Interview by Cyan Walker
Bombing Science: So a quick introduction- What do you write and what crew(s) do you rep?
EPOK: I write EPOK and I am a representative for Infamous Last Words, also ASK (After School Klub) and Keep The Faith Crew.
BS: Where are you from and what’s the scene like where you live?
EPOK: The scene has always been strong in Bristol, there is a huge group of creative people and everyone just seems to do their own thing and get on with it. It’s also very interlinked, so you get to meet a really interesting cross section of people, from musicians to film makers to print nuts etc…
BS: What was your introduction to the world of Graffiti?
EPOK: In the beginning I didn’t really know that what I was doing was ‘graffiti’ as such, but more just being a bit of a nightmare teenager. Over time though I realised that it was something I would not easily be able to stop doing and grew to love it.
BS: Do you have an ideal painting experience? A chill wall with some friends and beers? Night missions? Trains?
EPOK: I guess being a bit older now my ideal painting situation would be at a wall with friends, cider and sunshine. But the reality of living in England is it would be more like at a wall on your own in the rain, with nothing but a bottle of warm beer for company.
BS: Who are some of your favourite artists- graffiti and otherwise?
EPOK: Favorites include Syd Mead, Aryz, Will Barras, Ghetto Farceur, Sickboy, KaiOne, Junji Ito, Bom.K…….and of course my fellow crew members Bonzai, Kak, Dead and Smug.
BS: Any particular goals for your graffiti career?
EPOK: I guess just to keep producing stuff that I’m happy with. Also travelling around a bit more, I really want to get the crew out to Japan at some point….?
In terms of style, I like to think it would be nice to arrive at a place that feels unique to me, something that has scope for change and improvisation. However, style is a journey really, and the contradiction is that the second you feel comfortable with what you do, it becomes boring and stale. I don’t want to waste time and paint just doing a piece for the sake of it, I would rather sit on an idea until its fully cooked and do it justice. Also painting the same spots over and over gets really tired, finding the correct spot for the outline is something I want to concentrate more on this year hence the travelling thing….
BS: Anyone you want to give a shout out to?
EPOK: Yeah first up, out to Bombing Science for the interview!! All the crew – Soker, Amuk, Siren, Bonzai, Kak, Dead, Smug, 80’s Conspiracy Theory, GF Crew (see you soon!)
Also Sepr, 3-Dom, 45rpm, Hakah, Mr Riks and the Bristol Massive.
Rest in Peace CK-ONE….
Check out:
www.flickr.com/photos/infamouslastwordscrew
www.flickr.com/photos/epokone
Also 303DB for photos and videos: