Writer Interviews

 

MARE - 007 : TM OSF VHS

 

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I am from the city of Sydney. I write Mare and 007. I started as a breaker and was writing my break name then I stopped dancing and started writing full on (1984). I loved high school coz that's where I practiced lots of drawing. I didn't do my first full colour piece till 1986 tho. The crews I'm with are TM, OSF and VHS.

 

How did you choose your tag, any special meaning?

I liked the letters...

 

How did you get in to graffiti?

This is difficult coz I don't remember. It was two movies and a book that got me goin'. The order I forget. 1984 was the year things started getting all hectic. My partner and I got into it together being from the same school.

 

What is it that you love about graffiti that keeps you writing?

I just love to paint. I hate doin legals. I love doin' damage.

 

Tell us about your style and how it has developed over the years.

Well I'm into the New York style, so I do my version of it.

 

Who have been your major influences?

Subway art the graffiti bible, and my old partner were huge influences. The whole Sydney scene was a big influence. There were writers everywhere back in my early days. The back carriage was always full of them. As soon as you got on, you knew who they were. The first question was "Do you write?", and then we would destroy the back car. We would ride the trains all day bombing back then, everybody had the mad hand styles. Sydney was hardcore. There were constant battles between crews for a train line. We were big in numbers back then not like these days. Oh and my man Kade was a huge influence.

 

Paint brand of choice

Whatever I can get my hands on... But the old touch ups are the best.

 

Cap of choice

New York fat cap.

 

What music motivates you to paint?

Sublime usually motivates me and some Biggie 

 

Memorable mission moment

Too many to list here, every moment I had painting is memorable, but what I love doin' most is tagging trains (insides). One day I was doin' insides with my partner, we must of been seen by a driver in another train goin' past us. Anyway, we were killing this train with markers and the train guard from the train came through and caught us bombing it. He forced us into the guard's compartment. He closed the back door and left the side doors open. He kept saying to us if we move he would down us. Pppfffftttt! The train was pulling into the station, it stopped and he was on the two-way, I looked at my partner gave him a slight nudge and I jumped out the side door, didn't even check if there was a train comin' on the other track. This guard jumped out after me. He chased me down into the shopping district and I ended up losing him. My partner just got off on the platform and walked away without any hassles. He chased me for a good 40 minutes!

 

Any tips you're willing to share to the next generation of writers?

Keep it real and go hard. Careful who you trust.

 

Anything else to add?

Much respect to the "Oh So Fresh" crew, you boys are hardcore. Yo Roske
RIP Nok & Auto189, miss you two.
www.myspace.com/themare007

 

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