Lately, I’ve found myself looking closer at the city that surrounds me. Keeping an eye out for the differences in the graffiti that adorns the Baltimore landscape. Whether it be a scrawled name along a shop window in Fed Hill or seeing trains go by with an intricate tag or bombing, covered with individual patterns and vivid colors. The differences abounding here in the Charm City, be it the hurried tags by some noob or an exquisite block long Bombing by an actual head. Is it art or just straight vandalism? I decided to talk with one of the artists to get some first hand knowledge.
F5F: When did you start writing?
Voser: I started to gain interest and started noticing graff around 99-2001 then I started writing in 02ish just fuckin around in my suburban neighborhood…. started to get serious in 05 when I started “voser”
F5F: What prompted you to use the side of a building as a canvas?
Voser: depends on which building…
F5F: How many tags have you done?
Voser: how many times have you written your name?
F5F: How do you pick your spots?
Voser: I look for what is visible, what will be seen by people, usually along main roads or highways, I try to keep off religious and private owned buildings,
F5F: Tagging: vandalism, art or both?
Voser: BOTH, there’s no way this is 100% art form, but this is because graffiti is made illegal by whoever has to clean it up because they don’t want to clean it up, but then what are the people who clean it up going to do?
F5F: Any wild stories from a mission?
Voser: one night a cop was rollin’ into a spot we were rollin’ out of, as the car approached we walked towards it like nothing was wrong, then I ran up a hill to my right and hid in a bush for a minute, after not seeing the cop again, I ran across the street to where my car was ran through some backyards and was on my way, saw the cop speeding around the parking lot with his lights off when I was leaving
F5F: What was your most challenging location?
Voser: We had to climb a rusty roof one night in north Baltimore, it was so old and beat up that we climbed up through a hole in the roof then had to stand on the deteriorating metal to do our pieces, had to have a few natty bohs first.
F5F: Does that extra challenge give you greater satisfaction?
Voser: absolutely, to have to work harder for it is more rewarding seeing that piece the next day while your driving along or when you go get a flick of it.
F5F: What would be your crown jewel of pieces in bmore?
Voser: I cant believe im saying this but I like all my work at friends houses, in their stores (Elevation Underground) in Towson just because it shows how graffiti can bring positive things to the community. I like all trains too…
F5F: As graffiti and writing gain exposure and become less underground have you seen a shift in content?
Voser: a lot of people just don’t do it up right, there’s people out there just coming up with throws on the spot and filling them in and sayin they write, that’s why I like to do a nice straight letter or big fillin at spots where people do tags, older heads used to really burn every spot, people seem to take less and less time on graffiti over time..If you’re going to do it, do it right.
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