Mad One, brings the attitude of Hip-hop culture to life with the mixture of abstract, illustrated characters, graffiti and street life. This mastermind originally introduced his unique style of  underground art back in Altoona, Pa. USA. He started doing graffiti in junior high, doing designs on book-bags, clothing, and anything else.

 

Ten years later when he’s not busy working @ (U.P.S), he is submitting art through out the valley of Phoenix,Az USA. and nationwide. Last month Mad One was displaying some Mad Ink art at the “UM” gallery located in downtown Phoenix Arizona. He is also participating in the “Gimme Shelter” tour.With artist’s Dalek, Seizer, Ron English and others.

 

Catch Mike displaying the art of Mad One at TASOC gallery in New Jersey USA. From July-September 2009

 

That’s not all this outrageous artist does. When he’s not getting pieces ready for his art to hit the galleries, he is doing custom art, multimedia paintings, logos, street art and other custom design work. So be on the look out for his art coming to a city near you. 

 

How do you feel right now?

Confused, frustrated…..Should I keep going….LOL!!! Overall Happy to be ALIVE!

Why do you paint?

Freedom of expression and it helps ease my pains and worries. Plus if I didn’t get my thoughts/ideas out of my head I would probably have crazy dreams and go insane or something……

What are you currently obsessed with?

Wheat paste, malt liquor (40 oz’s MAN!), and my beautiful girlfriend (Gabby) 

How/does your past career influence your work?

 It helped me get some of my frustration out instead of projecting it in a negative way. Which I tend to believe it helped me a bit with my style and making it a bit more “wild” or abstract if you want to be technical…

How would you say your art has progressed over the years?

 Tremendously!!! It’s been a challenge though getting away from what I would normally do. Now I’m doing things pieces, canvases etc… So people/viewers have to do a double take or even question was that or is that done by “Mad One”?….

Name one street artist you can’t get enough of and explain why.

“WK” who is based currently out of NY,NY. Regardless of his color scheme never changing his work has motion to it and is ever changing. He motivates/inspires me to progress forward and attempt to do different ideas with different mediums that I would not normally work with or even think about. He has shown the underground art world where one can come from and the next day or year etc.. Just blow up in the game/scene, making viewers question where did this piece/artist come from and when?….  You all have been overlooking this true artist for years now just so you know!

How much thought goes into your work? Is it spontaneous or considered?

Limited amounts I try not to put to much thought into it, otherwise I start to change my mind about the piece I’m working on and have second doubts etc… I try to keep it fresh and switch it up every once and again. Periodically I will be spontaneous and just grab a blank canvas and go to town on it like I’m doing live art in front of a huge crowd and other times I like my art to be partially considered and thought out to a certain degree. Keep in mind “proper planning avoids PISS POOR PIECES”!!    

How would you define “street art?” And how do you view it’s connection with ‘graffiti’

 “Street Art” is visual stimulation and FREE to the mind and the eyes. I could rant and rave about the definition and connection to “graff” But I feel as though everyone that has answered this similar question in other interviews etc… Has said it all and I would rather move on and keep my thoughts or opinions to myself.

What does it mean to sell-out?

 To me it means…… If you or I were to walk into a Wal-Mart or target etc… and see my art for sale in mass quantity at rather cheap prices. Its one thing to be commercial it’s another story if you are in every major/minor store out there in the world for all to see and buy. Also another sign of selling out is when you don’t even have any say as to what direction or crowd purchases your art/merch.  

What is authenticity? What does it mean to keep it real?

 Originality!! Something that has yet to be done by another artist SUCESSFULLY!

Keeping it real to me means it was designed by me, put up/out by me and not forgetting your roots and where you came from or how you got started.

Describe your process.

 I tend to make a list of things/projects I would like to accomplish and then achieving those thoughts and seeing the final outcome and being satisfied with the piece.

MULTIMEDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there such a thing as ‘bad’ art? What is it? Name names.

YES but I will leave that up to the art critics that’s not my style to bash peeps names and the style they do.  

Do street artists make ethical choices in what they do, where they do it and how?

 I tend to believe so at least one’s that have something going for them in the art life or in life in general… I think if you weigh everything out before you go out and get up you hopefully will make the right choices etc… But then again you never know, the human brain is like a circus act some people just have a better ring leader then others.

What role do you play in the street-art scene?

Locally in Phoenix Arizona I feel I play a vital roll as to where street art is going and the acceptance it has with the general public. Just in the past five years or so it has grown to be accepted in the local galleries and the periodicals etc.. It’s taken a lot of time and effort but I feel I have been an influence as well to locals and others nationwide and abroad…

Everything is about fear or desire. Which one interests you more? 

 Desire it’s what burns inside of me and keeps my motivation burning day after day.

Do you believe that another world is possible?

 I most definitely do! Just not sure when or where yet…….In the meantime praise JAH RASTAFARI!

The last great piece of work you saw was what, by whom and how did it make you feel?

  A HUGE stencil/piece done in LA,CA. By “MBW” it took up the entire side of one wall, it had to of been at least 10ft x 20ft. LARGE! 

Can good art be political? Can political art be good?

YES and vise versa

What is good art? What is good street-art?

 N/A Again I will leave this up to those wine drinking art critics and others.

Who has got completely the wrong end of the stick recently?

 One name: BORF

Where is it all going?

 Down the drain if no one takes appreciation and respects how the game/scene started. A lot of the kids these days lack respect for property and paying your dues to any scene you part take in whether it be fashion, music, art etc….

Where are you going?

 Worldwide day by day, then I plan on going to visit the planet mars when the next train comes around.

Is street-art a social activity?

Yes I believe so

What albums are you listening to at the moment?

Thievery corporation, ALWAYS Wu-Tang, Third World, Massive B and some Dub here and there…. 

In a world without limits you would create…

A life size statue of myself that would set outside of the whitehouse in Washington,DC. Next question please………….

How fucked are we on a scale of one to ten? What can we do about it?

 10 cause if we are discussing how fucked we are then we are already knee deep in fucked pudding. LOL!… Don’t let the government run your world or where you chose to reside.                                                                                     -MAD ONE

This entry was posted on Friday, September 11th, 2009 at 3:51 pm and is filed under 5 Minutes With. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.