Musezine 16

For you was school necessary to be successful in
art?
Yes and no. I studied theatre and film because I felt that I did not
want to go to art school at that time. I did eventually study part-time
and with artists as their studio assistants to get a better vernacular
of my artistic process. I feel and think that going to any type of
post-secondary school is important. A college or university education
provides people with opportunities they might never have had
before. School also allows you to experiment and make mistakes.
What kind of stereotypes do you get about being
an artist?
I have had them all. I have had to re-evaluate everything. What
make me frustrated is most times the stereotypes can come from
the closest people to you. I like to challenge those barriers. I definitely
get stuck into categories that I did not co-sign onto, but I enjoy
being able to show that stereotypes are illusions based on fear. The
fear of success is far greater than the fear of failure.
How did you get a chance to get your work published
throughout Brooklyn & the Bronx?
When I was on the streets, the world was a magical playground;
the alleys provided this embrace of being alive. I had no concept of
making this into a career passion.
Watch the full video interview
www.youtube.com/bronxteencouncil