The Tools of Criminal Mischief: Cans I by Roger Gastman

1xRun: How was this piece created and when did it come together?

Roger Gastman: This was done with an assortment of vintage photos of spray cans and was designed in June of 2013. The cans have been an ongoing collection for many years.

1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Roger Gastman: I have a huge collection of vintage spray paint. The colors, the logos and the brand names have so many great things about them. Whenever people come over to my house, no matter who they are, they always want to ask me about my can collection and take pictures of it.

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1xRun: How long did the piece take?
Roger Gastman: I have been collecting these cans since I was 14 years old. I’m 35 now!

1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Roger Gastman: How many people have old spray cans like this in their home? It works for graphic designers and creative types, not just vandals.

gastblog1xRun: Why should people buy this print?
Roger Gastman: You should buy this because it’s awesome. The colors, the logos and it’s not your normal art print. It’s the tools that were used to help create the art form of street art and graffiti.

1xRun: Describe this print in one gut reaction word.
Roger Gastman: WOOOOOOOOOAAAAHHHHHH.

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1xRun: When did you first start making art?
Roger Gastman: I suck at art, but I was always in art classes as far back as I remember. I got good grades, but I think that is just because the teachers felt bad for me because I sucked so bad. I remember in 6th grade I made a water color painting of Darby Crash for the cover of The Decline of The Western Civilization.

1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?  What artists inspire you now?
Roger Gastman: Graffiti growing up in DC mostly. Once I started to see more “real” art I wasn’t that impressed. I kept going back to the rawness of street crap. When I was as young as 14 I started to travel the country and be inspired by different street work, notably LA and Chicago. Now? My two dogs mostly.

1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work?
Roger Gastman: I listen to a lot of music. It’s mostly the same crap that I have listened to since I was a teenager. Early punk, hair metal, Revelation and Dischord stuff and a lot of EAZY E and the Ghetto BoyZZZ.

1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why? Any deceased artists?
Roger Gastman: I would like to make a rap album with ICE CUBE circa Death Certificate era. For the latter, it would be G.G. Allin. He had his head screwed on straight.

1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? The last?
Roger Gastman: I have no idea what the first piece of art I bought was. It could have been early Shepard Fairey stuff or some early ESPO. I was always trading for stuff, but I know I bought that. I buy a lot of ephemera more then art. I have a problem with collecting things. The last piece of art I bought was something from AIKO. It’s a chick with big titties of course.

1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Roger Gastman: WebsiteTwitterInstagram

-1xRun