Eh up Peeps!

Its time for round four of our Flickr Featured Artist series!

This time we managed to catch up with globe trotting, style captain ERMS!

No matter if ERMS is hittin’ Canvas, Wall or Sketchbook he never fails to drop the mad fresh flavour that has writers slingin’ props and eye candy enthusiasts going Mmmmm.

We reached out to see if the funk master would flex lyrical and tell us a little bit about what graff is all about for him and where he is at right now, both stylistically and geographically……

“I started writing in the very early 90s aged 12, doing a Daze piece outlined in duplicolor brown and filled with olive green, after meeting and hanging out with some older writers. Inspiration came from the local scene, which was strong but fading out, and from Sheffield which was really bombed at the time.

I’m into graff for the experience of painting, I just love the way it looks, everything about it. Graffiti works best when it’s illegal but I’ll paint legal walls too sometimes. I’m not into generic graffiti, or being in one place stylistically, for too long. I try to be experimental and work loose(ish), not taking too long over getting lines right or having a few drips here and there. Recently I’ve stopped sketching, instead drawing big tags when I want to do a piece, and building them up until the vibes right. I want my pieces to live and move a bit, and to have that fresh x-factor.

I’m into painting interesting spots, exploring and not painting the same places over and over. I’ve traveled around the world painting in many countries. I’ve met some amazing, talented people on the way, who’ve kept a gringo safe from harm, fed me, dropped knowledge and been super cool. I’m based in Paris right now, and there’s a banging graff scene here… so much inspiration that it’s impossible not to want to paint.

I’m also trying to create work on canvas - graffiti inspired but more than just a piece on canvas. I’m interested in using the classical elements many writers work with – drips, splats, arrows, connections, the little things that bring drama to a piece, and of course letters.

In the future I’d like to continue traveling to see and paint more of the world.

Influences: Blade, Ale, Ajax, Tracy, Iz, Phase 2, Tuff Artz, Non Stop, TCA, Horfé, Haring, Warhol, my crew and everyone I’ve painted with, google image search, graphic design & advertising of the 70/80s.

Crazy shouts to my crew FMB: Rialto aka Skrew Face, Alter aka Boxcar Joe, Coek, Mune, Jova. XXXL props to Tyser, Vets & Chek. Yes TNQ30, Frote, Hork DSK, SagaUno, B+, Diksa, Manik, Beam, Blackdice, and my man Doitall. One love to all the other peeps I’ve painted with, at home in England and around this planet…WERD!”

Mad thanks to ERMS for taking the time to get back at us.

Be sure to go and check his ¡doʇ uo ʞɔoɹ flickr. The man has the whole lot on smash-its chucked full of enough treats to make yo eyes pop!

Erms also slings out his hella dope canvases out at a very reasonable price.

If you have some spare cheddar – hell, even if you ain’t, plunder your rent money – go check out his site and see if you can’t get yo grubby mitts on one!