about the current graffiti scene in the USA and Los Angeles?

I think I'm out of that current loop, I'm one of those old men that talk about the good old days and complain that things aren't the same.

You have done commercial work for clients such as Stussy, MTV, Nike and Levis to name a few - what would you say was your most well known piece of commercial artwork?

The most well known would mean the most visible. The most visible piece in the last year I worked on was the mural for the Barack Obama Campaign Office In LA.

The corporate stuff is my occasional commercial work. I'm a working artist, these gigs pay the bills and support my lifestyle and private projects.

Trust me when I say it wasn't my plan to make a living based partially on what I learned on the street…

Kofie

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

I'm a freelance artist, I make a living as a freelance artist and that's my career. Even though I didn't study art in school, I have been drawing since I was a child. I'm just balancing the two art forms the best I can. Trust me when I say it wasn't my plan to make a living based partially on what I learned on the street but I'm doing my best to work the two in a respectful, proficient and artful way.

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

I've been big breaking for a bit now, though I did sell my first piece in a gallery in 1997 and that put the fire under my ass.

What do you see as your greatest achievement to date?

I'm making a living based on my lifelong love, being creative.

How did you come to be involved in the graffiti documentary "Rock Fresh"?

I am long time friends with the director and his brother, after he graduated film school I let him follow us around. That whole thing was kinda my fault.

For those who didn't know you also produce music as part of your "4×4Tracktor" project. How did you get into creating music and what equipment do you use?

A 4-track fell into my lap in 1995, then a Roland Keyboard sampler in 1997 and I have been using the same two items ever since. I have a knack for tinkering with machines and a personal love for dusty breaks and loops. In the last 5 years I have been digitizing all of the old music and remixing them. I've been making music for selfish reasons initially, to give myself something to listen to that no one else has heard. It puts my head in a different place and inspires me while in a creative zone.

Has any of your music been released for the public to buy?

Not to date, but it's in the process and I will have some independently produced 45's and a mix CD early spring of 2009, www.myspace.com/4x4tracktors has been the only public source for my music for a few years now.

You have had your work displayed in galleries many times, is there any one exhibition that stands out from all the rest?

I've only had about four solo shows, but there was an installation I worked on called "Engineering Cinémathèque" at Studio 1636 Gallery in Hollywood. I painted the walls and floors of an abstract theatre showcasing independent cinema, I designed the seating as well, it was a pretty heavy exhibition.

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

It depends on the artist and how they create the show. I like to see a graff artist transform a space, and I don't mean just tagging it up but taking installation and well thought out approaches to the work. What that artist creates at his studio, private pieces and savvy placements. The majority of the time a smaller independent gallery will cater to this aesthetic but larger non graff supporting galleries usually go for the white walled, 2 foot of space between each piece layout… standard museum style… that's a bit sterilized most times.

Even though graffiti seems to have been more widely accepted there still appears to be a very fine line between those who see graffiti as art and those who see it as vandalism, what are your views on this?

Art is defined as "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination". The graffiti arts will always hold controversy between those who practice and those who question it's viability. The real problem the general populace have is the blatant disrespect of the damage factor it deems. That's not stopping any time soon.

The graffiti arts will always hold controversy between those who practice and those who question it's viability.

Kofie

Do you prefer doing legal or illegal pieces?

The art of getting over was always more satisfying but taking my time on a piece is pretty rewarding as well.

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

I did get popped in 1992 on a speculative 'Malicious Mischief' charge.

The idea behind graffiti artists "getting up" and putting their mark everywhere is an interesting one - I wanted to ask you if infamy within the scene was a frustrating thing sometimes because often there is a need to keep your identity secret due to the illegal aspect? At what point did you feel you were able to stand up and say "I did that"?

You cant 'hide your face' at the art show forever… masks and shit. Besides, I'm personally not public enemy #1 out there killing public/private property. I'm a mild mannered, low key graff artist that is proud of the work and the people I work with.

Do you still try to keep your identity anonymous where possible?

I actually just don't like to take pictures of my grill in general, I'll cover half of it up as more of a tease that to come off as a villain.

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

I see myself as a Creative.

What is your preferred medium for making marks with?

• Diluted house paint/ acrylic
• Mini rollers
• Spray paint

What kind of music are you into?

• Homemade dusty breaks
• 60's Psych
• Jazz
• Old Soul
• Prog Rock
• 90's Hip-Hop
• Ethiopian Jazz
• Ghettoteck
• 60's Movie Soundtracks

What is the last album you bought?

A couple of limited 45's off of 10Shun's Myspace page… sick heavy drum/drome beats and some records at a thrift store in the Pico Union District.

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

I'm currently building a body of work for my solo show at ZeroOne Gallery in Los Angeles, March 2009. I'm planning a solo show in New York before the summer of 2009.

Always experimenting with new print techniques and having fun.

For further information about Kofie please visit:

Kofie Profile

Kofie Website

Kofie MySpace Page

Kofie Flickr Photostream

Kofie YouTube Channel

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