5 Questions with Dog Fight

The 2095'ers introduction to DogFight was reminiscent of that with BlackCat and given that they are inextricably linked it is not at all surprising.

There was something about this style that caught the 2095'ers eye but what really struck her was how these stickers seemed to double in population on each of her streetart expeditions.

Always up for a bit of discussion with herself, the 2095'er reasoned thus: "he's obviously very tall and has no sleep OR he has a following of millions like the Pied Piper who simply drown in delight in slapping these babies up OR it's a combination of both" (and yes, the 2095 chick did in fact make silent self-talk to external "she's bonkers" talk on many such occasions)

From lightposts to handrails, doorways, street signs...this guy was EVERYWHERE!

Who is this dude she wondered.  

Then, as if stepping in to a brave new world, the 2095'er made what she fondly refers to as 'a cold call for cowards'. 

Why is it when not having a friend request accepted on social media it seems to be a less confronting or upsetting rejection than if by leaving endless, almost stalkingly like, voicemails sounding like an hysterical female who needs a life, which ultimately never get returned.

Fortunately the 2095'ers request was received positively and regular communicado began photographer and artist.

One of the 2095'ers observations was that whilst from a more city locale end of the Inner West was saturated with these dogs (as was the city itself), there didn't seem to be any on the other side of Edgeware Road and beyond.

And with that, here are my 5 questions with Dogfight

Who exactly is Dogfight

Well Dogfight isn't really anything.  The name "Dogfight" is just there as I needed some kind of name otherwise it's got to be over explained in conversation.  The amount of times I've tried to explain "Lil white dog character"!  It's just easier this way.

I use the name Dogfight regarding anything I do, whether it's graphic design, clothing, stickers or whatever...it's just a name.  I thought it sounded cool, I liked the idea of taking something that already meant something and giving it my own spin.

To me, I'm not even thinking about actual dog fighting, which is totally rank: I like dogs!  It's more about the "fight in the under dog", like saying "it's not the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog".

The underdog will rise kind of thing.

I came up with the dog character in its current form around 2001-2002.  I originally paired the dog with a pig character named Bacon and was gonna do a comic on the two of them named "Bacon Bones", but instead chucked em on some stickers and went about sticking them about the place.

After a while I scrapped the pig, stuck with the dog and came up with the name "Dog Fight".

I had gone under a few different names before then as well.  The actual dog character doesn't have a name or if it does it's just "dog" (like the Dog out of Footrot Flats).  It's just an every day dog, no particular breed or gender...purely a dog.

I wanted to create a character that could kind of exist in its own right.  I always have a Dot & The Kangaroo type thing in my head where I wanted the dog to live and exist in our world, but as a cartoon, where people could see and enjoy him without it really belonging to anyone except the viewer at that time, so obviously graffiti and streetart were the perfect outlet for that, as the dog could pop up overnight to inhabit an area without all the non-sense of who put it there or why, simply that it's here, you live here, it lives here, now play nice! 

I've never had the plan to be known myself.  In fact I often do things especially to reflect this.  I wanted the dog to be known: hopefully by the time I go the dog will just be known as an iconic trait of Sydney and my friends, family and son can continue it as a permanent fixture of Sydney's landscape....like pigeons and cockroaches (LOL).

From insanely HUGE paste ups to slap ups that fit nicely in the palm of the hand. How much planning time is needed for these enormously impressive pieces and do you choose the location prior to print, or is it more of a "print done, location will present itself when I'm out and about"

For larger posters/jobs, I will often have a location in mind and I'll just work out how big I can go, how many hands are required (if required), what the weather is like etc. Other times, I'll just load up with paint or a bucket and handful of posters and see what I come across.

For the most part, things aren't overly planned but when they are planned, I like to go all out and turn it into some Mission Impossible style venture but that's more to make an event of it and have a bit of fun; or if we are filming, gotta be extra careful. The only thing I know for sure is it will be The Dog.

You recently did a collab for a video with Big Dave.  How did that come about

Me and Dave work together on a hell of a lot of projects and will continue to do so for a long time.  We built a friendship after I had a quick prison visit.  He was basically saying what I was thinking which is what drew me to him plus he had design work, I had designs and we share the same work ethic.

A lot of people are just trying to get something out of something, whereas me and Dave built a bond over wanting to create something valuable from nothing with the understanding that it was the journey and the experiences we would take from it (which mattered most).

With that in mind, we both have priceless experiences, opportunities to meet people neither of us thought we'd ever meet and basically rip it up!

As far as this particular video project goes, he created the song for me back in 2011 so I could use it as music in one of my sticker videos.  He always liked the song as it's pretty rough and fun for him to rap and he wanted to do something new with it. He came up with the idea for the video and I was cool with that and the rest is history!

warning: if easily offended this ain't for you!

We have worked on a million things together in the past.  I did his debut album artwork as well as art for other acts on the KP Label, posters for festivals and other concerts for him: all sorts of jobs for things.  It's good!

Collab or solo

Solo is always good as after a few years you have so much experience under your belt: you know how you going to do things, the approach you take, the plan of attack etc.  And anytime I'm doing anything risky I prefer to be on my own.  I'm often a little over daring or perhaps even cocky in what I think I can get away with, so doing things on my own eliminates taking anyone down with me due to my risk taking.

If I'm with other people I choose to keep it pretty tame for the most part, although I choose what tasks I will attempt depending on who I am with.

I've got a very close circle of people that I can count on one hand, who are what I consider "the wrecking crew" (not an actual crew and not all artists themselves!), and they are the people I plan bigger riskier stuff with that often requires more eyes, more hands and a genuine trust and care for each other: resulting in everyone being hyper-vigilant to ensure the job gets done, done well and everyone stays safe, out of meddling hands and gets home.

photo courtesy of AWOL Monk

With that being said, I do enjoy good company on long walks and there's nothing like seeing you and your peoples art up in one spot with a united front.

Then there's the Cat of course (check out the 2095 chick's blog done with BlackCat "here").  Me and the Cat, well we just get the job done.  Often our stickers are done in the same format whether it's screen printed, Lino cut, digital print, hand drawn, square or circle.

That's because we sit there and make them together on whatever materials we have at hand and often experiment with and discover new techniques.  If I print stickers, I print hers too and she does the same.  So ours are often the same but different!

What does the world hold for DogFight or is it limited only by our own imagination

I'm not sure.  We play arts & crafts every day.  There will always be more Dog in all shapes and forms.

I also do a fair bit of airbrushing and other stuff so who knows.  No use saying something like "there will be exhibitions" or things like that.  Just take a walk down the street...the exhibition is on, it's free and damned colourful!

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Thank god for the universal gallery is all the 2095 chick can say.  

DogFight has also started a doco which so far has taken 2 years and in his words "it probably won't be out for another 2 years!" so here's a trailer of things to come

And you can buy some of this dude's amazing work (t-shirts, stickers etc) on his website.  So just click "here" and the 2095 chick reckons there just might be something for everyone!

5 Questions with BlackCat Stickers

The 2095 chick first started to notice BlackCat Stickers just about everywhere she went. Difficult to exactly pinpoint exact time and locale cause when she says "everywhere", she means EVERYWHERE.

On poles, on windows, on doors, in doorways, on railings on mailboxes.  Initially always entwined with DogFight Stickers (and yes!  There is an upcoming interview with Dogfight Stickers so stay tuned to this station!)

Or with Cherry Bombs

Ashamedly, the 2095'er must admit that initially she really didn't understand what she was photographing.  To be absolutely honest, the "Spread the Love Project" appeared to be promo for an upcoming gig, but given the 2095'er love for her own black cat (fondly referred to as The Boof) she felt almost duty-bound to capture the image and then continue on her huntin expedition.

It wasn't until a return visit to her beloved Inner West, that she started seeing stencil like images appearing on quite a breath taking scale

artists: Rotar Uno, BlackCat Stickers, DogFight Stickers

and as with many street art experiences, once you see one, you see "hundreds" and this time, the 2095 chick knew what she was looking at it and started to quickly fall in love with yet another artist's clever work.

Again through the marvels of social media, contact with BlackCat was made and the chick will use this delightful segue as an intro to her 5 questions with the artist known as BlackCat.

When did BlackCat come in to "being"

I've always loved and appreciated street art and graffiti, but only started participating a few years ago influenced by my fella (a fellow street artist).  He got this gamer nerd off "Call of Duty" and outside! (finally!  the 2095 chick has found another chick who loves first person shooter games!  But for the 2095'er it has to be Battlefield 1942 Desert Storm: LOVE that adrenalin rush)

I just love going sticker bombing!  In our free time it's always sketching, creating stickers and going on sticker runs.

I love this city...Sydney...and I live in the thick of it!  Navigating the city is now a friendly experience.  I have met a number of Sydney sticker artists and traveling through the city I am welcomed by their familiar characters or lettering; always excited to see a new sticker they have slapped up.  I love seeing the back of a sign that began with a few sticker then in a week's time everyone's stacked on and completely collaged it.  It usually gets buffed pretty quickly but it's great interaction.

I truly believe that street art makes the world a better place, so I wanted to be part of turning this sometimes cold concrete grey city into a living breathing colourful and continually changing landscape in to an outdoor gallery for the people instead of a grid for corporations who get us to focus on their marketing and their "almighty" dollar.

My first sticker was a white cat with the text "Black Cat".  A lot of people ask why I create a white cat for Black Cat.  My cat is a fairer skinned indigenous cat like me; I wanted to put up a sticker that represented me like it was an introduction "Hi!  I'm here!".

Stencil, stickers of pasteups: do you have a preference or do they simply "present" themselves once you have formulated a theme

I love stickers!  Stickers are the best!  I love them because you can get a heap up at a time, so it increases the audience.  You can sticker up numerous stickers before you have even finished rolling paste on a wall or cut out a stencil. 

I also dislike cutting out stencils...too many years of gaming....my hands are stuffed!

I do like experimenting and love the variety that making stickers gives you.  For instance: the canvas...stickers, vinyl, shipping labels, anything sticker you can get your hands on.

The materials you can choose to create with: such as spray paint, block paint, lino prints, screen prints, digital prints.

Then finding the perfect place for them: I think the cool thing about the street is that while anything in a gallery space allows the work to speak for itself, it's the street that adds context: humour, rebellion, surprise, impact etc.  

A gallery is very static while the streets change and move and I love it when I see a sticker that has been left up for ages with the rain washing out all the colour, or it has faded over time from the sun: torn and weathered over time.

Even if it is capping an advertisement in a particular place it could totally change the meaning of the image.

Stickers never get boring.  I love seeing other street art stickers' progression: how the characters or lettering develop and change over time.  It's fun to put your sticker next to theirs and they will hopefully see it as you saying "hi" on the streets, then meeting them at a street art exhibition and say "oh so it's you who does those cute little characters"!

I haven't traded stickers much since I started but if you have the cash and send packs with some extra prints it's amazing when you receive return packs from all over the world.

When I was in primary school I used to write letters a lot to friends in Spain and Melbourne and I used to love checking the letterbox and receiving mail that was personal, pretty, colourful and fun.  People don't send letters anymore, so it (receiving sticker packs) is a return to that excitement of receiving mail that isn't just bills and junk mail.

Who or what inspires your creativity

I am inspired by computer game graphics, comic books, art books and looking at other peoples art.  So far I have created a few different cats and some stencils/paste ups of images that I think look iconic and strong.  They appeal to me, so I hope they appeal to other people.

Collab or solo

As my partner is a street artist too, we collaborate quite a bit in the process of making them (stickers, paste ups etc).  For instance, we might choose to lino print stickers so we will sit and cut out our prints at the same time and give each other suggestions.  

We have done a few collab stickers and I am definitely interested in collaborating with other artists more.

I also collaborate with my crew at Cherrybombs.  Admittedly not as much as I would like...mostly we are in different states and countries, but we have a couple of crew stickers we put up.

Massive shoutout to Beryl, Kwad, Missfit, Pat and Kicks!  You can check out their incredible work at our Cherrybombs page "here".

What can we expect to see from BlackCat in the near future

For "pasteys" (as I like to call them), I am keen to create warrior superhero women images.  For stickers I am currently working to refine my prowess in digital art on Illustrator and Photoshop.

I also dabble in photography so you my might encounter my photos in an exhibition or two.

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A perfect ending for a perfect interview with the feline provocateur known BlackCat with enormous thanks for giving the 2095'er time, insight and sharing some photos for this interview!

PM3

For followers of the 2095'ers ramblings, it would be difficult to not to acknowledge the fact that PM3 had a major impact upon her life as a streetart photographer.

Prior to first visit she had heard various comments by some that it wasn't "their scene" in that it wasn't "street" enough for them.  Being a fairly philosophical person, the 2095 chick did not let this influence her at all: in fact it was the opposite.  And besides, why would you not want to to see something that was street, with its stage being a world heritage listed island in the middle of Sydney Harbour!

Undeterred, the 2095'ers maiden voyage to Cockatoo Island was on the official opening day.  While she had been aware that installations & PM3 starting before the official start date, for some inexplicable reason the chick elected to not go and upon reflection she still is unable to pinpoint exactly why.

No need to dwell or attempt self-analysis (cause this could go on for eternity!) the main point is that she got there.

After exploring the exterior and needing to have a breather, the 2095'er swivelled her head and there it was.  In ya face, drowning with layers, an explosion of colour, HUGE pasteups and in the midst of it all it was.....total silence.  

A complete contradiction of the senses in an almost blissfully suffocating way.

As with most experiences the desire to share via slideshow was a no-brainer. Inspired, feeling incredibly excited and proud that the Aussies were showing the world "how it was done", each sound bite expresses the 2095 chick emotions at time of "production" (or reflection as the case may be).

One must be patient given there are 4 in total and even then they do not cover every frame captured.

Inside came a need to capture as many images of PM3 as humanly possible in an almost obsessive nature.  

Perhaps deep down the 2095'er understood that this may be a one time experience and as it was quasi-street, where things can change daily, such was the desire to capture these changes: hence multiple returns became almost a way of life for the chick.

An intense feeling of sadness and grief overcame the 2095'er at the end of this amazing experience.  Initially excited that the new date had been released the 2095'er could barely contain her excitement at what would be on show at the next Outpost.  Sadly this was not meant to be.  

For reasons that still perplex her, the 2095 chick "got" that the honchos (or those with the moula to fund such an 'exhibition') felt it was time to take away from the artists and transform this "test" to how THEY perceived it should be thus removing entirely what street and art is really all about.

The 2095 chick remains incredibly sad as it seems (or at least in the 2095'ers humble opinion) that the arts are once again left on the side burner by those with the dosh who have some inane feeling of "ownership" and remove the opportunity to educate those who may not fully understand what street art is all about.

On a personal level they have removed the opportunity for the 2095'er (and others) to explore, admire and become hopelessly lost within the world of streetart in a single location.

As such we must thank Ben Frost, Konsumterra and all that contributed to PM3.  The 2095'er must also personally thank each and every artist that she has now become familiar with on a more personal level for without PM3 she may not be able to do her blogs.

As she has a ridiculously high number of images (and even now, they are still not all uploaded) feel free to check out the 2095'ers PM3 set "here" but be mindful that while images remain the property of the 2095'er the actual paste ups remain the property of the artist/s.

The Unknown

Every so often (and at times most likely as the artist had originally intended) there are nameless works - or works that are actually tagged but not in a way that is easily readable or identifiable apart from those already in the "know" - that spring out of seemingly nowhere.

Conundrum therefore abounds.

Admittedly there are times when the 2095'er (and perhaps as with others, although maybe like the 2095'er they have difficulty admitting it to anyone other than themselves) might happen upon a paste up, sculpture or other form of art on the street that may, at the time, make absolutely no sense whatsoever and as such, you continue on your hunting expedition.

Such was the case with the nameless artist. Noticing an evolution or maturation even, of this particular artist's work and the frequency that their pieces "appeared" (or as has been noted in previous blogs once a piece has been spotted it somehow sticks with you and suddenly they appear "everywhere") it became within itself a little treasure hunt.

Despite valiant efforts by the 2095'er asking many of her street-artist friends/colleagues/comrades no one has been able to enlighten nor identify.

Therefore it is with delight that the 2095 chick presents to you an ode to an unknown and unnamed artist whose works she loves "a lot" (once again she cheekily makes a slight reference to her fave Aussie show "Rake"...you need to watch it, live it, learn it and then enjoy the ride!).

Is it Thoif?  Is it...well obviously the 2095'er has no idea so any feedback would be most welcome!

Feedback received!  It's Phool.  Huge thank you to a fellow street-art photographer for this info!  A girl can never have to many pieces of info, specially in the world of street art

A moon licht bricth tonicht

There are times for the 2095 chick where music and compilations of graff must be shared.  She is not quite sure from where this "urge" is derived.  

Is that she is a "frustrated" artist perhaps?

Might it be that it is simply a desire to express using two of her passions: music and streetart photography?

Or is it that a theme simply presents itself and from there everything magically appears to fall in to place.

Who knows (one could debate the idiosyncratic nature of the 2095 until the end of time, and perhaps provide some head doctors with interesting fodder), but whichever way you choose to look at it, there is one constant in the 2095'ers world: passion and that passion needs an outlet and that outlet results in to the little vids below!

Once upon a time the 2095'er was a member of The Sydney Film Festival and went to a most intriguing talk on how music influences our perception of a visual, whether it be tv, film or even a streetart slide show/montage.

Enjoy and make of it what you will....but there is one thing to keep in mind: the theme. Are you able to work it out?

being a fan of a certain series involving a psychopathic serial killer is pretty obvious here

Take note: what the brain hears may influence the viewer's conclusion as to what the 2095'er had intended when creating...which for the hoi polloi might be the definition of "art".

Thanks for watching!

5 Questions with Fezwitch

It would be almost impossible for the 2095'er to NOT refer to that "thing" she went to time and time again....you know.....PM3.  For this was the place that she spied THE most amazing sticker which was provocative, profound and hysterical all bundled in to one.

With each return to Cockatoo Island and as part of her mantra to 'capture as much as I can', the 2095 consciously sought out other pieces by this artist.  

So many amazing pieces to be had & captured in this extraordinary location, almost mind bending at times.  But deep within, the 2095 felt compelled to continue on this journey and rather than fight against the tide, she simply let this compulsion lead her where it may.

irony being this is now strangely appropriate given our current embarrassing political state of affairs

With the boldness and safety behind the fibreoptic, the 2095 made contact with the Fez and from there (once again thanks to social media) a connection was made which leads us beautifully in to the 5 Questions with Fezwitch

When did the world of Fezwitch begin

It all began in 2006.  Prior to that, I expressed my creativity through corporate Graphic Design and clients who I had no real connection with.

Street art was a great way to get my own ideas out there, so I printed a few paste-ups and went for it!

"Maggid" means storyteller and my name references like "The Maggid of Mezritch" is in relation to a respected Polish mystical scholar in the 1700's.

I use visual communication and humour to tell my stories and illustrate my obsession with classic computer technology.

Much of your work could be perceived as reactionary to current political events.  Is this the main drive behind your works, or is it more of an innocuous thought that "appears" from an off-tangent musing, observation or experience

My intention is to make people smile and rethink the accepted stereotypes that popular culture wants us to believe.

Many pieces of mine contain that cynical vibe that pokes fun at the consumer brands we all live and breath by.  Also personal interests and observations form ideas, which are then translated in to a piece.

Do you see yourself as a political satirist

Overall no, but I do like playing with politics as a subject

You had a fantastic project where there public were encouraged to send you the good old floppy disc decorated free form and then placed in various locations around your former stomping ground.  What was the inspiration behind that particular activity

I'm just slightly obsessed with used and abused floppy discs.  I use the disc as a tag with an easily recognisable shape and form that represents the speed of technological advancement.

They all hold some unknown piece of data (be that 100/200kb) and each time a disc goes up, so does a piece of information that someone needed at some point of time in their lives.  Including the public is a way to remind people of this and get involved in street art.  Discs also make cute canvases.

You recently relocated back to the UK.  Is there anything about the street art scene in Australia you miss, or are we somewhat lagging behind Europe and the UK

The sheer population of the UK allows for a larger volume of art, artists and exhibitions, but I do miss a small city with less CCTV cameras and easy parking.

Still early days, but I prefer the Melbourne scene as its more laid back and seems to be thriving with great art in the suburbs you wouldn't expect to see.

Ask me again in a few years

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And the 2095 will hold you to that!  Huge thanks to Fez for allowing this "international" interview courtesy of the fibre optics and we miss you already!

But we are safe in the knowledge that you are keeping a watch on the hood

Hello May Lane

Before starting on this particular article it must be noted that all artworks shown remain the property of the artists and cannot be reproduced without their express permission. The 2095 chick is simply showing her photographs in order to share her experience.

The 2095'ers intro to May Lane was day that rained, where her brolly decided NOT to behave itself and her teeny tiny SX20 was somewhat new. 

Add to mix the 2095'er not being completely comfortable or familiar with the area at this particular moment in time, but any reservations or "fear" were abated  the instant her eyes clapped on the most magnificent wall of colour and detail.

The 2095 chick does not nor ever will enhance or over process images using software  

Trim yes, digitally destroy with over processing no

The 3D effect was mind boggling.  No matter what angle, no matter how far down the lane you went to achieve "the shot", it was pure perfection every frame. 

The 2095'er found the intricate detail so hypnotic she found herself thrust in to the "once I'm behind the lens I am completely in my own world" land.  And what a delightful place it is to be.

In an almost robotic manner, the 2095 continued exploring in wonderment, quickly realising that this is not a place where you "rush" through, for you may just miss something.

this piece remains intact for which the 2095'er & many others are most grateful

As with most "landmark" discoveries there are times when the 2095'er must simply shut up and allow emotions, heart palpitations and "oh my god" moments be shown via multimedia (nb: this clip does not comprise 100% Mays but also includes other firsts on her maiden Inner West voyage: thus becoming the impetus for the street-art revolution/obsession of the 2095'er)

It would also be remiss of the 2095 chick not to include her first introduction to the extraordinary world of Vexta.  The day was dark enough (with gloomy rain clouds) for the 2095'er to see exactly what this piece was in that it was designed to glow at night.

kindly reproduced with permission from Vexta

Like most discoveries or "first heart skipping moments", the need to return became unbearable.  Having to wait for another 12 hours was seemingly intolerable.  But given the location of the 2095'ers dwelling deemed it almost impossible to do otherwise.

But return she did and then some.  The beautiful thing about this particular place is that each week there will literally be something new, or a "work in progress" thus keeping it fresh and exciting. 

Nothing smells more beautiful to a photographer than that distinct aroma of paint. Clear indicator of new new new.

On one particular revisit as the 2095 wound her way on the direct route from St Peter's train station she noticed an artist and from a distance she pulled out this teeny tiny camera and got (well to the 2095'ers mind at least) a pretty good shot.

Confidence for once decided to be on the 2095 chick's side.  Walking up slowly and waiting until said artist was having a bit of a breather (literally), the 2095 struck up a conversation albeit it somewhat hesitantly at the start.

It revolved around folk going up at times, hurling abuse at him "why did you paint over what was there, we HATE it", to which the 2095'er replied "hell if they don't like they don't have to look at it" and from there the conversation flowed.  It wasn't until the end that he looked at me and said "we are actually 'connected' on flickr".

Jaw dropped: see the 2095 might know them by the street names rather than the "real world" names so it is always an incredibly humbling experience (and yes..even now the 2095 is always blown away when an artist walks up and introduces themselves then saying "oh your cap gave you away, everyone knows you wear a black cap") when someone whose work you admire from afar not only takes the time to talk to you but then says they already know you albeit by some form or other of social media!  No words can be found to describe that moment.

The piece below again is not strictly Mays and includes the immediate surrounds but hell, it's the 2095'ers blog....

Recently Mays has become Caroline but in an ever changing world there will always be one constant and for that we as photographers and lovers of art, (streetart, graffiti or whatever you wish to call it) are and will always be forever in your debt

May Lane Flickr Set