Five questions for five flicks 

Featured artist - DISE

DISE is a graffiti writer from Sydney. He first picked up the cans in 1999 and from there has gone on to produce fresh panels and pieces locally and abroad. He is a truly talented artist who has made the transition from graffiti writer to tattooist. We caught up with him for a quick chat and asked for his favourite five flicks.

1. What got you into graffiti?

I moved to Australia when I was a kid and one of my first mates in 5th grade brought in a copy of subway art, already like to doodle and such so I was definitely interested. I didn't know what I was in for because from the moment I saw that cover I would be consumed by graffiti for the next 15 years before growing into other areas… I wouldn't say its ever really over in this game, just on hiatus atm.


2. How would you describe your style?

That's a tough one. I learnt letter structure in signwriting class and was a lover of the old school public style and straight letters. I did play a lot with wild style and other stuff on walls but I always thought trains looked way nicer with crisp bold letters.

3. Do you have a good chase story?

Most who would know me would be familiar with the dreaded night in Melbourne some years ago. I had been on many failed missions to that city, more than I’d like to admit so this time I was getting over do or die. I went with a few of the crew on a road trip and was there for business, met with some dodgy hookup who said it was going to be easy peazy, hahaha should I have known. The place we went to was right next to some houses and it was like 7 pm so people doing their thing it was sketchy from the get… but we weren't going away, chopped in loud as and we piled in, no real checking before hand as it was a weekend layup no security.

I was lookout so as i was changing cans from my outline I bent and looked under the train and see pretty much nothing but siren lights on the other side, I decided fuck it and said nothing and we all finished and got pics, then basically yelled cops everywhere and run hahahahaha…. surprisingly we got away after dogs,helicopters, hiding in creeks and jumping many a fence. I did get busted for it the next day but that's another story.  Got my photo, never going back… and "NO COMMENT" helps a lot.

4. You make a living now as a tattooist, how has your past as a graffiti writer helped or influenced your work?

I always loved tattoos, and loved getting them. Holding shitty jobs to feed a graffiti addiction was never for the long term, just a means to an end. so when I got the opportunity to cross over I couldn't say no. Tattooing became an extension of my graffiti and meant I got to live graffiti and art and earn an income from it, I also admired and was heavily influenced by SEEN from new york and he’d made the cross to tattooing and only seemed like the right step to take.

5. What motivates you to keep painting?

Dont paint too much these days, I spend most my time carving pictures into peoples skin, but putting my mark on something wether its a wall a train or someones skin, its something I was made for and will always do in one form or another… I will put my name on it somehow