Rough - Graffiti Artist Interview

August 2008

Interview with UK graffiti artist Rough, contributor to the Tate Modern 2008 Street Art exhibition and member of the ADS Crew.

How old are you?

I am 37 in October… a Libran, well balanced yet fickle.

How long have you been painting / writing?

It'll be 25 years come next year… it's been a while now.

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

Pretty much via the usual channels. It all came over to the UK as a pre-packaged hip-hop 'THING' which wasn't really the defining story but breakdancing led to meeting people, one of which had the book "Subway Art" and after that there was no turning back!

How did you choose the name Rough?

Like most writers I went through a pletheora of nom de plumes before settling on "RUF", which later became "ROUGH". Can't say I really remember why that name stuck but suffice to say it was the one.

Do you write under any other names?

Remi/Rough and ADS Crew are the only things I ever write… anything else pales in comparison.

Which crews do you write or have you written with in your time?

Smart Art back in the Eighties, VOP Stars in the Early Nineties and ADS Crew in the Noughties!

Where did you paint your first piece?

London town, where else?

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

It is my everyday job, that and parenting. I guess I just persevered… impatience has fortunately never been an issue with me.

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

Starting…

I recently saw you lecture alongside Blek Le Rat at the Tate Modern on the subject of Street Art, how did you come to be involved in that project?

I'd seen that Tate Modern were doing a Street Art exhibition and I had emailed Cedar (who was curating the show) and asked him why Tate, which is a British Institution, was doing a street art show paid for by British money and there wasn't a British artist involved? He then told me he was a big fan of my art back in the Eighties, we met up and he asked me to talk at the Tate… so it was all an accident really… but a pleasant one nonetheless.

Was that the first time you had ever met Blek Le Rat and will you be keeping in touch with him?

No, I met Xavier a few years back when he, Stormie and myself were all involved doing a promo for the Thames and Hudson - "Graffiti World" book. I think we're going painting together in a couple of weeks when he gets back to London, so that should be fun.

What are your views on the difference between the stencil work of artists such as Blek Le Rat or Banksy and the more traditional style of graffiti which you practice?

I like good work, it doesn't matter the medium to me. Blek said to me that "We all eat at the same restaurant, we just eat different food"… I liked that analogy. To master the art of a can is a long, long process and takes a lot of discipline… but to master the art of anything takes years. Also Banksy was a straight up graffiti artist way before he got involved with stencils.

To master the art of a can is a long, long process and takes a lot of discipline… but to master the art of anything takes years.

Rough

How did you find the experience of the lecture and did any of the questions raised by the audience leave you with anything to think about?

To be honest the entire experience was amazing! How often do you get an opportunity like that and alongside someone like Blek! It made me think about my general audience a whole lot more and that the age group probably isn't what I initially thought it was…

I remember one question in particular about graffiti being "the voice of the streets talking back" grabbing your attention, could you not argue that this has always been the case and graffiti has always been there as a form of social commentary?

Graffiti as such isn't social commentary to me, the fact that people do it is the social commentary and not the artwork… but that guy who asked that question definitely got my attention, he was also listening to me when I said that graffiti landed in the UK during Thatcher's reign and that had a big effect on how it was perceived by it's practitioners.

Life is social commentary in any shape or form.

During the lecture you spoke about the beginning of the graffiti movement in the UK and the first piece to arrive in the country which was painted by Futura 2000, how much of an impact did this bit of artwork have on the London scene?

It had no impact really as there was no scene for it to have an impact upon… it's just fact really. There were probably only a tiny handful of Londoners who had even heard about graffiti at that point, it wasn't until about 3 years later that the scene had bloomed.

One point you raised which got me thinking was that of graffiti artists "getting up" and getting their mark everywhere, becoming well known and going out for fame or in the old days in New York trying to be the "king of the line". I wanted to ask you if infamy within graffiti is a frustrating thing sometimes because of the need to keep your identity secret due to the illegal aspect? At what point did you feel it was safe to stand up and say "I did that"?

Have you ever heard the expression: "You can't have your cake and eat it too"? That applies to graffiti in a big way. Everyone wants notoriety in some form or other but the only problem is that once you get that then there's no way to control it. Fame is strange, it doesn't change the person who receives it but it changes the people around you.

What are your feelings on the transition of graffiti from the street into the gallery?

It's an art form so why shouldn't it be in galleries? It all adds to the ethos of getting up! And if you can do that without getting dirty, arrested or buffed (cleaned)… then surely that's a good thing?

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

I have participated in about 40 various shows all over the world but possibly my favourite exhibition was with System in Strasbourg earlier this year, we collaborated on all the pieces together and it was the most stress free show I think I've ever been a part of.

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

A human being.

Do you prefer doing legal or illegal pieces?

I have no preference as long as it looks good and comes out the way I'd planned it to.

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

I felt the short arm once or twice… or maybe that was the short straw, I can't remember?

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

It is what it is, I would love to change it… but unfortunately I can't.

What are you feelings on the graffiti scene in the UK at the moment?

There are some amazing artists in the UK and not just in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Brighton. We just need to snap out of that 'Island' mentality…

Get a Eurorail ticket and go paint some walls…

Have you done many collaborations with artists overseas and if so where is the most exciting or interesting place you have painted?

Perth is the farthest place I've been to, I've painted there with Stormie many times… always interesting projects. Also the first time I painted in New York had a big impact on me, it's a strange feeling painting in a place that holds so much history.

How often do you travel overseas to paint?

Probably 2 or 3 times a month on average. Too much of late, I know that much…

You have done much commercial work for brands such as Red Bull, Nike, Carhartt, Kangol and Ministry Of Sound. What would you say was your most well known commercial piece to date?

It's just work… it means a lot more to the client than it does to me but there are a few things I like myself.

What do you see as your greatest achievement to date?

Staying alive for 37 years!

What is your preferred medium for making marks with?

It changes all the time. I'm quite liking emulsion at the moment… that or gaffa tape!

Do you have a favourite piece of all time?

Nope, haven't done it yet. I'll let you if and when I do.

Who are your favourite graffiti artists?

• One Mor
• System
• Stormie

…because they're old old friends.

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

No one in particular - although I would like to do more walls with Joker from Portland… oh and maybe Dave Kinsey, I love his work, I own 3 of his pieces.

For those who didn't know, you also make your own music, how did you get into doing this and what software / equipment do you use?

It's just noise… I guess it was just another outlet for creativity. I use my voice, an MPC 2000XL and Logic on my laptop.

I actually got up to freestyle with a funk band many many years ago and it all started there really, I was a terrible freestyler at that point too I should add, not that sure I've improved any either.

Have you ever had any of your tunes released?

Yes, quite a few.

What is the last album you bought?

Beck - "Modern Guilt", haven't had a chance to listen to it yet though.

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

I have a show in Aberdeen that I am working on at the moment, 10 brand new artworks on canvas, I also have a 20 edition screen print I have just done with Agents Of Change and I'm off to Ibiza for a Red Bull job at the end of August.

Anything else you would like to add?

Please recycle… and turn out the lights if you're not using them.

For further information about Rough please visit:

www.roughe.com