Aap!Global Speaks with Street Art Photographer Spencer Eakin
October 5th, 2007
Aap!Global is a big fan of street art. Spencer Eakin takes great pictures of graffiti, street art and other items around the world.
Today we spoke to Spencer on Art, Street Art, Advertising, Global Differences and More… Read the interview below:
Aap: Tell us who you are
Spencer: I am married, vegetarian, a skateboarder, straight edge & part time traveler. I take photos as a hobby and do not leave home without my camera.
Aap: You stated in your email to me : “As a graffiti artist I always tried to get spots that were never done before, but get seen everyday.”
Why were you interested in being seen?
Most (but not all) youth experiment with alchohol, drugs and/or smoking. I had three vices: Skateboarding, Music & Graffiti.
Do you still tag?
No
Why did you switch to shooting pictures of tags?
Just to clearify. A tag is just quickly writing ones name. I take photos of graffiti. If somebody writes their name on a mailbox, that is a tag. If another person fills a packpack full of cans and sneaks out to the local freight train lay up, they are going to do a piece.
Where was the motivation as an artist/graffiti tagger coming from?
As a young teen I watch the film Style Wars on PBS and was hooked.
What do you think the similarities between graffiti around the world is?
Kids just want to create & express themselves thru vandalism. The street is thier canvas. There is also the thrill of not getting caught.
Is the motivation for tagging the same in the States as in Europe as in Japan as in elsewhere?
I believe it is. There is different styles, but is the same.
What made you want to track all the Space Invaders? Just for fun?
I first noticed Space Invaders in Tokyo in mid 2001 and started taking photos of them. The first one I saw and took a photo of was gone a week later. That is what hooked me on capturing them before they were gone. Then I came back to Los Angeles and started noticing them here. About two years ago, somebody started going around Los Angeles destroying them. Once I realized that was happening, I went out of my have to find as many as I could before they were gone. Since then I have been back to Japan many times to visit family and spot more of the Tokyo Space Invaders. I have also been to Paris where Space Invader is based.
Who are you favorite street artists?
How long do you have? TWIST, QP, Phil Frost, Kami, Sasu, Space Invader, Revs, Esow, JR, Banksy, Duece Seven, Daim, Colossus of Roads, Revok, The London Police, Mers, Matokie Slaughter, Delta, TheMac, Fafi, Pars Kid, Bigfoot, Zedz, Nylon, Plantrees, D*Face, Os Gemeos, Kress, Revok, Eine, Espo, Giant One, ZYS, Mode2, Jace, Broke and many others.
Do you think Street Art has evolved with the Internet?
It has in the sense that brought street art to people aren’t living in the midst of it.
With the ability for the internet and pictures to serve as a medium for critique?
This is good and bad. I find that if a person has beef with a certian artist, they will go around sites like FLICKR bashing the artist in the comment sections. The good thing, artists are able to trade info and hook each other up when traveling. It is also a safe place for people to look at street art.
What do you think about the intersection between art, graffiti and commercialism?
With art and commercialism I do not have a problem with any of it. With graffiti and other forms for street art, I do. It is because it is ours.
You told me you’re working on a book - do you have a preview to share?
Unfortunately I do not. It is too early in the process. The book will be about street art.
What do you think of the branding of taggers - like Banksy, Colossus of Roads, etc?
Do you mean calling these artists taggers? I think calling Banksy and Colossus of Roads taggers is wrong. This is there life. Banksy is thought provoking and political. Colossus of Roads is a retired railroad employee (I believe he is in his 60’s) with at least 10,000 freight trains to his credit. Each of which has different statement underneath his classic moniker.
Thanks Spencer.
I am off to see an old friend and go benching. Benching is a term used for going and watch freight trains go by while sitting on a bench and looking at the graffiti. Hard to do here is So Cal. We actually walk the line of parked freights.
Aap!Massive - DIY Night Billboards
October 4th, 2007
Outside of our office is a beautiful massive 40 floor wall scape that was just waiting to be covered with artwork. Using common vintage overhead projectors, a set of EVD 400V lamps, and artwork transparencies we were able to project large format graphics to create a fun, professional wall scape.
Want to see it person - visit the corner of Kearny / Pine in San Francisco on week nights.
