Dime One

How did you begin to work in the street?

I got into painting through all the early breakdancing / graffiti that arrived in the early 80’s, but it wasn’t until about 86/87 before I started painting.

Why street is a specific space for creation?

It’s great painting something large scale in a public spot. I love taking a grimey wall and putting colours onto it and just the whole design/sketch to a wall painting process.

How do you feel about the ephemeral aspect of urban creation?

I realize that sometimes these creations might only last a short while. It’s quite a shock when I find a painting that been left up untouched for 3, even 4 years in some cases. It’s amazing when you get talking to the loacals how they use the painting as a landmark. We did a painting in a park with urban gorillasas characters and it lasted for just over 2 years before we repainted it. A local said: “Ahh No! We call this place Gorilla park, what will we call it now!?”

You don’t always realize how people can get attached to the paintings.

How would you define your style?

I’d say my style is still very much traditionnal graffiti style lettering, inspired by the old school NY writers, but also i love having complete paintings – backgrounds, characters and colour work.

Do you perceive graffiti art as a personal act of creation or as a local/global movement?

I try not to think too deeply about the meanings of my own painting. I don’t have any hiden messages or agendas. It’s amazing to see how the whole graffiti culture has spread and developed into different styles. Although I spend most of my tiùe running workshops and painting commissions, I still enjoy getting chance to paint for myself on a wall spot.

You can find more informations about Dime One on Instagram.

Pictures: Quentin Gassiat

Interview realized in october 2019.