Interview Session 1: Nick Z

Recently Just1pin got ahold of one of Bostons most prominant undergroud artists. Everyone in the know around Back Bay at least has seen his work even if they haven't realized it. His stuff is everywhere. Lets hear it from the source, introducing Nick Z.


1. Could you introduce yourself, perhaps a little about where you're from, what brought you to Boston?
My name is Nick Z. and i am an artist from Boston Massachusetts. I 've lived in and around Boston for most of my life. I went to Umass Boston and graduated and have lived in the city supporting myself for a while now.

2. What/who are your biggest artistic influences?
My artistic influences : tough question, its really hard for me to pinpoint. ok, ummmmmm, pop culture definitely, MTV is a huge influence on my drive and motivation, hip hop definitely, thoughts about coding and icons the idea of having an icon represent a person, my collaborative partner Mister Never really helps me, but inspires me artistically, my brother Matt, the city enviornment totally inspires me artistically, seeing tags inspires me, i guess i try to consciously not be influenced as much as i can, i try to keep focused on myself, block people out, its too easy to be influenced, also its dangerous because a lot of peoples work looks super similar as it is, I just focus on my own ideas, I hope this makes some sense....



3. One way you express yourself is through public exhibitions, I've seen your work in its current form around Boston since about 2002 or erhaps 2003. How long have you been working with the public as your canvas?
Working with the public as a canvas, oh gawd, since i was little, i've always been into graff, ,and putting objects and art into public space but now its the "thing" to do that or be into it, the streets are "in". Realistically I have been trying to be serious and cohesive about it for like 3 years now in the City.


4. Your character designs have a "tagging" type style to the lines, have you ever worked with more traditional graffiti forms, such as throw-ups, pieces, or stencils?
Of course, i'm definitely not going to act like graff and the graff structure is not my mentality, once you've fucked with that then its very hard to get rid of the mentality. Tags, peices, fill-ins, rollers, whatever. I've fucked with them, for internet reasons and fear of incriminating myself this is all i can say.

shout outs to Emen, Synk, S51, Never, Twice, Slice, Deemize, Nmerek, Belz, Rgue, etc.


5. Some people would call your public work graffiti, or simply vandalism. What is your responce to this type of thinking?
I mean, people think what they want...people also think like a "satan 666" scrawled on a bathroom wall is graffiti, whatever, for those people, yeah my work is just graffiti or vandalism but at the same exact time my work is my work, total expression. In the public its just like an organic company promoting itself. Whats the difference between my work on the street and a pepsi ad on the street, nothing really. Graffiti is different, there is a structure, unwritten rules, a hierarchy, leaders followers, etc...


6. Normally I've seen your public work as done on stickers as well as markers, and a few painted ones as well. Do you prefer to use one tool to the other, or does it depend on the surface?
Well it depends on the surface, and also the time i have to do it. I actually like to vary what i work with so i can work a variety.



7. I've noticed that you put most of your work on surfaces owned by the public, such as electrical boxes, old phone booths, fire hydrants, free newspaper boxes. When you go out to "publish" your work, what type of thought do you go through in terms of placement?
I try not to damage things that arent mine. I also try not to make my public work non-aggressive because i found that visual aggressiveness really bothers people. On a subconscious level, in terms of thought on placement i just ride around on my bike and put things up as an improv.

8. Your work is unique in that its a bit like traditional "stickering", but rather than using a word-based tag, you have an icon, or character. What are your reasons or goals for using a character rather than a tag?
Well i use icons or characters because its more representational of me and my creativity and my life. Its a lot more ambiguous and also i dont want to be trapped into writing a word, plus its not graff, if its graff you write a word, strictly. My shit is a lot more associative and free thought orientated and less dictorial, plus all my characters are players in "my world".


9. I've always enjoyed the colors and character design of your work. Could you tell us a bit about your choice of colors and the younger-looking character design style?
My choice of colors is just colors that i have good associations with or mood orientated. The simple younger character design is a regressive style. I'm forcing my self to go purposely backwards, based solely on personified shapes and patterns.


10. A few of your pieces have been found painted on wood or metal, and affixed to signs. I've seen a few instances of this around Boston. Could you tell us a bit about your motivation behind this? I refer you to this image of the clouds and rain signs. Is that you?
OK, first of all the cloud things arent me. Last i heard it was a group or collective of people who all do the cloud. Thats why its up so much cuz they have a lot of people on it, but whatever.


11. Some other artists in the area seem to be working closely with you, or in responce to you. I note emartinez.com, as well as Mister Never. What is your affiliation with these artists?
These artist are my close fiends who are are super talented, we all hang out and share ideas.



12. I think I remember seeing your work at the Trident Cafe, and perhaps at Allston Beat on Newbury street. Could you tell us your experiences with gallery exhibitions?
I did a commissioned series of paintings for allston beat, like 4 years ago i did a commission wall for blades on newbury also. I've shown in galleries, I like it a lot..it's proper ya know, however its very formal and political in a way, i wish i could do more though, it gives me a chance to get very tech with my work.


Photo by Josh Falk
13. Whats in store for the future in terms of your work, and possible public displays of art?
I'm working on new merchandise like new bags for the spring, new website stuff, mail outs, I'm in a show in may in cleveland at 13 hundred gallery, In march the russian doll show will be at green st gallery in jamaica plain, i'm doing collaboratives with Mister Never, putting together a book, a ton of stuff, tryin to get up and out there.

peace...nick

For more information, check out the following links
Nick Z
MisterNever.com
Emartinez.com
DefBattleCrew.com
ISeeIHear.com

For more pictures of Nick Z's work, check out the members gallery
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