Vandal Vince: grinning Check THIS out! My NEWEST ink! Straight from the cans, man! Brooklyn style!
Yo Vandal Vince, look at your new tattoo! It's wild how much effort you put into painting on yourself.
YEAH, YOU CAN'T IGNORE THE STREET ART SCENE IN BROOKLYN, NY - IT'S WHERE I GOT MY PASSION FROM!
That's right! I remember you used to be that kid who spray painted murals on trains and walls
YOU KNOW IT! STILL DO THAT SHIT TO THIS DAY! BUT NOW I ALSO WORK AS A FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER!
Holy shit, that's dope as fuck! What kinda gigs you gettin' as a freelancer?
ALL KINDS OF STUFF! LOGOS, POSTERS, BILLBOARDS... EVEN SOME TV AD'S AND ANIME OPENING SEQUENCES! I LOVE BEING ABLE TO MAKE MY ART APPEAR IN PLACES I NEVER IMAGINED!
Damn, that's impressive AF! But what kinda gigs you turned down?
ANYTHING INVOLVED WITH CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTS, MAN! I HATE BEING IN THOSE STUFFY LITTLE OFFICES... GIVE ME THE FREEDOM TO CREATE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL ANY DAY!
Hell yeah! Those corporate environments are like, the worst. So, where do you usually work on these projects?
I GOT A SMALL STUDIO IN MY APARTMENT, BUT I ALSO LIKE TO WORK ON THE ROOFTOPS AROUND BROOKLYN... IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING THAT PERFECT VIEW!
Shit, that sounds amazing! Do you ever bring anyone else to your secret rooftop studio? Or is it just you and your art?
WELL, I DO LIKE HAVIN' PEOPLE OVER TO APPRECIATE A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET OR A GREAT PIECE OF ART... BUT MOST OF THE TIME, IT'S JUST ME AND MY THINKING!
Fair enough. So, what kinda thoughts run through that head of yours?
ALL KINDS OF STUFF, MAN! I SPEND A LOT OF TIME THINKIN' ABOUT MY NEXT ART PIECE, OR COMING UP WITH A NEW IDEA FOR A CHARACTER DESIGN! PLUS, I GET A LOT OF INSPIRATION FROM JUST PEOPLE WATCHING, YOU KNOW? IT'S LIKE, ONE PERSON'S CLOTHES, THEIR SHOE LACE, OR JUST SOME RANDOM SHADY SPOT... AND IT ALL COMES TOGETHER TO MAKE SOMETHING UNIQUE!
That's wild, man! Sounds like you got a real creative mind. Ever thought about sharing those thoughts with anyone? Like, teaching or something?
I DO A LOT OF WORKSHOPS AND TALKS IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS... IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO! Sharing the knowledge and passion I have for art is super rewarding, ya know? Plus, it's great to see young people get excited about creating!
Damn, that's awesome. You really are a badass, man. But... how did you get into all this art shit, anyway?
WELL, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTO ART AND SKATEBOARDING AND STREET ART AND STUFF... AND ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND NOW HERE I AM! IT'S LIKE A JOURNEY, MAN! AND I'M STILL ON THE MOVE!
Man, that's quite the journey. What's the craziest thing that ever happened during one of those moves?
OH, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF WILD MOMENTS, FOR SURE! One time, I was painting a huge mural on a building and the fire department showed up thinking it was a gas leak!
Holy shit, that's insane! Did they bust you out or some shit?
Nah, they were cool. They just wanted me to get off the ladder! After that, I made sure to call fire safety at the start of every project!
That's a bummer, but damn, what a story to tell, huh? Got any other crazy-ass war stories?
ONE TIME I GOT ARRESTED FOR PAINTING ON A SUBWAY TRAIN... HAD TO DOCommunity service as punishment, but that's when I met a bunch of other artists and we formed our own little crew, The Vandal Squad!
No way, man! That's straight outta a movie. How'd y'all connect?
WE JUST FOUND EACH OTHER IN THE STREETS, MAN! graffiti crews, skate crews, art shows... we all clicked and it was magic! The Vandal Squad became family and we still are to this day!
That's beautiful, man. Family is something special.
Families are the most important thing in the world... and the best part is, we never needed no blood ties - just a shared vision and camaraderie!
That's really heartwarming. So, what's the vision you shared?
IT'S ALL ABOUT CREATIVITY AND FREEDOM AND THE POWER OF ART TO TRANSFORM AND UPLIFT... WE WANT TO SPREAD THE VIBES OF THE VANDAL SQUAD TO THE WORLD!
Damn, that's a helluva vision. Ever thought about spreading those vibes through some sort of festival or event?
ALL THE TIME, MAN! We've done a few small shows, but a Vandal Squad festival would be epic! Music, art, skating, and just good vibes only... it'd be sick!
Hell yeah, that sounds like a dream! When you gonna make it happen?
SOON, MAN! WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING IT OUT... IT'S GONNA BE THE BIGGEST PARTY BROOKLYN HAS EVER SEEN!
Shit, can't wait for that! Gonna be legendary, for sure. But before we get there, what's the craziest project you've ever worked on?
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT, MAN... BUT ONE TIME I GOT A CALL TO PAINT A MURAL DURING A NATIVE AMERICAN POWWOW... AND I GOT TO MEET SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE AND LEARN ABOUT THEIR STORIES AND CULTURES! It was such a humbling and inspiring experience, you know?
That's incredible, man. You must've learned a ton. Did you incorporate any of their stories into your art after that?
Oh, you bet your ass I did! I got so inspired that I created an entire series of pieces celebrating Native American culture and traditions... it was some of my best work, man!