When I wanted to learn about the HRM, I skipped the Central Library and headed straight to Foes Two. Because, when we talk about the Halifax Explosion it has a little less to do with shipyards, and a little more to do with a few hungry artists who hit the streets on a daily basis.
Where are you from, how long have you been at it, and why is it Foes Two?
I’m from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Been in the game close to 13 years. I’ve always liked the idea of numbers at the end of my name, so I experimented with a few, but settled on two because I like the letters when spelled out. And it sounds badass.
What was the scene like when you were starting out in Halifax? How has it developed over the years?
The first few years were the last years of real graffiti in the city, before social media blew up. Don’t get me wrong, we still had the internet and message boards, but you couldn’t always rely on them for up to date photos and events. The roster of artists that had visited, or lived in, Halifax during the early 2000’s was stacked with all-stars. Crews like HW and CBU were constantly pushing the limits with freights, bombing, and piecing. They were the kings. Since then, the scene has really gone down hill; churning out kids who are set on tagging and getting up without any real knowledge about the history and style of graffiti. In the past decade, the city has taken away our only 2 free walls, which had a lot of history. As much as I like finding virgin walls and new places, I feel that a legal wall is essential to any good graffitiscene, whether it is a place to paint without the stress of police, or a place to meet other writers. I think the absence of places to paint and the reality of how hard the city is buffed are both huge factors in the decline.
I have also heard that the tracks have been hit hard lately. Where do you see the future of Halifax graffiti?
When I first started to paint pieces the tracks were the place to do it. You could paint for hours, and there was always room. If you couldn’t burn anything, you could just head to the next bridge. Six or seven years ago, the tracks started gaining more attention from the police. It wasn’t even worth going down there anymore. Even if you did manage to sneak down and put something up, the chances of it being buffed or scraped off the wall were very high. It wasn’t until recently that I took a walk down to see if things have changed. The police and citizen’s presence is still something to be worried about, but I’ve notices pieces running for longer. The city has been talking about making the tracks a means of local transportation. If this happens I think the buff will get much worse, but it will also give the opportunity for more people to see the art.
Even though we may be in a rut, we have nothing to do but improve. Having one ofthe biggest art schools in the country, there will most likely always be a handful of new writers leaving their mark. It’s up to my generation to decide how the next generation will perceive graffiti in Halifax. With the creation of Instagram, I can’t think of a better way for world wide viewing. Though it is a great way to globalise, and become one of a large network of graffiti artists, it also takes away a lot of the hard work that used to go into becoming an artist. Lazy motherfuckers are out here instant messaging other writers, trying to get a grasp of the fundamentals of graffiti. All things that will come in good time. You want to be a ‘good’ graffiti artist? Put down the phone and get out on the streets. They will teach you what you need to know. As far as what I think the culture will be like here, I believe it will continue to evolve into something better. Maybe a little different. But better.
Throughout all of this, who has maintained a presence in the scene?
There are only a few names that really come to mind, when I think of people who have maintained a presence in our scene. My homies YRON and RIFLE have been holding it down for a long time. Those boys always have new stuff popping up in the streets! Grandpa SECTR gets er’ goin’ on occasion, still staying in the loop. A few others that may not still be in our scene, but definitely left an impact, are DABS YIA and REMIO. Them dudes are still killing it wherever they go. CABIN is another writer who has always been relevant in the scene.
What have you been into lately?
Well, considering there are hardly any walls in the city to paint we often have to travel to the outskirts of town to find spots. Even the outskirts have become blown out and toy ridden. So, it’s a little bit of a further trip. There are hundreds of virgin walls and bridges hidden in rural Nova Scotia. It just takes a little more effort to find them. So, that’s what we’ve been doing for the last year. Bringing beer and bud to these beautiful low key rural spots and bustin’ out burners.
Any writers catch your eye at the moment?
There are a couple homies up in Newfoundland that have definitely caught my eye. GUTEM, BIRD, and ODIE have been consistently putting in work on the east coast. It gets me so hype to see those dudes getting’ some. I’ve also been super into HEIS lately, that Euro steez is fresh. One more guy is GLARE GH. He has been on a rampage, straight beast.
What crews are you representing? DFA was interviewed years ago, how has the crew changed since then?
My current crews are ICM and DFA. DFA has changed a fair bit since then. Everyone is off doing there own thing. Some painting, some not, but that’s not what DFA is about, I grew up learning about graffiti with these dudes. We’re more like a family than a graff crew. I have been writing DFA longer than I’ve been writing FOES. I feel obligated to rep my day one homies, even if they might not be as active as they used to be. When DFA gets together we’re all capable of banging out burners. ICM on the other hand, is made up of the most talented and active writers in the city. Most everyone in it has thick roots in the Halifax graffiti scene. We’ve kept the momentum going this summer, whether painting six people deep or with one other person. We’ve all been getting shit done individually and as a group.
Favorite color scheme?
I’ve always liked black fill with blue highlights and a white outline. Shit always pops.
Is there anything else you want to add?
If anybody wants to see up to date work, you can check out my stuff on Instagram @foestwo and if you are interested in custom canvases or art don’t hesitate to dm a brother! Shout out to FUZE, DNUT, ABST, RIBS, DTEK, DIBS, SPACE, YRON, PREMO, RIFLE, OLSEN, and SKUM!
Interview by: Luke Beirne
