Above. Pulse “Doom” 2000.

Above. Adrenalin 1988, City Gallery, Melbourne.

“Adrenalin” was one of Melbourne’s first major graffiti exhibitions in an established gallery. The artists included Peril, JME, Myself, Jule, Constanze Zikos, Guy Benfield, Prime, Spy, Wisp and Ransom. On the opening night I met New York graffiti legends Phase 2 & Daze while they were in Australia touring with rappers Velore & Double-O.

“I’m delighted to say that Australia’s gallery approach to the aerosol world was a far cry from the elementary school simplistics conducted by most NY counterparts. Though most aerosol style is a derivative of  ”the capital,” art by the likes of Ransom and Merda were in a class by themselves, Merda being the outstanding innovator of the show with an hour-glass-like machine of sorts sprayed on the wall out of an imagination hardly of a figurable source. Pieces by Duel, Paris and Prins were hardly to be blinked at either. No question, Australia is one of the hardcore “aerosorentities” with an overabundance of aerosol and hiphop masses to be reckoned with. It was very inspiring to see so many involved in the two cultures in such a hardcore fashion.”

IGTimes #11, 1989.

Above. untitled 1988, Acrylic on Canvas (61 x 138cm)

I’ve always had problems with sketching in sketchbooks, if I rip a page out that’s it I’ll never use that book again… Give me a scrap bit of paper any day!

Above. CZ & Merda, Installation, North Melbourne 1988.

The sketch for the “Z” I painted on this wall is in the fourth last page below…