ARTSPROJEKT - Freedom of Expression

AP: How in the heck did Bunny Kitty find her way to us?

BK: I think it was a hot summer day about 6 years ago. Tilt and Fafi were visiting San Diego. Andy Howell invited me over to paint with them. I painted Bunny Kitty, I think it was the second time that I attempted this. I told Andy about my character and the world I was creating. I first met Andy 10 years prior working with mutual friends in skateboarding. Andy knowing my history in skateboarding and graffiti felt I had what it takes to give this project legs. When he started the Artsprojekt he hit me up to be apart of the group. So here I am and I am excited to apart of this.

AP: You’re a certified veteran of the graff world. Give us a brief history...

BK: I started writing graffiti in 1988. In the early 90's I had established myself in the scene as a talented character painter. Also during this time I was traveling with skaters through Europe. Without realizing it I was bridging the gap between Graffiti and Skateboarding. This was pre-internet and e-mail.  In the late 90's I joined up with Can 2 (Stick up Kids) and Wane (Clean or Dirty). I started to develop my letters and pushed myself to get better. People recognized what I was bringing to the table and they started to look at me as an innovator. When I started to do Bunny Kitty in the 2000's my history in graffiti legitimized it almost immediately. I thank my peers and culture for this. I have been traveling to Asia lately.

AP: Has the birth of your daughter inspired you with Bunny Kitty?

BK: Uh, yes and no. Sometimes I find myself wanting to hang out with her more than wanting to paint. She is turning 1 in November so the first year is out of the way. It is a lot of work being a daddy and trying to bring home the bread.

We dressed her up as Bunny Kitten for Halloween. I don't think she knows what she is in for, hahaha. I am more motivated to illustrate the children's book I have been sitting on and to also further develop the Slugganauts.

AP: Tell us about the real world of the Slugganauts...

BK: The Slugganauts are Bunny Kitty's favorite band. She has a crush on Dee Dee Meow the lead guitarist. They are loud, rude and crude. I developed them to work with music. My brother is a musician and plays in a legit rock n' roll band.

Myself along with some help from close friends we dressed them up as the Slugganauts. They performed live on Halloween. The show blew the crowd away. I am now working on recording a Slugganauts record. All the art I developed for them was a lot of fun because I was able to use some of my favorite bands when I was a kid as inspiration. Bands like Sex Gang Children, Christian Death, Alien Sex Fiend, Joy Division and Specimen were some of my favorites. This was before Rap/Gangsta existed.

So back in the early 80's I was a Death Rocker. I say Death Rocker because that's what it was before they labeled it Goth. These days I go back and forth between Rock, Rap and everything in-between. I really like what Stones Throw is putting out.