Main selection country flag for language - English English
  • Dropdown option country flag for language - English English
  • Dropdown option country flag for language - 简体中文 简体中文
  • Dropdown option country flag for language - français français
  • Dropdown option country flag for language - Deutsch Deutsch
  • Dropdown option country flag for language - 日本語 日本語
  • Dropdown option country flag for language - Español Español

DOWNLOAD FREE EARWAXX RARE SOUL 45 MIXES

Language

  • Log in
  • Cart (0)
  • Checkout
  • HOME 
    • ABOUT US
  • DUBOSKI ART COLLABORATIVE BLOG SPOT
  • SHOP 
    • LIMITED EDITION ART  
      • Cameron Thompson
      • Darryl "Cornbread" McCray
      • Daniel Shoykhet (DOT)
      • Jack Vitaly
      • Manny "Manolo" Lateulade
      • Shepard Fairey (OBEY)
      • Tashif "Sheefy Mcfly" Turner
    • ORIGINAL ART  
      • Darryl "Cornbread" McCray
      • Daniel Shoykhet (DOT)
      • Kingsley Tamfou
      • Manny "Manolo" Lateulade
      • Tashif "Sheefy Mcfly" Turner
    • EARWAXX RECORD DIST. 
      • Free Earwaxx Rare Soul 45 Mix Downloads
  • Language

DUBOSKI ARTIST INTERVIEWS
Home   DUBOSKI ARTIST INTERVIEWS   Getting to Know: ISSUE

Getting to Know: ISSUE

by Monica Duboski June 21, 2020 0 Comments

Getting to Know: ISSUE - Duboski Art Collaborative

MONICA DUBOSKI

DUBOSKI ART COLLAB CO-FOUNDER AND CONTRIBUTOR

For this month’s artist spotlight, Duboski Art Collab sat down to speak with graffiti writer, ISSUE, to talk about his style, inspiration, and the Los Angeles graffiti scene.

 By Monica Duboski

June 21, 2020 

            A native Los Angeles graffiti writer, ISSUE has had a consistent presence on the LA landscape since the late 1980s. As a member of multiple graffiti and DJ crews including GOMD, ETB, The Rolling Sevens, The Mad Inch Crew, and Uptown Boogie, ISSUE, now a family man in his early 40s, tells us that he started writing because it was a natural extension of the hip hop, punk, and boogie music that he loved. He tells us, it was “cool and fun” and “just part of the culture.”

            In fact, he reveals that his signature style and the colors he uses are “one hundred percent” an homage to the boogie/funk iconography of the 70s and 80s, as he regularly employs heavy doses of neon pink, purple, blue, and yellow in his work. As a passionate vinyl record collector and DJ, ISSUE regards his turntablism and graffiti aesthetic as his personal contribution to the greater LA hip hop music culture. He says that while he may not be musical in the traditional sense, this is his way of adding to the unique, yet ever evolving, body of hip hop.

When it comes to his preferred canvas (so to speak), ISSUE says there is nothing better than catching trains and going to work. He states, “I like to know that it keeps moving. If you’re lucky enough to not get your worked buffed, it can last so long… it’s such validation.” He shares that the idea he loves the most is that not only does his train work have the potential to span the entire country, but that its visual impact is greater today than it ever was, largely in part to social media platforms.  For ISSUE, seeing his artwork on a train is the ultimate way of saying, “I am here, I was here, you know what I mean?” But now, when others see his work benched in faraway cities and towns, they can snap, post, and hashtag, strengthening and broadening both the physical and virtual space of graffiti writing.

Humble, unassuming, and easy to speak to, ISSUE tells us that he continues to find inspiration from his entire GOMD crew, including KIZ One, Syne, Hero, and Oinx. When it comes to other writers, he tells us, “There is no time to beef.” While he acknowledges that there is a certain amount of grit and competition, especially among younger writers, for ISSUE, its all about being part of a community and connecting with friends. Whether one is a novice or master, ISSUE welcomes the comradery of fellow artists.  He tells us that the graffiti culture in LA today is alive and thriving. “In a lot of ways, it feels like the early 90s,” he says, “people are getting out, [graffiti writing] is still heavy.”

For ISSUE, however, more than anything, graffiti writing is the ultimate therapy session. In the early morning hours, stress melts away as the solitude and meditative motions of the spray paint can help to relieve pressure and provide an outlet for daily life.  Any moment not devoted to being a good husband, father, or provider is dedicated to his graffiti and DJ craft. Most importantly, he says, “At the end of the day, I’m still having fun. The moment it stops being fun, that’s when I’ll retire.”

 


Monica Duboski
Monica Duboski

Author

Tweet Share Pin It Email

Also in DUBOSKI ARTIST INTERVIEWS

DAC Artist Spotlight: Taking Flight with Cameron Thompson - Duboski Art Collaborative
art artblog cameron thompson detroit dj aware DUBOSKIARTBLOG duboskiartcollab DUBOSKIARTISTSPOTLIGHT fineart gallery hiphop Los Angeles losangeles monicaduboski monicaduboskiblog onlinegallery soul stayaware
DAC Artist Spotlight: Taking Flight with Cameron Thompson

by Monica Duboski September 11, 2022 0 Comments

  From a young age, Thompson has felt a deep connection to the earth and describes a special relationship with Aves in both a tangible and spiritual way. He credits both his Native American heritage and his mom’s experience of working with animals for his affinity for birds and what they represent. Particularly when he was young, he recounts how his single mom, already stretched thin, would rescue birds and animals in need and take them into their home, providing shelter and care. In discussing his participation in Native American sweat ceremonies (which are performed for spiritual and physical purification), he describes the presence and significance of birds, especially the hummingbird, as a symbol of ancestral wisdom.  To Thompson personally, the hummingbird appears in times of tragedy and death as a source of comfort and healing.

Continue Reading

Duboski Art Collab Spotlight Artist: Phillip Simpson - Duboski Art Collaborative
art artblog detroit duboskiartcollab fineart gallery hiphop Los Angeles losangeles monicaduboski monicaduboskiblog onlinegallery smile
Duboski Art Collab Spotlight Artist: Phillip Simpson

by Monica Duboski May 04, 2022 0 Comments

   Artist Phillip Simpson is living proof that one person truly can manifest infinite ripples of positivity and optimism into the universe. His mission is simple. He says, “My whole purpose with my artwork is to spread some sort of joy, where the viewer, whether child or adult, will see my work and get inspired to do good and be kind.” Most importantly, he wants people to remember, it’s okay to smile! Simpson says smiling is the language of happiness, which is exactly what he wants his art to covey.
If you’ve recently paid a visit to Detroit, or you’re a fan of the Detroit art renaissance, you have most likely noticed Simpson’s “Detroit is Home” mural installation on Broderick Tower. At more than twelve stories tall, the mural is a compilation of ten different smile faces (a Simpson hallmark) meant to abstractly represent all the different faces and colors of the people that call Detroit their city. You may have also noticed five full-length basketball courts splashed in his signature smiles and hearts, his numerous community murals, or you may have even been lucky enough to be invited to his studio. In any case, it’s hard to avoid the Phillip Simpson feel-good affect emanating from the Motor City.

Continue Reading

DAC Spotlight Artist: Kingsley Tamfu - Duboski Art Collaborative
Annie Kadji Art Gallery art artblog artinlosangeles Cameroon Central Africa contemporaryart Douala duboskiartcollab fineart gallery hiphop kingsley Kingsley Tamfu Los Angeles losangeles monicaduboski monicaduboskiblog onlinegallery Wuna Kam Seeam
DAC Spotlight Artist: Kingsley Tamfu

by Monica Duboski December 10, 2021 0 Comments

From Douala, Cameroon in Central Africa, DAC is proud to introduce our latest spotlight artist, Kingsley Tamfu. Recognized for his immense and colorful mixed-media portraits of seemingly everyday people, Kinsley, only 25 years old, is quickly making his mark on the Cameroon art scene and beyond.

Continue Reading

Sign up for our newsletter

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more…


Language

© 2023 Duboski Art Collaborative. Powered by Shopify

Amazon American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Meta Pay Google Pay Mastercard PayPal Shop Pay Venmo Visa