VOLTA SEVEN INTERVIEWS

Steven Daily

1. First off, how old were you when you first started doing graffiti or art? and which one came first?
I started doing art at age 5 or 6. My mother was a painter, so was my uncle and aunt. art came first. The first time I got into graffiti was in Riverside Ca, In 1990. I met this hooligan of a boy named Randie.Who went by riot 78. He wasn't a artist type more of a punkrock skater thief all around hooligan.He always used to borrow my tubes of paint and write on the local circle seven punk rock extremities and his favorite bands. It was a natural progression for me to join him and do the characters from bad religion and on. Skating was a major influence on what was happening at that time. so we started a crew WSB, which my boy Ecko later bit and made it WSK and added some real graff heads which will get into in a minute.We would write our crew on spots we skated.through this i met other kids that wrote. Then a hip hop shop opened up threw my buddy Renae.who new (sag)Maxx 242 and set up a meeting with him. I had allready met Jeff Soto through another kid serb actually Jeff was known to me as Trek. Tech 1 and I would walk miles to see Jeff paint he was truly a king at this time. his burners were unchallanged he was always dope. I don't think he was ever a toy. ever.I became good friends with Max and joined CIA.(call it art) witch later became Bashers. in about 97.and the rest as the say is history.

2.It's been a while since I've talked to you, I just wanted to know are you still painting graffiti or are you more focused on acrylic painting at the moment?
I Have sort of lost my taste for the selfishness of graffiti. and the narsasistic egos that go along with it. I retired in 2004 after painting for 15 years, I will not say I stopped, just slowed down.I actually painted a piece this year out in your neck of the woods. back in feb.and an instalation in a gallery in april with aerosol.I put out two childrens book last year(it ate billy on cristmas,And peter the pirate squid Which took four years of my life tro complete.I simply lost the time to do graff. and thus started a transition into more of a corporate way of "getting up"Getting up in life instead of on walls and frieghts. feeding the snake its own tail.But i do miss freights man. although with the state of our govmn't and the lies we are being told.and the plan the machine has in motion. I am really tempted to bomb again. out of anger and political views!Or i could just wear an obama shirt, you know that seems to be a revolt against the system right?To quote Vyal " when did it become punk rock to suport the system?" Do you ever feel like you have been lied to.check out zietgiest the movie, it will open your paris hilton, britney speers, reallity tv , saturated looking balls!

3. What type of things inspire you to paint, or do graff at the moment? and what type of things influenced you in the past?
Well now I am inspired by technology conspiracy theories media video games, sex, love hatred, racism, taxidermy , Facisim,antiques versus disposable, life really.

4.Drug of choice, walls, canvas, or porn?
Wood, i love wood panels, and found objects, oh and lost?

5.Same question different context, acrylic, oils, or spray?
I believe a true artist can make something interesting with whatever medium is put in front of him.

6. What type of galleries do you want to see your stuff in? Graffiti based art galleries? Art based? or do you really have apreference as to where you hang your stuff?
I preffer art galleries, who understand what i am about . Well, i think graff in galleries is like great whites in captivity, it can only live so long.But hurry up and get your CS3 package, stencils done, and you could be the next millionare?

7. I know you've did some work with Slick and Mear with the Disney company? How did you get started with that, and is that show still going, and what city was it in?
The show was in Los Angeles at Melt gallery. Mear and I both painted a little record store called Zen Beats at different times in the past. The co owner of that record store, Less, went on to be a disney graphic designer.Through trials and tribulations brainchild the Bloc 28 property, and asked me to be apart.I liked what he said and have always loved Disney for its creativeness.

8.When i first met you, you were writing PR for Bashers crew? Where has your art gone form then ?
Well PR was short for prophet, or punk rock. Max grew tired of writing prophet due to its length.and shortened it to PR which were my favorite leters at the time.I was caught and arested three times with PR. So I decided to write my real name if i was going to get busted.Did you know the first two times I was arrested, I was painting legally. I wrote Steven for, 6 or seven years, and traveled all over the united states painting it.It was a fun time.I grew tired of politics of graff and legal versus illegal war. I have always had two alter egos,fine art and graff, and the two never seemed to work together for me.Now I incorporate both in my work, and see aerosol different than before.I love the feeling of other people getting somthing out of my work. It is amazing to me that somone likes what i do enough to want to buy it.

9.Have you had any formal schooling for art? how did you learn? self taught?
I am mostly self taught except for two years of junior colledge with an amazing professor Dayna Mason at Riverside community college . and a semester at art center.

10.Where do you see the role of graffiti and art in the years to come, with big business, corporations and galleries?
Oh man, I don't know its a confusing time. Corporations want it cause its a youth market. but they won't want to pay for it. They know it sales but do not take it seriously. As far as galleries, How does it feel la to have the wool pulled over your eyes? The art there marketing as street art is mass produced and sold as one of a kind ! Maybe one day they will wake up and realize they can make thier own stincils and this whole instant artist thing will go away! It kind of feels like a slap in the face to tallent dosent it?

11. Where do you wish to see your art go in the years to come?
The Gugenhiem or the Smitsonian. I am just glad people are interested in what i do.It is amazing to me that somone likes what i do enough to want to buy it.
Life is a river try to go with the curent not aginst it!
sps I cant spell! I am grammerically challanged!

Thanks Steven for this interview, any things we should look foreward to? galleries?shows?
Charity's, charity's, charity's, I did Four this year, Sea no evil, art for africa, the grind 2.0 and ism sk8 ology. Also Crazy for cult at 1988, and a solo show next year. along with some namless shows in the works that I am curating. for Melt Gallery. I will be signing at comic con at the end of this month.You can see my work at bloc28.com, .stevendaily.com, gelaskins.com, darkhorsecomics.com, and slg graphics.Thanks for listening to my rant, and all my bull shit.take care.

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