Interview by Jimon

1-Where were you born and where do you call home currently?  I was born in London and currently, I would call California home.

2-Did you study art or is it inherent?  I left school when I was 16 and from there I worked in a darkroom in  Farringdon, London. I’ve always been fascinated with the creative world. I taught myself how to use a camera when I was very young and just ran with it. I was never formally trained as an artist. It has always been a passion of mine so I made it a priority to train myself and learn the intrinsics of camera work and various styles of art.

3-Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I would like to build out my brand a little more and see more of my work in high-end galleries. I’d like to eventually move away from murals and be in more gallery spaces.

4-How did you acquire your style?  I think subconsciously from things around me in my everyday commute. I spent the beginning part of my career as a fashion photographer so a lot of my inspiration stems from that era. I also spent time in the 90’s as a street artist in London, where I picked up a certain style of design. When I moved to NY in 2007, I began incorporating mixed media into my photography as sort of tribute to my street art days.

5-Who is your favorite artist?  I honestly don’t have a favorite artist. I try not to focus of what other people are doing, however I have a deep respect for Shepard Fairey and the French photographer, JR and of course Picasso and Basquiat.

6-You have done a number of collaborations, who would be your ideal collaboration?  Art is one of the best ways to bring attention so something in a way that is receptive to just about everyone, so I my ideal collaboration right now is one that will raise awareness.

7-Do you think there is a difference between graffiti art and street art? Yes, but instead of the term ‘street art’, I prefer to call it muralist art.

8-Your pieces are extremely intricate, and time consuming, what is the longest you have spent on a piece?  A mural I did in Studio City for Cycle House. It took 5 days to complete because the wall was so massive.

9-Your collaboration with Rag & Bone on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles seems very time consuming, how long did that take? It was a long project because it had so many layers and dynamics to it. I’d say the project took a little over a month to complete from start to finish.

10-What was your toughest assignment, I mean strategically? Rag & Bone. There was so many jackets I needed to design- 21 different jackets, to be exact. I had a two week deadline. It was tricky because I was traveling a lot. I did it all in about five nights. It was a tough project because I had to hand paint everything. It was the first time working with denim. It was very hands on for me, making it harder to assemble all the pieces in such a short time.

11-How do you pick the locations for your street art?  I go out once a week and look for walls and then I contact the building owners. I look for areas with a high foot traffic. There was a wall on Saint Marks that I noticed once and ended up painting on and now they sell the space to use for advertisements. I’d say about 80% of building owners have a positive reaction to my proposal.

12-What do you think about the idea that a work of art is never really finished, just abandoned? I disagree with that statement. I think as an artist you know when to stop before ruining the piece. It’s important to step away and let it be.

13-What has the most influence on your work?  Music and politics.

14-How would you like to be seen as an artist years from now?  I’d like to be someone who’s considered at the top of their game. I think we all want to be the best at what we do, well maybe just me but I don’t just want to be a somebody, I want to inspire and give back.

15-If you could have dinner with three artists living/dead who would be at your table?  JR, Jeff Koons and my grandfather.

16-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio? A ladder, music and high ceilings

17-How would someone find you on the internet/social media? On instagram, @jgoldcrown