Graffiti artist AMIT 2.0 continues his NAMEDROPPING project with another nice exchange work, where he takes the challenge to spray the paint partner´s name and the other way around.
This time the guest is graffiti artist BUENO!
On a rainy day in April, AMIT2.0 met up with the Münster-based writer to exchange names. After painting at Hawerkamp, they had the opportunity to exchange ideas. Here is the obligatory interview and photos below:
When did you start writing?
I started painting in 2007, at which time I was 17 years old. I was always drawn to art and generally liked things that derived from „the norm“, so graffiti was the perfect fit.
I had noticed graffiti when I was younger, but never really knew what it was or how it was done. I believe a friend of mine from school, who at that time was already active in the ultra-scene, gave me a copy of the Pure Hate DVD from Berlin. That pretty much kicked it off for me. The actions, the collaboration between many people, styles, and so on mesmerzied me. I still think it is kinda funny that this movie was my motivation to paint, because it is quite far away from what I do today and how I evolved in graffiti. But that‘s how it was. No Beat Street, no Style Wars, no Dirty Handz. Pure Hate 😀
After I saw that movie I started writing by myself. There was pretty much no one in my school or social circles who was also into Graffiti. I also didn‘t know that legal walls even existed. So I practiced my toy-styles alone at night on garages, walls and on bridges. After around 2 years I finally met other writers and from there on it really started for me.
How relevant is style writing for you?
I guess it depends how you define style writing. I would not consider myself a „stylewriter“. My letters are super simple, I stick pretty much to the basics and give my pieces my personal touch through the color schemes, characters and maybe weird details. I do care about style a lot, but it‘s not necessarely the style of the single letters, but rather the „full picture“ of the piece.
What do you think of the namedropping project?
Super fun. Switching names is always cool and refreshing.
How important is the Hawerkamp for you?
The Hawerkamp plays a big role for me. I would say, it‘s a „cultural oasis“ in this city, but also in all of NRW. Obviously I like it, because you can paint there. But I also love the dirtiness and contrast of the area, compared to the rest of the city, which is quite the clean bubble.
How did you prepare for today?
I sketched a little bit and ate good breakfast 🙂
How did you get along with our rounded wall?
Good, no problem. But I think my neck kinda hurts now.
Did the “new” combination of letters go well for you?
Yes, I really like the letter combination. Fat A and T, squeezed together I and M. Nice. The process was quite intuitive, as it is usually always when I paint. I have a rough sketch in mind, start with something, put on my classic fillin-scheme and let it flow from there.
What do you think when you see the finished wall and your name “by someone else’s hand”?
I always love it when someone else paints my name. I get so stuck with my own letters that I often get „style tunnel vision“ :D. You tend to forget in how many different ways you can actually interpret a letter design, until you see someone else do it.
How long have you known the pieces from Amit2.0?
I am not entirely sure. I think I still have a Backspin magazine from 2009 or so that had one or two Amit pieces in it. (need to check)
Personally I met Amit in 2020 through the Bürgerpark Gallery project, which was very nice.
Your opinion on graffiti and social media?
Generally, I think graffiti fits very well on social media and there are a lot of amazing writers, that I would have never met or even known about if it wasn‘t for Streetfiles, Instagram or Facebook. Lately I have been getting a little tired of graffiti on Instagram but I can‘t really put into words why. I think I‘m trying to focus a little more again on what is in front of my door, rather then constantly consuming what is happening around the globe.
You take a journey back in time to NY in the 80s. Which of the writers would you go with?
I have to admit, that even though I own two copies of Subway Art, i am not that familiar with all the 80s NYC writers. So I will have to go with Dondi or Blade, because of the simplicity and cleanness of their pieces, which I really like. They both pretty much embodied what I described above about my perception of stylewriting.
Anything to ad?
Hello to eveyone who knows me 🙂
