Artist Feature: Stale Art
DAE ONE STALE ART
Hey man, Glad we could get together for this interview. Why don’t you start off by introducing yourself- What do you write and where are you from?
My name P.J. like pajamas short for Pajama-Lama-Ding. I go by Dae One, Stay ILL Art, Stale Art, or STAY ALERT! I am hailing from Pueblo Colorado... 719 always on my mind!!
Home of the Green chili Slopper!! How long have you been painting? What got you started?
I've been painting for 30yrs since... Dae One! I got started by wanting to be a part of these vibrant colors and tags I saw all around the city, where I was growing up. Long after that a group of friends started introducing me to hip hop music and videos like "Artfacts", "KRS one" & "Tommy Tee- aerosol" among many others! And I always thought to myself that I wanted to see my name up there just like that with no permission, just me against the universe!
All Artwork by Stale Art
Seeing all the history in Colorado, What does “graffiti” mean to you?
Graffiti to me means "Movement" and culture! It's a spiritual religion to me! Graffiti is my church, my savior.... Graffiti saved my life!!! A lot of Blood Sweat and Tears have been put into this word graffiti! And the word itself has morphed into so many other things besides marking a wall! It means Value and soul!
How do you define “Style”?
Style is actually simple in description! Style is your finger print in all essence! It's your soul and in its visual and physical defining characteristic of what you do in your artistic expression. Without style we are just carbon copies!
Well Said. Style is the message! What is your proudest achievement (number of spots, something massive etc)?
My proudest achievement is being able to share my creations with the world and being able to give that same knowledge back in teaching! Being able to make a living off of it is both amazing and humbling but being able to share this knowledge with the next generation is complete gold to me!
All Artwork by Stale Art
What's your Dream paint spot?
My dream Spot is to have the largest production wall at the Wynwood walls art festival during Art Basil! Or any other country outside the United States
Traveling is really refreshing to the creative process. What keeps you motivated through creative burnout/slumps?
Keeping the lights on and putting food in my belly, unlike other artists that do this as a hobby, I make my full living off of creating art!!
How has graffiti affected your mental health? (finances, relationships, career etc)
Graffiti has helped and hindered me! Lol, I've lost relationships with friends and jobs, all because I was more fixated on getting up and getting recognized than anything! But it's also what has saved me when I lost those jobs and relationships!
Any chase stories or strange encounters while out painting? We know things get a lil wild on the east side!
I've had so many to recall lol the best one was throwing artillery shells at cops off a bridge and being able to get away lmao. It was a late fall time paint session on some trains in the Denver transit when we spotted an undercover making their way towards us luckily we had just wrapped up and grabbed flix before they showed up. We ran up the 8th street bridge west bound towards our ride and my buddy remembered he had some fireworks in his back pack and we caught sight of the narcs below us. Needless to say we struck three shells up and tossed them down strategically right above them lighting them up like it was 4th of July in October lmao the entire yard lit up like a lightning storm before a tornado and the undercover cops screamed like they were under attack!!! Lmfao they had no idea what hit them!!!
How do you balance Graffiti with your day to day life?
Let's just say I don't lol I spend countless hours a day dreaming about getting up. Even now that I'm in my 40's you think the urge would have subsided by now but it's still a virus I don't think I'll ever cure! I just try to scratch the itch by keeping that thang on me "a Marker" and a can near by at all times lol just in case the mood strikes!
What kind of effect has this practice had on your life? Positive or negative? Explain
Well positively it's helped me build confidence and courage! I'm not fearful of getting caught because I already have been and I'm not fearful of failing because I've made it this far! However negatively those same attributes are the same reasons I've been caught and in trouble or injured from trying to either get up or not get caught!
Where do you hope to see the future of Graffiti?
I hope to see more rebellious spots get hit. I hope to see graffiti make the change we all need! I hope to see it be the spark that ignites the revolution of the people taking back what was once ours! Graffiti isn't just about getting fame it's also about spreading the message and that message is and has always been to rebel against those that oppress!
If you could give your younger self, OG dae one any advice.. What would you tell yourself?
I don't live life in too much regret... Because if I did then I wouldn't be the person I am today although I would have told myself to invest in more paint lol... I stay stocked up!!
Who's your favorite writer(s)? Additionally- Any slept on writers we should know about?
My favorite writer has to be "Sofles" from Australia!! Hands down the man is a beast and versatile AF!! He can mimic any style and every style graffiti has ever created and he does it with complete ease! Effortlessly! I love other writers as well Like "Buster" from Mexico for his sick ass Handstyles, "Style One" for his versatility, "Helio Brae" for his color play, and "Adnate" for his realism and last but not least "Scribe One" from the DF crew for his sick characters over the years!
Any Shoutouts?
Shout out to my Sister Tricia first and foremost for always being there for me thick and thin and guiding me even when I was lost! My Mom and Dad for always holding me down, and all my friends for always being there when I needed help getting out of a jam and supporting me when I was at my lowest.
Bonus: Dream paint session with what writer(s) dead or alive?
Dream sessions would be as follows: My Boy "Name 1" Rest in Paint my boy! "Sk8 1" from CBS, and possibly next to SoFles. David Choe, Basquiat, and of course our man Mr. HAPPY trees himself "Bob Ross!!!"
All Artwork by Stale Art
Follow Stale art @staleart303 on Instagram.
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