Five questions for five flicks 

Featured artist - PAZE

PAZE is a graffiti writer from Sydney. He started painting back in 1984 with mates from high school REXZY, ZERO92 & SOUL-17 it was there they formed CIS CREW (Crime In Style) graffiti was still a relatively new thing to Sydney and the lines hadn't copped the buff yet. We caught up to find out a bit more about the early days and asked for his favourite five flicks.

1. What got you into Graffiti?

Basically the same as everyone else from my period, the American movies Beat street' Wild style' then Style Wars' brought here (Sydney) by vhs video from NZ' . The books Subway Art and getting up and various other articles from the US.

2. How would you describe your style and who were your influences? 

New York' nothing but new York.  I wouldn't have got into graffiti if i had seen anything else... my influences are Shame 125' Sak' Skeme' Dc3' Cem2' Tack FBA traditional graff styles. And locally would be guys like Micro2' Game' Stylez' Rama' and Rexzy. 

3. You've been painting since the real early days of graffiti in Sydney, what was it like back then? were the yards and train lines chill?

Back then no one really knew what was going on, we were all learning! 'The rules (like biting), racking, having to do trains, getting busted, paints (brands,nibs,and colors) it was 100 miles an hour. The train lines and yards weren't as heavily secured as they are now, but there was a dedicated graffiti squad and they was mean.

4. Do you have a good chase story?

There were a few chases, just a quick note me and my crew CIS prided ourselves on never getting busted and as for the chases, i was in one at Waverton  with a whole lotta famous writers now that involved dozens of police cars and even a helicopter and it was chaotic. I managed to get away by hiding in the North Sydney Girls high school for hours.

5. What motivates you to keep painting?

Boredom' not much else is going on for me...

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