posted on Wed, 1/20/10 11:50 AM

Interview with Pariz One, a graffiti artist from Portugal who represents TKO Crew, GVS Crew, VDS Crew and CSF Crew.

How old are you?

I'm 25 years old.

Where are you based?

Lisbon, Portugal.

When did you begin painting graffiti?

I fell in love with graffiti in 1999, 11 years of love is not so normal in these days and so I'm happy with it.

How did you get into graffiti and what made you start painting?

Funny story! I began with a can for windows in xmas season, then I started to notice some tags and pieces in the street and I remember thinking "This is fucking amazing" so I fell in love with the colours, the big letters, the adrenaline and the game.

How did you choose the name Pariz One?

I think that "Pariz" chose me! I had many tags before: EINS, MEMO, DELUX, OPRA… and they all had a meaning for me. One day I was doing a project and the letters started coming out one after another and it was very spontaneous, like everything I do in life, so "PARIZ ONE" now has a big meaning for me.

"PARIZ the happy One"

Do you write under any other names?

Yes I have another name that I use when bombing, those that know me know who I am =)

Do you write with any crews and if so which ones?

I represent:

• TKO Crew (The Kings Only) - from L.A. (U.S.A.)
• GVS Crew (Graffiti Vandal Squad) - the oldest crew that still paints in Portugal
• VDS Crew (Vandal Dog's) - we have menbers in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland
• CSF Crew (Cannot Stop Fanatics) - an old school crew from Germany

TKO, GVS, VDS and CSF are four major families.

How would you describe your style?

I call my style "the new old school" because I have a lot of the typical influences of the New York old school, but I have the fresh colours and new school details that are influences from all Europe.

Until the end of 2005 I just made small pieces but then I started to paint with Nomen and Rote, these guys paint really big and so my pieces next to them were nothing. I started to paint big, bigg, and bigggg! Today they say to me "Pariz, this is too big", ha-ha, but I love to see my piece and think like Sinatra "I did my way"! When I take a picture next to my piece I feel that I'm so small, but at the same time so big!

The colours I use are part of my colourful life, I am a happy person… I have my bad days like everyone but i just care about my good days and this is reflected in my colours and style. Happy colours, happy style!

Where did you paint your first piece?

Good question, now this one made me get a little nostalgic! My first piece was made on a wall which I passed by every day in my way to school and I remember how proud I was every time I passed it.

What are your feelings on the graffiti and street art scenes in Portugal at present?

I think that we are heading in the right direction, we are still very much in the bombing stage around here, there is not a great philosophy of 'the wall of fame' here but that's starting to change. The thing that we really have to change here is the retrograde mentality that still exists.

The street art movement is very well developed.

"During these 11 years I have painted in several countries and with so many writers, all places turn out to be exciting or have an interesting story behind them."

- Pariz One

Have you done many collaborations with artists overseas or travelled abroad for your art and if so then where is the most exciting or interesting place you have painted?

During these 11 years I have painted in several countries and with so many writers, all places turn out to be exciting or have an interesting story behind them.

Beyond the countless adventures on trains I remember especially one situation in Naples, Italy in 2007 at a train station. We began to paint a wall of fame inside the station after a conversation with the local security, who had no other choice but to leave us to paint, when a group of about 15 people who had jumped the railroad tracks arrived and started heading our way. We were a little apprehensive because we didn't know them and some kind of stress could happened but to my surprise they presented themselves as being writers, b-boys, beat boxers and mc's. I suddenly found myself painting surrounded by dance, freestyle battles, the writers drawing in each others skecthbooks and at that moment I stopped and felt like I could have been in the 70's or 80's in NY.

Have you done much commercial work and if so what would you say was your most well known piece?

I'm a audiovisuals professional, but now I only work in graffiti and I hope it continues. In level of visibility I think my biggest job was for MTV Portugal, also in terms of the level of production, it was a wall that was made to a Board Hall… 500 metres in five days!

Have you ever had any of your work published in any books or magazines?

Yes, I have my work published a little all over the world.

Is there any one point in your career you would class as 'your big break'?

I think I've had three "big breaks":

1. My first trips around europe, that made me see the potential of graffiti.
2. The Iberica Write4Gold event that was organized by me.
3. The first time I painted at SplashFestival in Germany where I substantiated my contacts with the best, in my opinion, brand of spray… MOLOTOW.

What are your thoughts on graffiti being just a likely to be found in a gallery as on the streets these days?

I think it's followed a natural course and if we go back in time then the same thing happened in NY in the 80's, but we all know the feeling of seeing a piece on the street and in a gallery is not the same, is in the street and trains that graffiti belongs.

Have you ever displayed your work in any galleries and if so is there any one show which stands out from all the rest?

Yes I have been involved in some exhibitions, but I highlight those exhibtions that I organised for other writers giving them a space to exhibit in Lisbon.

Do you see yourself as an artist or a graffiti writer?

Without a doubt I consider myself a graffiti artist!

There seems to have been a sudden surge of interest in graffiti and street art recently, why do you think this is?

Nowadays graffiti is more accepted because today graffiti is every where, not only on the streets or train but in clothing, outdoors, tv, music and so for society it's become more like a new form of art.

Graffiti… you either love it or you hate it, but a lot of people that say they hate graffiti at the same time are saying that wearing a t-shirt with drips.

"I can be doing a beautiful mural in the afternoon and people pass by and say this is art yet at night I can be doing a train and the same people pass by the train in the morning and say that is vandalism, in the end it is the same person who is doing it and it's still called graffiti!"

- Pariz One

There is a very fine line between those who see graffiti as art and those who see it as vandalism, what are your views on this?

Graffiti is both. I can be doing a beautiful mural in the afternoon and people pass by and say this is art yet at night I can be doing a train and the same people pass by the train in the morning and say that is vandalism, in the end it is the same person who is doing it and it's still called graffiti!

Can you think of or have you ever been involved in any situations where graffiti has been of benefit to or had a positive impact on the surrounding community?

Yes, I usually do some workshops and one of these was done with psychological and mentally disturbed patients. This was a job that had a major impact on these people, according to psychologists, who told me that they saw an emotional development in each one of the patients.

Also I've done workshops with people from the ghettos making them forgot the grey place that they are living and bringing some colours to their lives.

Do you paint legal or illegal pieces?

I do both and enjoy both.

Have you ever 'felt the long arm of the law' because of your art and if so can you tell us about it?

Yes, three or four times, the last time was in Barcelona, Spain where I was detained and kept in for a lot of hours. If you are in the game you know that there are barriers, and sometimes you fall…

"If you are in the game you know that there are barriers, and sometimes you fall…"

- Pariz One

Do you try to keep your identity anonymous where possible?

I try to hide my indentity slightly, not for fear of something in the courts, but because if the girls see my face they will fall in love with me and not for what I do! Ha-ha!

What is the biggest risk you have ever taken for your art?

I remember being literally with my life between my legs on the rails in London and shaking on a bridge that I painted without protection in Portugal which was about 60 metres in height.

Where is the most obscure place you have ever left a tag or piece?

It was in an abandoned factory in Portugal, this factory has places that look scenarios out of a horror movie.

Which other artists work do you admire?

• My crew members
• Aroe
• Logan
• MSK Crew
• Mr. Wany
• Dems
• TMD Crew
• Love Letters Crew
• DTS Crew
• GT Crew
• Aryz
• Kacao77
• Sweet
• Wildboys
• Sague
• Rosy
• Mad C

…just to name some of them! I like their style because they are originals and funky fresh, and I've already had the opportunity to paint with some of them.

Which other artist would you most like to work with if you were given the chance?

MSK Crew and the TMD Crew, both these crews are killing the other crews at the moment.

What is your colour of choice?

Telemagenta Pink of Molotow cans.

What is your favourite surface to paint on?

A wall with bricks.

Do you have a favourite piece of all time?

Yes one of my last pieces, the one with the grenade it was dedicated to my crew, TKO, and the Warfour.com website.

Can you tell us one thing about you which most people wouldn't know?

I was born on an island in Portugal called São Miguel Azores, I'm addicted to coke (Coca-Cola) and everything that fascinates me has to be colorful and wild. Sexy is my middle name!

What kind of music are you into?

• Hip-Hop
• Jazz
• Soul
• Reggae

What is the last album you bought or downloaded?

Jay-Z - "Blueprint 3".

What are you working on currently and what plans do you have for the future?

I am currently living a life of Graffiti, I customize sneakers, t-shirts, canvases, bags and I paint large decorative murals and buildings. For the future I hope to have even more graffiti work and I want to travel more to do what I love most.

Anything else you would like to add?

I want to send a big-up to:

• My crews: TKO, GVS, CSF and VDS
• My family
• My girlfriend, for the support
• My Italian friend Wildboys
• LDK Crew
• Revok - keep it rockin' champ!
• Mad C
• Mets
• LGN Crew
• Mr. Dheo
• TPF Crew
• Susan from Artcrimes
• Dedicated Store
• Molotow
• Canned Goods for the opportunity!

Graffiti change my life, I'm trying to change yours…

Pariz One

For further information about Pariz One please visit:

Pariz One Profile

Pariz One MySpace Page

Pariz One Flickr Photostream

VIA: CANNED GOODS