Woier interview

 

Bombing Science: All the standard questions. What do you write?

Woier: I write Woier (Warrior)

BS: Who do you rep’?

Woier: I rep K2S, STN, SWM, 254P

BS: What’s your favorite paint color and maker? 

Woier: My favorite paint color is Cool Water by Montana Black, but my favorite cans are Krylon. My favorite makers are prismas

BS: What’s your favorite object to paint on?

Woier: My favorite object to paint on is a freshly buffed cinder block wall!  I also like painting on sexy ass chicks as well!

BS: So Woier is definatly an interesting name any reason you chose it?

Woier: Well most people don’t know why I chose the name Woier, but I was called “the little warrior” growing up because I put in roughly 10 years into Tae Kwon Do!  Martial Arts is a lifestyle and I defiantly apply it to my everyday life as well as my graffiti art.  If you notice my graff is very aggressive and sharp much like my fighting style.

BS: So did you start off in LA or come there like so many people? How did you start up painting?  

Woier: Well I am not gonna lie, I was scared to start painting on account of getting busted.  I have Woier pieces in random places in the hills in the bay area but was never really serious until I moved to LA about 4 years ago.

BS: You were mentioning how you were influenced by Chez and Natrl.

Woier: They definatly have their own blend and their own exclusive style. How did you wind up getting up with them?  Chez, Natrl, Ryno, Tyboe, Rome and Poesia are the main dudes that I idolize.  I can honestly say that they are all unique and have styles that I don’t thing people can replicate.  Anyway, I was fortunate enough to paint with Chez, Natrl, and Ryno on a small production to pay respects to RSEN (rip) and even though I was still toy they gave me a chance.  I was stuck on stupid using rustos with German outlines and they showed me what a half empty krylon with a grey dot could do.  Now people in LA wonder where my wildstyle comes from and I just tell them that the bay area will always be a part of my style.

BS: I see you’re big on the graff on girls deal, and that you were one of the guys who were doing it early before others? Any reason for the affinity for flesh?

Woier: I saw Ensoe from Canada do it first with an amazing model!  I was wondering why other artists weren’t picking up on it so I decided to do it in a similar fashion as Ensoe with class.  If you notice both of our body art isn’t exploiting the model.  I can’t stand seeing bullshit tags on some underaged girl putting markers in her p*ssy.  You think that sounds vulgar?  It is, and it’s out there…forever.  Body painting has become too mainstream…go back to using quality models and do a piece that shows your skills!

BS: Seeing that Tempt is down with K2S, what was it like to paint with someone who’s truly a legend in LA graffiti? (On a side note myself and Bombing Science want to extend our best wishes to Tempt in hope that he’s feeling well.)  

Woier: I have never personally painted with Tempt but it is an honor to be part of a crew that he is associated with.  In my opinion all the old school dudes in K2S/STN are legends.  I am fortunate to be a “new wave” graff artist and put into such a historical crew.  I am still in shock at where I stand in the LA graffiti scene.

BS: With such a wildstyle ethic, do you ever get tired with it and maybe go out just doing straight letters or just go out bombing?

Woier: About straight letters and bombing, I love the way it looks, but it’s just not my cup of tea!  Let’s say I like to adapt my piece to the space I am given.  Usually I don’t know what my piece is going to look like until I am at the wall and see the size, texture, and obstacles that the wall offers.  I hate sketches.  Whatever comes out is usually the perfect fit for the space.  Overall, if it is sharp and clean, I am happy.

BS: You have some amazing color patterns, a lot of straight psychedelic. Where does your influence for that come from? Ever go down the rabbit hole yourself?  

Woier: Thanks, I am glad you appreciate my psychedelic fills.  The influence for my crazy fills primarily comes from artists like Apex and King 157.  I have also been painting with and studying Vox’s lines.  What I am trying to do is bring a crazy sharp wildstyle with an old school colorful fill; I like the idea of having the best of both worlds.

BS:  Seeing some of your pencil drawings I’ve noticed you have a keen eye for shading in that area. Do you think pencil translates over to aerosol in technique or is it a whole new ball game in your opinion?

Woier: I don’t know how you saw some of my pencil drawings, but I apologize if you were disgusted.  I am not big on Blackbook work anymore and I feel restricted if I don’t have a can in my hand.  With my style I have a lot of add-ons and extensions, and I can’t usually include all that stuff in a sketch or a pencil piece.  If I am trying something new like a 3D type style I have to do a sketch.  I usually have Gil K2S, or Dytch CBS help me when it comes to 3D’s because they obviously know what the f*ck they are doing.

BS: I like to throw in a little rapid section here:

1.) God Loves Ugly or Seven’s Travels: Sh*t, how about any song that talks about hating Lucy?

2.) Venice Beach or Belmont?  Belmont

3.) Dali or Warhol? Dali

4.) Brick or concrete?  A wall is a wall

5.) God or no God?  God

BS:  I see you get up with CBS any particular reason you don’t throw up the bomb squad?

Woier: I got nothing but love for CBS, and Dytch is a good friend of mine.  I can’t wait to paint more with them.

BS:  I see you’ve done some of the artwork for POS and that mural inspired by Atmos. How did you wind up getting up with Rhymesayers?  

Woier: Well, my Gold Lemons piece came first.  There’s a funny story behind it actually,  I was offered the wall, and wanted to support Slugs tour so I painted a 20 ft gold Woier piece thinking others would do the same.  I mean come on, “Paint That Shit Gold.”  Anyway, when I was done, I realized I was literally surrounded by lemon trees, so I took some actual lemons, sprayed them gold, and put them in my buff bucket for the flick with my piece.  

POS saw my Atmosphere piece, and asked if I could do one for his newest album Never Better.  I found some of his album art before the cd dropped and incorporated into my piece for him.  At the concert, POS, Sims, Mictlan, Turbo Nemesis, and the rest of the performers signed an enlarged photo of the piece.

BS:  So you have a twin sister? What was that like growing up? Is the whole jedi mind connection real or you think it’s blown up nonsense?  

Woier: I do have a twin sister, and it was very competitive growing up.  I actually just moved back in with her while we both attend college for our second degrees.  And the Jedi Mind connection is totally for reals, and if you don’t believe me, she is a black belt too and will kick the ass of all the doubters out there!  

BS: Your canvases are pretty jaw dropping. Any galleries interested or maybe a better question you ever interested in being in a gallery?

Woier: I am glad you like my canvases I always have issues with them after awhile.  But be on the look out, galleries are in the near future.

BS: Your wildstyle kind of reminds me of like razor sharp floral designs, kind close to tribal. Do you do ink or have you ever thought about it?  

Woier: I love traditional Polynesian tribal, not so much the neo tribal that “brosifs” get that means absolutely nothing.  I am actually getting my whole back done by an artist named King Afa from Zulu Tattoo.  Anyway, I have the tattoo equipment, but want proper training before I actually start tattooing.

BS: Being from LA and the fact being you guys have a lot more security devoted to graffiti I have to ask any good chase stories?  

Woier: Like I said earlier, I am actually from the San Francisco Bay Area where walls are hard to come by.  So let’s just say a helicopter hovering over makes you run a little bit faster.  I have never had trouble painting here in LA.

BS: That beat you got from the dude Kincaid is nasty man. On the subject of audio who’s in deck these days?

Woier: Yeah man, that track Moments in Love just shows you I am big into instrumental stuff.  I am a huge fan of Post Rock bands such as Explosions in the Sky, Red Sparrowes, Mono, and the Coma Lilies.  If you have never heard of them, you are really missing out on great music.  Besides Post Rock, I am always listening to underground/indie hip hop, Bob Marley, and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.  That new Drake album is dope as f*ck right now too!

BS: I saw you were inspired by Hokusai for the great Woier piece. He was a true master of art a lot of tattoo artists love him. How do you think he would feel about graffiti in general?

Woier: Hokusai is a sort of a graffiti artist himself.  I don’t know if you new this but Hokusai participated in a art festival/competition in 1804 and painted a portrait that was 600 ft long using buckets of ink and a broom.  If that’s not graffiti, I don’t know what is…let me give props to Hokusai for getting up. haha

BS:  I also saw on that piece that you hate signing your work. Something I never really liked doing either just because sometimes it can ruin the aesthetic. Why don’t you like it?  

Woier: I want people to know me for my style.  When people see an intricate, sharp wildstyle, with a crazy fill, I want people to say “that’s Woier right there.”  I don’t always need a tag next to my piece to tell people what the piece already says.

BS: Lastly anything you’d like the world to know Woier or K2S is doing? 

Woier: I am currently working on some scenic murals and planning to get on some big productions this summer while I have the time off from school.  Look out for more body painting, and possibly some clothing designs.  You can always check me out at www.myspace.com/transcender 

And of course shout whomever you’d like to.

I want to start of by recognizing the legends LA legends of Kill to Sexceed and Second to None.  Also, thanks to O.G.Gil, Gabe88, Vox, and Dytch66, for always thinking of me when they had walls. Peace to 254P, SWM, CBS, GL, the Inland Empire dudes, and all the other crews and individual artists that I have had the privilege of painting with.  A special thanks to Dan James for this interview and Bombing Science for providing all the supplies I needed to get me where I am today!