Five questions for five flicks 

Featured artist - DONT

DONT is a graffiti writer from Sydney. He started painting in the late 80's and is a member of the notorious RBS CREW. His style has been developed over years of painting and is truely fresh and unique. We caught up to find out a bit more about him and the early days of graff in Sydney.

1. What got you into graffiti?
 
Like a vast majority of youth in the late eighties looking for their calling or a sign to grasp onto, BEAT STREET appeared, over and over that VHS tape endured a flogging. It was exciting it was illegal, from that moment i knew this was for me.
 

2. How would you describe your style and who were your influences?
 
As most would agree my style has changed from the early ninety’s when i was writing Lies and Simple to my current lettering habits, i find it difficult to label or categorise.
I see it as something that is constantly changing or adapting the more i draw and find new lines, this keeps me wondering what my next sketch will look like  ( when i find time to sketch )
#1 letter structure #2 that sweet colour combo. Influences from the late eighty’s early nineties, Deal, Omen, Dmote, Sevn, Jeno, Gane, Tean, Scram, Prins, Jcee, Unique, Mystery, Crews RCF TDF CIS PIC BC FAB-4 TFP PSK

 

3. What was it like growing up in Sydney and when did you become a member of RBS Crew
 
Growing up in Ashfield it wasn’t long before like minded youth going to Ashfield boys found ourselves congregating at a place we called the bench overlooking the train line.
On any given school day that was where we would be, waiting to see the next panel or seeing other writers hanging out of a freshly smashed back car. At one stage we would race down the station at lunch bomb the train into town then catch another back and smash that and be back in time for next class.
We started with some warm up crews, MTA RB DP1. Unique was a huge influence on me and i can’t thank him enough, then one night in the cross Poems Spies and Swich were out celebrating Poems b,day and came up with RBS the year was 1990. From this the crew grew quite rapidly, you either did graff searched boosted hotties dabbled in pharmaceutical and recreational medicinal supplies or drank heaps of alcohol. I only needed graffiti oh and alcohol.
On a good day you would be making undles flying around Sydney in taxi’s shopping in country road to drinking from your luxury hotel in the cross before hitting central yards. These were good times.
Massive props to Taven in the early days this guy was unstoppable and pushed RBS to centre stage destroying everything in his path, you name it he destroyed it.

 

4. Do you have a good chase story
 
More of a funny chase story, as normal procedure when your young dumb and in the 90’s every mission started with alcohol and a graff movie then off you’d go, So big session on the cheap scotch with Swich chilling out watching style wars getting amped up for some carnage, wasn’t long before Wavo was mentioned and the bag was packed, we soon found ourselves on the last train out there with a bag of paint blind and bullet proof.
No sooner had we hopped in and found a suitable carriage then out of nowhere workers appear with those big ass spanners yelling get the fuck out, oh well
taxi out of there back to the hood to continue the cheap scotch session.

 

5. What motivates you to keep painting?
 
I enjoy painting these days with a wide variety of the older as well as the younger generations, seeing both trying to push themselves equally to the next level and getting out there making a name for themselves is awesome to be amongst it inspires me to also try and push my limits.
I enjoy catching up for Rap sprays with crew mates but also hitting up writers that i respect and admire and normally wouldn’t paint with, i prefer a chilled vibe with like minded lads. I haven’t got time for people with bad vibes so i try to steer clear of drama’s, nothing kills a good session more than beef and bad vibes
A summer day big production wall with everyone unleashing on a crazy background, positive vibes and a few brews, ticks all the boxes
Or a dead train mission with a 6 pack, plenty of aerogard and no seccy action.   

shouts
 
Fenz – Yeps – Mibs – Kode – Reko – Pick – Unique – Taven- Bones – Skore – Amuck – Phibs – keys – whom – Bundy – Tryst – Amuse – Dogfight - Snarl
 
Rip brothers and Sisters
NOK POTS CHERRY DOZEN HOOTA   

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