Sickboy - Graffiti Artist Interview

June 2008

Interview with UK graffiti artist Sickboy.

How old are you?

It's rude to ask a woman how old she is.

How long have you been painting / writing?

15 years or so.

Where did you do your first piece?

On a desk at secondary school.

Do you write under any other names?

AAGH, as well as some other symbols.

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

I paint in a collective called AAGH.

Which other artists work do you admire?

At the moment…

• Egon Sheila
• Basquiat
• Keith Haring

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

I have painted a few places over seas. I'm more about meeting up with good friends and painting whatevers around rather than chasing the best walls or events.

I'm more about meeting up with good friends and painting whatevers around rather than chasing the best walls or events.

Sickboy

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

I have always painted as if it were a full time career because it's fun, this has been detremental to paying the bills in earlier years so a lot of hustling was done to keep the lights on. It's easier now and the pressure is off with the landlord allowing me to create paintings more naturally and more in keeping with my creativity. I've dropped any commision work in favour of just painting what I want to paint.

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

Big break, hmmmph, when's that going to happen? I think if I thought of my life having a big break then I'd lose steam and turn to playing computer games, cutting out really powerful brightly coloured cars from Max Power with blunt scissors and making egg and cress sandwiches in my cellar for the rest of my life.

What do you see as your greatest achievement to date?

Overcoming my demons and realising new potential.

What is the meaning behind the use of the temple icons that you have been painting in your recent work?

The temple is not a recent image, I've painted it since the start of the millenium, the meaning has been lost in the translation to me now.

What do you think of the way grafitti is just as likely to be found in a gallery as on the streets these days?

I think it's making a lot of people create substandard work in the name of making a bit of quick cash. I think it's a quite shameful in some instances, on the other hand there are a lot of artists that are shining through as true geniuses that have the ability to work on and off the street.

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

I have displayed work in galleries before nothing that does anything for me at the moment.

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

Probably more like an artist that likes to get some fresh air from time to time.

What is your preferred medium for making marks with?

I like using so many different tools. For writing I use a lot of gloss with thinners to mix my own colours up and for painting I use emulsion, spray, brushes, oilbars, masking tape, rollers, thinners and water.

Do you have a favourite piece of all time?

It's hard to say there are a lot of good pieces that I like for different reasons, it sounds like I'm being awkward but I couldn't say at the moment.

What kind of music are you into?

Soul and disco.

What was the last album you bought?

I haven't bought an album for a while, a record arrived today it was "Around My Dream" by Kazino (Careere - 12", Maxi)

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

I have my biggest show to date at the end of November in London, I have been building a body of work for 6 months. I also have a few 3-D peices being built for festivals this summer.

Anything else you would like to add?

Hello to the good people, goodbye to the bad.

For further information about Sickboy please visit:

www.thesickboy.com