MONTANA-CANS LOOKBOOK 2020

020 

EDITION # 05 

MONTANA-CANS LOOKBOOK 

WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM

#MontanaCans #GermanSpraypaint 


MONTANA-CANS ULTRAWIDE #GAMECHANGER 

photography by edward nightingale

photography by edward nightingale

MONTANA-CANS ULTRAWIDE #GAMECHANGER

MONTANA-CANS #Germanspraypaint

MONTANA-CANS #Germanspraypaint

MONTANA 

CANS 

LOOKBOOK 

2020 

Self-reflection is a healthy habit for anyone, 

but for creators to grow and develop, 

it is essential. Montana-Cans as a commercial 

entity that is intertwined in the 

culture of creation knows that it is also an 

obligation to reflect. The principals of 

passion, commitment, and integrity that we 

hold paramount are these days also shared 

by the graffiti writers, artists, creators, 

commercial and cultural partners, that we 

love to work with. 

The 2020 Montana-Cans LOOKBOOK, 

which is the fifth of its kind, gives thanks 

and pays tribute to yet another eventful 

and productive year. We continued the ma - 

gical path we created through the Montana 

BLACK Artist Edition cans which celebrate 

our love for international Graffiti Writing. 

This year we featured the work of the com - 

plex Hamburg artist, RAGE. A true innovator 

at the top of his game who re-invented 

the facade of the can that is also at 

the top of its game. In an interview with 

RAGE, we learn a little more about what 

makes him tick and how he got to where 

he is. Moving a little further south, the 

next in line was Spanish artist, DEMSKY. 

Nothing pleased us more than seeing 

the success and prosperity of our partners 

and supported artists. A tip of the hat 

goes to the continuing strengthening of 

our favorite Austrian partners, The Montana 

Store Vienna. With a full range of Montana 

products in store, day in- day out, the inhouse 

gallery space served as a showcase 

for many of the internationally renowned 

artists we partner with, while also functioning 

as a meeting place and national 

platform for the creative culture of Vienna 

and Austria as a whole. 

Just over the water in the UK, the 

world had its eyes on the BREXIT. We chose 

to look a little deeper and pay homage 

to the thriving UK Graffiti scene. In 2019 we 

managed to shed a little extra light on 

45RPM, VOYDER, and PREF ID. The design 

strong and humor heavy work of 45RPM 

made us smile while a little further down 

the road in Bristol, VOYDER was executing 

his elusive mastery. Meanwhile back in 

old London town, PREF ID was busy camouflaging 

typography in a way that only he 

knows how. And if it wasn’t the individual 

artists making things happen, then it was 

the amazing run of UK mural festivals 

such as Bring The Paint, showing the rest 

of the world what‘s up in the UK. 

We were fortunate enough to speak 

in-depth with the dynamic duo and creative 

twins, HOW & NOSM. The New Yorkbased 

artists worked on a project in Paris 

where we managed to get an insight 

into both their creative and private lives. 

But among many other countries, the 

U.S.A beeped on the creative radar thanks 

to an all-star team of international graffiti 

heavyweights creating one of the big - 

gest MONTANA-CANS tribute walls ever, 

during the L.A. Spray day. 

With all this and more, with the 

Montana-Cans LOOKBOOK 2020, we say 

a »thank you«, to all those that helped make 

it happen. Let‘s see what we can create 

together for the next edition. 

Montana-Cans Lookbook 2020 Editorial 

7

7 Editorial 

10 Montana BLACK 

Artist Edition: Rage 

14 Montana BLACK 

Artist Edition: Dems 

16 The Montana-Cans 

Logo goes Massive 

24 The Sobekcis – 

Twins of Belgrade 

34 HOWNOSM in Paris 

42 Montana Store 

Vienna 2019 

48 Boulevard Paris 13 

54 Odeith VS. 

the real world 

60 Stadt.Wand.Kunst 

66 Contemporary 

Graffiti in the UK 

74 Bring The Paint 2019 

80 Introducing spanish 

graffiti writer Laia 

84 OSMAN – no breaks 

on this machine 

90 TCI – Making it last 

on the lines 

94 Step Out of the Arena 

98 Acrylic Series: 

Dmote 

102 Acrylic Series: 

Amber Vittoria 

106 Low Bros at 

Metropolink 

116 POW! WOW! 

Japan 2019 

118 POW! WOW! 

Rotterdam 2019 

122 Greetings Tour 

128 Montana-Cans 

Production 

136 Montana-Cans 

Factory as seen 

by Snooby92 

140 Imprint 

8 Lookbook 2020 Content

14 

Montana BLACK Limited Artist 

Edition with Spanish neofuturist, 

DEMSKY 

42 

24 

Serbian stop over. Exploring Belgrade 

with the SOBEKCIS twins 

54 66 

80 

Movers and shakers of the UK graffiti 

movement. Behind the scenes 

with 45RPM, PREF ID and VOYDER 

98 

Acrylic Series with DMOTE. Exploring 

multi-mediums the graffiti way 

122 

Lookbook 2020 Content

#18RAGE 

PhotogrAphy 

Rage 

Location 

Hamburg, Germany 

Hamburg, Germany is renowned for extremely 

innovative and high quality graffiti. 

Both on and off the trains. But in a city 

so creatively prolific, where security is 

so tight and competition is even tighter, 

there is still room for one name to shine. 

A name that is synonymous with quality, 

innovation and dedication when it comes 

to art and graffiti on trains. And that name 

is »RAGE «. 

Since apx. 1998 the name RAGE or RACHE has 

found it’s way into traffic in many forms, on 

many moving surfaces. For the 18th edition 

of the Montana BLACK Artist Edition cans, 

this name has found it’s way onto another major moving 

surface, the Montana BLACK color, Black 9001. 

With the boundaries of graffiti, typography 

and fine art blurring in nearly every artwork RAGE creates, 

it seemed only logical that he would be featured 

as a Montana BLACK Artist Edition artist. It was thus 

unsurprising that the color black, with all it’s impact, 

precision and clarity, was RAGE’s color of choice. Also 

bearing in mind, that black is one of the highest covering 

colors in a can and therefore heavily features in 

countless RAGE artworks. 

It got us wondering, what makes RAGE tick? 

What drives him to create artwork as impressive as it 

is? Here is what he had to say. 

10 Montana BLACK Artist Edition RAGE

MONTANA-CANS 

The word Rage or Rache are very strong, loaded words. 

When you started writing it you were 20 years+ younger. 

Do you still feel any »rage« as an ingredient to your 

artwork or it’s context? Or has it become just letters you 

re-invent to develop as an artist? 

RAGE 

I have a distinct problem with someone or anyone trying 

to set me limits or telling me what I should or shouldn’t 

do and my stance on this has not changed in 20 years! 

Unfortunately, I always feel that I am being subjected 

to societal constraints and norms on a daily basis. 

This occurs at all levels, the system aims to keep you 

both small and quiet. Graffiti means more to me than 

any old fad or some ridiculous teenage dick measuring 

com petition. In my eyes graffiti represents a form of 

protest against the system. Therefore, I lay more importance 

in the name or moniker than I do with insignificant 

combination of letters. 

I have a distinct problem 

with someone or anyone 

trying to set me limits 

or telling me what I should 

or shouldn’t do 

MC 

Not many artists have managed consistency, quality 

and output on trains like you do. How did you do it? 

Have you just gotten faster, have you always found new 

spots to push time barriers or have you had to become 

a graffiti »MacGyver« to use gadgets and technology 

to keep you one step ahead? 

MC 

The book »The Art of Rage« featuring your artwork may 

of opened the eyes of the last few graffiti enthusiasts 

on the globe that didn’t know about you before. Have 

you noticed any changes in peoples awareness of you 

or your art since then? Has staying stealth become 

harder? 

RAGE 

I have no idea to be honest. As I prefer to keep my 

circle small and personal I decided not have a social 

media presence making it relatively easy to remain 

anonymous. 

RAGE 

I always try to work as professionally as possible. 

But most of the time, I’m just the guy that requires the 

most time to finish what I’m doing, I always manage 

to exhaust the comparatively short time span available 

to execute my painting. 

MC 

The most, if not all of your artwork is based on trains. 

Obviously there is a lot of preparation and strategy 

to be good at that. Has this taken it’s toll on you psychologically? 

To keep your ideas moving in one medium 

while staying ahead of the law at the same time. 

Montana BLACK Artist Edition RAGE 

11

RAGE 

Of course it is often very grueling and stressful but if it 

were too easy everybody could do this. 

MC 

Is it hard for you to come up with new ideas or do they 

flow from action to action? 

RAGE 

I often have a lot of ideas swilling around in my head 

and definitely do not lack a creative output. But I often 

feel like I lack both the time and quiet to either implement 

or work everything out. So technically it is too 

little for me sometimes. But it certainly is not the case 

that I have to bend over backwards to produce my 

current work. 


For your Montana BLACK Artist Edition can, was it an 

obvious choice to pick the color black, or did you contemplate 

other possibilities first? 

RAGE: 

No, BLACK was always going to be my first choice. I 

pre fer to work with a relative combination of colors. 

Black and white is my favourite color combination of all. 

The combination creates the greatest contrast and 

therefore projects a lot of power visually. I don’t require 

an abundance of colors to achieve my desired goal. 

MC 

If you could have done anything different in your graffiti 

/ artistic path until now, what would it be? 

RAGE 

If there were, it would be of little significance. 

MC 

Is there any where, any train model or any context you 

still really want to paint? Or is holding it down in your 

home town more important? 

RAGE 

Since I feel arbitrary in a system where I do not face 

legal action, I remain loyal to the investigative authorities 

in my city. In addition, it is far more important to 

me what I do on the train and not the other way, so I 

move mainly in this area. 

I prefer to keep my circle 

small and personal I 

decided not have a social 

media presence making 

it relatively easy to remain 

anonymous 

12 Montana BLACK Artist Edition RAGE

↓ A symbol of 

harmony and unity, 

RAGE’s Montana 

BLACK ARTIST EDI- 

TION can captures 

all the elements of 

his work in one resolved 

design on the 

surface of the can. 

↑ Always managing 

to complete the idea 

in the time allowed, 

RAGE’s wholecar advances 

forward in a 

picturesque Hamburg 

backdrop. 

← Before the reward, 

there is always the 

work. Progress shots 

of the RAGE wholecar 

being created in 

another picturesque 

Hamburg surrounding. 

BLACK was always going to 

be my first choice. I prefer 

to work with a relative combination 

of colors. Black 

and white is my favourite 

color combination of all. 

Montana BLACK Artist Edition RAGE 

13

#19Demsky 

Artist Profile 

IG @demsky 

Location 

Lost in Space 

In 1979, was the town of Elche Spain ready 

for the birth of DEMSKY J? The question 

remains to be seen. The artist also known 

as DEMS333 aka DEMS of the »Ultra Boyz«, 

aka DEMSKY, aka DEMSKY J., was the 

boy who became a young man engrossed 

in graffiti. For more than 30 years this 

didn’t change and the young man became 

the talented world-renowned artist know 

for having one foot firmly planted in the 

present while the other proceeds forward 

into the future. All in search of the truth, 

or at least the visual truth anyway. 

With the description, ›NEOFUTURISM‹ de - 

scribing DEMSKY’s current work, his 

pursuit to form a merge between early 90’s 

visual nostalgia with notions of space 

that exist only in the very near future, DEMSKY is at the 

forefront of optically illusive fine art. With a list of 50 

countries worldwide, DEMSKY’s work spans from graffiti, 

muralism, fine art, commercial and creative object 

development. His open mind and current passport always 

in hot pursuit of artistic conceptual development. 

With a long period of focus on writing his name 

in as many different ways as humanly possible, the 

introduction of fluorescent color, ultramarine and white 

plains as background could make the viewer believe 

he is currently searching beyond the human. Like a 

glitch in the matrix, DEMSKY tries to find his place looking 

from the recent past to the present and beyond. 

14 Montana BLACK Artist Edition Demsky

Like a glitch in the matrix, 

DEMSKY tries to find his 

place looking from the 

recent past to the present 

and beyond. 

As a featured artist for the Montana-Cans Limited Artist 

Edition cans, DEMSKY managed to put his stamp not 

only using his art but also on the tools of his choice that 

he uses to create art. In an ironic twist of fate, his futurist 

design will promptly take the step from future obtainable 

to valued past collectible, as the cans make their 

way into the collections of savvy fans all over the globe. 

Montana BLACK Artist Edition Demsky 

15

The 

Montana 

Cans 

logo 

goes 

Photography 

Donny Doquisa 

Location 

Los Angeles, U.S.A. 

→ Mike Giant proving 

that he has still got it. 

16 Production Montana-Cans Goes Massive

What goes around comes around 

↓ The foundations 

laid. The letter »N« 

of mo»N«tana 

cans coming to life 

by GRAB. 

The amazing world of graffiti 

and urban art has many 

facets to it’s existence. 

On one hand, there is a global 

presence. The internet 

has made it possible that 

someone in Rome can see 

what a person in Jakarta 

has just painted. But before 

the internet each place 

had it’s own version of our 

culture, possibly with its 

own slang, its own rules and 

most importantly its own style being 

pushed by its most active artists. In the 

USA, this notion is even more complicated 

as it boasts being at the origins of the 

world graffiti movement. Not forgetting it 

is so big, that even its individual states 

functioned like independent graffiti countries 

under one star-spangled banner. 

One of these states where the sun never 

stops shining is California. And in 2019, 

it’s capital city Los Angeles played host to 

one of the biggest MONTANA-CANS 

murals ever made. 

Production Montana-Cans Goes Massive 

17

The all-star line up included U.S heavyweights 

WANE, KAER, GRAB, TWIGS, TRISTAN EATON, 

AMUSE, GIANT, OTHER, AWE 2 and PERSUE. 

All representing their country with style 

and flair, while Austrian guest artist NYCHOS, joined 

the team adding European flavor. The mural focusing 

on the words MONTANA-CANS was an epic project 

that spanned over the rear walls of an entire industrial 

complex. 

For us the team at Montana-Cans, daily business 

often distracts us from checking if the energy we 

in vest in our work bears fruit. In the instance of the 

MONTANA-CANS wall in L.A., it is positively overwhelming 

and exceptionally inspiring to see »the fruits« 

in the form of the artwork by these talent world-class 

artists. Artists that we are lucky enough to call family. 

Not forgetting the 150% commitment required by 

our partners at Montana-Cans USA to make something 

this amazing come to life. 

We are truly humbled. Maybe this is just the 

start? Either way, we can’t wait to see what 2020 has 

installed. 

Great People, Great energy 

and very productive. Peace! 

WANE ONE 


↑ WANE COD with a 

Montana BLACK can 

in hand beating the 

heat while taking a 

short painting break. 

→ TRISTAN EATON 

putting the Montana 

GOLD grey tones to 

the test. Unrivaled 

Low pressure precision. 

← KAER at the business 

end of his piece 

as he works on 

the »C« of Montana- 

Cans. 

All of you guys rocked it! 

Epic weekend. A ton of 

fun and lots of inspiration 

was had. What a group! 

Thankful for the relationship 

with the company and 

looking forward already 

to outdoing this wall with 

the next one! 

AMUSE 


19

1 2 3 

7 8 

9 


4 5 6 

10 11 

1 KNOWS 

2 NYCHOS 

3 GRAB 

4 TRISTAN EATON 

5 AMUSE 

6 PERSUE 

7 GIANT 

8 KAER 

9 AWE 2 

10 TWIGS 

11 OTHER 

As the dust settled and the sun went 

down, it occured to all the artists 

involved that this action had been 

planned to perfection. Eleven mega 

letters positioned harmoniously 

over the complete span of the rear 

side of the entire complex. Able 

to be seen from far and wide, this 

mural is sure to find its place in graf - 

fiti history. 


21



23

The 

SOBEKCIS 

twins of Belgrade 

24 Artists in Focus The Sobekcis

artist 

IG @sobekcis 

Photography 

Carlo Kohal 

Location 

Belgrade, Serbia 

A city can make or break you. Its atmosphere, 

its smells, the sounds it emits and 

even the weather can largely define the 

people who live in it. Conversely, the same 

people who live in each city are exactly 

those entities that contribute to all of these 

characteristics. All be it using the cities 

own natural traits as a stepping stone. 

Artists in Focus The Sobekcis 

25

When you grow up in a city like Belgrade 

Serbia, it is a given that the city will 

help or hinder the shaping of your 

personality. In some cities around the 

world, an excess of aggression, a lack of services 

and the absence of funds can make life for a child about 

as fun as doing homework on a Saturday. However, 

ingredients like these can also be the exact required 

components with the right amount of friction and 

the perfect amount of determination to fuel good art. 

However, ingredients like 

these can also be the 

exact required components 

with the right amount 

of friction and the perfect 

amount of determination to 

fuel good art. 



27


The SOBEKCIS brothers are proof that you can let 

your city turn you into a victim or you can choose to 

shape it. The twins from Belgrade have the correct 

ingredients to actively shape the cityscape of Belgrade, 

taking only what they need from it to create in positivity. 

If creating an atmosphere in a city was a profession, 

SOBEKCIS would be the CEO’s of their town. With 

relentless vigor, they re-invent the surfaces of their 

surrounds over and over again in all the disciplines of 

this game we call graffiti. 

The SOBEKCIS brothers 

are proof that you can let 

your city turn you into a 

victim or you can choose 

to shape it. 

Artists in Focus The Sobekcis 29

In a recent visit to the crossroads of Central and South- 

Eastern Europe where Belgrade finds itself, we saw 

with our own eyes how the brothers had refined the 

routine down to a simple ritual. With the quick calculation 

of context, space and time, SOBEKCIS has a 

handle on it. Whether Ultrawide tags where no elaborate 

pieces are possible, throw up’s in front of unconcerned 

passing cars or a style excursion along the railway 

corridors of the concrete jungles and abandoned wastelands 

of the inner city. In Serbia and beyond, the 

brothers know exactly what to do and when to do it. With 

quality, harmony, and precision. 

Without requiring a re-boot, SOBEKCIS is equally 

as comfortable in the studio creating world standard 

fine art in the form of paintings, prints, and drawings, 

etc. as they are touring the globe realizing larger 

than life murals that radiate with color and vibrancy. 

Their abstract worlds indoors have found no boundaries 

outdoors. And the same is in reverse. The scale 

is no issue and the most intricate details are able to 

be blown up to massive proportions just as they can be 

refined into minuscule beauty. When it comes to 

the artwork of SOBEKCIS, it is not possible to look away. 

The brothers know exactly 

what to do and when to do 

it. With quality, harmony, 

and precision. 



31



33

HOWNOSM 

INPARIS 

Photography 

HOWNOSM / Galerie itinerrance 

Artist Profile 

IG @ hownosm 

Location 

Paris, France 

Interview with the 

New YorK 

based Artist Duo 

Born in Spain, German in heritage, residing 

in New York, painted in over 70 countries 

(thats right 70! it’s not a typo), Graffiti 

artists, Fine artists, Commercial artists and 

brothers (identical twins in fact). Sounds 

complicated right? 

Well it’s not if your HOW and NOSM. 

Or as their mum calls them, Raoul and 

Davide Perré. The twins don’t just make 

art, they live it. And with the drive and motivation 

to do it better, they also now 

live from it. Since the 90’s HOW and NOSM 

started their ascent up the artistic life 

path. Starting with the classic tagging and 

train writing graffiti artist path, transforming 

to commercial art and ever morphing 

into fine art and everything in between. 

Nothing the brothers have ever done 

was done in halves. How can they, there is 

two of them. 

→ HOW & NOSM 

»Last Departure«, 

60“ × 84“, 2014 

34 Interview HowNOSM IN PARIS

Interview HowNOSM IN PARIS 

35


Your backgrounds are of the most well rounded a graffiti 

artist or fine artist could ask for. Your involvement 

in graffiti alone has led you to tick just about every 

box a writer(s) could want to tick. But how do you view 

yourselves? Is there words or a preference of descriptive 

words that you would use to describe yourselves 

to those not in the know? 

HOWNOSM 

(Laugh), I don’t know, we don’t see ourselves better 

than other graffiti artists or artists, we just have done 

maybe a little bit more than others, and we have been 

painting for almost thirty years now, so it speaks for 

itself that we have a large body of work but, I mean, 

that’s just what we do, that’s just one part of who we 

are, it doesn’t make us just writers you know, I don’t 

know it’s… I know what you are talking about, back in 

the days we painted the trains and then we started to 

do walls and legal walls and big productions and then 

we started to do our art and the transition of what we 

were doing from the streets into canvas so… But we’re 

not the only ones, there is a lot of people who do that, 

I don’t know. Maybe we stand out because our style 

is very original and unique and, you know, and we are 

twins. But I don’t know how I would to describe myself 

(laugh) in that case, I never thought about it you know 

what I mean? I like what I do, I’m glad that I can live of 

what I’m doing and what I love and I never take it for 

granted you know. 

we don’t see ourselves 

better than other graffiti 

artists or artists, we just 

have done maybe a little 

bit more than others 

MC 

We as keen observers have followed the development 

of your work for many years. Your achievements 

aboveground and underground have been prolific and 

inspiring. Do you still get to dabble in all disciplines of 

your graffiti heritage? Or has your international exposure 

meant your anonymity has become difficult? Do 

you even still have the itch to do something under the 

radar or is it »been there done that« for you? 

HN 

No, not really, I mean we’ve done our first year of illegal 

graffiti all over the world and we’ve been in many 

places like maybe like seventy countries, before many 

other people we were doing graffiti there, before there 

was Montana spray cans there so we got our itch out 

of the system really. I mean yeah, it’s always nice when 

we came over here, we were riding in the subway and 

we see graffiti on the Paris subway, of course, we love 

that and we look at it, we take some pictures of it but 

we almost forty four years old now and have kids and 

we’re focusing on our work. 

↑ There is no scale 

too big or small. It‘s 

all just another day 

out of the office for 

HOW and NOSM. 

MC 

We understand the move to use only Black, White and 

Red (and tones thereof), was born out of necessity 

while travelling through South American countries. But 

what was the catalyst to stay within this color spectrum 

and was it a conscious decision? For example, 

was there a day when you said »OK, let’s now only 

use these three colors and any we create from mixing 

them«? Or was it a gradual process? 

HN 

I guess we were doing it for so long in south America 

and specially these three that at some point people 

recognized so fast our style and the kind of palette 

that we decided to stick with it so people can still keep 

recognizing the work we paint, and after a while we 

just added like different shades of paint and greys to it 

and now a little bit more like purple ich into it. It’s still 


the same type of colors, it’s developing slowly but it’s 

still the same. 

MC 

For anyone that looks closely, there are a lot of individual 

symbols, icons and re-occurring images in your 

artworks. Are these design decisions, or is there a 

dialogue happening within each painting, or with the 

works as a series? 

you have to paint not only like four, five hours a day, because 

then it takes forever and then, you get more tired 

of it. So, we usually knock of ten hours a day you know. 

Plus you have to also look at the weather condition you 

know, if it’s windy or if it’s gonna rain a lot, you can’t be 

out there it’s too dangerous, it’s too slippery, so on this 

particular wall we saw that it was gonna start raining 

Wednesday, so we tried to finished by Tuesday (laugh). 

HN 

I mean our work always as certain messages and we 

use different imageries to bring their messages over to 

the public. And obviously there is some imagery that 

would be used just out of decorative purposes. I mean, 

we use the bottle for example as, you know, as a reference 

to message in the bottle so it’s a scenery, let’s 

say like a couple arguing each other that we could put 

it in the bottle as a message in the bottle, and hearts or 

for example re-occurring arrows, and keys, all kinds of 

different images that not always have to have a specific 

purpose you know. 

MC 

Do you prefer to create one-off work like walls, canvases 

that can be reproduced like prints, or digitally 

created works? 

HN 

Most of the work we do is drawn out on paper first so 

the fine art line work is sketch on paper and usually 

transferred onto the canvas or a template for working 

on a building for example, so we know how to size the 

mural. But usually everything is handmade you know, 

some computer work when it comes to laying out big 

buildings so we know where the colors go and where 

looking for to save time. Yeah the most of it is free 

hand and we take a picture of it and layered out of 

photoshop if we wanna use a certain canvas or sketch 

on a mural, it’s mainly how we do stuff, by drawing it by 

hand (laugh). 

because then it takes 

forever and then, you get 

more tired of it. So, we 

usually knock of ten hours 

a day, you know 

MC 

Your ability to move from large to small and all scales 

in between is astonishing. While standing here looking 

at this massive project in Paris, did you get nervous or 

was it just another day in the office for you both? 

HN 

It’s just another day out of the office! Yeah, we don’t 

get nervous, we just make sure that we are well rested 

the days before, because it’s very physical you know, 

it’s not like it’s a small wall, you have to crank it out, 

↑ Red, black and 

white. Re-occurring 

in every possible tone 

and shape. 

↓ Well defined shapes 

are outlined in 

black as soft and hard 

work hand in hand. 


37

MC 

What has been the most challenging artwork to make 

to-date both physically or psychologically? 

↓ HOW and NOSM 

on the olympic 

stadium in Berlin 

HN 

Physically it’s always the large buildings, like the really 

big buildings obviously, because it takes a bunch of 

days and the sun hits you and you have to wear the 

mask and the life line around you, it’s a lot of physical 

work. Mentally, I don’t know (laugh) it is what we do, 

we draw and stuff, it’s a mentally… it’s not a psychological 

issue or a burden, it’s not challenging, not really. 

No it’s not challenging, it’s not like we’ve never done 

it, we have been doing it for so long so we have our 

routine and we stick to the routine and just get the job 

done you know. I mean, it might be sometimes stressful 

but I don’t know if it’s psychologically challenging 

or something (laugh). 

MC 

By the looks of your gallery work, it appears as if you 

are as comfortable with indoor artmaking as outdoor 

art making. Do your ideas for studio / gallery work 

stem from the same origins as your outdoor work? Do 

you try or want to separate them in any way or is it all 

the same visual conversation? 

If you look too much at 

other artists your work will 

change and starts looking 

like other people stuff 

HN 

We can use stuff from the studio to do outdoors and 

stuff we do outdoors we bring back to the studio. You 

pick up ideas and learn from certain mistakes like 

doing a wall or doing something in the studio you know. 

You applied it on both so. 

MC 

Is there any artist or art makers that inspire you guys a 

lot? Does art from the streets inspire you or is gallery 

work more engaging for you as viewers? 

HN 

There are great artists out there in general, regardless 

of backgrounds you know, artist graffiti or street 

art or fine art or anything you know. We have tons of 

books in the studio from all kind of genres of art you 

know. I guess that people’s achievements and work 

effects inspire us you know, when somebody does a 

lot of great projects you know, it’s like something to 

you know, just try for, do that too you know. There are 

too many artists out there to just pick one by now you 

know. If you look too much at other artists your work 

will change and starts looking like other people stuff 

so you don’t want that. It’s not inspiring anymore, it’s 

gonna influence you. 

MC 

We assume your move to NYC in 1999 and your work 

with the TATS crew must have been a massive step 

for your careers. But was it a big change for your life 

quality? Your origins from Spain, Germany and all the 

countries you have travelled to must have given you a 

sense of what it means to live somewhere else. What 

makes living in New York enjoyable for you? 

HN 

TATS crew definitely helped us a lot when we moved to 

New York, one, they gave us work so we could actually 

support ourselves. We have done tons of tons of 

projects with them hundreds of videos, I don’t know 

how many videos, but like ten fifteen videos for like superstar, 

musicians, we’ve done nationwide campaigns. 

So as far as the job was, it was very multifaceted and 

we’ve done quite a lot of that, but at some point it was 

just too much of the same work and it became less 

about what our art was looking like but it was more 

about what the agencies or the people that hired us 

wanted us to do you know. And at some point, it was 


just pretty much paint by numbers, paint this and copy 

that and it just really started to neglect our own art you 

know. Like we didn’t develop you know or didn’t work 

on our development as individual artists. But never 

the less, it was a great experience and we’re still with 

the TATS crew and they’re still our family and we’re 

still bullshit (laugh). Even without painting New York is 

a great city you know, there is a lot of culture. I mean 

there is great art you know, and many people. I mean 

New York is still… We still like it, it has changed a lot, 

it has lost a lot of its greediness and maybe grime. 

That most people probably don’t like, but I kinda like 

it, it kinda gave New York it’s unique touch. Now it’s 

all become in a little bit too uniform you know, all the 

neighborhoods are starting to look the same and ugly 

building arises and stuff like that but I mean you can 

see that in any country really, like I’m sure here in Paris 

they do the same thing you know. But never the less, 

we like the attitude there, we like the food, our families 

are there, we’re still happy there. Are we planning to 

stay there forever? I can’t really answer that question. 

For now, we’re happy there. 

MC 

What has been your favourite place to paint? Which 

has been the worst? 

HN 

The worst? (Laugh) There’s no favorite, there is too 

many favorites. The worst is when we don’t get to paint, 

or when people who invite you just don’t have the stuff 

together and are totally unprofessional and of course 

I can’t do my job and that’s looks bad on me so… It’s 

not only a waste of time but also a waste of my money 

and their money you know. But a favorite place, I don’t 

know. We like coming to Paris, we like doing projects 

here, we have lots of friends… I don’t know, it’s hard to 

say really, we’ve been to a lot of places and have met 

a lot of great people you know. It’s hard to really pick 

one place. 

at some point, it was just 

pretty much paint by 

numbers, paint this and 

copy that 


39

MC 

Which artwork that you have made are you the most 

content with? 

HN 

We did a cool project in Berlin, we had our artwork in 

an entire subway station, like inside/outside, including 

some trains, with all our artwork, and that was pretty 

cool. We’ve done a big DC3 plane in Arizona, it’s in a 

museum there, it’s a very big plane that we’ve made. 

It’s kinda cool because you see your artwork projected 

differently than just on a flat surface you know, like on 

a canvas or on a wall, and I had to paint the bottom of 

the plane, the wings, and different angles. But those 

are just some examples really (laugh). 

I mean our work always as certain messages 

and we use different imageries to bring their messages 

over to the public. 

our work always has certain 

messages and we use 

different imageries to bring 

their messages over to 

the public. 

someone to do it all for you. Maybe that also made it 

easy for us to say yeah let’s get into this. 

MC 

Which cars do it for you the most? 

HN 

My own fucking cars (laugh). Yeah, my car is the best 

and the faster, what kind of question is that? That’s 

the all point of buying a muscle car no? They have the 

most muscles in it. I do like a nice-looking Lamborghini 

but it’s not my dream to have that like I don’t think 

it’s as sexy as a cool American muscle car you know, it 

has a proper soft to it, it’s just totally different. 

you see your artwork projected 

differently than just 

on a flat surface, like on 

a canvas or on a wall, and I 

had to paint the bottom 

of the plane, the wings, and 

different angles 

MC 

Most people would be aware that you guys are identical 

twins and you have probably had every question 

about this thrown at you already. But outside of working 

together, do you pursue solo work? Do you still do 

any pieces separately? If yes, how does this feel not 

working as a unit together? 

HN 

We don’t ever do pieces alone (laugh). 

MC 

Is it true that you have a love of muscle cars? If this is 

the case, did this passion arise while living in the USA 

or was it already in your blood? Are both of you passionate 

about this or one more than the other? 

Montana Cans 

SPOTLIGHT 

get to know: 

HOW & 

NOSM 

HN 

We both have a classic car and at the same time we 

have met this guy who owns a garage and works on 

old cars and restores classic cars so he told us how to 

change motors and fix interiors, everything so… Now 

we have nice looking classic cars. We don’t get to 

drive them too often anymore because we’re always 

busy, but. I mean we did a job for him and he had a few 

cars for sale and we got into talking about classic cars 

and became very close friends, we’re still friends and 

it just was natural that we got into it, I don’t think we 

had it in our blood but I mean who doesn’t like classic 

cars? We just had the opportunity to work on them and 

learn about them and fix them for, well saving a lot of 

money because our friend has a garage and he has all 

the tools that we can use. Otherwise you have to pay 

How and Nosm, or Raoul and Davide Perré, 

are identical twin brothers who have 

become prevalent figures in today's art 

world with their red, black and white 

based murals and paintings. Their largescale 

murals are riddled with intricate detail 

while staying true to their graffiti roots. 


↘ »Sun-Daze« mural 

for Street Art 13 

curated by Galerie 

Itinerrance 


41

MontAnA 

Store 

Vienna 2019 

Location 

Vienna, Austria 

Photography 

Akos Vincze, Leon Colerus 

The Montana Store Vienna has played a 

substantial role in European graffiti 

history. All-be-it recent history. Since 

the store’s inception, creation and then 

opening in 2018, there has been more 

events, exhibitions, and reasons to create 

happening with their involvement in 

Vienna, than happen in most capital cities. 

What started as an idea to supply the 

worlds greatest graffiti products has become 

so much more. 

↑ The Limited Edition 

Montana Store 

Vienna first anniversary 

birthday can. 

A symbol of dedication 

and passion. 

42 Recap Montana Store Vienna

→ »Felt cute, might 

delete later«. 

Anna T Iron’s playful 

choice of words 

kept them guessing. 

Recap Montana Store Vienna 

43

At the core of this successful formula is a strong 

working relationship between »CONCRETE – 

The Graffiti Agency«, which has its office on lo - 

cation at the store. And the team from the 

Montana Store Vienna itself, that are the suppliers 

of the full Montana Cans assortment to the CONCRETE 

crew and beyond. It made sense to work off this 

synergy. What was probably underestimated in this 

concept was that with their passion and connection to 

Austrian and international artists, they were actually 

going to make ripples in the local art world that would 

end up as waves in Europe and abroad. 

↑ Don‘t bite the 

hand that feeds you. 

Case Maclaim with a 

confronting mural of 

massive proportions. 

← 1UP crew re-enforcing 

their position as 

a international united 

graffiti power. 

With every product line 

on hand in-store, the MSV 

earned the reputation of 

being the most reliable 

graffiti store in the country. 


Let’s start at the Limited Collabo Edition of the Montana 

Store Vienna birthday can. A true symbol of bold ness 

and direction, the can made its way into few collections 

only being available at the MSV first birthday party. With 

an impact like this, it has already become a sought after 

collectors can for the spray can collecting die-hards. 

The exhibition space excelled with some 

world-renowned feature artists that brought international 

quality graffiti, fine art and street art straight 

into the doors of the MSV. With subliminal artists like 

Ed Nightingale, 82Eliote, Interjail and Uptown Danny, 

Nomad and Ruin, Most and international heavyweight, 

Felipe Pantone, the quality was outstanding and a 

barrage of merchandise and limited products went exclu 

sively to the MSV’s walls and shelves. 

Shelves being the keyword, the MSV’s shelves 

and racks delivered available Montana Cans product 

day in, day out. With every product line on hand instore, 

the MSV earned the reputation of being the most 

reliable graffiti store in the country. 

With all this happening under one roof, it 

seemed only fitting that the store’s first-year birthday 

celebration be one of the most major parties Vienna 

has ever seen featuring worldwide legends like 

1 UP, Nychos, JBCB, Lugosis, Strato, Case MaClaim, 

Anna T-Iron, Walze, and the Spraycity Rotating Wall. 

In actual fact, it was too big too put under the MSV 

roof. »Spray all day, party all night« was the motto as 

art, music, food, and diversity were celebrated in abundance. 

Congratulations Montana Store Vienna. 

↑ A collectors item 

even before the party 

came to an end. The 

striking Montana 

Store Vienna limited 

edition 1st anniversary 

can was only 

available at the party 

and MSV. 

The exhibition space excelled 

with some worldrenowned 

feature artists 

that brought international 

quality graffiti, fine art 

and street art straight into 

the doors of the Montana 

Store Vienna 

→ The graffiti community 

and beyond 

came from everywhere 

in Europe to 

help the MSV team 

celebrate. 

↓ Local and international 

acts adorned 

the stage of the MSV 

1st anniversary party, 

rocking crowds of all 

orientations. 

»Spray all day, party all 

night« was the motto 

as art, music, food, and 

diversity were celebrated 

in abundance 


45

Edward 

Nightingale 

at Montana Store Vienna 

↑ A new classic, 

Edward Nightingale 

captures the prize 

and the imagination 

of the Viennese 

train writing scene 

head-on. 

Edward Nightingale has been impressing audiences 

with his ›in the moment‹ photography for many 

years now. Nightingale is not just a documentor 

of graffiti. He is one of the most prolific train 

writing documentors in the world. Edward Nightingale 

does not just document finished works. Although this 

is an integral part of graffiti on trains, Nightingale’s 

ability to capture a mood and a moment without being 

outside of it, is second to none. For many writers he 

is as equally important as the person standing next to 

them painting the train. 

»Von U bis V« (From U till V) 

↑ »Von U bis V«, the 

catalogue for the 

Edward Nightingale 

exhibition has become 

a Viennese art 

catalogue for eternity. 

For many writers he is 

as equally important as the 

person standing next 

to them painting the train. 

With so many actions and moments now framed in eternity, 

Nightingale was invited to have a solo exhibition 

at the Montana Store Vienna’s, in house gallery. 

The show called »Von U bis V«, opened on October 18th 

to an inspired audience. With his first visit to Vienna 

occurring in 2009, Edward Nightingale is somewhat familiar 

with the local terrain, including the subway system. 

The exhibition also featuring a wall sized 

print of the front of a Vienna Subway car, was also complimented 

with an exhibition catalogue also titled, 

»Von U bis V«. With the surrounds of racks full of 

Montana BLACK, Montana GOLD and Montana WHITE 

cans, the show seemed right where it needed to 

be. Each guest leaving with the feeling of having had 

an insight to a very well documented secret world. 


82Eliote 

at Montana Store Vienna 

↑ In action while 

preparing his show 

at MSV. 82Eliote showing 

where graffiti 

meets abstraction. 

↓ No unnecessary color 

needed. With black 

and white 82Eliote 

creates a worldly palette 

without baggage. 


47

Boule 

Paris 

13 

48 Artists Street Report in Focus BOULEVARD The Sobekcis PARIS 13

vard 

Galerie Itinerrance 

taking Parisian 

street art to 

new heights 

Profiles 

www.boulevardparis13.com 

www.itinerrance.fr 

@galerie_itinerrance 

Location 

Paris, France 

Photography 

Montana-Cans / Alexander Krziwanie 

Street Report BOULEVARD PARIS 13 

49

How often have you read an article where 

something is claimed to be »taken to new 

heights«? More often than not it is not 

meant literally. In the case of the »Boulevard 

Paris 13« project, it is not only meant symbolically but 

also literally. 

This year Montana-Cans began its support 

of the project initiated and coordinated by the now-famous 

Galerie Itinerrance is essentially taking the 

world-class street and graffiti rooted contemporary 

artworks that they show and sell, and bringing them to 

the outside of the white cube (their gallery) onto 

the streets of the 13th Arrondissement in Paris. For 

what is now a focal point for Paris‘s street art audience, 

the region is now known as Paris‘s open-air urban 

art museum. While in Paris for the event, we were 

shown around this creative new art precinct by project 

co ordinator and Galerie Itinerrance curator, Mehdi. 

2 

1 David de la Mano 

2 Faile 

3 D*Face 

For what is now a focal 

point for Paris‘s street art 

audience, the region is now 

known as Paris‘s open-air 

urban art museum. 

1 

50 Street Report BOULEVARD PARIS 13

3 


51

4 

5 

6 

52 Street Report BOULEVARD PARIS 13

7 8 

The scale and gravity of the artworks are 

immense. Whole apartment building facades spanning 

over uncountable meterage of wall space are reinvented 

far beyond its functional role as housing. With 

international artists such as Shepard Fairey, Invader, 

D*Face, Seth Globepainter , Conor Harrington, Hush, 

Daleast, Add Fuel, C215, BTOY, Cryptik, Tristan Eaton, 

Ethos, Faile, How and Nosm, Inti, Jana&JS, David 

De La Mano, Maye, M-City, Pantonio, Roa, Sainer, ST4, 

Stew, and Vhils, this year we had no choice but to visit 

and see it for ourselves. 

Standing aside and watching as participating 

artist SETH GLOBEPAINTER set to work, his artwork 

unfolded as we enjoyed the surrounding painted spaces 

in the classic elegant ambiance that Paris is famous for. 

4 Shepard Fairey 

5 Inti 

6 Invader 

7 Shepard Fairey 

8 Seth Globepainter 

The scale and gravity of 

the artworks are immense. 

Whole apartment building 

facades spanning over 

uncountable meterage of 

wall space are re-invented 

far beyond its functional 

role as housing. 


53

ODEITH 

VS 

the 

real 

world 

54 Artists in Focus ODEITH

artist Profile 

IG @odeith 

Making 

the 

unreal 

come 

to life 

Regardless of the language a person spoke 

when growing up, practically everyone 

has a memory of playing the game »Eye 

spy with my little eye«. For the portuguese 

artists ODEITH, this concept was pro - 

bably not rewarding enough as the selftaught 

artists matured to create murals of 

animals that he saw in his mind, that only 

he could bring to life. 

Born in 1976, at the tender age of 15 he dropped 

out of school as an untrained self-taught 

graffiti writer. ODEITH’s path was most likely 

similar to that of many graffiti artists of 

his generation. The following years creatively would see 

him explore classic graffiti lettering until a crucial turning 

point in his career came in 2005. Using a tecnique 

called anamorphosis, ODEITH’s graffiti roots took a drastic 

swing from letter-based art to the realist portrayal 

of animals of all forms. This style he pushed, molded 

and perfected to what he later coined as »Somber 3D«. 

Using a technique called 

anamorphosis, ODEITH’s 

graffiti roots took a drastic 

swing from letter-based 

art to the realist portrayal 

of animals of all forms. 

Artists in Focus ODEITH 

55



57

It didn’t take long till his newfound passion of 

utilizing some of the most difficult and challenging 

surfaces, angles and perspectives possible made him 

one of Europe’s most unique public artists. In 2008 

his decision to close his tattoo shop and move to London 

was possibly the moment that ODEITH’s artist profile 

went global. 

Now based in Lisboa, Portugal is not the sole lo 

cation of his art. A globe trotter, to say the least, his 

artworks can be seen on walls all over the planet just 

as prolifically as in group and solo exhibitions in the same 

manner. So when you next look at the strange dilapidated 

corners of abandoned buildings and think to your 

self »Eye spy with my little eye« ask yourself what ODEITH 

may be seeing? 

When you next look at the 

strange dilapidated corners 

of abandoned buildings 

and think to yourself »Eye 

spy with my little eye« ask 

yourself what ODEITH may 

be seeing? 


Montana Cans 

SPOTLIGHT 

get to know: 

ODEITH 

Sérgio »Odeith« was born in 1976 in Damaia (Portugal). 

It was in the mid-1980s when he used a spray can 

for the first time. He painted some signatures and doo 

dles on his neighborhood walls. But only in the mid- 

1990s, Sérgio had his first contact with graffiti, while 

some graffiti writers painted outside their neighborhood 

(Carcavelos), where graffiti had a strong movement. 

His first experiments were to paint illegally on 

the street walls and mostly on the railway lines of 

the Sintra line. The passion he had always shown for 

drawing found a new purpose. The evolution was 

impressive due to the dedication to painting large-scale 

murals in Damaia, Carcavelos, and in many poor neighborhoods 

of Amadora city. 


59

Stadt. 

Wand. 

Kunst 

1 

Festival Profile 

IG @stadtwandkunst 

www.stadt-wand-kunst.de 

Artist Profiles 

IG @okudart 

@czolk 

@zoonchez 

@case_maclaim 

@peeta_ead 

@quinte55enz 

@jensrichter.art 

Photography 

Montana-Cans / Alexander Krziwanie 

Location 

Mannheim, Germany 

There are many street art festivals that 

have popped up in the last 10 years. The 

time for street artists, muralists, and 

artists creating public art to shine and 

prosper has never been better than now. 

But what about the locations where these 

festivals are taking place? Are the residents 

benefitting from the newly decorated 

streetscape? 

1 A fear of heights is 

not an option. OKUDA 

reaches to the upper 

areas of his monumental 

sized mural. 

The Stadt.Wand.Kunst (SWK) festival in 

Mannheim Germany can clearly say it is the 

case that the locals are benefitting from 

the renaissance of their city. Why? Because 

the locals themselves are identifying with the art - 

works that are now at home in their urban space. This 

sense of identity may be good curation, or maybe 

by chance as the artists themselves come from exceptionally 

diverse backgrounds. 

In 2019 again the mural bar was raised and the 

city became a better place to be. Or at the very least 

to look at. Some of the works created in 2019 were by 

local residents CZOLK and JENS RICHTER, Spanish 

colorist OKUDA, fellow Spanish artist flying the intercultural 

flag RUBEN SANCHEZ, Italian 3D illusionist PEETA, 

the German duo QUINTESSENZ and Frankfurt’s own 

cultural observer and realist painter CASE MA’CLAIM. 

With a growing awareness of street art and mu - 

ralism increasing in what was once a blue-collar city, 

the many residents of Mannheim including immigrants 

can now relate to the images they see on their walls. 

Many identify with the messages, motifs or even the 

colors used by the artist of which some come from the 

same part of the world that they too originate from. 

60 Recap Stadt.Wand.Kunst

2 

2 The completed 

work. »Girlslove« 

by Oscar San Miguel 

a.k.a. OKUDA 

3 4 

3 The vibrancy of the 

Montana GOLD color 

range was the 

optimum ingredient 

for OKUDA to exercise 

his Spanish flair. 

4 The artist in front 

of his work upon 

completion. Adding 

a little sunshine 

to the Mannheim 

sub urban environment 

and to the 

homes and lives of 

many residents that 

inhabit the area. 

Recap Stadt.Wand.Kunst 

61

5 


6 

5 Another completed 

mural. This time 

»Intercultural Balance« 

by Spanish artist 

Ruben Sanchez aka 

ZOONCHEZ. 

7 

6 »Fenster zum Hof« 

by local Mannheim 

artist and resident, 

CZOLK. Not only a 

homage to his city 

but also to it's music. 

7 CZOLK at work, 

concentrating on 

some important 

details of the female 

figure in his mural. 

8 

8 Relieved and content 

for a job 

well done. Ruben 

Sanchez takes 

a moment to smile 

and reflect in 

front of his completed 

artwork. 

With a growing awareness 

of street art and muralism 

increasing in what was 

once a blue-collar city, the 

many residents of Mannheim 

including immigrants 

can now relate to the images 

they see on their walls. 


63

9 

10 

9 CASE MACLAIM, 

depicting societies 

youth as slaves to 

technology in his mural 

»The Pied Piper«. 

10 CASE's use of 

positive and negative 

space creates a 

deception in how big 

the work really is! 

11 Residing in Venice, 

Italy, PEETA 's work 

finds itself on some 

suburban Mannheim 

architecture that 

is not at all similar 

to that of his own 

neighborhood back 

home. 

12 Something to 

be proud of, PEETA 

stands in the Mannheim 

sun as it bathes 

on his finished artwork. 

the locals themselves are 

identifying with the artworks 

that are now at home 

in their urban space. This 

sense of identity may 

be good curation, or maybe 

by chance as the artists 

themselves come from 

exceptionally diverse backgrounds. 

11 


4 12 


65

1 2 

ContemporAry GrAffiti in the UK 

More than just 

the hub of London 

3 

4 

Artist Profiles 

IG @pref_id 

@voyder 

@45rpmwhat 

Location 

London, UK 

PhotogrAphy 

Jordan Katz / Montana-Cans 

Voyder 

45RPM 

PREF ID 

66 Street Report GRAFFITI IN THE UK

5 

Graffiti and its peripheral disciplines happen everywhere, 

every day, constantly. Some cities are famous for 

their train scene, others for the mural seen. But in an 

area as diverse and populated as the UK, there is always 

a little (or a lot) of everything happening all at once. 

With most of its terrain being connected by land, travel 

is easy and a UK artist can be just as active in the south 

as they can be in the north at any given time if they 

can transport themselves from place to place. But there 

is one epicenter that all gravitate to at some point. 

No other city on earth ticks quite like London. And as 

such, no other creative scene nurtures graffiti, urban art, 

street art and fine art quite like London does. 

6 7 

1 Permanent or not, 

in cities like London 

where legality is fluid, 

there are always 

Halls Of Fame that 

come and go like this 

one in Shoreditch. 

2 Not dissimilar to 

any other design 

or fine art studio, 

PREF’s workspace 

does not give away 

his graffiti heritage. 

3 In this homage to 

the Montana 

MARBLE EFFECT 

red color, VOYDER 

brings illusion to epic 

proportions. 

4 Some of the best 

places to paint are 

those that are off 

the beaten track, as 

PREF shows here 

while walking through 

the inner suburban 

jungles of London. 

5 Inspiration 

comes in all forms. 

You just need to 

have your eyes open 

to realize it. 

6 Striking, clever and 

funny. 45RPM’s 

walking hand design 

proves that the pink 

and black color way 

are always in fashion. 

7 Using bomb imagery 

while dropping 

street bombs. 

45RPM can connect 

the visual dots on the 

street just as well as 

in the studio. 

Street Report GRAFFITI IN THE UK 

67

But it is not all blue skies and happy days. The many 

spots surrounding the city’s South and East 

are cloaked in a blanket of uncertainty. Although 

there are clear legal open halls of fame, what 

is one day a legal wall can the following day be a place 

for on the spot fines and being escorted away. Even 

this, however, adds to the city’s charm and gives more 

kudos to those artists that manage to rise above the 

norm and take their artwork to more openly celebrated 

spots and later the world. 

One of those spots is Shoreditch in East London. 

A known meeting point for street art, graffiti, and 

fine art lovers, if it isn’t the great food and cool bars 

that get you hooked, then maybe it’s the wall you’ve got 

to paint that is frequented by the many street art 

tours with international visitors. All recording your work 

for instant multiplication online in cities and countries 

far and wide. 

The list of talented writers from the UK could 

go on for miles and miles. But in a creative hub like 

London, not everyone stands out. In 2019 we had the 

chance to get a little closer to three extremely talented 

writers who are holding the torch up high for UK graffiti. 

Those artists were 45RPM, VOYDER and PREF ID. 

8 

9 

Although there are clear 

legal open halls of fame, 

what is one day a legal wall 

can the following day be 

a place for on the spot fines 

and being escorted away. 

8 Big Brother 

watching, or a graffiti 

artist in disguise 

getting a photo of 

their illegal painting? 

In his design work, 

consciously or not 

45RPM triggers 

feelings and emotions 

from the graffiti 

game. 

9 45RPM extending 

on the timeless 

graffiti notion that 

»everybody’s got 

their own arrows« 


10 

Take yourself back to 1999. Not quite London 

but not that far from it either, 45RPM started his 

quest to merge humor, graffiti and illustration into the 

unique style that he boasts today. His self confessed, 

»Goofy Nonsense« not only brightens any surface 

he graces, but it also brings a smile to your dial as 

characters interact with the letters he has perfected. 

10 Outline, Montana 

GOLD cans and beverages. 

The classic 

combination for a day 

at the wall. Umbrella's 

not included. 

His self confessed, »Goofy 

Nonsense« not only 

brightens any surface he 

graces, but it also brings a 

smile to your dial as 

characters interact with the 

letters he has perfected 


69

The space some writers 

use to package one 

word into is for PREF the 

op portunity to encapsulate 

a complete phrase. 

11 PREF exhibits 

confidence and comfort 

in the materials 

and tools he uses. 

The result, a precision 

that shines through 

in triumph on his 

final artworks. 

11 

12 Although it may 

say »THE END«, 

visually it is a 

beginning. The right 

phrases and word 

combinations 

become the keys to 

new forms and artworks. 

13 With a »less 

is more« approach, 

PREF often uses 

less colors and more 

tonal variation 

within the color, or 

colors used. 

With an air of seriousness and a very definite 

commitment to typography, we also had the privilege 

to delve into the world of London artist PREF. With 

twenty plus years of experimentation under his belt, 

PREF of the ID crew continued amazing onlookers 

in 2019 with his re-invention of phrases that are cleverly 

camouflaged within words. The space some writers 

use to package one word into is for PREF the opportunity 

to encapsulate a complete phrase. It is not only 

visually satisfying but also sports a built-in message. 


12 13 

With twenty plus years of 

experimentation under his 

belt, PREF of the ID crew 

continued amazing onlookers 

in 2019 with his reinvention 

of phrases that 

are cleverly camouflaged 

within words. 


71

14 Graffiti artists 

spent decades run - 

ning away from 

poor quality watery 

paint. However with 

the aid of premium 

quality Montana 

GOLD TRANSPARENT 

colors, the contemporary 

VOYDER 

knows exactly how 

to make transparency 

a winning aesthetic. 

14 

15 Mask, gloves, 

Montana GOLD and 

a ladder. The basic 

must-haves in 

the VOYDER tool kit. 

Originating from the English city of Bristol our 

next impressive artist VOYDER, took us back to visual 

mastery of days gone by. Similar to that of renaissance 

times, in a quiet moment alone he informed us that 

a 2–3 year hiatus from graffiti was exactly the time he 

chose to hone his skills with a brush. The result when 

back on the cans was a transformation from overworked 

graffiti paintings to precision-based strippedback 

style. A re-birth of such for him which took him on 

the path he is on today. 

in a quiet moment alone he 

informed us that a 2–3 year 

hiatus from graffiti was exactly 

the time he chose to 

hone his skills with a brush. 

15 


16 

Apart from the streets of London themselves, 

with top-end locations to see art like The Tate Britain, 

the Tate Modern, BSMT Gallery, and Stolenspace, it 

is no wonder the city creates such diverse and eclectic 

talent. Whatever your need for inspiration or the creative 

period that you are influenced by, London has it 

all. And for artists like VOYDER, PREF, and 45RPM, the 

proof is in the pudding. 

16 With a keen eye 

and a solid understanding 

of 

composition and 

scale, VOYDER 

ex hibits skills simi - 

lar to that of a 

renaissance painter. 

Whatever your need for 

inspiration or the creative 

period that you are influenced 

by, London has it all. 


73

Bring 

The 

PAint 

Profile 

IG @bring_the_paint 

Photography 

Bring the Paint 

Location 

Leicester, U.K. 

Slap bang in the middle of England is the 

beautiful town of Leicester, which also 

happens to be the home of the heavy-hitting 

biannual graffiti and street art event 

called BRING THE PAINT. 2019 saw the 

second installment of BTP which was celebrated 

with an international line up 

of world classed artists that would make 

any camera go, »click«. 

↑ Innovations stations 

as DOES from NL 

trail blazes through 

uncharted visual 

territories. 

← The best of both 

worlds. VOYDER 

and ACHES push 

illusion to its limits. 

→ It’s all worth it in 

the end as the 

VOYDER and ACHES 

collaboration 

starts to take form. 

74 Recap Bring the Paint

↖ PHILTH exploring 

the space beyond 

the letters. 

→ In a return to Bring 

The Paint, SMUG 

takes his previous 

achievements 

and blows them off 

the scales. 

← Don’t take your 

self too serious when 

making art. Or at 

least not all of the 

time. 

Recap Bring the Paint 

75

Whether up on ladders, on scissor lifts or 

at arms length at ground level, Bring The 

Paint had every type of urban art covered. 

Classic graffiti letter science rubbed 

shoulders with paste up’s, street art and 

muralism. Some of the worlds best have 

made the journey to Leicester, England, to 

»Bring The Paint« and their style. 

↑ With ease, Flying 

Förtress makes 

the play between illustration, 

good 

de sign and great 

graffiti look fun. 

↓ 45RPM, making a 

quick get away 

with his iconic robber 

character. 

Gra 

ffiti 

JAm 

2019 


← WON taking over 

a whole building 

facade with his famous 

Asiatic themed 

dragon styles. 

↙ At Bring The Paint 

all scales are covered. 

Whether standing 

on terra firma 

or up a scissor lift at 

10 meters. 

↓ »Making one for 

the team«. 1UP showing 

it’s not always 

about the individual. 


77

↖ Cult cinema classic 

»The Warriors«, 

gets a Yard Warriors 

makeover. 

↑↑ GENT rises to the 

occasion making 

use of some difficult 

vertical space. 

← One of Italy’s 

favorite train writers 

BRUS proves he can 

rock the bricks just as 

good as he does steel. 

↗ HOMBRE brings 

German efficiency 

to the game doing a 

massive one 

man piece carrying 

his beloved Montana 

BLACK cans. 

→ Old meets new. 

Classic graffiti and 

good design a plenty 

at Bring The Paint. 


1UP / 2KOLD (DDS) / ABUZ / ACHES / ALEX RUBES / 

BOOGIE (TAD SML) / BRUS (SDT) / CORE246 (RM GW NHS) / 

DEYS (YWS) / DINER (FYS) / DOES / DOWTA (DNF) / 

DRAX (WD PFB) / FLYING FORTRESS (JBCB) / GENT (48) / 

HOMBRE (SUK TRS TA) / HOW & NOSM (TATS CRU) / 

INKIE (KTF ASK KOST (YWS) / LEWSE (ADNS) / 

N4T4 (NEVER READY) / MONO (FYS) / NOMAD CLAN / 

OUST (TSP DFN WGS GW) / PHILTH (NEVER READY) 

RUELO (NFA) / SAM GRUBB / SKANK (NFA) SOKER (ASK) / 

STOE (SMT) / SMUG / STRAID (FYS YWS) / 

TASSO (MACLAIM) / VOYDER / WON (ABC) / ZINER (NFA) / 

ZOMBY (DDS) 


79

Introducing 

Spanish 

graffiti writer 

LAIA 

Doing it alone 

in Barcelona 

Artist artist Profile 

IG @iamlaia 

Location 

Barcelona 

↑ From markers to 

spray paint and back. 

It’s all one big creative 

melting pot for Laia. 

→ When you’re Laia 

and you have got a 

wall and some spray 

paint, then you have 

what you need to 

create. 

↓ Laia’s graffiti roots 

are the foundation of 

her ideas. Cartoon 

characters merge 

with clever design 

and raw street edge. 

There are many stereotypes 

in the world. Graffiti 

is not exempt from this 

with lots of unspoken rules 

and regulations. This 

is why any contemporary 

adult writer cringes at 

the thought of defining an 

artist by their gender. 

Gender doesn’t predict or 

define good style. 

80 Artists in Focus LAiA

What stands out from the 

crowd with Spanish born 

writer and artist LAIA, is 

not just that she is a talented 

artist with style and concepts 

that are engaging and aesthetic. 

And most of all not that she is fe 

male. What is noteworthy and inspiring 

is that she started this whole 

graffiti journey alone. Not moving in 

the security of a crew and not 

paying attention to any limits or 

constraints that graffiti culture may 

carry with it. Apart from graffiti, 

ignoring negative stereotypes is 

what LAIA does best. 

This free-spirited writer 

was born in Barcelona in 1984. Still 

residing in the city, her interest in 

graffiti was awakened in 1999. The 

natural progression from bombing 

to piecing occurred and before 

long in 2000, the markers in her 

tool kit were accompanied by spray 

cans. The then 14-year-old took 

to the streets alone as she decided 

she wanted to »get up«. 

Artists in Focus LAiA 

81

82 Artists in Focus LAiA

In total ignorance and com 

plete absence of influences or 

guidance, LAIA started to master her 

craft which 20 years on is still part 

of her daily routine. Although 

not outgrowing the streets, LAIA 

also became active in galleries, online 

and in the studio. What was 

a city-based thing became an international 

affair with participation 

in Graffiti events and jams taking 

her through her country and abroad. 

As with all dedicated writers, 

connections become friends and 

actions strengthen friendships. For 

this talented Spanish writer, even 

with 20 years of hard work behind 

her, the world is her oyster and 

we are bound to see a whole more. 

The then 14-year-old took 

to the streets alone as 

she decided she wanted 

to »get up«. 

← As comfortable 

with a brush and a 

bottle of Montana 

ACRYLIC paint as 

she is with a can and 

a wall. 

↓ Her hand finished 

printed works take 

her creative edge 

onto paper as well. 

She started this whole graffiti 

journey alone. Not 

moving in the security of a 

crew and not pay ing attention 

to any limits or constraints 

that graffiti culture 

may carry with it. 

Artists in Focus LAiA 

83

84 Artists in Focus OSMAN

No brAkes 

on this 

mAchine 

Photography 

Osman 

Location 

Worldwide 

The word OSMAN has nothing in common 

with a fully loaded train trundling down 

the line with no brakes. But maybe the German 

graffiti artist »OSMAN« does. This 

style machine knows no boundaries. In an 

ever forward moving quest for graffiti 

innovation, there is almost nothing he 

hasn't mastered or tried. On this machine, 

there are no brakes! 

Originating out of the German-style mill 

Stut tgart, since 1999 OSMAN has been mixing 

and shaking up letters and words with 

any tool that comes into his hands. No thing 

creatively is taboo except for the sin of not trying. 

With just as many countries under his belt as styles, 

OSMAN’s name is on the honor roles of many crews in - 

cluding HCCB, DTS, and W2D. 

Regardless of whether a painting is a new style, 

or old, there is always a little something special in 

the ingredients that are uniquely OSMAN. Whether it be 

the placement of the tags, some bubbles in the 3D 

or his creative use of the unique Montana MARBLE 

Effect cans. His is a style unto its own. Having the op - 

portunity to see a little snippet of otherwise seldom seen 

steelworks was one we couldn't pass up. As this machine 

keeps plowing forward through the fodder of »been 

there done that« graffiti, we take a moment to analyze 

this innovator and appreciate what is already buffed. 

Artists in Focus OSMAN 

85



87



89

Making 

it last on 

the lines 

Taking freight train writing seriously with 

the TCI crew 

Location 

U.S.A. 

Photography 

TCI CREW 

Many graffiti movements across the world 

spawned and multiplied thanks to heavily 

populated cities with commuter train 

systems that kept the people moving. For 

a long time, the freight train system 

was in the periphery as for those in these 

cities, their goals and expectations 

on the metro systems were often not 

complete ly achieved before their careers 

as writers came to an end. 

90 

Artists in Focus TCI Crew

For many writers in cities 

without their own city train 

coverage, the freights 

were where East met West 

with everything in between. 

In a country like the U.S.A, the freight train system 

has even more weight than one would think. It 

is one of the only ways that all the microcosms of 

train writing graffiti connect on this massive continent. 

For many writers in cities without their own city 

train coverage, the freights were where East met West 

with everything in between. The TCI crew originating 

from Madison WI, are amongst these entities that take 

the freight train game to the highest level. We were 

lucky enough to get some words from the horse’s mouth 

directly to help understand what TCI crew is all about. 

↑ At mincto conet ut 

ommolecte imilignimus. 

Edit, ulparit as 

ullesed 

Artists in Focus TCI Crew 

91

As the freight train graffiti movement got rolling 

in the early 90’s, styles from both coasts began to 

arrive in small towns throughout the states. Towns like 

Madison Wisconsin, where TCI’s Hybrid, Heat, Sever, 

and Intel were exposed to styles from the likes of Sinister 

Sein5 out of the Bronx, and Charlie Porno from LA. 

The connection freight trains provided was 

essential in the development of styles, friendships, and 

networks across the country. 

The TCI approach to trains is to execute a 

production with professional efficiency and to have 

The connection freight 

trains provided was essential 

in the development 

of styles, friend ships, 

and networks across the 

country. 

92 

Artists in Focus TCI Crew

fun while doing it. Every step of the process is well 

planned as members work together to burn. 

Train Champs Inc. embraced the concept of the 

»End to End« early in the crew’s development. When 

two writers are painting a train, they share by painting 

either side and putting TCI over the doors. Combining 

competitive lettering with elaborate backgrounds and 

themes are a trademark of the crew as they dominate 

the lines with a reputation for quality freight train graffiti. 

Freight trains are a great surface to paint, but 

they are constantly exposed to a changing environment 

as they travel through the USA. Having a quality 

spray paint that covers well and doesn’t fade is essential 

to making sure our work lasts on the lines. 

With quality like this, the future of freight train 

graffiti looks very bright. With a conceptual approach 

and a »quality and quantity« result, if you’re in the USA 

or Canada, there is bound to be a lot more TCI product 

rolling through your neighborhood in the near future. 

Artists in Focus TCI Crew 

TCI 

TRAIN CHAMPS 

INCORPORATED 

Est.1993, Madison WI 

Freight trains are a great 

surface to paint, but they 

are constantly exposed 

to a changing environment 

as they travel through 

the USA. Having a quality 

spray paint that covers well 

and doesn’t fade is essential 

to making sure our 

work lasts on the lines. 

93

Step 

Out 

of the 

ArenA 

2019 

1 

Location 

Eindhoven, Netherlands 

Photography 

@lukedaduke 

Graffiti Jam in Eindhoven 

For every yin there is a yang. 

The Step In The Arena 

graffiti festival in Eindhoven 

Netherlands is no exception. 

Logically the artists 

that step in the arena need 

to step out. But there is 

no half-steppin! 

1 Riot1394 keeping 

it warm with some 

three dimensional 

letter trickery. 

2 TelmoMiel abstracting 

this image of a 

young female figure. 

2 

94 Recap Step Out of the Arena

3 

Step Out Of The Arena (SOOTA) took place shortly 

after the creative hangers of SITA started to fade. 

This time staying in the home of SITA, Eindhoven, 

SOOTA was like the aftershock to the earth - 

quake that was SITA. Confused? Don’t be. The artists 

still hanging around after the main event got together 

to rock a concept wall that was not located at the 

SITA site. The Montana GOLD and Montana BLACK 

cans that were still warm from the days before were at 

the ready for a color connected afterburner. 

4 

3 In progress, NovaDead 

has Biggie 

Smalls on the radar 

for some creative 

re-invention. 

4 Attention to detail. 

Even after the main 

event, Russia's 

Zmogk took his work 

equally as seriously. 

5 Reser from Italy 

making light work of 

his time away from 

home. 

5 

Recap Step Out of the Arena 

95

6 7 

6 Ladders at full extension 

as complete 

wall space is utilized. 

7 Jos Hoppenbrouwers 

keeping the 

cultures connected 

with a street version 

of his Nike Air's. 

8 Pauks flying the 

Dutch flag with some 

classic yet contemporary 

graffiti style 

writing. 

8 

The Montana GOLD and 

Montana BLACK cans 

that were still warm from 

the days before were at 

the ready for a color connected 

afterburner. 

9 French artist 

Babs creating some 

extremely impressive 

cutting edge contemporary 

graffiti. 

9 

96 Recap Step Out of the Arena

The artists in control 

of the cans were: 

10 

Made 514 (ITA), TelmoMiel 

(NL), Chas (NL),Neist (FR), 

HrvB (D),Rate (BUL), 

FatHeat (HUN), Dater (D), 

Mister (NL), Fleks (NL), 

Dart (SE), Aroe (UK), Babs 

(FR), Nilko (FR), Bios (UKR), 

Zmogk (RUS), Truba (RUS), 

Novadead (B), Puaks (NL), 

Saker (ES), Fork (HUN), 

Beyond (NL), Ceser 87 (ES), 

Reser (ITA), Riot1394 (D), 

Norm (D), Fokus (FR), Kush 

(NL), Jos Hoppenbrouwers 

(NL), Real (NL), Toren (ES) 

& Angel26 (HUN) 

10 Nilko's work of a 

street smart gorilla 

image brought a 

touch of animalia to 

the concept. 

11 »Stopping all Stations«. 

Swedish train 

writer Dart makes a 

welcomed abnormal 

stop on the static 

concrete wall. 

11 

Recap Step Out of the Arena 

97

98 Acrylic Series DMOTE

DMOTE 

video 

montana-cans.blog/acrylic-series 


IG @dmoterola 

Photography 


↑ Large or small, 

scale is no issue 

when transcribing 

ideas on one substrate 

or another. 

← As »at home« in 

his studio as he is in 

the streets, DMOTE 

hits the black book 

surrounded by color 

and ideas. 

NEW 

YORK 

It’s been a long time since Australian graffiti artist DMOTE, 

has actually been based in Australia. It has also been 

a long time since he was only known as DMOTE. With a 

bag full of words and brain full of ideas, the title Graffiti 

Artist is not really enough to encompass the wide array 

of skills he exercises within his art making practice. 

The now New York based artists is still as active as he 

ever was in the creation of traditional letter based graffiti 

style writing. His graffiti artwork has come a long way 

through relentless doing, re-inventing and self reflection. 

But so has his fine artwork. A body of work that is 

hard to compartmentalize. Hard to put in a little box and 

call it something that everyone understands. For this reason 

he was the perfect candidate for the Montana-Cans 

Acrylic Series. 

Acrylic Series DMOTE 

99

o 

n our journey with him, it was clear that it 

would start where it all began. The streets 

of New York. With a sent of the city and 

Montana BLACK and Montana GOLD 

cans a blaze, DMOTE laid down the fundamentals for 

what was to become a classic graffiti canvas. And 

this time with the word SHANK. The ACRYLIC markers 

and ACRYLIC paint refills were out and shaken, at 

the ready for creating. A full spectrum of colors were 

used and DMOTE showed no confusion as he grabbed 

each color instinctually, placing the right color in the 

right context for a vibrant yet harmonious color scape. 

With a love of robust round tips, he even turned to the 

Montana Empty Marker products for various application 

possibilities. With a refill here and some intricate 

line work there, we soon saw the style master pull the 

»SHANK« canvas together. Aerosol faded color, juxtaposed 

against opaque placements served up accurate 

linear craftsmanship. 

Even for the non graffiti initiated, watching 

DMOTE create is like an enthralling passage of time 

travel through the origins and future of graffiti style 

writing. Regardless of which tool he puts in his hands, 

something impressive always happens. 

Watching DMOTE create is 

like an enthralling passage 

of time travel through the 

origins and future of graffiti 

style writing 

↗ »New York, New 

York big city of dreams, 

but everything 

in New York ain‘t always 

what it seems«. 

For DMOTE, a long 

way from Australia 

but home never the 

less. 

→ Anything is possible. 

Various phases of 

DMOTE’s artist path 

composed on paper, 

cover his studio walls. 

Mapping out where he 

has been and possibly 

where he could go. 

→→ SHANK, just one 

of many alter egos for 

DMOTE that helped 

him re-invent himself 

when arriving in New 

York, explore new 

letter possibilities 

and avoid becoming 

stagnant. 

100 Acrylic Series DMOTE

Acrylic Series DMOTE 

101

AMBER 

VITTORIA 

Photography 


NEW 

YORK 


IG @amber_vittoria 

Video 

montana-cans.blog/acrylic-series 

The ACRYLIC marker and paint range has done a lot of 

yards with traditional graffiti artists. Thats why it is 

even more inspiring when super talented artists not in 

that discipline take the materials to a whole new level, or 

better yet a new location. Introducing New York based 

artist, Amber Vittoria. With an instagram bio sentence 

stating »Dismantling societal tropes set upon women«, we 

knew we were going to be in for something special 

when we invited her to feature in the latest Montana-Cans 

Acrylic Series film. And Vittoria didn’t disappoint. 

↗ Brush work, marker 

line work and vibrant 

color. Vittoria‘s work 

welcomes it all. 

→ Her ability to 

characterize and yet 

humanize makes her 

an ideal candidate for 

commercial artwork. 

→ → In the hustle and 

bustle of the city that 

never sleeps, Vittoria’s 

work is a breath 

of fresh air. 

102 Acrylic Series AMBER VITTORIA

Acrylic Series AMBER VITTORIA 

103

With a client list featuring some international 

heavy weight brands like NBC, 

Gucci, Adidas, The New York Times, 

and Instagram, Vittoria has been tack - 

ling the subject of the portrayal of women in art for 

quite some time. Both in her illustration work as well 

as her fine art work. And with client names like those 

we mentioned, this engaging subject has a large audience 

to play with. Including the added dynamic of 

fashion, she also helps change and challenge stereotypes 

for the positive in industries that are otherwise 

loaded with unrealistic portrayals of women. But it 

doesn’t end there. As an ADC annual award winner, Vittoria 

is under the world creativity spotlight and seems 

comfortable with that too. Moving from brush pens to 

the Montana water-based ACRYLIC marker range was 

an easy step for Amber Vittoria. The speed of drying, 

brilliant opacity and coloration, endless possibilities 

of mixing colors and the varied sizes the marker range 

gave her to play with, meant it was a thumbs up for 

making a transition. The extra bonus of being able to 

use it with brushes and get results as vibrant as any 

acrylic tube paint made it a no-brainer. 

With an assertively feminine touch, her strong 

bold images are not only easy on the eye, they are also 

to be taken seriously in their ability to broaden the portrayal 

of women in society generally. The works often 

display rounded features, proportional challenges and 

body hair in the places it normally grows. Which can be 

a grounding and refreshing experience for the plastic 

photo-shopped version society is normally served up 

in glossy magazines. On a recent visit to her New York 

studio, we were honored to capture a small portion of 

her creative world on film. 

She helps change and 

challenge stereotypes for 

the positive in industries 

that are otherwise loaded 

with unrealistic portrayals 

of women. 

Ambers works are a 

grounding and refreshing 

experience for the plastic 

photoshopped version 

society is normally served 

up in glossy magazines. 

↗ At home in her 

studio, the Montana 

ACRYLIC marker 

range is a permanent 

feature of her desktop. 

→ Wide or fine, all 

shapes and sizes 

have their place for 

Vittoria, just like the 

woman she portrays 

in her artwork. 

→→ Never afraid of 

color, beyond the 

visual aesthetics 

there is always an 

important message 

in the artwork. 

104 Acrylic Series AMBER VITTORIA

Acrylic Series AMBER VITTORIA 

105

LOW 

BROS 

Shaking up the village for METROPOLINK 

artists Profile 

IG @low_bros 

Festival Profile 

IG @metropolinkurbanartfestival 

Photography 

Daniel Schreiber / Montana-Cans 

The LOW BROS name in this case may not be so 

accurate. Or at least the LOW part. With nearly every part 

of their new artwork at the Patrick Henry Village 

in Mannheim-Germany being elevated off the ground, the 

festival METROPOLINK is glad they got them out 

to make things happen. 

106 Artists in Focus LOW BROS

Artists in Focus LOW BROS 

107


With the sun shining and the 

Mon tana GOLD and Montana BLACK 

cans flowing like the LOW BROS 

very original ideas themselves, 

the pillars, frontage and many things 

in between were up for grabs. 


109



111

Carefully chosen, the LOW BROS 

re-invented symbols of a lost youth 

and cooked them up into a post 

modern, visual soup. Drink brands, 

Credit card providers, spiritual symbology 

and of course tennis balls, 

all got the LOW BROS treatment. 

Even a major computer brand was 

reduced and re-introduced in a 

whole new context. 



113



115

1 

POW! 

WOW! 

J 

A P 

A 

N 

2 

0 1 

9 

Location 

Okinawa, Japan 

Profile 

@powwowjapan 

Photography 

@gralffic 

In 2019 the POW! WOW! event returned 

to the Asian mega culture, Japan. 

Curated and directed by @emiriokamoto, 

Okinawa was the city that played 

host to the event making POW! WOW! 

2019 a coastal experience. 

2 3 

4 

1 Denpa proving that 

black and white is the 

new colorful. 

2 The smell of of the 

Okinawa salty air was 

a positive ingredient 

for making art. 

3 Jason Keam throwing 

everything in 

the mix. 

4 Tatiana Saurez 

explores some femininity 

in a larger than 

life female figure. 

5 Super Deux adding 

French flair to the 

Okinawa streets 

as his bold opaque 

characters stand 

proudly. 

5 

116 Recap POW! WOW! JApan 2019

6 

Featuring artists such as Jason Keam, Tatiana 

Saurez, Towmei Kaisen, Luise Ono, Super Deux, 

Denpa, 123klan, Cab, and Laurence Vallières, the 

diverse artworks represented a cultural mixing 

pot of ideas and techniques. It didn’t just stop at art. 

The usual festivities were naturally complemented by 

skateboarding, BMX, dancing and artist talks. 

The artworks were a mirror of the color and 

vibrancy of the event. Excluding those works in black 

and white by Denpa that were just as dynamic. The 

beach made a perfect base and backdrop as the final 

stages of the event were spent by the artists resting by 

the barbeque listening to the music and waves sooth 

their creative fatigue. Another great year for POW! WOW! 

and another exceptional cultural happening for Japan. 

8 

6 123 Klan keeping it 

graffiti, and keeping 

it colorful. A classic 

trademark mural 

sitting happily in it’s 

new surrounds. 

7 Laurence Vallières 

making a unique 

addition to the artist 

line up working in 

predominantly cardboard 

as apposed to 

paint. 

8 Luise Ono representing 

Japan with 

an aesthetic floral 

composition on a 

challenging building. 

9 Japanese artist 

Cab adding a touch 

of illustrative style 

achieving impact 

with bold color. 

7 

9 

Recap POW! WOW! JApan 2019 

117

POW! 

WOW! 

Rotterdam 2019 

Location 

Rotterdam, the Netherlands 

Photography 

Martine Kiers 

Profile 

@powwowrotterdam 

MONTANA-CANS X 

POW! WOW! ROTTERDAM 

To celebrate the partnership and strengthen the European 

integration of the POW! WOW! event, Montana 

Cans released a Limited Edition Collabo Series can in 

honor of the event. The vibrant green litho sporting the 

classic POW! WOW!, logo was complimented by the 

number one used color in the Montana GOLD range, 

Shock Black! As with all the POW! WOW! collabo series 

cans before it, they were only available at the event. 

The POW! WOW! festival made a success 

landing on its maiden voyage in Europe 2018 

in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Although 

the first edition was a success, more than 

10.000 visitors one year later proved that 

POW! WOW! Rotterdam is here to stay. With 

its heavy artillary of Graffiti, Muralism, Hip 

Hop culture and live music, the Afrikaanderpark 

and the surrounding Afrikaanderwijk 

played host to an array of sensory delights. 

Considering the main day was Sunday 15th 

of September, a week before the event saw 

both the participating artists and plenty 

of street wandering street art enthusiasts 

flooding into city to watch art happen. 

1 2 

1 Size does matter, 

even if it’s small. 

SLINKACHU making 

big waves with 

little art. 

2 SMOK’s floating 

artwork on a Rotterdam 

boat. 

118 

Recap POW! WOW! Rotterdam 2019

The artist line up was as strong as the name 

POW! WOW! itself. With a Montana GOLD in 

one hand and a Montana BLACK in the other, 

the artworks were again broken into two programs. 

The murals were covered by DANNY RUMBL, 

DOURONE, DIDIER JABA MATHIEU, HELEN PROCTOR, 

MURMURE, NINA VALKHOFF, SAID KINOS, SMOK, 

SMUG, SUPER A, TELMO MIEL, WOES, SLINKACHU 

and SPENCER LITTLE. 

4 

3 

3 Super A at 

work re-inventing 

Pinocchio for a 

modern audience. 

4 Telmo Miel and 

Smug join forces 

to create what is 

now judged by 

www.widewalls.ch 

as the »Most Beauti - 

ful Mural of 2019«! 

5 Didier Jaba 

Mathieu taking out 

a whole facade with 

ease. 

5 

Recap POW! WOW! Rotterdam 2019 

119

6 7 

6 The finished mural. 

Super A wraps modernity 

over tradition 

with his giant Pinocchio 

homage. 

7 Edoardo Trionfera 

aka Dodici bringing 

some festive illustration 

to the mural 

game. 

8 Murmure’s amazing 

plastic bag floats 

gracefully over this 

buildings side. 

9 A welcomed break 

in the monotony, 

Spencer Little explores 

his sculptural 

linear artwork on the 

light poles of Rotterdam. 

More than 10,000 visitors 

one year later proved that 

POW! WOW! Rotterdam is 

here to stay. 

8 

9 

120 Recap POW! WOW! Rotterdam 2019

9 10 

And to continue the theme of the »20 VANS 

30 CANS« project, artists AVOID010, BILLY COLOURS, 

BIER EN BROOD, CHAS, DZIA, FELEON, ILLUSTRA- 

TOR DANNY, JAWGEM, KARSKI and BEYOND, KLAAS 

LAGEWEG, LEVI JACOBS, MINA, MR. JUNE, NAAM- 

LOOOZZ, NNAMARI, NOLART, OTTOGRAPH, OX ALIEN, 

SOGO SHOW, SR. PAPÁ CHANGO, TALIB, STEPHAN 

BONTJE and VENOUR, were all called in to transform 

the moving targets. All in all the event went on with an 

positivity and without a hitch. 

11 

12 

9 Artist duo Dourone 

pack a punch with 

their vibrant and 

figurative mural. 

10 Said Kinos making 

sure typography got 

a good runwas well 

represented in an 

international artist 

line-up displaying 

many disciplines. 

11 Native Dutch letter 

master Chas making 

light work of a van. 

12 One of many vans 

receiving an artist 

makeover at the 2019 

POW! WOW! Rotterdam 

event. 

Recap POW! WOW! Rotterdam 2019 

121

From mainland 

U.S.A and beyond 

122 Street Report Greetings Tour

→ Starting at 14 

feet off the ground, 

ladders were not an 

option on this mural. 

↓ Always welcomed 

by onlookers, the 

GREETINGS TOUR 

murals connect the 

cultural threads of 

local residents. Even 

when in Bermuda. 

ArtistS Profile 

IG @greetingstour 

Photography 

Beggs 

Location 

USA 

Victor Ving and Lisa Beggs 

know what it means to 

be uncomfortable. They 

have been living out of an 

RV since 2015 when 

they departed from their 

then city of residence, 

New York. The years proceeding 

have seen them 

travel through their beloved 

mainland the United States 

and beyond, on what is 

possibly one of the most 

unique projects of its kind. 

The »GREETINGS TOUR«. 

Street Report Greetings Tour 

123

Reminiscing on the classic 

American »GREETINGS 

FROM …« postcards of years 

gone by, Ving (the artist) 

and Beggs (the photographer) have 

been traveling together from 

state to state creating murals in 

this exact same theme. Adding a 

touch of contemporary relevance 

and a sense of belonging for all 

the residents in the communities 

these murals have been painted in. 

In each state, the duo has cre - 

ated »GREETINGS FROM« murals 

that feature contemporary local 

icons, landmarks, and historical 

artifacts. In every case, they leave 

what was a relatively lull wall space 

with an impressive mural that 

brightens the landscape and offers 

a sense of pride for those lucky 

enough to live around it. 

← GREETINGS FROM 

Moab, Utah. Too hot 

to sleep in the RV, 

Ving and Beggs were 

offered one week 

free in air conditioned 

luxury at the 

Bowen Motel, the site 

of the mural. 

↑ The GREETINGS 

TOUR travels through 

nearly every type of 

terrain. Each location 

offering ingredients 

for the next mural. 

They leave what was a relatively 

lull wall space with 

an impressive mural that 

brightens the landscape 

and offers a sense of pride 

for those lucky enough to 

live around it. 


← The much loved RV. 

The workhorse of the 

tour as mobile home, 

studio and garage all 

in one. 

↓ The seascapes of 

Bermuda and endless 

source of inspiration. 

Never a dull moment 

for Lisa Beggs and 

Victor Ving. 

↑ Reliability and 

quality, the Montana 

GOLD never lets the 

team down. Even 

available in colors 

made for the location. 

BERMUDA BLUE, as 

used in Bermuda. 

With approximately 41 murals 

in over 21 states, 

the prime goal for Ving and 

Beggs in this project is 

to cover at least one 

»GREETINGS FROM« mural 

in every state of the USA. 

Amongst many locations, in 

2019 Ving and Beggs managed to 

get the RV van over the seas to the 

coastal island of Bermuda. Or at 

least symbolically speaking as the 

need to fly meant being committed 

to a booked travel itinerary and 

being finished on time to catch the 

flights home. 

With approximately 41 murals 

in over 21 states, the prime goal 

for Ving and Beggs in this project 

is to cover at least one »GREETINGS 

FROM« mural in every state of the 

USA. With 9.834.000 km² of possible 

surface area to cover, we will enjoy 

watching the GREETINGS TOUR 

unfold over the coming years. 


125



127

MontAnA 

Cans 

German Quality 

Spray paint 

Photography 

Daniel Schreiber / Montana-Cans 

LOcation 

Heidelberg, Germany 

The machine behind the brand – 

There are many destinations in Germany 

that tourists savor as »must do’s« on 

their travel itinerary. Visiting the office 

headquarters of a supplier is not normally 

high on the priority list. But this is not 

the case if the offices your visiting is that 

of Montana-Cans. 

128 

Insight MONTANA-CANS

↑ Every product has 

its origin. Often not 

looking anything like 

the final product on 

the shelves, in store. 

↓ Compromise is not 

an option.There can 

be hundreds of formula’s 

for any given 

product before it ever 

comes to market. 

There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes at 

Montana-Cans before any product ever reaches 

the end-users. In a picturesque quaint little city 

tucked away in the valleys spanning around 

the Neckar river, Heidelberg is where the head office is 

located and happens to be the original town where 

Montana-Cans came to life. In a historic residence in a 

tree-lined street, here the thinktank behind the brand 

Montana-Cans takes care of daily business and 

looks after customers with direct and personal service 

all over the world. 

At second glance, it is obvious that this is not 

where the manufacturing magic happens. But the 

factory is only a short ride away by train or car with the 

Neckar river flowing gracefully aside you, through 

the green valleys and hills which stretch as far as the 

eye can see. Upon arrival at the main production site in 

the peaceful little Oden-Wald town of Haßmersheim, 

within seconds it is noticeable of the proud relationship 

between parent company Motip Dupli and 

daughter company, Montana-Cans. Artworks and 

photographs of all Montana orientations are strewn 

throughout the complexes buildings and offices. 

← MADE IN GERMANY. 

This means something 

to each and 

every person working 

with Montana-Cans. 

Not excluding 

the latest technologies 

used for precision 

manufacturing. 

Heidelberg is actually 

one of Germany’s humming 

graffiti and creative hubs 

and the original town 

of which Montana-Cans 

was born 

Insight MONTANA-CANS 129

130 


← Caps and valves 

play a large role in 

the performance, 

handling and output 

of a spray can. Extensive 

testing is 

undergone to ensure 

the right combination 

is found for all aerosol 

products. 

↓ You can’t cut corners 

in color. The sun 

will call your bluff 

each time. At Montana-Cans 

we use only 

premium quality, 

European made pigments. 

Proven to resist 

even the hardest 

of UV exposure. 


132 


← The Montana-Cans 

Warehouse has the 

perfect balance of 

space, efficiency and 

safety. Always filled 

to optimal capacity, 

this is a space that is 

a pleasure to move 

around for all those 

working in it. 

→ It’s not just about 

the cans. In the Montana-Cans 

Warehouse 

every single item 

in our assortment 

is ready to go at all 

times. 

With precision and care, 

goods here are picked and 

packed for transport to 

distributors and stores all 

over the globe. 

↓ Fresh out the box: 

the new limited 

edition Montana 

BLACK Artist Series 

can featuring DEMS. 

The pristine grounds of Motip Dupli are a buzz 

of activity. Between the chirping of birds in the 

shrubs and trees along the Eco Path, the sound of electric 

ve hicles transporting products and raw materials 

from building to building and workers moving from 

space to space, show that German efficiency is well and 

truly at work. But this is not by accident, Motip Dupli’s 

has worked hard to achieve a quality management 

sys tem certification ISO EN9001 and an environmen - 

tal management system certification to the level of ISO 

EN 14001. 

The large, quiet buildings, hold within them the 

production heart of the Montana-Cans aerosol range. 

On multiple well oiled modern production lines, cans are 

electronically sent on their path under human assistance 

from empty container to premium quality German 

spray paint. At the blink of an eye, thousands of cans 

whizz by as they are boxed and loaded for their next 

destination, the Montana-Cans Warehouse. 

The Montana-Cans Warehouse is the hub within 

the hub for the full Montana-Cans assortment. Here 

all products are stored, processed and doc umented 

in preparation for the most important journey of all, to 

our customers. The solid in house team 

of Montana-Cans pickers and packers move with ease 

from position to position in one of the most modern 

aerosol warehouses available. With precision and care, 

goods here are picked and packed for transport to 

distributors and stores all over the globe. 


↑ A vision of beauty. 

Even when unfilled, 

the empty Montana 

BLACK can litho is inspiring 

and enticing. 

A true symbol of our 

graffiti roots. 

With castles perched on hilltops 

and the scent of trees 

and nature blowing in the 

wind, it’s hard to fathom 

how they can actually get 

any work done. But as is 

proven in over 70 countries 

worldwide, they do. 

↓ The Montana-Cans 

ULTRAWIDE can, first 

of its type, best of its 

kind. 

With a slight tilt of the head, there is no escaping 

the light glowing from the Montana-Cans 

Showroom which sits humbly over the Montana-Cans 

warehouse with a view of the products below it. The 

ideal space for distributors and store owners, the 

showroom is the ultimate display of the full Montana-Cans 

product range as would be on everyone’s 

wish lists. The inviting space also caters for meetings, 

testing, and creative brainstorming. 

With all this action going on, it is often frightening 

when you stop and realize how beautiful the 

surroundings really are. With castles perched on 

hilltops and the scent of trees and nature blowing in 

the wind, it's hard to fathom how they can actually 

get any work done. But as is proven in over 70 countries 

worldwide, they do. 

134 


↓ The path for a 

Montana-Cans aerosol 

can is one of precision 

and efficiency. 

Traveling on the most 

modern of production 

lines ensures quality 

and consistency 

every time. 


138 photography by edward nightingale

MONTANA-CANS #Germanspraypaint 

139

Imprint 

LOOKBOOK 

020 

Media owner and publisher: 


Editorial Staff: 


Editorial design & Art direction: 

Matter Of (MO-P-061) 

Alexander Krziwanie (MONTANA-CANS) 

Texts: 

René Van Kan 

Special thanks to all contributing artists & partners! 

Cover Photo: 

Sobekcis in Belgrade, Serbia © Carlo Kohal 

© 2020, MONTANA-CANS 

All rights reserved. 

Reprinting, even in part, only with the approval of the 

publisher. No liability can be accepted for unsolicited 

photos, slides, films or manuscripts received. 


Häusserstraße 36 

69115 Heidelberg 

Deutschland 

Ph: +49 (0) 6221 36 333 0 

info@montana-cans.com 

WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM 

WWW.MONTANA-CANS.BLOG

LOOKBOOK / EDITION #05 / 2020

MONTANA-CANS LOOKBOOK 2020

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