FLINT 707
DATE OF INTERVIEW: SUMMER 2006
1- NAMES USED:
FLINT 707, JIF 1, UGLY EDDIE, HOTSTUFF
2- YEAR STARTED WRITING? YEAR RETIRED?
I STARTED WRITING IN THE WINTER OF 1971
3- AGE WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING?
I WAS 15 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED WRITING.
4- WHERE?
I STARTED WRITING IN BUSHWICK, NEW YORK
5- WHY DID YOU START WRITING?
I SAW LOTS OF NAMES WRITTEN ON WALLS AND ON THE TRAIN, SO I DECIDED THAT I COULD DO IT TO , BUT WITH MY OWN FLAIR TO IT.
6- WHO WERE YOUR WRITING PARTNERS? (IF ANY) STILL IN TOUCH WITH THEM TODAY?
I STARTED WRITING WITH BROTHER LOVE 333, TUSKY 1. AT FIRST WE WERE THE GOOD , THE BAD AND THE UGLY. IT WAS GOOD FRANKIE, BAD TONY AND UGLY EDDIE.
7- WRITING GROUPS YOU FOUNDED OR CO-FOUNDED?
I STARTED THIS GROUP CALLED DIAMONDS INC WITH BROTHER LOVE 333 , SISTER LOVE 333, TUSKY 1, PBX 1 AND HAWKEYE 737
8- WRITING GROUPS YOU BELONGED TO?
DIAMONDS INC, UGA.
9- YOU WROTE YOUR FIRST TIME ON A WALL, BUS, TRAIN OR TRUCK?
I FIRST WROTE MY NAME ON THE BOTTOM OF A LIGHT POST.
10- YOUR FIRST HIT EVER - WHICH MEDIUM DID YOU USE, i.e. MARKER, SPRAY PAINT, PEN, ETC.?
MY FIRST HIT WAS DONE WITH A 3M MARKER
11- WHERE DID YOUR WRITING NAME COME FROM?
I CREATED IT BASED ON THE LETTER F. IT STOOD OUT AMONGST THE REST OF THE ALPHABET. AND THE NUMBER 707 WAS TO DISTRACT ANYONE TRYING TO TRACK ME DOWN.
12- WHICH WAS THE FIRST TRAIN LINE YOU HIT? (IF YOU HIT TRAINS)
MY FIRST TRAIN WAS THE M TRAIN.
12A- WHAT OTHER MAJOR LANDMARKS DID YOU HIT?
WHOA! I HIT THEM ALL CONEY ISLAND, THE FOUNTAIN, VALLEY FORGE, WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE, TIMES SQUARE
14- WHAT YARDS & LAYUPS DID YOU WORK AT?
I WORKED OUT OF CANAL ST, EUCLID AVE, METROPOLITAN AVE, HALSEY ST.
15- WHERE YOU 'KING' OF "SOMETHING"? (TRAIN LINES, WALLS, ETC.?)
KING OF THE M AND J LINES
16- WHO WAS YOUR MENTOR? (IF APPLICABLE) DID YOU MENTOR ANY OTHER WRITERS?
I WAS SELF INSPIRED , BUT MENTORED SEVERAL HUNDRED ARTISTS.
17- WHICH WRITERS DID YOU LOOK UP TO? WHY?
BUT LOVED THE TAGS OF STAY HIGH 149, LAZAR 1, TREE 127, PHASE 2, PISTOL 1, SCOOTER, DIZZY, RIFF 170, DINO NOD, BUG 170, PURPLE HAZE 178, STAFF 161, SUPER KOOL 223. APP SUPER HOG, COCO 144, TAN 144, JUNIOR 161, AJ 161.
THESE WERE THE NAMES THAT INSPIRED ME TO DO MY OWN THING
18- DID YOU INTRODUCE ANYTHING NEW TO THE WRITING MOVEMENT?IF 'YES,' WHAT WAS IT? WHAT YEAR?
I DID MY OWN VERSION OF A 3D TOP TO BOTTOM WITH 3D BACKGROUND AND SHADOW LIGHT EFFECTS
19- HOW LONG WOULD YOU GUESSTIMATE THAT EACH GENERATION OF WRITERS LASTED?
I GUESSED THAT IT WOULD BE 3 YEARS.
20- WHICH WERE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS TO WORK WITH?
I ALWAYS USED SILVER, RED, BLACK, WHITE, BLUE AND YELLOW
21- WHICH BRAND OF SPRAY PAINT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TO WORK WITH?
I LIKED RED DEVIL AND RUSTOLEUM.
22- WHICH MARKER WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
I LIKED THE MINI WIDE BEST, AND THE NIJI SECOND.
23- WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE SPOT TO HIT YOUR NAME IN THE TRAIN SYSTEM? (IF APPLICABLE)
I LOVED CANAL ST.
24- DO YOU HAVE IN MEMORY A "FAVORITE" MASTERPIECE THAT YOU DID? IF 'YES,' WHICH ONE? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?
I DID A TOP TO BOTTOM 3D LIGHT BLUE WHOLE CAR. NEVER SAW PICTURES OF IT YET, BUT IT HAD AN INFINITE BLACK 3 D WITH A FIRE BLOWING FROM A CARTOON FACE OF MY SELF WITH A BLACK HAT AND A STAR ON THE SIDE.
25- WERE YOU EVER ARRESTED FOR WRITING? IF 'YES,' WHEN? WHERE? WITH WHOM? BY WHOM?
I WAS , AT MY SCHOOL, IN 1973 BY MYSELF.
26- WHICH WAS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GET PAINT FROM?
WOOLWORTH
27- WHICH IS THE CORRECT NAME FOR THIS CULTURE: WRITING? GRAFFITI? AEROSOL ART? WHY?
TO ME IT WAS WRITING BUT EVOLVED TO AEROSOL ART.
28- ARE YOU STILL WRITING / PAINTING TODAY? IF YOU USE CANVAS, YOUR FEELINGS ON PUBLIC SURFACE -VS- CANVAS?
I STILL PAINT. I PREFER PUBLIC SURFACES BUT AM LIMITED TO CANVAS.
29- *WHY* DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT AFTER ALL THE EVOLUTION THAT WRITING HAS EXPERIENCED SINCE ITS BEGINNINGS IN ' 69-' 70, EVOLUTION THAT INCLUDES ACCEPTANCE BY SOME GOVERNMENTS OUTSIDE THE U.S., THE POWERS THAT BE IN THE U.S. STILL CONSIDER THIS CULTURE AS ONLY AN EYESORE? IS RACISM TO BLAME? CLASSISM? OR BOTH?
IT IS NOT AN EYESORE UNLESS YOU HAVE AN INEXPERIENCED WRITER WHO FLAT OUT DAMAGES PUBLIC PROPERTY OR HAS NO STYLE WHAT SO EVER.
31- WHAT DO YOU THINK OF "SCRATCHITTI" ?
THE TRUEST FORM OF VANDALISM, DESPERATE MEASURES, ULTIMATE FORM OF REBELLION, AND ROGUE.
30- DO YOU CONSIDER WRITING AN "ART FORM"?
YES I DO.
32- WHAT DO YOU DO PROFESSIONALLY TODAY?
I AM A MANAGER FOR A BUSINESS IN NEW YORK
33- ANY ADVICE TO YOUNG WRITERS WORLDWIDE TODAY?
FLEX YOUR WINGS , FIND YOUR NICHE AND STYLIZE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. LEARN YOUR HISTORY! AND DON’T EMBARRASS THE FOREFATHERS OF THIS ARTFORM.
34- ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF AND INNOVATE. BE COMPELLING AND TRY SOMETHING NEW. USE ALL YOUR TOOLS APPROPRIATELY AND RESPECT OTHER PEOPLES PROPERTY
35- YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION?
FLINT7071972@yahoo.com
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