Gouge - A strong character

Gouge from Norrort, Stockholm. He had many talented painters around when he grew up. Adept, Greg, Omen, Pose, Aman, Dudge and chute that actively rocked the line but the lyrics. It was from these early trips into town that he discovered graffiti. Burners in Ullriksdal and Karlsberg caught the attention. Time Tunnels in Sollentuna embankment and Edsbergs center. He began painting around 1989-1990, then came the first sketches, first tagsen on the local bus stop with a black pen. Since then he has been doing. 1992-93, he began to paint actively. After a lot of sketching and preparation so did the first painting to, "Homeboy SEZ" in midwinter cold. Time has passed and 18 years later, he feels great "pep" in painting. The big question is how he gets it together with everything else that needs to be done. Time will tell!

How did you get your name?

Names mean a lot when doing text, how the letters stuck together, spacing, shape, and the word. I chose early on to paint only the characters. Figures. For me, the name was something else. While I really like to bomb, to set a good while is like painting a good painting. Perhaps better sometimes. Less pretentious, more straight and direct. The name Gouge came in 1995 after several changes of other names. I like it more and more to be said! GougeOne! As I said, my interest was as a child to draw the characters, situations, events, stories. Painting figures is a challenge. Text is sometimes too easy, especially with the current situation unlimited material available. I usually make thin lines with a stensil cap or cap ex. A friend said: "- Now that your cap is available everywhere so it is all over for you, anyone can do narrow lines." ... Jo whose, but the same cap as BATES use has existed in all times, but despite that, we rarely see text painter with the same cruel lines flow. What I mean is that one must strive to try to find their own thing.

What would you call your style?

Graff Illustrated, illustration and graffiti in one.

What other painters or artists have influenced and inspired your work?

Many talented artists there, Edge, Pike, Ziggy, Mode2, Toast, Ance in the figures. And Erse, Aman and Nug on text. Different, but the best in its category for sure.

Do you have a favorite color combination that you would use?

It has changed, the availability today has changed my approach to spray paint. Like Molotows 105, dark blue preusian clearly. An excellent color to put figures to. Light beige carpet complete with fluorescent features, great fades and the ECB on the lines - TOP!

What is your favorite brand of cans?

Being able to buy cans today have made it harder to be creative. It's all there! Before, they had some good and mixed that you yourself had to mix together. Find that Philly was a great example of that. A crazy mix of rackade cans and other lost property. New Montana Black is delux, Ironlak smells wonderful, Clash and Kobra has its stars and Molotow the lines always works. I love em ALL!

What you paint anywhere on?

Wall along the track, any track. Preferably along the commuter line.

What is the biggest risk you ever take your art?

It is divided, one side is graffiti life involved in curling, graffiti and trace over the trees. At the same time, it requires much planning, mission and "cleaned up" home. So the risks are the ones you create for yourself. My level of risk has always been medium to low. At times it has entered the high-risk but often. Are we to cope in the long run, you get to post it for themselves!

Do you have a favorite painting?

Dig still Le Grand Blue in St. Eriksbron of Akay and Tariq. Wonderful. Simple in its expression, when one has had the background as well as text and characters that work well together. It is the graffiti for me is all about. The fact that the Funka together. Everything.

Paints you with other crews and if so what?

CAS The one and only! Jack Pot and 7DC are also included. The older you get, the harder I have to crews. Of course, if you like kinship, but then I'm a bit of a loner with.

Sketches you with pad and pencil or sketch to digital?

Yes and no. Above all, it's how much the two developments. Trying to terminal a sketchbook every three months. Scoop ... MORE ... MORE ... that's where it lies, what can be done on the wall is determined by how much they sketched.

Have you done any collaborations with artists overseas or traveled abroad for your art?

Painted in the suburbs of Shanghai, carved tags with a knife on the protected property of 30 meters and been captured by police in Los Angeles. Good and mixed ... Would like to travel more. Hamburg and Berlin are two wonderful cities and Copenhagen, of course. Have a project with Africa as I'm working on and where even want to paint.

Do you prefer doing legal or illegal paintings?

It is illegal it is. It's that simple. While one must be given time to experiment and develop. Stockholm has really suffered from that there is access to some legal walls, in the sense that in terms of style, there's not much diversity, but we manage to get up a lot in spite of the circumstances that prevail.

Have you ever felt "the law catches" because of your art?

Yep, it happened. There are many funny stories that have sometimes ended up with an expensive bill, these things happen! Like when Metal, Bruce, Erse and I would paint Stuvsta HOF on a Sunday morning many years ago. Come down and all was quiet. Checked out the new and old paintings and began to upload. We saw the caravan that was a long distance away at the entrance to the Yarden (that we did not know then was that zip security just asked where the caravan for monitoring). We painted inside the tunnel, the one closest to the gate. All had been sketched out and I was doing characters in Erse text when it started. STAY. Security ZIP: Two or three came running out from Yarden so we dropped everything and ran. Then we discovered that there was one to watch from the other side of the tunnel. To his great surprise, it was not a bunch of 15 year olds, but rather a bunch of 30 plusare who came running towards him. We managed to round the corner in the tunnel before one guard came up with us. We split up, Bruce and Metal stack against Stuvsta, Erse flew over the sharp metal gate and I went to the Fairs. 20 meters up the mountain, I managed to slip and pulled his head on a rock in a bush. Lay there and thought - That's it! But nothing happened on one half minutes, so I went straight into the woods to later come up in a swamp in which I saw from a distance Erse wade through the swamp. Half an hour later all was quiet, however, a few jars poorer.

What keeps you motivated to continue painting?

Graffiti to me is a mixture of extreme sports and aesthetics that can not be found anywhere else. I've really tried to find other expressions, but it's hard. To sit and file of the paintings, there is no time for. Most forms of sports are good, but no outlet for my form of creativity. Today, I think it is more about a habitual behavior. It will be painted! Maybe I should call this more!?

What do you think about Sweden / Stockholm graffiti scene today?

A little small maybe, some stand out with their style while others crowded into a fairly narrow starting hands down. Has enough early on decided that it wants to cooperate with, then it's always fun to discover new talent. Think that Arise in Stockholm's exciting, Gaist from Pix and that Rubin had come back so hard. Big upzz! Then there's others that stagnate and one wonders what has happened ... what happened?

What are your thoughts on graffiti found today almost as often in a gallery on the street?

Do not have a lot of thoughts about it. Those who can live on their graffiti should be happy about it. More power to you! I myself had exhibitions and it would be fun to put out a bit, but has no direct power to it. Low priority!

Name one artist or more whose work you respect and admire.

Do that many of the illustrators and designers who come from Art Center and who works conceptually with the creation of images is cruel. Tattoo art, calligraphy and photography books are great sources of inspiration.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Trying to find time to paint, sketch on the subway and buses going to and from work. Plan ... plan ... Looking for a week when it may suit the time to pull away, all to be with? Or is there a drop-out at the last second? Plan more ... Calling Jeks type 20 times ... Is it worth due to roll? How many hours of sleep I can manage on? Then a little common Svenne-bananliv it.

How do you think street art look like in 10 years? And how do you think your style has evolved?

Think it will still be the sketches that are decisive. Perhaps more situations or flipped in another way. More co! I have never worried about where my art will go. Think it will always be a link to B-boys, graffiti and hip-hop aesthetics and inspiration from his travels. When you stop searching with the pen, it will very quickly run out of spray can with.

What is going on within the next few months?

Will paint on Peace and Love festival in July, check it out! Then they get to travel around the country a little, maybe a short trip to a neighboring country, who knows?

If your graffiti style was a music group or a song, what would it be?

The Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde in 1992. Clearly. Playfulness with skills and a little fucked UP!

Anything else you want to tell the world?

You try to take it all on, see where you go, the better sketches, smarter concepts, new collaborations and more access to color. Then we have to have time to enjoy the journey! Check out my street files page. Top Notch! Big upzz to Hope, Jeks, CAS all over. Phik & Kapudr, SIK, zztop, Rubin, Cinema, Goal, Track, Woman, Balance, Skil, Mireo, 7DC Crooks, Ryan, Betongliv crew and fan väktarhunden "Tarzan."

As a bonus, we asked also Gouge to put together a nice playlist via Spotfy. Enjoy!
Listen here !

Category: Interviews |

Tags: Gouge , Graffiti , Interview , Street Art