AMIT’S NAMEDROPPING PROJECT CONTINUES WITH GRAFFITI ARTIST PEREZ

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 PEREZ from the DFF crew, with whom he met in Berlin.

How cool is style writing actually in 2022?

Style writing – in the sense of: meeting at a legal wall and tinkering with letters for hours – has long been an old man’s hobby. I personally enjoy it most of the time, but to be honest, there are hardly any exciting developments in the field. What happens at Halls of Fame under the label “style writing” is 95 percent hip-hop kitsch. Especially in Germany. Exciting graffiti is created where no city administration wants it. On house facades or trains. And preferably under time pressure.
 
What do you think of the Namedropping project?
Drawing other letters is always a good idea. Unfortunately I do it far too seldom. In that sense I like the concept. In my opinion, however, two things would have to change in order to make the project more interesting: Firstly, the mix of writers involved should be more diverse and above all younger. That would probably also be reflected in the result: Less banana skinny stiffness, more pierced spraycans! And secondly, I would like to see a namedropping collab on an S-Bahn. Or at least on a freight train. See above.
 
What do you think when you see the finished wall and your name by someone else’s hand?

I realized that it’s not that easy to let go of control. When it comes to graffiti, I rarely have to make compromises, unlike in everyday life. Normally, I alone decide what my name should look like. Here it is different. But fortunately, Amit 2.0 is not just „someone else“, but a great person with whom I get along well.
 
Your opinion on graffiti and social media?

Does it still make sense to philosophize on this in 2022? Graffiti and social media have long since become inseparable. But I still believe that the coolest writers don’t have an Instagram profile. Social media destroys this special magic in graff that is created by the invisibility of the author. Like when I was 14, I still want to stand in front of a great piece and wonder: who painted this? Was it a man or a woman? A person or a group? Does this person listen to rap or punk rock? One look at an Instagram profile usually answers all of these questions immediately – and the magic is gone.
 
Your favorite picture from the attached selection and why?

The throw-up on a roller door in Barcelona. It only took me about 4 minutes to paint, but the result makes me happier than most of my hall of fame pieces. It is a visible spot and was fun to paint. Does this count as style writing? I don’t know, but this is how graffiti should be.