MontanaCans LOOKBOOK 2021

021

EDITION #06

MONTANA-CANS LOOKBOOK

WWW.MONTANA-CANS.COM

#GERMANSPRAYPAINT

photography by edward nightingale


#GERMANSPRAYPAINT #GAMECHANGER


#GERMANSPRAYPAINT #GAMECHANGER

photography by Musa

MONTANA

CANS

LOOKBOOK

2021

Without even having a moment to realize it,

2020 had ended as fast as it came. And

2021 started with as much confusion as

2020 ended. It is easy to turn on the television

and be constantly reminded about

how negative everything is or was. But the

real challenge, and the reward, lie in wiping

off the dust, removing our masks, and

taking a deep breath, reflecting on all the

good things that happened. All those amazing

things that happened before, during,

or after all the restrictions. The projects and

ideas that wouldn’t have happened if we

were still running up and down our old paths.

So, what did happen in 2020? Well,

actually a lot! In the Montana-Cans LOOK-

BOOK 2021, which is the sixth edition of

the LOOKBOOK series, we start the celebration

with the freshly cooked cover illustration

by one of our favorite Italian artists,

LUGOSIS and STRATO200’s. Not only

are their quirky characterizations known to

the graffiti community the world over, but

you may also recognize their style on every

box of Montana BLACK cans.

The start of 2021 marks the release

of the 20th edition Montana BLACK Artist

Edition cans by ATOM ONE. Not only special

release as it is the 20th can in the series,

but also as it pays extra respect to an

artist that has well and truly earned it. The

gray areas of copyright infringement and

artists’ legal rights were also given a shakeup

in 2020. So much so that the SEVENTH

LETTER lawyer Jeff Gluck, CHINA TOWN

MARKET, and Montana-Cans collabora ted

in creating the “Call my Lawyer” can. Collaborating

and staying socially connected

in times of isolation and restricted social

contact proved to be more important than

ever in 2020. Making the release of the

Montana-Cans x NITRO Backpack collaboration

even more poignant. The icing

on the cake being the SPRAYCATION patch

series that told a story about travel and

adventure that sits harmoniously on the

NITRO bag. It wasn’t all about products

and gadgets however, 2020 also saw the

artistic development of many prolific

artists who reached new levels. Artists like

BOND TRULUV, blowing us away with

his unique world of augmented reality that

is based on one of the most solid outdoor

and studio practices in the game. We

reconnected to the streets with the gritty

French bomber, KENO. Taking us on a

visual adventure filled with the mark-making

of a dedicated individual. The Israeli

photographer MUSA FRAMES rose to our

attention with his photographic documentation

so close to the action, you can

almost smell the sweat.

Not to mention the amazing innovations

of German artist, NOMAD. Pushing

graffiti letter style writing to places it has

never been before. And that’s just some of it.

No one knows what will lie ahead,

nor how the future of Graffiti, Urban art, and

Visual art, in general, will look. One thing

is for sure, it has never been more important

to be creative than it is now. From all the

team at Montana-Cans to all our loyal sup -

porters, partners, and collaborators, we

thank you for keeping the creative fire burning

and making the world a colorful place.

Onward, and upward.

Montana-Cans LOOKBOOK 2021 Editorial

7

5 Editorial

10 Montana BLACK

Artist Edition: ATOM

14 LOCKDOWN

ON LOCK

Or how to make it

through 2020

30 POW WOW

Hawai‘i 2020

10th anniversary

40 Montana-Cans

Collabo Series:

CHINATOWN

MARKET

44 GOLDZILLA by

FLYING FÖRTRESS

46 BOND TRULUV

Entering the

world of graffiti

augmentation

56 PICHIAVO

for Metropolink

62 Montana-Cans X

NITRO BAGS

70 The 2020 JBCB

Summer Tour

80 Corona Dampf 2020

84 MUSA.FRAMES

96 CLOAKWORK

Graffiti on a tourist

cruise ship

104 The world according

to N.O.MADSKI

114 KENO was here

120 AKUT

studio insights

124 SISTERHOOD

in graffiti culture

130 Montana-Cans

Latest Products

138 Blackbook

148 Imprint

8 LOOKBOOK 2021 content

10

ATOM MEGABLAST

Celebrating the 20th edition of the

Montana BLACK Artist Series cans.

30

14

LOCKDOWN ON LOCK

The graffiti guide to surviving 2020.

POW WOW Hawai‘i 2020

Celebrating 10 years of POW! WOW!

46

BOND TRULUV

Taking us beyond our

comfort zones into graffiti

augmented reality.

62

Montana-Cans X NITRO BAGS

Time to go anywhere with the ultimate

travel companion.

84

MUSA.FRAMES

So close to the action you can

smell the sweat.

120

AKUT

Forcing us to look beyond the mask.

LOOKBOOK 2021 Content

9

ATOM's

MEGA

BLAST

Location

Dortmund, Germany

Photography

ATOM

Profile

@atomoneski

ATOM ONE, a name that is synonymous

with both German, and international graffiti

history. A writer that has been active

for well over three decades. Originating

from the industrious city of Dortmund, this

prolific graffiti artist has been paving

his way through all disciplines of the graffiti

spectrum since the beginning of his writing

career. All the while doing what he loves

most, letters. With artwork all over the

world and a penchant for the color orange,

we celebrate the release of the 20th

Montana BLACK Artists Series can, ATOM's

MEGABLAST- BLK 2120.

↑ "Big, beautiful,

colorful wholecars".

From the very first

time, Atom describes

what still drives him

today.

→ With a new direction

in the Artist

Series can designs,

ATOM opts for a

photographic touch

for the limited

ATOM's MEGABLAST

can.

10 Artist Edition Atom'S MEgablast

Atom One is a name that stands for over 30

years of quality graffiti innovation. His

roots stemming from the German city of

Dortmund, he is now one of the most

respected graffiti writers on the globe. With an unstoppable

work ethic, his continual commitment to graf -

fiti style writing has made him a reference point for multiple

generations of graffiti writers. To celebrate the

legendary status of the 20th Montana-Cans Artist Series

can, it seemed only fitting to feature a legendary

writer that is active both behind the scenes and in the

scene. With his choice of the Montana BLACK

ATOM's MEGABLAST color, ATOM has paid homage

to his favorite variation of his favorite color, orange.

MC

You have had many periods in your work where particular

styles came to the fore. Do you have a favorite or

any favorite phases in your style that you can reflect on?

ATOM

One poignant period for me was when the Berlin writers

regularly came to visit Dortmund, and I saw that

you can make your style a lot more attractive and with a

lot more power with very few visual resources.

For me when I saw this, I sat down and set myself

the goal of taking the typical Dortmund blockbuster

style that I was doing to a new level and dealing a little

more with letter combinations or to put it more

I do not judge when people progress

and develop their ideas

and expressive forms further, to

reflect the art they make and

the mediums they use.

← ATOM proving

again who is the

winner between man

and machine, with

this colorful wholecar.

MONTANA CANS

Your graffiti name is known all over the world, your style

of graffiti is a reference point for writers of all ages,

and you have been heavily active for over 3 generations.

Does the fire still burn in you as strongly as when

you began?

ATOM

Yes, of course, the fire is still burning as it did at the beginning.

MC

Graffiti has splintered into many diverse sub-disciplines.

What are your feelings toward writers who have

turned to focus on fine art and gallery work, and do you

still relate to the older writers who focus purely on

graffiti style writing?

ATOM

Things are different now compared to 30 years ago.

Some of us have different needs. Now there are

obligations, children, you have to earn money, and the

time is no longer there to go completely nuts as it

was 30 years ago. Or better yet, at the beginning of your

career. Time management is the keyword, and

everything depends on that. Time management is not

my strength otherwise I would be doing more.

accurately, the combination of the letters. I no loger went

out to just paint 5–6 pieces every day and that was

that, rather, I wanted to do achieve one impressive piece

and invest a little more effort to get a better result.

This was such a milestone for me between 1994 and

1998.

MC

You have been an active graffiti writer for the greater part

of your life and have seen many changes in graffiti

culture. (E.G., the internet and social media, the commercialization

of graffiti, the many publications made,

etc.) Are there any specific topics within graffiti writing

culture now that you feel strongly about?

ATOM

Yes of course. I belong to the old guard and have certain

ideas and values that I have come to appreciate and

love over the years. Nevertheless, I do not judge when

people progress and develop their ideas and expressive

forms further, to reflect the art they make and the

mediums they use. I have no problem with that, the

one belongs to the other, and is also justified and should

be continued in my opinion. The only thing I pass

judgment on a little is the time people spend on social

media. This is time that is not being used to be creative

or to reflect on the art you bring to the outside world.

Artist Edition Atom'S MEgablast

11

That's why you don't see posts from me every day or

every week, but only when I feel like it.

MC

Were there any turning points in your life or graffiti writing

career that have affected you more than others?

ATOM

My turning point was when I was 16 years old. This is

when my father said to me: "you have to take care

of yourself now". He no longer felt like being held accountable

all the time for the trouble I was getting

myself into. I left home and stood on my own two feet

for the first time. From that point on, graffiti was

what I was best at and the only thing I had to earn money.

I am grateful to my father for those words to this day.

MC

As a lot of writers see style writing as a never-ending

quest for perfection, are you happy with the work

you are creating right now?

it my pictures or my work developing spray cans that

are fun to use.

I am still looking for perfection in my style which

I will probably never find in my lifetime as there is no

such thing. Or as the beat producers would say, "looking

for the perfect beat". There isn´t one, everything is

a learning process that everyone should go through, not

giving up after going backward while learning the

style process. It always gets better and so style is not

timeless, but always variable, ever-changing, sometimes

more complicated, other times less complicated

or reduced. Sometimes even completely exaggerated.

And that is what style lives from, ever dependent

on the mood you are in.

MC

Your elaborate and prolific wholecar works often pop up

on social media and mystify the audience. Are you that

guy that needs an extra 10 minutes when everyone else

is finished? Or are you the one who is emptying scraps

on another panel while you wait for the others to finish?

I just try to stay true to myself and

not lose sight of the goal I set

myself at the beginning of my career,

which was to paint graffiti for as

long as I could and to become as famous

with it as possible.

← Any model, any size.

What ATOM does

in 2 hours, many don't

manage in a day.

ATOM

I just try to stay true to myself and not lose sight of the

goal I set myself at the beginning of my career, which

was to paint graffiti for as long as I could and to become

as famous with it as possible.

Graffiti has taken on an uncontrollable dynamic

of its own over the years and it goes in all directions.

These directions are all associated, be it street art, graffiti

on canvas for the gallery exhibitions, straight style

writing, tagging, the throw-up movement, etc... All these

things fall under the heading GRAFFITI.

It used to be a handful of people in a city, or in a

country, on a continent. Today it is a complete movement

that I helped spread to all areas of social life including

fashion, music events packaging, advertising,

or social media. Graffiti is simply a formative art form,

or rather the formative form of art of the last 50 years

that simply must be recognized. I am happy and grateful

to be a part of it and to give something back, be

ATOM

Haha, no, I'm definitely not the guy you need to wait an

extra 10 minutes for. Usually, I am the one who

finishes first when there is a time limit of 1.5 to 2 hours.

Particularly if this is discussed beforehand, you

need to stick to it.

I am probably more experienced and can reach

my potential in exactly 2 hours, so it may look more

complicated than others. But it is just that I know what I

can do in 2 hours, keeping it safe, and not over exaggerating

it.

MC

You have successfully managed to consistently paint in

all disciplines of graffiti all over the globe. Whether

it be the streets, walls, or trains. What was the most rewarding

action/project that you have managed to

paint until now?

12 Artist Edition Atom'S MEgablast

→ ATOME ONE mixing

it up with a style

for every occasion.

ATOM

I think the first wholecar I ever painted was the most significant

event or the most outstanding action I did.

From that day on, it was like I was obsessed. All I wanted

to do thereafter was to paint big, beautiful, colorful

wholecars. I hope that I just have enough opportunity and

time on this planet to be able to do that a little more.

MC

What is it that inspired the color MEGABLAST when it

was being developed?

ATOM

Orange has always been my favorite color and that's why

it was clear to me when I got the opportunity to

make my own color, it would be some form of orange.

Montana gave me the opportunity to make

ATOM´s Napalm orange back in the days, but for strategic

reasons, the Writer Team line was then discontinued.

This resulted in ATOM´s MEGABLAST Orange.

MEGABLAST because this orange covers

extremely well.

MC

Imagine that for whatever reason, you have concluded

that you must stop writing graffiti forever. If you

can have one last painting session that is guaranteed to

work out. Where would it be and on what?

ATOM

Yes, I've been contemplating this topic for quite a while,

and at some point, I won't be able to paint graffiti

anymore. You never know if you will stay healthy, your

bones will get tired, or you just don't feel like it anymore,

which I can't imagine at this point and I'm almost

50. But the last action will definitely be a beautiful

colorful Wholecar and I would be most happy about it if it

was on an old steel train wagon. That was the first

train I painted, so it would be a fitting ending.

MC

What's your favorite Montana BLACK can and cap combination?

ATOM

The best Montana cans cap combo for me is Montana

BLACK black with a NYC fat cap for the outlines, or

any Montana BLACK line can with Gold/Black fat cap to

fill in. Absolutely the best!

MC

When in Italy, how many cups of coffee do you drink per

day?

ATOM

Good question, when I'm in Italy, my Italian colleagues

always laugh because I drink too much coffee.

I only drink cappuccino and Italians only drink cappuccino

in the morning with breakfast. But that's not enough

for me, I drink cappuccino all day. There is always one or

the other shake of the head from the Italian boys.

Or as they say, "Latze, is not possible cappuccino now,

only in the morning".

Artist Edition Atom'S MEgablast

13

LOCK

DOWN

ON

LOck

Or how to make it through 2020

Text

@team_flightmode

Special thanks to

all contributing artists

& partners

Photography

@iamlaia

@koolfunc88

@waneonecod

@cloakwork

@kae_67

@__lafranz__

@clicks05

@pshines_aow

RIBES

ALONE

1

Last year was a bizarre period, certainly one

for the books. At the beginning of January

2020, reports of an unknown syndrome

started to appear on the news sporadically.

There had been an outbreak in a Chinese

metropolis. That city was Wuhan and, the

mysterious illness became one of the most

frequently used words all over the world

in that year: Corona. A new kind of virus,

SARS COV-2, to be exact, causing a disease

called Covid-19. Apparently, it was very

contagious and possibly dangerous. Precautions

were taken to prevent further

prevalence, but it had been too late. A pandemic

had started. Corona has been

spreading relentlessly around the world

ever since.

2

14 Montana Cans Lockdown on lock

“I remember watching the entire beginning of the

pandemic in China on television. I thought this would

never spread to the rest of the world”, Laia recognizes

with a sense of disbelief when asked about how she

remembers the beginning of 2020. “I thought it would

be one more catastrophe, like all those that are experienced

in many countries but end quickly.”

Country after country was affected. Skeptical

and hesitant reactions soon turned into pure paranoia,

which seemed to morph into a kind of fatigue or negligence

over time. Both individuals and governments acted

upon the new circumstances. All of a sudden, our

globalized world showed direct downsides of connectivity.

Amongst others, traveling was identified as a

catalyst of the pandemic.

It comes as no surprise also Graffiti culture would

become affected eventually, as societies struggled

to tackle the new situation on all levels. Fist bumps, hand

sanitizer, social distancing, contact restrictions,

remote work, superspreaders. Video calls, home workouts,

homeschooling, home office, systematically

relevant professions, curfews, travel restrictions, lockdowns.

Some buzzwords gained momentum quickly.

They manifest how language both mimics and shapes

our way of thinking. What’s more, these concepts

reveal a whole new set of rules and external factors that

changed our behavior and modified our reality to a

new normal. The world was changing fast, and we tried

to adjust. But was it all just bad?

3

Country after country was affected.

Skeptical and hesitant reactions

soon turned into pure paranoia,

which seemed to morph into a kind

of fatigue or negligence over time.

4

Dissecting this pandemic’s symptoms and semantics

could make one think writers should have

been the first ones to adjust. Writers are used to disguising

their faces, often wearing gloves and respirators

for protection. Habits that were widespread already prepandemic

in our niche became the norm. But writers

also usually love to travel, and they are rather free-spirited

beings that do not respond well to restrictions.

The world never felt more at stake in recent years

than in 2020. Not to mention other challenging issues:

open racism, institutional violence, fake news, presidential

elections in the United States, Brexit, Moria, and

sadly, this list could go on. The bushfires in Australia

were no metaphor; the world was, in fact, burning.

1 ALONE, taking

a moment to observe,

seeing if the air is

clear.

2 Is this steel still

safe to hold weight?

RIBES putting the

iconic bolt cutters to

good use, ensuring

they don't gather rust

in Lockdown.

3 Just because there

is a pandemic, doesn't

mean it doesn't get

hot. WANE bringing

the heat regardless of

the conditions.

4 LAIA keeping it

smiley while sporting

her own design

Montana Cans TAKE

AWAY cotton bag.

Montana Cans Lockdown on lock

15

5

We didn’t take it seriously because

it started on the other side of the

planet, and we always think when

it is far away, it wouldn’t impact us.

Laia

6

But let us rewind to a time before masked faces were a

common sight in the broad public.

We asked ten Graffiti artists with diverse backgrounds

about their personal journeys throughout the

year 2020. From Asia to Northern and Southern Europe,

from East Coast to West Coast in the United States,

we spoke to enthusiasts from all over the planet. Enjoy insights

by Alone (Italy), Cloak (Malaysia), Func (France),

Kae (USA), LaFranz (Italy), Laia (Spain), Pheo (Denmark),

Post (USA), Ribes (Italy), and Wane (USA).

REALITY CHECK

“We didn’t take it seriously because it started on the other

side of the planet, and we always think when it is far

away, it wouldn’t impact us,” Func says. The Paris resident

quickly changed his mind, though. “I wasn’t

scared at first... But I quickly started to remember all the

dystopian movies I’m watching all the time and thinking

it could be the end of days,” he continues with a smirk,

seemingly trying to take the critical situation with humor.

Laia and Func address what probably a majority

can relate to. Disbelief, refusal, derealization, or feeling

like being in a bad movie. With the omnipresence of

technological devices, an abundance of information

is guaranteed. Whether on news broadcasts or social

media, updates on recent developments are available

at all times. While this might accelerate global developments

and business, there is also a downside. More

information does not create more order. The universal

law of thermodynamics describes this as entropy.

Thus, more than ever, one needs to be media savvy to

process the plethora. “It seemed like the world turned


upside down overnight, and the future became so uncertain.

In the early days of the pandemic, there was

so much misinformation floating around out there, so it

was really hard to know what was true or false or even

know what to expect next,” Wane says.

7

FEELING TRAPPED – DOWNSIDES

“When the pandemic was starting, it seemed all normal;

I kept on as usual. However, as time passed, much

negative news came. ...I started to demoralize myself. I

had so much free time but at the same time very few

opportunities,” Ribes admits. The native of northern Italy

faced a struggle of many. With increasing precautions

and restrictions, individual freedom got limited.

Social interactions had to be reduced; people were

forced to stay close to their homes to stop distributing

the virus. As a result, many perceived themselves to

be deprived. “I felt trapped as a lot of things couldn’t be

achieved,” as Cloak from Malaysia puts it. “Most of

my Graffiti tours and spraycations were put to a halt, and

there was a lot of uncertainty,” he continues. “To be

honest, I wasn’t mentally prepared for the pandemic as

well as the lockdown as I’m someone who is outgoing

and always loves to create new pieces outdoors.” Almost

everybody was confronted with similar problems like

isolation and constraint. Over time, not simultaneously,

with regional variations, as waves of infections created

constant ups and downs. A rising number of cases was

usually followed by amplified measures and vice

versa, creating a limbo.

I had so much free time but at the

same time very few opportunities.

Ribes

5 Cloakwork taking

it back to basics

in the black book. The

beauty of drawing

is you can do it at

home and refer to it

later. Anywhere,

at any time.

6 LAIA dropping

a different take on a

classic character.

This time E.T.

with some attitude.

7 RIBES showing that

the show must go

on. Locked down or

not, if you earned a

spot in the game you

have to maintain it.

8 With less happening

on the street,

POST using all

chances offered to

him to get over.

Apart from physical wellbeing, also mental health

gained importance. A lot of people dealt with fear,

uncertainty, and a decline in motivation. “...When I try to

remember those two and a half months [referring to

the first lockdown], the memories are hazy in my head.

Every day was exactly the same, and obviously, I

couldn’t paint,” Laia states. “The last wall was kinda

weird, saying goodbye to your friends for a while, entering

a very dystopic future,” Func adds.

“The city [was] in fear. So people were locked in.

The streets were kind of deserted. I went about life

as I usually do, but with a mask on. Graffiti wise the pandemic

brought a lot of people out. People that were

already doing their thing started going harder. And people

I’ve never seen up in my life started doing bad

Graffiti all over the streets. A lot of businesses had to

close, so they let the Graffiti run on everything for the

most part, so it was like 10 new writers a day were born.

Shit kind of took the essence out of it for me,” Post

reveals about his experiences as a resident of New York.

8


17

9

9 KAER giving the

color treatment

to a different moving

target.

10

10 It isn't always

about how many colors

you can throw

at a piece. LA FRANZ

showing that tonal

can be just as impressive

with the new

Montana GOLD gray

tones.

11 Three colors on

virgin concrete.

LAIA keeping it simple

and effective.


11


19

The changes had me wondering

about things I never had to stress

too much about, like how I was

going to get food from the supermarket,

pay bills, stay safe during

the madness.

Kaer


12

“Los Angeles had its waves of lockdowns and

curfews that were implemented. Painting has been a sort

of push and pull situation. Mostly due to the fact that

I have a family of my own and am the head of household

who is responsible for holding shit down for five people.

So, in the beginning, we were being super careful

about everything we did. As time went on, the confusion

progressed. And being sort of a street person, so

to speak, being home for long periods of time, really

took a toll,” Kae continues. “The uncertainty of what was

coming was very confusing.”

All of a sudden, Wane wondered how to organize

everyday basics, “the biggest struggle was not necessarily

having to stay home, but the uncertainty around

some of the most basic things we were all so used to.

The changes had me wondering about things I never had

to stress too much about, like how I was going to get

food from the supermarket, pay bills, stay safe during

the madness. But perhaps most importantly, it had

me wondering when I would see my friends and family

again.” What once was normal apparently changed into

something challenging. LaFranz continues to emphasize

the lack of external stimulus: “Without being able

to travel and to paint with your friends, and without all

the events and Graffiti jams, it’s hard to feel always inspired.

I do not live in a big city, so it was not so easy.”

In lockdown periods, new routines had to be

established. Former variety exchanged for monotony.

On the contrary, time, which is usually scarce, was not a

limiting factor anymore. So, how to turn all of this

around and regain confidence?

Without being able to travel and to

paint with your friends, and without

all the events and Graffiti jams, it’s

hard to feel always inspired.

LaFranz

13

12 “Say their names.”

WANE faces the

issues in his homeland

through color

and communication.

13 KAER making light

work of this van with

his selected Montana

BLACK can colors.


21

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER

OF INVENTION – UPSIDES

“Back then, frustration was the main feeling overall: deleting

all traveling plans and suffering those crazy restrictions

of freedom like ‘curfew’ or being ‘forced to stay at

home’. I’m personally a loner in a sense I enjoy the time

with myself, I like to paint with no-one and, always take

solitude as an opportunity,” Alone from Milan reveals.

“As a graphic designer, lockdown didn’t change a thing

for me; I’m still glued to the computer. Whatever...

the nerd life,” laughs Func, admitting at least his profession

was unaltered. Pheo tried to take the good with

the bad: “My job, although required that I worked as usual,

but for a short period, I worked from home. This gave

me opportunities to make a piece or two during lunch

break. I tried to do this as often as possible, most of

the time alone, but sometimes it was possible to meet

up with a couple of others. The advantage of Graffiti

is that you can join up outside and keep the required

distance. This opportunity meant a lot to me. Being

able to keep up with my painting gave a lot of new energy

and let a bit of positivity into a time where things

looked bad.”

So, after a time of frustration and grief came an

acceptance. The circumstances were undeniable. The

best one could do to cope with the situation was to seek

possibilities rather than focusing on problems. Thus,

some started to practice their craft to step their game up.

I’m personally a loner in a sense I

enjoy the time with myself, I like to

paint with no-one and, always take

solitude as an opportunity.

Alone

14

15


“I concentrated on sketching, to find out new

pieces, that I could do as soon as all this situation would

end,” says Ribes. “Sketching for hours daily became

the highlight of the day,” Wane replies. “I don’t really

sketch, just doodle thousands of throw-ups, straight

letters, and hand styles just like any other day. Everything

I’ve done before the pandemic... got the same focus

throughout the pandemic.” Post highlights his already

established routines and shows resilience.

“I drew a lot, but my mind was a little blocked, so

I changed my online store. I thought of new products

to produce and ways to improve my projects. I also designed

new tote bags,” Laia adds. “In the first lockdown,

I sketched a lot on paper but also in digital. I did

some collaboration with my CTA’s crewmates, and I

had fun customizing some home stuff, like restyling old

chairs and painting my alphabet on glass,” LaFranz

continues. “I’m just doing my best to remain productive,

thoughtful, and pushing myself to learn some new

tricks when I have nothing but time. For example, I spent

more time on digital illustrations and more sketches

for future graffiti works (you never know when a sketch

might come in handy!),” Cloak concludes. “I’ve just

noticed how the lockdown has sort of slowed me down,

in a good way, though.”

Pheo also took the time to lay the groundwork for

future projects, “I have spent a lot of time planning for

color combinations, letters, productions, etc. I have enjoyed

being able to spend a lot of time to immerse

and develop my letters. I have been productive and created

a lot more sketches than usual, so I am well prepared

for the upcoming walls and productions this year.”

14 The self-confessed

loner. ALONE sees

solitude as an opportunity.

Including the

opportunity to paint.

15 Lunchtime burners.

Working from home

on a reduced timeline

meant PHEO had

more chances to

dash out at lunchtime

for a quick paint.

16 Polishing up the

drawing skills. WANE

indulges in a little

style experimentation.

17 Meanwhile, on

the other side of the

globe, great minds

were thinking alike.

PHEO also trying

out some new moves

on paper.

18 (following page)

Stopping all stations

to nowhere. ALONE

keeping it locked

down on steel while

the world is locked

down.

16

17

I have enjoyed being able to spend

a lot of time to immerse and develop

my letters. I have been productive

and created a lot more sketches than

usual, so I am well prepared for

the upcoming walls and productions

this year.

Pheo

“I can probably count on both hands the times I

actually sat down and sketched something in the last

10 years. Until now of course. I decided to get an iPad

where I was able to sketch up pieces directly on the

surfaces I planned to paint in order to analyze color and

structure,” Kae goes on. He did not just think of himself

though, “aside from that, I took some time to send

friends of mine sketches I drew up of their names. I

also hadn’t owned a set of fancy blackbook markers in

over 10 years.”


23


18


25

18 “Can I kick it, yes

you can”. FUNC and

his friends throwing

themselves into the

@ciki3000 sketch

battles.

19–21 POSTR taking

it back to the New

York underground

one tag and throw-up

at a time.

22 Creeping on spots

that are usually hard.

With heavy lockdown

restrictions being in

place, some Milan

yards were left understaffed,

and ′open′ to

negotiation.

23 When opportunity

knocked, ALONE rose

to the occasion.

18

Func and his friends took sketching to a new

level and added a social aspect since physical contacts

were reduced. “During the first lockdown we created

a private Instagram account moderated by Crazé and

Fred1 called ‘ciki3000 aka Can I kick it 3000’. A bunch

of selected stylewriting addicts joined the group, and we

battled some names days after days. As much as the

rhythm started to be insane, we counted more than 2500

posts at the end of the lockdown with mad styles and

creative tries. That was fun and a good way to get to know

each other a little bit more. It was basically a French-

German initiative project.”

Their initiative creatively utilized technology and

pushed their individual style developments through

interactive feedback. Cloak could benefit from technology

as well, but he had a different approach. “I was

physically and mentally prepared to go to Taiwan to paint

a cruise ship, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it,

and I had to ask my best pals in Taiwan to execute the plan

on my behalf. The project was a success at the end,

as we had constant communication with each member

of the team.”

The less people on the streets...

the more you stand out. Otherwise,

it’s almost like hiding in plain sight.

19

Post

20

21

Writers are usually an adaptive crowd. Overcoming

obstacles is constantly part of the game; thus,

writers are masters of finding creative solutions.

“There was a lockdown. But I was out and about

as usual. On my ‘essential worker’ shit. As for bombing

I could carry on if I wanted to. I would paint in public

in broad day when there was no pandemic. And did

the same thing during the pandemic and actually got

caught. The less people on the streets... the more

you stand out. Otherwise, it’s almost like hiding in plain

sight. And at night, everyone had to be indoors. All

public transportation was stopped: trains, busses, taxis,

Ubers, Lyfts, everything. If you had your own car and

were outside, you stood out because any cars were out.

So you had to have a reason to be out if you got pulled

over, which was something that would most likely happen.

That made it difficult to do Graffiti in the streets for a

while,” Post explains what kind of problems he faced on

the streets of New York. However, he came up with

a solution: “If I can’t or don’t want to do Graffiti in the

streets, I take it underground. The thing about doing

Graffiti underground, is that none of it last past a 48 hours.

So most of it, if not 99%, doesn’t get seen or pics taken

other than my own pics or pics I allow certain graffiti

photographers to go get before the Graff gets cleaned.

And in the world of social media, if people don’t see

pics of what you are doing nonstop, they will think you

are inactive. I like it that way, though. There’s so much

shit I’ve done in 2020 that didn’t touch social media.”


22

Instead of painting, I concentrated

more on some other passions related

to the mountains, finding back the

freedom I lost twice.

Alone

23

“Milan early 2020 was completely fucked up until

May. This was the first lockdown, then summer arrived,

and more loose rules together with it. I had super

much fun painting spots that were super hard before

lockdown, security was pretty much understaffed, and

we caught the opportunity,” says Alone. Milan, the

biggest city in the northern Italian region of Lombardy,

was hit the hardest by Corona early on in the pandemic

in Europe. A skyrocketing number of infections

meant strict restrictions from the beginning.

“I did some quick road trips with good friends,

and everything was nice again. Then a second lockdown

arrived in autumn. I was more organized, and the

cops were more chill, but my personal motivation

was beaten down by these stupid rules again. Instead

of painting, I concentrated more on some other passions

related to the mountains, finding back the freedom

I lost twice,” he continues. To him, escapism is a

means to deal with the stress city life can entail. “So the

big issue for me was meeting too much police and

army everywhere, always checking even when just walking.

This pressure sucks so much; I thought, ‘fuck,

Orwell is getting closer and closer’...Train writers deal

with adapting to different environments every day.

We don’t need open bars or restaurants to do what we

like: a bush, a construction area, or a parking lot can

be cozier than anything else sometimes, but all this control

was way too much in the first, super hard, lockdown

in Milan. I respect people who were struggling at


27

24

the hospital or dying – but paying the consequences

of stupid people out there who have no clue about surviving

alone (or with your relatives), it was too much

as well.” Alone addresses a dilemma: a double bind situation

of being caught up in between responsibility

for others yet feeling the need for individual freedom.

Kae admits having mixed feelings, too: “somehow I

managed to pull off some interesting things that I now

reflect on and have some sort of bitter-sweet guilt

attached to. This is after really seeing the effects this

whole shit had on everybody, including family members

outside of my household.”

25

The main thing the pandemic has

taught me is that we really took even

our most basic freedoms for granted,

whether it is the freedom to travel,

the freedom to paint outside, and

even the freedom to spend time with

the ones we love.

Wane

I would love to reunite with people,

...party, and have the freedom to

explore places without fear.

Cloak

26

ANTICIPATION IS THE

GREATEST JOY – OUTLOOK

“I would love to reunite with people, ...party, and have the

freedom to explore places without fear,” Cloak bursts

out in response to what he looks forward to. Post simply

emphasizes continuity: “No lockouts, the game

don’t stop.”

“Travel. Travel again. I’m pretty sure my first destination

will be Germany,” LaFranz states. The answer

is unisono – Laia, Ribes, Pheo, Alone, Wane, and Func

want to see the world and, even more, embrace their

friends. Humans are social beings, after all.

“I want to take my kids and wife out to a really

nice dinner. I used to spoil them when it came to going

out to eat. It’s something I hold really close, as I never

really had that structure as a kid where we sat down to

enjoy a meal as a family. So watching my family enjoy

themselves together is something I value,” Kae shares.

Drawing a conclusion as of now seems hard

since the pandemic is still not over. The virus or its mutations

might become endemic. Yet, some things are

certain. For better or worse, Corona will be a catalyst in

some aspects. Digitalization took a big step forward.

While tourism and imports slowed down, at least nature

could catch a short break. Global repercussions are

undeniable and inevitable. Thus, the best thing to do is to

concentrate on positive aspects. Try to benefit from

the extra time. Invest energy into your passion; maybe

go painting more. Take a moment to rethink, focus on

what can be done now – like sketching, for instance.


24 Caught in traffic,

RIBES manages to

spread some color in

an otherwise gray situation.

25 No hidden message

here as LAIA

brings another smile

with some style.

26 Tuning the the

canvas skills, one of

many pieces created

by WANE during

the lockdown period.

27 Making the important

decisions,

WANE looks over his

Montana BLACK

and GOLD cans to see

which comes next.

28 WANE reminding

us to “Just Skate”

when the chips are

down.

27

We encourage you to be creative! This applies to

both professional and purely passionate contexts of

your artistic output. Quite a few writers managed to invest

their surplus of time wisely. Graffiti media flourished

in 2020. There was time for creation, curation, and

consumption, whether magazines, blogs, books,

videos, and podcasts. “I took the opportunity to put together

a fanzine-book called Graffiti Minded. For a

long time, I wanted to do something on paper, and thanks

to the lockdown, I did it together with all my beautiful

friends around the globe, more or less locked, like me,”

Alone says.

“...Better times will come,” Laia is certain. “For

sure, I painted way less compared to the previous

year, and every action now considers new elements. But

those new things are not always unpleasant! Like,

wearing a mask everywhere is not that bad,” Alone concludes

with a smile. Wane has humble reasoning, “the

main thing the pandemic has taught me is that we really

took even our most basic freedoms for granted,

whether it is the freedom to travel, the freedom to paint

outside, and even the freedom to spend time with the

ones we love.”

Like, wearing a mask everywhere is

not that bad.

Alone

28


29

Pow!

wow!

10th anniversary HAWAI‘I 2020

Location

Hawai‘i

Profile

@powwowworldwide

Photography

Ian Lundie &

Lannycatcheswalls

For the last 10 years the POW! WOW! organization

has been creating a world-renowned

street art festival. But if you look

at their achievements during this time,

this is but a mear portion of what the team

and all the participants have created.

← The now-iconic, limited

edition Montana

Cans x POW! WOW!

10th Anniversary collaboration

can.

↑ The POW! WOW!

team in the flesh at

Lana Lane Studios,

the home of POW!

WOW!

Let’s start by looking at the participating artists

in 2020. The strong line up came from all over the

globe. Internationally, the visiting artists were;

123Klan, Aaron de la Cruz, Aaron Kai, Alex Pardee,

Andrew Schoultz, Baghead, Bier and Brood, Brian

Butler, Cryptik, Czolk, Defer, Denpa, Dragon76, Drew

Merritt, Edwin Ushiro, Frida Stiil Vium, Jay Howell,

Jose Mertz, Joshua Vides, Jurne, Kevin Lyons, Lauren

YS, Madsteez, Matt Eaton, Mayonaize, Nathan Smith,

OG Slick, Persue, Rabi, Saturno, Simone Legno of Tokidoki,

Tatiana Suarez, Tristan Eaton, Will Barras, Woes, Yoheyy.

30 Recap Pow! Wow! Hawai‘I

Locally the talent participating was just as strong;

7Sketches, Asalt, Bethany Georges, Cheyne Gallarde,

Ckaweeks, CME, Cory Taum, Dak1ne, Devour, East3, Flip,

Gary Draws Fish, Gavin Murai, Grace, Mr. Hahn, Jack

Soren, Jana Lam, Jesico Serrano, Kahiau Beamer, Kai

Kaulukukui, Kaplan Bunce, Katch, Kate Wadsworth,

Kealakukui, Kim Sielbeck, Kris Goto, Kween, Lauren Hana

Chai, Lucky Olelo, Luke DeKneef, Maek, Mark Milligan,

Marko Livingston, Matthew Tapia, Mauka, Melon James,

Nanea Lum, Oera, Pero, Puff, Ralph De La Cruz, Ran

Noveck, Retsy, Sergio Garzon, Shar Tuiasoa, Shingo,

Solomon Enos, Ware, Wooden Wave.

↑ Bier En Broot (NL).

Enter the vortex, this

mind boggling mural

draws the viewer in

to an imaginary void.

↖ German artist

CZOLK takes the

stage to show what

he can do for the

POW! WOW! audience.

← Baghead and

Upperhand, taking

it from Miami to

Hawai‘i. With just

the right amount

of everything.

→ Josh Hall aka Baghead

and Brian Butler

aka Upperhand pause

to smile for the cameras

they had been trying

to ignore for the

duration of painting.

Recap Pow! Wow! Hawai‘I

31

In 2020 to help celebrate the 10th anniversary, a

select group of our own MONTANA CANS team went

beachside in Hawaii to see, hear, and experience it all in

the flesh themselves. With the welcomed special

Collabo Montana Cans Shock Black 10th anniversary

can at the event, design by POW! WOW! co-founder

Kamea, it seemed a fitting occasion for everyone to meet

and greet. The natural landscape of Hawaii, which

plays such a large roll in the home of the POW! WOW!

festival was a welcoming host as the colors off, and

on the walls were as inspiring as those being sprayed

with Montana GOLD and Montana BLACK on them.

↗ 123 Klan featuring

Scien and Klor. Bringing

tradition of graffiti

style writing to the

island.

→→ The Michelle

Hoogveld mural in all

its geometric, yet organic

glory.

→ Michelle Hoogveld

(CA). Posing in front

of her finished work.

↓ Haunting and enchanting.

It is not

always about lots

of colors.


↑ Flora and fauna,

play a large role in

POW! WOW! murals

thanks to the inspiring

landscape.

→ All shapes and sizes.

The POW! WOW!

festival has it all.

All visiting artists who sometimes become

international POW! WOW! collaborators

are amazed by the positive response and

support by residents of the Kaka’ako

district of Honolulu.

→ Rule number one

at any POW! WOW!

event; „Don’t take

yourself too seriously.“

↓ Murals of all sizes

and shapes. The artists

at POW! WOW!

know how to do it all.

← Kevin Lyons keeping

it fruity, and

aesthetic.


33


↖ Art. The place where

life, death, and nature

merge, thanks to

the hand of the artist.

← Wildlife, a great

source of inspiration

for murals on this

idyllic island.

↑ With a flavor of

tattoo art, figures

and form harmonize

on a large scale.


35

The local community also plays a large role in

the success of POW! WOW! both nationally and

internationally. All visiting artists who sometimes become

international POW! WOW! collaborators are

amazed by the positive response and support by residents

of the Kaka’ako district of Honolulu. Their positive

energy transports a spirit that is welcomed and in

demand, all over the world.

There are also many teams behind the team. Copartners

like Thinkspace help create exhibitions, happenings

and artist talks that take being a POW! WOW!

participant to a whole other level. A place where graffiti

meets street art, urban art, music, and dance, the POW!

WOW! umbrella is a creative force to be reckoned with.

We look forward to the future years of collaboration

and partnership with POW! WOW! team, and reflect

fondly on the ten years of achievements thus far.

↖ All styles and colors.

The POW! WOW!

reach is not only felt

by its audience, but

also its wide spectrum

of artists.

← The power to create

and come together.

The true essence of

every POW! WOW!

gathering.

↙ Let’s not forget a

touch of humor. Art

for the inner child,

both young and old.

↓ Abstract, figurative,

and everything in between.

There is something

for everyone.

↓ It’s not all men,

↓ spray cans, and

graffiti. POW! WOW!

is a truly unique

creative happening.


↑ Final wall by Jose

Mertz & SaturnoArt in

Kakaako, Oahu

← Final wall by

Woes & Dragon76 in

Kakaako, Oahu.

↙ Dragon76, Jose

Mertz, SaturnoArt &

Woes. Not afraid to

take on big projects.

A place where graffiti meets

street art, urban art, music,

and dance, the POW! WOW!

umbrella is a creative force

to be reckoned with.

↓ Size doesn’t always

matter. A small wall

with a lot to offer at

ground level.


37

TRISTAN & MATT EATON

“RABINDRA” MURAL

Tristan and Matt Eaton @ POW! WOW!

HAWAII – A homage to “Rabindra”

Location

Hawai‘i

Profile

@ matteatonasnobody

@tristaneaton

Photography

Ian Lundie &

Lannycatcheswalls

Make sure to check out the LEGACY EPISODE on:

www.tristaneaton.com

↓ The finished mural,

„Rabindra“. By Matt

and Tristan Eaton.

↓ Starting, with a long

↓ road ahead. Painting

offers time to reflect

and connect.

It’s hard to look past the sorrow when losing someone

you love. But for American artists, Tristan and

Matt Eaton, being invited to POW! WOW! HAWAII was

the perfect opportunity to create a mural inspired

by their much-loved uncle Ralph “Rabindra” Danks aka

“Binda”. The name Rabindra is related to the sun Indra

and was given to their uncle by an Indian Guru. The Eaton

brothers credit their uncle for a lot of their outlook

on life, humor, music and above all art. With a fascination

for animals, Binda’s life included being born in Glasgow,

being a musician in a band playing alongside the

likes of The Beatles, Eric Clapton, and the Rolling

Stones, to eventually settling down in Japan to focus

on a successful career in art and creativity.


This rich tapestry of inspiration and stories was

easily drawn from by Matt and Tristan Eaton who

have created monumental artwork combining their two

styles with their uncles love of the natural world.

The artwork also titled ‘Rabindra’, truly celebrates their

uncle’s life and gives the brothers a chance to share

visual homage with the POW! WOW! HAWAII audience

and beyond.

The name Rabindra is related to the sun

Indra and was given to their uncle by

an Indian Guru.

With the vibrant Montana GOLD colors expanding

in and around what appears to be the shape of

a tiger, the white of the walls base coat plays host to a

neutral background for the tiger’s internal details to

come to the gelding. Take a moment here to ponder the

beauty that is ‘Rabindra’.

The Eaton brothers credit their uncle for a

lot of their outlook on life, humor, music

and above all art. With a fascination for animals,

Binda’s life included being born in

Glasgow, being a musician in a band...

↑ The hot Hawaiian

sun can be hard at the

best of times. Being

on a scissor lift with a

wall reflecting light

onto you is just another

challenge for the

Eaton brothers.

→ Traditions and rituals,

a bonding experience

for all POW!

WOW! participants.

↙ Being brothers doesn’t

make painting

large murals any easier.

But it does help

communication.


39

CALL MY

LAWYER

Location

Los Angeles, USA

Profile

@chinatownmarket

Photography

Chinatown Market

In case of an emergency, call the number on

the can. This might sound like a health

and safety warning for aerosol can use, but

it is not. It could be, however, a practical

instruction for artists to pick up the phone

when their rights have been infringed or

work used without authorization.

↑ A new take on a

American classic.

Chinatown Market

re-invents the basketball

with a new look.

→ The message is

clear, the tides have

turned for artists that

have their work used

for the financial gain

of others.

40 Collabo Series Jeff Gluck X Chinatown Market

Big business knows who’s

hot in the art world.

The artists are seldom included

in this financial

chain, and theirs is the artwork

that functions as

the backbone of many campaigns

without any remuneration.

↓ Yellow and black,

the new CI to remind

you when it’s time

to call your lawyer.

CALL MY LAWYER is a limited edition collabo

can that tackles this topic head-on. And

actually provides a number for artists to call

when they think have been ripped off.

The idea was born out of a recent trend by big businesses

that use original artworks for their own purposes

to generate revenue and drive their sales.

All without the consent of the artist or payment

for their creative contribution. The Seventh Letter,

lawyer Jeff Gluck, China Town Market and Montana Cans

have come together to create a can that spreads

awareness of the issue and provide a possible solution

to this problem for those affected. Gluck, Seventh

Letter and China Town Market are all at the coal face of

the issue. In cases of copyright infringement or

unauthorized use, Jeff Gluck is a New York-based lawyer

who specializes in protecting the work and rights

of artists. Recent cases with Seventh Letter artists such

as Jason REVOK Williams’s work being used by

H&M and Cavalli, RIME’s work being used by Jeremy Scott

or DASH SNOW’s work being used by Mc Donalds

highlights that big business know who’s hot in the art

world. Using their ideas and artwork to reach their target

demographic without the normal associated costs.

Collabo Series Jeff Gluck X Chinatown Market

41

But the artists are seldom included in this financial chain,

and theirs is the artwork that functions as the backbone

of many campaigns without any remuneration.

Gluck has been a lone ranger representing the often

non financial artists against deep-pocketed big business.

For him, it all started in the initial phases of him

opening his own practice. His work with Curtis Kulig

who became his first client, began a process of referrals

and testimonials, showing artists that Gluck had

their backs. In his words, he is trying to “level the

playing field” which can assist artists in protecting their

rights and their financial interests.

↓ In case of emergency,

call the number on

the donut and speak

to your lawyer.

He is trying to “level the

playing field” which

can assist artists in protecting

their rights and

their financial interests.

42 Collabo Series Jeff Gluck X Chinatown Market

A can that has positioned

itself as the ultimate

tool to fight the system

since day one.

↑ Clever and real. Jeff

Gluck puts his money

where his mouth is

and helps artists fight

the big fight.

After a successful sell-through of a CALL MY

LAWYER t-shirts by China Town Market, the obvious

next step was to transform the design on the tools of

which the artists use to create the work. The black

lithography of the CALL MY LAWYER can boast a similar

aesthetic of the Montana BLACK can. A can that has

positioned itself as the ultimate tool to fight the system

since day one. Filled with benchmark black 9001

color, this can will find it’s way into the hands of the artists

via, The Seventh Letter, China Town Market and Jeff

Gluck himself. An instant collectors item with an important

message.

Collabo Series Jeff Gluck X Chinatown Market

43

Goldzilla

Limited edition print:

GOLDZILLA –

The King of Cans

FRA MED

Location

Hamburg, Germany

Photography

@nokiss.print

Profile

@flyingfortress243

44 Art Print GOLDZILLA – A Flying Förtress Design

FLYING FÖRTRESS, the German artist, graffiti

writer, and fan of all things mullet, is well known

across the globe for his signature teddy bear

helmet characters, and his humorous illustrative

graffiti styles. No stranger to the Montana Cans family,

he has often participated in various Montana Cans projects

including the highly collectible, Limited Edition,

BLACKBRÄU – OKTOBER FEST can. Since 2015,

Although he is an avid Montana

BLACK user when doing graffiti,

FÖRTRESS shows some love for

his favorite artmaking can, the

Montana GOLD.

FÖRTRESS has been toying with the idea of a characterized

Montana GOLD x GODZILLA design, but until now

just hasn’t had the right moment or format to develop it.

That was until COVID came to town and gave everyone

a reason to stay home and have a lot more time. Fast

forward a little, and we celebrate the launch of the

Limited Edition FLYING FÖRTRESS print, GOLDZILLA!

And the second love incorporated

in the design is the iconic character

from his childhood, GODZILLA.

The GOLDZILLA art print is a homage to two of

FÖRTRESS’s favorite things. Although he is an avid

Montana BLACK user when doing graffiti, FÖRTRESS

shows some love for his favorite artmaking can, the

Montana GOLD. And the second love incorporated in the

design is the iconic character from his childhood,

GODZILLA.

↑ At a close look it is

clear to see that every

print features color

cut edges by the

personal hand touch

of FLYING FÖRTRESS

and Montana GOLD.

↗ More than just a

multiple, the FLYING

FÖRTRESS - GOLD-

ZILLA print is the

perfect addition to

any art collection.

← The inner child of

Flying Förtress,

GOLDZILLA in all its

graffiti glory.

The 3-color hand-printed screen

print is in A4 format and color cut with

Montana GOLD along the edges.

The print was released in a numbered limited

series of 100 at Nokiss Letterpress Studio. The 3-color

hand-printed screen print is in A4 format and color

cut with Montana GOLD along the edges. Maybe you too

can still get lucky and grab one of these exclusiv

prints for yourself from the FLYING FÖRTRESS webshop

or at the Montana Cans Store Vienna or Frankfurt!

Art Print GOLDZILLA – A Flying Förtress Design

45

Bond

truluv

Location

Leipzig, Germany

Photography

Jordan Katz

Profile

@bondtruluv

Montana Cans visits BOND TRULUV

Entering the world of graffiti augmentation

BOND TRULUV uses travel as one of his

greatest sources of inspiration. Walking

paths he has never gone before translates

to his creative goal of creating artwork

that has never been seen or done

before. In this article, we explore the world

of BOND TRULUV from the comfort of

his studio and watch as this dynamic artist

creates his augmented reality artwork,

with his trademark graffiti touch.

46 Artist in focus / Interview bond truluv

There have been many references to the Germanborn

artist BOND TRULUV throughout the

Montana media platforms. Without a doubt, his

unique artworks have caught not only our eye

but also that of an international audience. Going beyond

your classic graffiti style writing, BOND’s commitment

to finding new ways to express his artwork and letters has

taken him down a unique path. Born in 1981, since the

2000s BOND’s roots in graffiti have guided him in a direction

where graffiti meets fine art, stopping in the digital

world and graphic design along the way. With a neverending

thirst for travel, BOND’s adventures have not

only taken him around the world for education and experience,

but they have also enabled him to leave behind

an international trail of artworks. He has exhibited and

created murals all over Europe, Africa and Asia, including

countries like India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,

and Myanmar.

His constant experimentation

of the digital world,

long exposure photography,

installations, and video

mapping has resulted in him

being the first graffiti artist

to embed augmented reality

into his artworks.

↑ Layer upon layer,

there is no easy way

to get to perfection

except with patience

and passion.

↓ From the outside

looking in. The space

where BOND’s studio

work comes to life.

To get a closer look at how BOND creates artworks

on small scale, we were lucky enough to have

a studio visit with this multi-media creator. Not only was

his informed ease of use with Montana spray products

such as Montana GOLD, BLACK, MARBLE, and

VARNISH impressive, his instinctive incorporation

of drawing by way of the ACRYLIC refills and Montana

EMPTY markers, was equally as natural. Where

BOND takes his art to a new level is his multi-media initiatives.

His constant experimentation of the digital

world, long exposure photography, installations, and

video mapping has resulted in him being the first graffiti

artist to embed augmented reality into his artworks.

This extends both the visual content but also builds on

digital transformations that are also site-specific.

Constantly pushing the boundaries of contemporary

urban art has made him a leader in his respective

fields. On one hand, he has earned and maintained

the respect of his peers in the hands-on analog world

of graffiti writing, while on the other, creating a whole new

way of making contemporary art that is compelling

even for the ‘outsider’. Given that there are few innovators

in this field such as BOND, while at his studio, we took

the opportunity to ask him a few questions to hear his own

perspectives on his work. This is what he had to say…

Artist in focus / Interview bond truluv

47

MONTANA CANS

Before you started exploring the augmented reality

aspect of your work, what was your focus when creating

graffiti or murals?

BOND TRULUV

Well, I guess it’s safe to say that my focus changed every

so often, finding so much inspiration from so many

different sources. Looking back now, there are really a

lot of different styles and approaches in my work.

You have already mentioned a few in your intro. There

were and still are times when I felt really confused

about which path, or style, to follow. Waging economic,

practical, personal, and even political aspects against

each other. When you look at the popular and in other

ways successful artists that emerged from the sea

of writers, it seems that they all have this one signature

style that they are known for and according to which

parameters they work. Like a brand or consumer product,

it almost seemed to me that most them have a

certain type of “corporate identity”. Naturally, I thought

that’s the recipe for success and was constantly

confused about myself not being able to build up this

solid body of coherent work. Nowadays I think that

this ability to change and play with new influences is a

strength and I try to embrace and welcome new and

unusual ideas. The world we live in is too diverse for singular

inspiration. Of course, the longer you work in a

certain set of restraints, certain routines come with it.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it sure can

be limiting at times.

↑ Start at the beginning,

no matter how

far you delve into

making art digitally,

nothing substitutes

a strong foundation

in drawing by hand.

I’m a self-taught person, not

working in the industry or

anything and I pretty much

do everything myself.

MC

At what point in your career did the AR work start to enter

your painting work? Was there any specific moment

to this starting?

BT

One night about three years ago I had a couple of beers

with some nerd friends of mine and we were deep in

a discussion about technology stuff when the AR topic

popped up. Pretty much the very next day I built my first

AR app with Unity3D, and the help of a YouTube tutorial.

MC

Your affiliation to traveling must deeply inform your artwork,

how do you practically manage this combination

of analog and digital work? Is it as simple as bringing

along a laptop with your cans, or do you need other

special requirements?

BT

Unfortunately, the technical aspect of the more complex

AR pieces is super time consuming and challenging.

I’m a self-taught person, not working in the industry or

anything and I pretty much do everything myself. So,

most of the time, putting together the AR animations and

whole infrastructure as well as conceiving and editing

the whole show is more work than the actual painting of

it. Also, the troubleshooting and researching for the

best techniques takes its time. There is rarely a case when

technology or software just work like that. Usually

there are random errors and a blue screen that come

with the piece.

MC

Has the development of digital work become more

important to you than painting with cans?

BT

For me, the interesting and important part is the combination.

There are way better digital artists out there

and there are better graffiti writers and spray paint artists

out there. But blending the different approaches to

create something new and unique is what’s raising my

curiosity.


↑ From the hi-fi digital

world to cardboard

and wood lo-fi. BOND

knows how to use

any material to help

him create.

↑ Everything is there

to inspire, for BOND,

the real world is an

invitation to conceive

ideas.

↓ Anything is possible,

even Bart Simpson

finds his way into

a BOND TRULUV concept

in epic proportions.

The development of the digital aspects of my

pieces surely take more time, though. But I enjoy

the painting part a bit more. So, they always compliment

and balance each other.

MC

Seeing you create in the studio is as if it is as natural to

you as painting a wall. Do you prefer small studio

work over working large scale?

BT

Honestly, I don’t like studio work too much. I like to move

and climb and explore. Also working inside the studio

with solvents, ventilation is always an issue, especially

when it’s cold outside. And I love spray paint for its

handling, even for very small pieces. It dries faster and

covers so much better than any water-based acrylic.

I am constantly astonished how far spray paint technology

has evolved.

MC

Do you prefer incorporating the AR element into smaller

or larger scale works?

BT

For me it’s the same.


49

MC

Do you still have the classic graffiti urges to just “go and

drop a piece”, or would you rather develop a larger scale

work that takes longer and includes the AR integration?

BT

I try to keep the balance between fast and elaborate work.

I really can’t work on a piece too long. Even on large

scale murals I get bored after 3 days max. I have a couple

of walls and abandoned spots around my house

where I go regularly and do 1-3 hour freestyle pieces

without much planning to blow off steam. Without

those regular sessions I really get in a bad mood and I

found out that I need those, just like a type of meditation.

I have this abandoned complex a few miles away

from me where I can paint in solitude and sometimes,

I go there for a couple of days just sleeping in the

ruins, painting 12 hours straight. Sometimes I paint

10-15 pieces a day like that. It’s like a challenge for me

to see how much I can do and to tick ideas off my

list. I keep a long list with random ideas for pieces that I

work from top to bottom. But it’s never over.

BT

Montana Black and the cap it comes with (black/pink

fatcap). I rarely use anything else.

MC

What is the worst food experience you have had while

traveling?

BT

Interesting last question! There are a few actually. New

Year’s eve in Mumbai 2010, I ate some bad chicken

that knocked me out for 10 days straight. Lost 8 kg and

took me about three weeks to fully recover. In Indonesia

I had some very spicy sauce that I rubbed in my

eye by accident. I was sure that I’d go blind that

evening. In Taipei, somebody served us cluttered duck

blood in a very spicy sauce for breakfast after a

drinking night…bahhh. And the goat brain curry in Delhi

was tough as well…

That place was so inspiring,

and I have kept on painting

according to my “Japan list”

for almost two years now

to get rid of all the ideas.

↓ Art is BOND’s place

where anything goes.

His ability to translate

ideas into artworks

leads to a vast array

of mark-making and

compositional decisions.

→ The studio perspective.

Amazing

art works complimented

by amazing

art making tools.

Just one of the places

where BOND pushes

things forward.

MC

If you had to choose only one medium to work in, what

would it be?

BT

Tough one. But spray paint wins. Sitting in front of a

screen all day is not cool.

MC

Do you have a favorite country you like to visit, or would

you prefer to keep visiting the ones you’ve never been

to?

BT

I’d really like to go back to Japan. That place was so

inspiring, and I have kept on painting according to my

“Japan list” for almost two years now to get rid of all

the ideas. Also, southeast Asia always has been a good

place and I definitely always enjoy the US. But there

is a bunch of interesting places and every country has

its perks. I’m not picky about that. These days it’s

hard to plan trips and think about traveling though!

MC

What’s your favorite Montana can and cap combination?



51

Stairway

to Heaven

by BOND TRULUV

Location

Mannheim, Germany

Photography

Alexander Krziwanie

Profile

@bondtruluv

↑ Time to get down to

business. The concentration

is plain to

see as BOND TRULUV

prepares to lift off for

higher levels.

The SWK organization has been bringing

amazing artists from all over the world

to paint at its open-air art museum in Mannheim

Germany, since 2013. For one of

the 2020 murals, they called in the skills of

German-born, Leipzig based artist BOND

TRULUV.


KKnown to his parents as Jonas Ihlenfeldt,

there has not been much that is considered

taboo by BOND in the exploration of his

artwork. Although graffiti has remained a

strong basis on which to explore, even elements like

science-fiction and spirituality can be credited as ingredients

to his unique style. All of which is fueled even

more by the experience gained while using his wellstamped

passport.

During what little was the European 2020

summer mural season, BOND also found his way to the

German city Mannheim to participate in the renowned

SWK mural festival. His mission: to create a next-level,

jaw-dropping work, which he titled, “Stairway to

Heaven”. And that is exactly what he did. His tools for the

job were: A select color palette of Montana GOLD

low-pressure cans, backed up by a popping array of

Montana BLACK high-pressure 400ml spray paint.

“Stairway to Heaven”, is a rewarding mural bringing

together many elements from many visual

sources. Graffiti art, typography, 3D illusions, futuristic

realism, and even pixelated arrows that look like

they have been lifted straight out of the 90s’, all come

together in a beautiful four-story mural. Seamlessly,

as no sign of error or hesitation can be seen as BOND

proves his comfort in using many of the Montana

GOLD and BLACK color ranges. The normally boring

apartment block was transformed into an electrifying

artwork, that will without a doubt will brighten

many days of the residence within it.

↑ Precision is paramount.

Even when

using the high pressure

Montana BLACK

with its original fat

cap.

↓ Piece by piece, step

by step. The plotting of

an image that is both

analog and digital is

no easy feat. That is

unless your BOND.


53

The artwork is a gift that keeps on giving. As a

finished piece, it is something special to look at. Both

technically and aesthetically impressive. However the

mural goes way beyond this. Working with augmented

reality, BOND spends just as much, if not more time

in the preparation of his murals than in the painting

of them. In the case of “Stairway to Heaven”, if viewers

scan the artwork with the Artivive app, or scan a

photo of it, an animation created for the mural is activated.

Taking the concept beyond just a painting on the

streets – just try it!

BOND has a rich history of combining art and

travel. Apart from his homeland Germany and the

surrounding countries of Europe, countries like Egypt,

India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, and

Japan all belong to his list of countries he has painted

in. And it shows in his diverse artwork. Take a moment

for yourself to lose yourself in “The stairway to

Heaven”. Using the app artivive while holding on the

mural or even the photo of it will allow you to experience

also the digital layers behind!

↓ Due to being 4 stories

up, few viewers

will be able to appreciate

the intricacy

of the 8 spheres that

make up the chrome

arrow in “Stairway to

Heaven”.

Montana Cans

SPOTLIGHT

get to know:

Bond

Truluv

The name conjures up many possibilities as

to what the work of such a named artist

could be like. But one thing it does capture

is BOND’s love of what he does. Whether

it be the love of detail, love of illusion, or even

just the love of color. It is all there in a unique

package that goes way beyond the norm.


↓ Nothing short of

captivating. BOND

poses in front of this

eye catching masterpiece

which was

warmly welcomed by

the local Mannheim

community.

↖ Scan with the

Artivive-App!


55

PICHIAVO

for METROPOLINK

At Heidelberg Central Station

Location

Heidelberg, Germany

Photography

Schreiber & Pötter

Profile

@ pichiavo, @metropolinkurbanartfestival

The chances of residents, tourists, and commuters missing

their trains at Heidelberg’s Central Station in Germany

has just increased. Not because of trackwork, strikes, or

god forbid it…vandalism! The reason is the amazing new

head-turning mural by Spanish street art duo, PichiAvo.

→ It doesn’t get any

better. A café right

under your piece for

those hard earned

coffee breaks.

56 Production Pichiavo for Metropolink

↖ The weapons of

choice, Montana

BLACK, and GOLD

cans lay at the ready

as the artists prepare

their materials.

← The calm, before

the storm, before the

calm again. One of

the many layers of

what becomes a

tapestry of graffiti

iconography.

↑ A very large, blank,

white, indoor space

ready to go. Right

in the middle of

Heidelberg’s main

station.

→ Up-close and personal.

Not possible

for most viewers considering

the elevated

nature of the work.

As part of the METROPOLINK festival that

takes part in the region of Heidelberg, the

mural has found its new home on a large

scale in the main terminal building of the

station. A meeting point, food stop, and transport

hub all in one, the station has now become home to a

contemporary mix of graffiti, classical sculpture and

street art. Starting with layers of graffiti fodder, their

image forms as a transparent eagle, and a Romanesque

statue figure emerge over the backdrop of vibrant,

Montana BLACK and GOLD fueled graffiti mark-making.

A meeting point, food stop, and transport

hub all in one, the station has

now become home to a contemporary

mix of graffiti, classical sculpture

and street art.

The duo from Valencia Spain, formed in 2007

after meeting in the graffiti scene and later studying

Fine Art and Design together. Pichi born in 1977 and Avo

born in 1985 abandoned the idea of individualism

for a path of art-making that works best in pairs or more.

Production Pichiavo for Metropolink

57


They abandoned the idea of individualism

for a path of art-making

that works best in pairs or more.

Once all was said and done, the plastic dust covers

removed, and the shops beneath the mural returned

to business as usual, the mural leaves behind

not only the traces of some other local graffiti greats,

who stopped by as the scissor lift was in full extension

but also a cultural story that connects many elements

of historical and contemporary art, that will stay

behind for years to come, filling in the gaps for all

those who can spare a moment to look up and contemplate

what they are seeing.

The mural leaves behind not only the

traces of some other local graffiti

greats, who stopped by as the scissor

lift was in full extension.

← Just like the organic

nature of any surface,

the various elements

of graffiti disciplines

embellished the wall

before the grand

finale.

↙ The contrast of red

and yellow, one of

many that will fill the

space before the

figurative elements

are chiseled away.

↗ A moment of contemplation

amongst

the hustle and bustle

of commuters rushing

to their destinations.

↓ And then the magic

starts to happen.

Even spectators now

see there is more

than just graffiti

going on.


59



61

MONTAna

CaNs

X

NITRO

Location

Worldwide

Photography

Edward Nightingale

Profile

@nitrobags

@montanacans

Backpack

Collabo

The SPRAYCATION, a unique graffiti concept

that combines the graffiti writer’s

instinct for creation and travel. What once

was “writing my name” while on holidays,

has now become “going on holidays to write

my name”.

62 Collaboration Montana Cans x NITRO Backpack

One thing is for sure, regardless of your motivation

when you travel, you need a good

backpack. In all its simple beauty, the backpack

combines the strength of the human

form, with the necessity for it to be able to carry things.

For quite a while, Montana Cans has been exploring

carrying solutions in the form of the Montana Bag range.

We have created practical bags, cool bags, and environmentally

friendly ones. All with the idea that if you have

to part with it, it’s not the end of the world. But now

and then, the need arises for something more. Something

you will keep that will accompany you on your adventures,

that could also see you through your daily routine.

For the team at Montana Cans, this

is a path that runs parallel to our

quest to create the greatest urban

art-making tools, that are durable,

high performance, and with Made in

Germany reliability.

↓ Stylish, timeless,

and in good taste. The

NITRO backpack is

the ideal companion

for travel of any sort.

→ Creativity on the run.

Whether your planning

your next piece or

jotting down an idea,

the NITRO SCRAMB-

LER covers all bases.

Collaboration Montana Cans x NITRO Backpack

63

The German NITRO Bag company has been

combining function and style into their products since

1990. As a company founded in the origin of lifestyle

sports, its quest to combine urban elements with stateof-the-art

technology plots their path to the pursuit of

durability and reliability. For the team at Montana Cans,

this is a path that runs parallel to our quest to create

the greatest urban art-making tools, that are durable, high

performance, and with Made in Germany reliability.

The NITRO SCRAMBLER backpack could be considered

a symbol of where these two innovative brands meet,

which is where the Montana Cans x Nitro Backpack collabo,

is now a reality.

The hard-wearing outer material

enables the removal of unwanted paint

marks or accidental overspray.

→ The contemporary

citizen knows no

boundaries between

work and play.

↓ Last call to board.

Even if you are

running late, it won’t

be because of

baggage issues.

↘ Practical and

functional. When it

comes to cabin

baggage, check it in,

or carry it on.

As a company founded in the origin

of lifestyle sports, its quest to

combine urban elements with stateof-the-art

technology plots their

path to the pursuit of durability and

reliability.


Ergonomic fitted straps result in secure

comfortable wear regardless

of how rigorous your daily routine is.

Stylish, urban, and professional,

this go-anywhere bag fits your 15″ laptop

in a separate compartment for

easy access even when the bag is full.

The Montana x Nitro Scrambler backpack is the

ultimate companion for creative adventures into

unchartered terrains. This stunning black, 960g bag is

47×30×12cm, for a perfect fit on any back. Whether

you have planned your work meeting to precision or need

to fill it in the last minute on the way to a spontaneous

spraycation, the Montana x Nitro Scrambler allows you

to carry 12 x 400ml cans in the main compartment.

The hard-wearing outer material enables the removal

of unwanted paint marks or accidental overspray.

Ergonomic fitted straps result in secure comfortable

wear regardless of how rigorous your daily routine

is. Stylish, urban, and professional, this go-anywhere

bag fits your 15″ laptop in a separate compartment

for easy access even when the bag is full. And when required,

the roll-top closure offers more space in the

main compartment.

www.nitrobags.com

↑ Any color as long as

it is black. This

timeless backpack is

as discrete as it is

eye-catching.

→ Sturdy and reliable,

the NITRO backpack

can be adjusted to

your needs.

→→ The Velcro strip

along the front of the

bag allows for easy

attachment of all your

favorite Spraycation

patches.

↘ Take a second look.

Only upon a second

glance is it clear that

the MTA patch is the

Montana Cans MTA

patch.


65

SPRAY

CATION

More than just a vacation

→ Collect them all. The

Montana Cans Spraycation

patches are the

boy scout patches for

graffiti writers.

Location

Worldwide

Photography

Edward Nightingale

ProfileS

@montanacans

@matterof.online

@sprayvacation

In the early days of graffiti writing history,

‘KINGing’ your city was the name of the

game. Your checklist before every mission

was simple and clear; cans, caps, bag,

appropriate clothing... Check. What started

out as a neighborhood-by-neighborhood

conquest, soon spread to other boroughs,

cities, and eventually the globe. With the

world of the graffiti writer opening, traveling

to make their art became a greater part

of their everyday reality.


STRAY CAT

Leaving the safety and security of their homes,

the STRAY CAT would rather explore its

neighborhood to extend its turf and mark its

new territory.

GISELA

The Berlin G series subway trains have lovingly

acquired the nickname GISELA. With its

corrugations, it is considered reminiscent of the

Mother of all subway models, the New York

Metro. Whether you are a train spotting nerd or

a roughneck graffiti writer, getting one in

front of your camera’s lens can make a visit to

Berlin, unforgettable.

TUNNEL RAT

It doesn’t matter which subway tunnel you find

yourself deep within, anywhere around the

world. They always smell like home.

FREIGHT TRAIN

With no fixed address, but at home in every city,

the freight train has not only been a means

of movement for hobo’s and writers, but they

have also become a much-loved surface

for colors and burners. And it doesn’t matter if

they have a little rust.

GERMAN QUALITY

The most loved quote, happily seen on any product

the world over. Made in Germany is a

symbol of reliability and quality that can see

you through any of your adventures, regardless

of the conditions.


67

SPRAY SAFE

No matter how safe you think you are, it never

hurts to remind yourself; “Don’t die today!”

Don’t lose your concentration and keep away

from the third rail.

DON’T GET BUSTED!

A situation nobody wishes upon anybody, not

even your greatest enemies. Better peak

around the corner one more time to ensure your

sleeping position on your host’s warm couch,

then to spend the night(s) on a cold cell floor.

MONTANA CANS MTA

Subway-Hunters will immediately catch the eyes

of fellow colleagues on the hunt with this logo.

An ode to the golden age and the origin of subway

graffiti as we know it today.

BIG APPLE

In the BIG APPLE, there is always something to

eat for a little worm. The same rules apply to

traveling writers, on a pilgrimage to where it all

began.

LEAVE NO TRACE

What is valid for hiking in the wild, also applies

to the sustainable and responsible handling

of your yard. Care for it, leave it (almost) as you

found it, and above all, do not leave any traces

in it that could lead back to you.


Times have changed since those humble

beginnings of this beautiful culture we call graffiti. But

the urge to travel hasn’t. On the contrary, as the surfaces

and motivations of graffiti writing have developed

and increased, so have the places and contexts to do

it. The new checklist looks like this; cans, gloves, mask,

caps, backpack, appropriate clothing, camera and/or

smartphone, PASSPORT, money... Check. And as a bonus

(and if space permits), a change of socks and underwear

are also welcomed.

Like an unspoken code known only

to graffiti artists, the SPRAYCATION

patches capture the spirit of the

graffiti brotherhood.

To celebrate the condition of graffiti writing today

as we know it, we have created the new Montana Cans,

SPRAYCATION patches. Like an unspoken code known

only to graffiti artists, the SPRAYCATION patches capture

the spirit of the graffiti brotherhood. With a spotlight

on some of the common elements of the SPRAY-

CATION experience, each patch has a unique message

connecting all those who are ‘in the know’.


69

The 2020

JBCB

summer

tour

70 Travel Report The 2020 JBCB summer tour

Tour de France

Location

France

Photography

Jukebox Cowboys

Profile

@graffitigruppe

It’s springtime. Usually, the first signs of

spring ensure that I think about where the

upcoming summer will take me. The first

e-mail to Rize and Skoe doesn’t need long

for a reply and our thoughts start to turn

into concrete ideas.

Travel Report The 2020 JBCB summer tour

71

This is how almost every spraycation begins for

me, with my now permanent travel comrades.

The first ideas of possible travel destinations are

exchanged. Fueled by photos found during

internet research, which most show old train models

chugging through picturesque landscapes. The goldrush

mood begins to rise within us! Now the task is to

find out where these old rail companions are still

running.

But this year everything is a little different. A pandemic

is on its way. Like most, I first must figure out

what the difference is to an epidemic, a term that has

been heard quite often. But as almost always, everything

extraordinary and terrible lies in the distance for

my generation. War, emergency, and disaster. We

are the children happily kissed by an affluent society,

thanks to our economic miracle! In my case, my

hobby is the result of luxury. Spraying paint onto trains.

Money that ends up in the buffers bucket. Except for

your own scene, nobody really cares, and it is completely

irrelevant in the real world. It’s still fun though,

and there is a little bit of adventure in it too.

Things are beginning to return to

normal, and hardly anyone is afraid

of the situation anymore. We return

to the thoughts of our annual trip.


So, a trip is out of the question for now. Which is

completely OK and necessary in this situation. Spring

presents us with the best possible weather, even in northern

Germany, and the German lockdown feels like

most people are enjoying relaxed outdoor activities. Once

again, we are lucky if you compare our situation with

that in Lombardy.

Then comes summer. The infection numbers

are falling. Things are beginning to return to normal,

and hardly anyone is afraid of the situation anymore. We

return to the thoughts of our annual trip. With our own

car, we are self-sufficient anyway and hardly exposed to

other people. The first idea for the destination is Bilbao.

Old Eusko is long gone and the situation of painting

trains in Spain has become modest. But on the way there

we would like to bag a few models in France. And on

the way back, drive along the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean.

The mountain panorama is already building

up in my mind’s eye, but shortly before we depart, the

beautiful picture disappears again into thin air. Northern

Spain reports a rapidly increasing number of infections

and most regions are declared high-risk areas.

A new goal is urgently needed!

← Idyllic landscapes,

with blue skies,

chirping birds, and

plastic trains.

↙ It’s the balance of

action and tranquility

that makes spraycations

more special

than standard tourism.

↓ The trophies, color

on steel regardless of

if it’s old or new.


73

The images you show

your mother, graffiti

takes you to places

that other people never

reach.


The alternative plan is France. From Freiburg, via

Burgundy to Provence. If things go well, back up to

the coast of the Mediterranean. As is so often the case

on the way south, we make one of the first stops at

Bay in Freiburg and spend a few nice days with him in

Basel. It is now midsummer. We are on the banks of

the Rhine. In order to not melt, we cool down in the stream

on the hour. Bay shows us some interesting places on

our route on a large map. As the founder of the Down By

The River Crew, he is very familiar with the rivers in

France. His tactic: always look for crossings of tracks

and waterways! So, we shimmy along the rivers to

the south according to his plan. In the depots, we almost

only find plastic train models with rainbow decals,

but the out of service trains from the last decades gather

in many places. This year’s tour acquires the working

title; “Tour de Trash” for a short time but is later named

the Tour de France. Since we discover so many beautiful

places and regions on the way, the Mediterranean

Sea remains a long way off, and we say goodbye to

the dream of again being able to bathe in saltwater.

← Cooling off in regular

intervals. The

French summer in full

swing, pool included.

↓ Under a moonlit sky,

night time is the right

time.


75

Despite the circumstances that 2020 brought

with it, we went on a wonderful tour together. With

the usual ups, and downs. Tension, relaxation, exhaustion,

euphoria, and so on. As always, a little bit of

everything. Finding the right balancing act is a life skill.

Once again, I return happy. Happy to have balanced

the scales with my friends yet another time.

Tension, relaxation, exhaustion,

euphoria, and so on. As always, a

little bit of everything. Finding

the right balancing act is a life skill.

↑ “Tour de Trash

France”. Thankfully

not all trains were

trash and even some

of the plastic models

got a new lick of paint.

→ Every splash of color

counts. On a spraycation,

there is no such

thing as no space.


A final glance at

nature’s treasures

before returning

back to normal life.


77

Another magical moment

in the middle

of nowhere. Life is a

whole lot more than

just going to work.



79

Corona

Dampf 2020

Location

Essen, Germany

Profile

@hafendampf_essen

Photography

@topnotch

The (masked)

show must

go on

→ The new location,

not even a virus can

stop the Dampf.

80 Recap Corona Dampf 2020

For 8 consecutive years, the Hafen Dampf jam under the highway

pillars of the A42 in Essen in Germany has been steaming

away. Literally translated (Port Steam), the name and the

location for the 2020 edition of the event needed a slight

change, due to environmental conditions. This year for obvious

reasons, Hafen Dampf made way for “Corona Dampf”

← Nomad making

light work of black

and color.

↙ Putting things into

perspective, a passing

shows how big the

pieces really are.

↓ From large to small,

FNACK knows how to

handle the wall.

Recap corona Dampf 2020

81

With yet another line-up of European graffiti

stars, names like Rookie the Weird, Zay,

Pout, Birne, Most, Mynt, Nomad, and Semor,

could be seen painting the new underpass

location, rocking in graffiti writing harmony. On this

day, the term “LOCKDOWN” gained new meaning as

each writer locked down their pieces in unprecedented

graffiti stylewriting.

↑ ZAY doing his part

his part on the right

with the Montana

BLACK colors

popping off the black

background.

↖ MOST taking the

left in a concept

piece with JBCB team

member Zay.

← Over, under,

wherever. All space is

used and filled with

glorious color.

↓ Pout shows that

innovation is a must.

82 Recap Corona Dampf 2020

Recap corona Dampf 2020

83

MUSA.

Frames

Berlin from a different perspective

Location

Berlin, Germany

Photography

Musa

Profile

@MUSA.FRAMES

When one thinks of cutting-edge contemporary graffiti

documentation, the first place that comes to mind is not

Israel. All the more reason why the images of Israeli born

photographer Musa Agron aka @MUSA.FRAMES, offer a

unique perspective on a past time that often goes unseen.

84 Street Report Musa

Street Report MUSA

85

For two years, the Tel Aviv native has changed residence

to Berlin, not only the capital of Germany but also one

of the epicenters of German and European graffiti culture.

With an accompanying team member like MUSA, the

underground graffiti scene of Berlin has not only won another

pair of eyes to keep them safe but also a different

creative perspective that helps solidify Berlin’s graffiti in

the vaults of world graffiti history.


Street Report MUSA

87


Street Report MUSA

89


Rolling with heavy-hitting crews like Berlin’s infamous 1UP

crew, his breathtaking pictures can be found online

on platforms like Instagram, as well as in print in graffiti

publications like Stylefile. With a bright future ahead

of him, we look forward to seeing the developments of

MUSA.FRAMES’ documentation of his version of graffiti

photographic history.

Street Report MUSA

91


Street Report MUSA

93


Street Report MUSA

95

Cloakwork

Graffiti on a tourist cruise ship

Making fast work for the sea

The Malaysian graffiti artist Cloakwork was not exempt

from the obligations and restrictions of Covid-19. As

with many artists, during this time, many projects were

either postponed or canceled altogether.

Location

Taiwan

↓ Negotiating the curves

of the bow of a

ship, a different experience

from painting

walls on terra firma.

ProfileS

@cloakwork

@bambooyang

@jrt.artwork

@montanacans_taiwan

Photography

@bambooyang

96 Production Cloakwork

In 2020, for Cloakwork, there was one important project

that almost slipped through his fingers. The

painting of a large cruise ship in Taiwan. With a travel

ban and lockdown in place, he assumed there

was no way to get the project done on time. Even if he was

soon able to travel to Taiwan and start his work. But

where there is a will, there is a way.

↓ Scaffolding in dry

dock, just one of the

hurdles that were

faced and conquered

by Cloakwork and

his team.

↑ A moment to think.

Working on a job

as big as a cruise ship

with a closing deadline

is no easy feat.

Memories are the best souvenirs,

we must not get

so busy making a living that

we forget to make a life.

Production Cloakwork

97

With the assistance of fellow artists @bambooyang,

@jrt.artwork and @montanacans_taiwan the

project was not only finished on time, but also with

an amazing result. Scaffolding in epic proportions was

built to give the artists safe passage many stories

above the ground in dry dock, and an endless supply of

Montana BLACK and GOLD cans assisted as well in

making it all come true. And to the positive surprise of

all involved, the boat made its ocean deadline.

↑ There is no “I” in the

word team. With the

assistance of his team,

Cloakwork takes his

project to fruition within

the deadline.

↓ A look from above,

there is little chance

to stand back and gain

perspective making

the placement of every

color crucial.

With a travel ban and lockdown

in place, he assumed

there was no way to get

the project done on time.

98 Production Cloakwork

↑ Unmasked and in

all its glory, the final

product birthed at

the dock with water

under its feet.

↓ Let the adventure

begin. In traffic and

ready to depart, sailing

the seas of Asia.

And traveling by boat certainly

is a life experience

that turns every adventure

into a story!

The work is not just aesthetic. There is also some

deep thought behind its design. Cloakwork states,

“Memories are the best souvenirs, we must not get so

busy making a living that we forget to make a life”.

His image a reminder to live, travel and keep having adventures

to experience life to its fullest. And traveling

by boat certainly is a life experience that turns every

adventure into a story!

Production Cloakwork

99

A CloakWork

Orange

and blue, black, green, yellow,

pink, red, white, gray, purple…

When you think of the Malaysian capital city Kuala Lumpur,

you don't exactly think of its world-renowned graffiti

and thriving street culture. That is for now. But thanks to

the Malaysian writer CLOAKWORK, a new reputation

for the city as a creative hub is being created, and all with

a healthy dosage of humor and skills.

Location

Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia

ProfileS

@cloakwork

Photography

Cloakwork

↓ With the hairdressers

closed in Lock -

down, sometimes you

must take matters

into your own hands.

100 Artists in Focus Cloakwork

The graffiti artist who also works prolifically as an

illustrator, has been spreading his imagination

on the through color since 2012, is no stranger to

the benefits of his favorite Montana GOLD

and BLACK can colors. The duality of the name CLOAK-

WORK stands for CLOAK (representing being hidden,

or stealth), and WORK (representing his ethic, motion, and

action), is only the beginning of his invitation to explore

his creativity. A prospect that is not easy to do growing

up in a country like Malaysia, where the penalties or

punishment for activities such as illegal graffiti are well

beyond that of countries where it is taken relatively lightly.

↑ Graffiti in progress.

Only one love will

get us through this

difficult period.

↓ Size doesn't matter.

Even the smallest

vans can support the

biggest ideas.

A prospect that is not

easy to do growing up in a

country like Malaysia,

where the penalties or

punishment for activities

such as illegal graffiti

are well beyond that of

countries where it is taken

relatively lightly.

Artists in Focus Cloakwork

101

↑ All dressed up and

no place to dance.

Regardless of the

difficulties the local culture

re presents for a keen

graffiti artist, CLOAKWORK

has managed to overcome

diversities and remain

positive.

↑ "Awesome", like

reading a CLOAK-

WORK comic book,

only it's on a wall.

↓ Influenced by the

iconic film "A

Clockwork Orange",

CLOAKWORK

explores his own

take on the concept.

Regardless of the difficulties the local culture

represents for a keen graffiti artist, CLOAKWORK has

managed to overcome diversities and remain positive.

A mindset that shows through in his work, which is

nothing less than colorful, vibrant, inspiring, and of

course, very aesthetic. Possibly this is the key to his success

as he manages to bring a smile to viewers of all

orientations. Whether they are young, old, open-minded,

or other.

102 Artists in Focus Cloakwork

With the skill of capturing a particular character

in his artworks, CLOAKWORK takes his letters and

figures to a varied assortment of surfaces, including

walls, boats, cars, food trucks, or the digital realm. If he

hasn't been on your radar until now, don't worry, on his

side of the world he is well and truly on the radar having

worked with clients such as Adidas, Volkswagen, BMW,

Converse, Warner Music, Hypebeast, and Tiger Beer,

just to name a few. Keep your eye out for more CLOAK-

WORK pieces from now on.

If he hasn't been on your

radar until now, don't

worry, on his side of the

world he is well and truly

on the radar.

↑ CLOAK the masked

writer, doing his bit

for the pandemic.

↓ Surfing the roof the

relaxed way. CLOAK-

WORK posing on

his freshly finished

van artwork.

Artists in Focus Cloakwork

103

N.O.

MAD SKI

Location

Hamburg, Germany

Profile

@ n_o_madski

Photography

Nomad

Balancing

between the

extremes

The world

according

to

The German city of Hamburg

can lay claims on having

some of the most innovative

graffiti style writers from

Germany as residents of the

port city. But not all of them

are born and bred there.

N.O.MADSKI aka NOMAD is

an example of one of these

talented writers who now call

the Hanseatic City home.

104 Interview Nomad

Born in 1978, NOMAD’s graffiti journey started

in the city of Bremerhaven where experienced

his formative years. Although starting

his graffiti path in 1993, it wasn’t till 1998–

1999 till he took ownership of the name NOMAD while

living in Nürnberg.

Without his awareness, these 5 letters became

the key to his pursuit for continual progression in

the graffiti discipline of letter styles. NOMAD’s path took

him on a style map that not even Google would be able

to plot. With the vigor of the Berlin style writing movement,

NOMAD took his skills, not to the nation’s capital,

but rather, the port city of Hamburg. Which incidentally

due to its strong graffiti community, plays a key

role in the history and future of not only German graffiti

but also, Europe and all over the globe.

← A knowing nod to

the history of graffiti,

and a progressive

need to keep pushing

things forward.

↓ Going from positive

to negative, or negative

to positive, NOMAD

makes it look easy either

way.

↑ The hand and ductus

of NOMAD are

ever-present in his

continually evolving

practice. There is

always a little more

than mear perfection.

Paying homage to those that came

before him, many traditional graffiti

elements such as arrows, clouds,

3D, highlights, or horizontal (train

panel) placement are present in

many phases of his development.

With rebellion at its core, NOMAD’s style is at

times indescribable, and at other times the epidemy

of graphic typography. An arena where graffiti abstraction

meets head-on with some classic typographic

heavyweights. Always heavily loaded with the key color

ingredients of black and white, NOMAD can do with

two cans which few can even conceive. What is for some

a restriction, is to him a challenge. A challenge, that

just like his style experiments, lead him down a road that

can go in any direction. Paying homage to those that

came before him, many traditional graffiti elements such

as arrows, clouds, 3D, highlights, or horizontal (train

panel) placement are present in many phases of his development.

However even if you think you’ve seen it

before, he manages to make it look like no other.

Without his awareness, these 5

letters became the key to his pursuit

for continual progression in the

graffiti discipline of letter styles.

Interview Nomad

105

↓ Another “why didn’t

I think of that” moment

as NOMAD pushes

the envelope

and keeps his peers

on their toes.

NOMAD’s path took him on a style

map that not even Google would

be able to plot.

106 Interview Nomad

More recently, the re-addition of colors, and in

some cases, mega amounts of color into his work

have led to a luminosity that is reminiscent of retro computer

and television graphics. The impeccable composition

and placement of his letters with just the right

amount of handmade spray paint grittiness makefor a

mandatory second, third, and fourth look at every piece.

“How does he do that”, the viewer asks themselves as

the artist’s own ductus, an ever-present key characteristic

of the work, which at a distance appears seamless.

In some of his latest works, NOMAD has taken

his visual language even further, bringing in the visually

deceptive element of plastic film into his work. At a first

glance from close range, a melting pot of lines and color

create an abstract field that is not yet recognizable. As

the viewer’s eye zoom’s out, slowly but surely the image

starts to make more sense. With distance, the visual

illusion happening within the fill-in of the letters exposes

the clever crinkled plastic film effect. With shimmering

light being represented by spray strokes and color

shifts, the heavy use of black and white helps to stamp

the graffiti authority back onto the piece in its entirety.

Always with that unique and personal NOMAD touch.

This is what still inspires me to this

day. To take as much freedom as

you want and to express yourself

creatively.

↙ A poignant statement

that should

never be forgotten;

“Don’t forget the feeling”.

↑ Never short of

ideas, NOMAD doesn’t

just paint graffiti,

he creates new

concepts.

The intrigue was too much to hypothesize

about how or why the works have become

what they are. Instead, we chose to speak

to the artist directly to see if he could unravel

the code a little for us.

MONTANA CANS

In a post about your work on the Montana Blog, it was

stated you thought that if graffiti and graffiti artists

when you started were like they are today, you would

have never started writing. With a little distance

from that viewpoint, what things do you like about graffiti

now? What are some inspirational aspects that inspire

or motivate to keep innovating?

N.O.MADSKI

Sometimes Graffiti seems to be more conservative and

boring nowadays than in the early days as I remember.

But if you take a close look, it only appears that way.

There is still the opportunity to express yourself

freely. This is what still inspires me to this day. To take

as much freedom as you want and to express yourself

creatively. And there is still the opportunity to take

my inspirations, which sometimes come from totally

different worlds, and to implement these in my way of

expression: Graffiti Writing. I think Graffiti only gets

boring if you don’t set yourself new challenges. Unfortunately,

I always get bored quickly when I do the same

things for too long, so I’m forced to innovate the way I

do Graffiti.

“How does he do that”, the viewer

asks themselves as the artist’s

own ductus, an ever-present key

characteristic of the work, which

at a distance appears seamless.

Interview Nomad

107

Ultimately, in the last few years, I

have increasingly enjoyed painting

quickly and freely. If everything is

planned concretely, and it is all about

the technical implementation, I

also get bored with that after a while.

← The start of a new

era. Holographic plastic

film fill-ins, inspired

by holographic

stickers. There is a

first for everything.

↓ Color, color, color.

But there is never too

much black and white

to go with that.

MC

In what kind of frequency do you paint your graffiti, and

about how long do you like to invest in each piece?

N.O.MADSKI

There are times in which I paint or sketch daily. But there

is sometimes a week or two in which nothing happens.

It all depends on what else is going on in my life. The time

I spend painting a piece depends on what I want to

achieve. Sometimes I’m more into quick actions of 2–3

hours. When it comes to more laborious projects, a

painting could last a couple of days. Ultimately, in the

last few years, I have increasingly enjoyed painting

quickly and freely. If everything is planned concretely,

and it is all about the technical implementation, I also

get bored with that after a while.

MC

Other than Hamburg, are there any other cities or different

countries you could imaging moving to, to continue

your creative path?

MC

Do you feel a sense of competition in Hamburg within

graffiti writing circles? Or does the graffiti/art community

help you to get to where you want to be?

N.O.MADSKI

Competition is more of a topic for younger writers, and I

don’t think Hamburg really stands out in that respect.

There is competition in every scene. Often when there

are several different generations of writers, or when it

is of a certain size. As for the older, longer active writers,

we know each other, more closely networked, and are

not opposed to exchanging ideas. There is instead no

competition, especially because our demands on

ourselves are usually very different. And when it comes

to the inner circle, there is a lot of support for new

projects.

N.O.MADSKI

I’ve been traveling a lot and I’ve met a lot of great people

to paint with everywhere. Every country or city has

got a special history and development when it comes to

Graffiti. Discovering and experiencing the differences

is practically a science within itself. From this perspective,

I could think of a lot of countries and cities to live

and work in. But what I really love in this regard are the

countries in which graffiti started completely from

scratch. Like for example some of the countries in Eastern

Europe after the collapse of the USSR. It seems to me

that the residents of these countries are often as openminded

as the artists when it comes to graffiti. I have

spent a lot of time traveling in Greece. This is due to both

the interesting graffiti history they have, and the lively

scene that produces great artists. Who knows, perhaps

one day I’ll stay there for a longer period.

108 Interview Nomad

↑ You can’t get to where

you need to be if

you don’t leave behind

where you were. When

it comes to style writing,

there is no idea

too confronting for

NOMAD.

↓ Next stop... Who

knows? As long as

there are innovative

and quality materials,

NOMAD will not stay

standing still.

I have always lived by the claim: Not

just to paint for fun, but also to

stand out and show everyone what

ideas and skills you have.

MC

Does having such talented peers in your city function as a

motivating aspect, or can it sometimes just be draining?

N.O.MADSKI

The competition today is more international, especially

since Graffiti nowadays predominantly takes place

in social media where you want to attract attention. Personally,

I have always lived by the claim: Not just to

paint for fun, but also to stand out and show everyone

what ideas and skills you have. Maybe, I am still a

little bit influenced by the Hip Hop history of German

graffiti, but this claim still motivates me until this day.

The total digitization of graffiti publications that have

taken place in recent years, unfortunately, from my

perspective, also shifts the consideration and evaluation

of Graffiti. Thus, changing the notion of competition,

a lot. For example, a writer in his hometown could be “all

city” with bombings in the streets, have the most

trains running, or have an extremely good style. If pictures

of his work do not appear on social media, he

hardly exists. Conversely, the artist who is most conspicuously

and staged on social media becomes

known quickly. The result is that some of the best and

most influential graffiti artists from Germany in my

eyes are increasingly being forgotten just because they

do not take place on social media. This competition,

which is about likes or clicks, hardly interests me, and

sometimes demotivates me. Especially since artistic

aspirations hardly play a role there, but often only the

attitude of pleasing the anonymous audience.

Interview Nomad

109

MC

There was a while there where your pieces were predominantly

black and white, or at least monochrome (e.g.,

black & silver). Were you also doing color pieces at the

time, or was it a conscious act to return to basics?

And when you did do color pieces, was there a greater

sense of satisfaction with those as opposed to the

monochrome works?

← Context can be

everything. In NO-

MAD’s case, there

never seems to be

a wrong context

for his work.

↑ Less is more. Finding

the balance between

curved shapes

and geometry is hard

to do when you mainly

use black and white

and have nowhere

to hide your errors.

↓ A great quality of

NOMAD’s work is

knowing how to exploit

context. Something

abandoned

spaces offer plentifully.

N.O.MADSKI

For a long time, I had always painted very large and

elaborate concept walls. But it always bothered me that

both writers and ordinary viewers only praised the

colors or the figures. The styles were usually not looked

at properly at all. That made me very frustrated because

painting styles and evolving my writing has been

my focus for over 25 years. This situation was so

unsatisfactory, that I decided to totally rely on my roots.

If the style of writing is so important to me, I must

put it in the foreground. And above all, I wanted to show

the ordinary viewer that you can also transport things

through the style of writing alone. That was where the

idea that I call KRYPTOGRAFF got started. Colors

are secondary here; this is all about the style of writing

as a means of artistic expression. This step was

really liberating. I am sure that graffiti can also convince

without requiring any illustrative accessories, or

elements of graphic design. In my own opinion, the core

of graffiti remains to be the writing, even if you can

get more attention nowadays (apparently), with illustrative

decoration. In the end, I understand this path as

one series of my work. In between this series I have also

painted other pieces naturally. As a rule, I always act

according to the motto of doing what I feel like doing.

MC

How did your interest in your new “plastic film” series

arise? Did it come from experiments you made within

other paintings, or did you see something that made you

want to try and create that effect?

Colors are secondary here; this is all

about the style of writing as a

means of artistic expression. This

step was really liberating.

110 Interview Nomad

→ Just as progressive

in the studio,

NOMAD’s work

takes us to graffiti

and beyond.

Interview Nomad

111

N.O.MADSKI

For a long time, I had the vision that the lettering should

come to life. More should happen than just good

design. I was certainly inspired by digital animation as

in movies or 3D animation. I tried a lot with various

effect colors to achieve something like a metal effect,

or flip-flop paint that appears to change depending

where you look at it from. But the effect was barely visible.

The idea of gluing plastic foil sheets was ultimately

inspired by holographic stickers. Why not do

something like that as a piece? As there are many

different plastic effect foil sheets to stick around, I then

tried different things. Such as mirror foil. Unfortunately,

the pieces are always short-lived. Walls at Halls

of Fame are destroyed if they are pasted and painted

over.Therefore, I needed to remove the foil after documentation.

From my point of view, it takes an

artist a lifetime to put their rationality

aside and put their emotions

first when creating artwork. When

it comes to Graffiti writing, I think

it is the same situation.

MC

Do you approach your graffiti writing pragmatically

and rationally, or does your emotional state feed your

creative process and affect the artworks you make?

N.O.MADSKI

From my point of view, it takes an artist a lifetime to put

their rationality aside and put their emotions first

when creating artwork. When it comes to Graffiti writing,

I think it is the same situation. In the beginning, most

writers start with a completely rational attitude. Only after

they have understood the letters and the aesthetics,

can they develop their personality freely. When it comes

to me: I’m somewhere in the middle of that!

MC

Which way do you prefer to go, Montana GOLD or

Montana BLACK?

Montana Cans

SPOTLIGHT

get to know:

↑ It’s easy to pack

your bag when your

pieces are in black

and white. Resulting

in more time for actual

painting.

→ It only needs a

soundtrack. This colorful

burner takes

us back to the glorious

days of arcade

games, joysticks, and

buttons to press.

N.O.

MADSKI

N.O.MADSKI

Both – depends on what task I need to use them for. I have

come to appreciate the Montana Black can as one of

the best cans for filling in and I use Montana Gold for the

detailed works, for example, my outlines.

We look forward to seeing where the

creative path of NOMAD leads. As one of

the world’s great innovative writers, we

are left with no other option than to say,

“watch this space”.

Where there is destruction, you will find cre -

ation. For NOMAD, destroying classic

graffiti confines is as rewarding as re-creating

his own perception of what graffiti

can be. Equally as at home in a delapitated

building, or the clean white cube of the

gallery, NOMAD can create or destroy at will.

112

Interview Nomad

113

Keno

wAs

Here

Paris is a tough city if you

are a graffiti artist that

wants to stand out amongst

the crowd. Why? Because

the crowd is big, the quality

is high, and the physical

height of which the streets

are already bombed is

even higher.

Location

Paris, France

Photography

Keno

Profile

@kenowashere

GRAFFTI from Paris –

Redefining the streets

114 Street Report Keno

One prolific artist that doesn’t seem to have

a problem rising to the top of the melting

pot is KENO. We are not saying he can

leap over tall buildings in a single bound,

but his hard work proves that he can

find the right spots on those tall buildings and cover them

with stylish tags, pieces, throw-ups, and stickers.

With a style that oozes with flow, you can only

come to the conclusion that he writes his name a lot.

Dripping Montana BOLD tags, strategically placed in the

streets like arrows on bullseyes, flared fat cap Montana

BLACK tags that appear to have a history of thousands

before them. Or awkward, yet very cool pieces, vibrating

with Montana BLACK and GOLD colors with letters

that embrace his inner child while flexing his knowledge

of all the graffiti that came before him.

Taking a walk down the streets of Paris a much

more colorful experience as KENO has all angles

covered. Reminding those “who know” to look up, and

down, as they walk through his world. If you can’t

make it to his world, take a moment here to check some

of it out yourself.

Street Report Keno

115


Street Report Keno

117


Street Report Keno

119

AKUT

Studio Insights –

“Masquerade”

Location

Berlin, Germany

Photography

@akut_herakut

Profile

@akut_herakut

The pace of today’s society is often hard to

keep up with. In a world filled with wannabes

and ladder climbers, everyone is doing

their bit to save face and play the role

that is expected of them to get to where

they want to go.

120 Studio Insight Akut

But is it where they need to be, or even who they

really are? Even for kids, the value of a perfect

selfie on social media now has more value

than the actual content of their true personality.

And what personalities do they even have, at least

outside of their digital ones? The German artist Falk

Lehmann aka AKUT has been observing this social condition

with concern for the destination it is taking our

society. For the exhibition “Réalités” at Galerie Mathgoth

focussing on the work of hyper realistic artists, in

January 2020, AKUT created the painting “MASQUERADE“.

↓ As if from another

time still to come,

AKUT’s rendition of

the chrome face

reminds us of science

fiction films and

robotic technologies.

→ Within every

element of the human

skin is a broad spectrum

of color and

tones. Making AKUT’s

ability to convey

them all in his art even

more impressive.

The 80 × 100cm work started

its journey as a soft

charcoal sketch on the canvas.

The image of a girl,

removing her face as a mask

which doubles as that

which society sees as her

‘real’ face.

Studio Insight Akut

121

The process of the painting’s creation was a magical

one, that took us right to the pulse of what makes

AKUT’s work so impressive. The 80cm x 100cm work

started its journey as a soft charcoal sketch on the

canvas. The image of a girl, removing her face as a mask

which doubles as that which society sees as her ‘real’

face. Under it, a chrome face, lifeless, smooth, and void

of personality. Only her eyes (a trademark talent

showcasing AKUT’s abilities), seem to be real, however

void of any emotions other than shame and regret.

↑ Intricate details, the

tip of the Montana

FINE ACRYLIC marker

gives AKUT a broad

range of marks and

precision for greater

depth and intimacy.

→ Despite its relatively

small size, MAS-

QUERADE is a haunting

yet enchanting

depiction of life for a

modern-day young

person.

Although the message a hard

pill to swallow, the image

itself a mystical interpretation

of the modern lay

life of our youth and young

people.

The background, a connection to AKUT’s

graffiti roots, is a dirty, earthy texture of tags and dark

color, straight from his Montana GOLD cans and

Montana ACRYLIC markers. Layers of acrylic paint are

then converted into three-dimensional form by

fine coats of paint mist from an array of colors from the

Montana GOLD range. AKUT then adds the final

touches to the hyper-real image by way of precision line

work from his Montana ACRYLIC FINE and EXTRA

FINE markers. Even elements of the chrome face are

brought to life by perfectly placed colors applied in

distinct marker generated lines. Although the message

a hard pill to swallow, the image itself a mystical

interpretation of the modern lay life of our youth and

young people. No wonder the image sold at the exhibition.

Take off your own mask in the privacy of your

own home and be amazed by MASQUERADE.

122 Studio Insight Akut

Studio Insight Akut

123

Sister

hood

A ‘SISTERHOOD’ in graffiti culture

Location

worldwide

Photography

Sisterhood

Profile

@sisterhood.graffiti

Even if graffiti is the thread that connects

all writers, we can all agree that it makes

things even easier if whoever you are painting

with speaks the same language as

you do. This is not a concept that needs

more explanation for the SISTERHOOD.

Brought together by their common passion

for graffiti, being all-female is yet another

thread that takes the group further and

makes their experience even more fulfilling.

Since the beginning of Hip Hop culture

as we know it, girls have been an integral

part of graffiti writing culture. Not on the peripheral,

not on the side-lines, and definitely

not as understudies to the male-dominated

head figures that later rose to

prominence as the ‘originators’ of the culture.

→ On the lines at night,

a previously maledominated

world. However,

making art

and emptying cans is

not a gender dependent

topic.

124 Street Report / Interview Sisterhood

Street Report / Interview Sisterhood

125

Possibly, the biggest mistake one can make is

to start justifying, comparing, creating a

mental list of names, or trying to compensate

against their male counterparts. But let’s

make a short roll call just to put it into perspective that

women are and were there in Hip Hop culture from

the beginning. Lady Pink, Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifa,

Monie Love, Martha Cooper, Cora E, Musa, Utah,

Merlot, Mad C, just to name a very few. It is important to

acknowledge that in every town, city, country and

continent, there is a massive unwritten list of female talent

just waiting to have a light shone upon them.

And therein lies the concept for the German allfemale

group, “SISTERHOOD” (Girls Go Graffiti). To

shine the light on their fellow creators of female orientation

who are equally as talented and productive as

any other male creators in the media spotlight.

In their own words, “Graffiti is rebellion, perfection,

thrill seeking, expression and much more: for

example, male-dominated. Still, women are part of this

subculture”. Which is exactly what their mission is

in their self-funded, self-created, and self-organized

exhibition concept of the same name; “SISTERHOOD

Girls Go Graffiti”. To put the spotlight on their fellow female

creative achievers and bridge the gender gaps

in a male-dominated culture that they too are an important

part of.

Active on bricks, streets, and steel,

the girls make art that not only

catches the eye but engages the

brain as well.

↓ No different from

their male colleagues,

the girls in the SIS-

TERHOOD are active

in all disciplines of

graffiti.

↑ Creeping, watching,

and waiting. The SIS-

TERHOOD knows how

the game works, and

above all they know

how to play it.

To be more exact, the names behind the masks

are Antje, Amrei, Alva and Katje. With a network spanning

over the whole globe, with just a small reach out to

the next sister, the endless pool of available skill

sets enables them to achieve a multi-facet of creative

activities. Some of them including film making, sound

production, product creation and sales, musical event

organization, graphic design, artwork, and of course,

all disciplines of graffiti.

But let’s get back to the important part that connects

us all, GRAFFITI. No strangers to a Montana

BLACK or GOLD can, SISTERHOOD has all the bases

covered in the disciplines of graffiti. Active on bricks,

streets, and steel, the girls make art that not only catches

the eye but engages the brain as well. And if the

viewer is female, then the value is heightened as selfconfidence,

self-reflection, and positive messages

of self-acceptance are always on offer.

With the number or size of the female writing

community uncertain, we took the opportunity to speak

to the SISTERHOOD to try and see if they could school

us some more. Here is what they had to say:


MONTANA-CANS

Most, if not all of you have been active writers so long that

you would be judged by your peers on the quality of

your work, and not your gender (we hope). Were there any

specific moments or turning points that made your

creative focus have a feminist tendency, or do you feel

like it was a topic from the beginning you have been

tackling all the way?

SISTERHOOD

The backgrounds and creative careers of the women in

our group vary. Some of us have already dealt with

feminism before we even started painting and sometimes

started from concrete political contexts. Others were

involved with graffiti first. Over time, we have all understood

the importance of networking with other women

to approach the societal phenomenon of sexism in

solidarity.

Graffiti and the accompanying play

with letters is always a guideline

for us. Which we accept and is inevitable

if we want to paint graffiti.

MC

Do you all cross over into the other disciplines of graffiti,

or do the members of your collective all have certain

avenues they specialize in? (e.g. street bombing, pieces,

trains, freights etc.)

SH

We all have different paths and all of us have our disciplines

within graffiti where it is the most fun. We live out

most of our creativity on the rails and in the streets.

But graffiti is more than just that as it is so diverse. Therefore,

we also networked with women from different

disciplines for the exhibition.

MC

Is classic style writing and street graffiti as we see

it online (dominated by the exposure of male artists) inspirational

for you? Or do you go to other sources for

your own inspiration? Is it even relavent if a male did or

did not create something you like?

SH

For us, it is irrelevant who created the picture. People’s

pictures, regardless of female or male, who we know

or like due to their attitude, we celebrate the most. In the

beginning, we had mostly male role models when it

came to style, but also because in the beginning you

never knew for sure whether an artist was male or

female. Today we are even more inspired by women

who have managed to push their way through.

↑ More than just a

graffiti crew, the

SISTERHOOD is also

involved with the

development of varying

forms of art and

creativity and the

making of their own

products.

MC

Is the topic of feminism, or developing the female status

within creative culture the most important aspect

in the creation of your artworks, or does ‘graffiti’ and its

unwritten agenda (style, letters, innovation, competition

etc.) come first however offering you an outlet to

convey other messages?

SH

Graffiti and the accompanying play with letters is always

a guideline for us. Which we accept and is inevitable

if we want to paint graffiti. After some of us had only

painted our alter ego names for several years, the

combination of political and feminist messages as a

group, brought us important new input and energy.

This is how we want to reach other people and try to

make them think.

MC

Does your group reach out to other female artists

who are not yet involved to broaden the network? Or do

the other female artists come to you to be part of it?


127

SH

We ask female writers if they would like to be interviewed.

Sometimes we also get tips or suggestions that we

followed and included. Some collectives or individuals

also approached us and want to connect or paint together.

But due to our time restrictions and for security

reasons, we normally don’t do that though. Nevertheless,

we network automatically in all directions.

MC

How do female artists who are not active femists

respond to your work or your cause?

SH

Since we do not have feminism as an explicit topic and

just want to celebrate women in graffiti, the resistance

is limited. Feminism should not be the sole focus for us,

it’s primarily about graffiti. Every now and then some

people find it senseless that it is about women in graffiti

because they want to get away from the stereotype.

The worst is when guys think that something is being

taken away from them, or who are afraid that they

will all be branded as fools. However, the street bombers

don’t complain when a film like “Unlike U” is released,

and it only focuses on train painters.

MC

To broaden the greater public’s awareness of female

writers, who are your heroes, and was there anyone that

inspired you to follow your paths?

SH

There are many writers, female crews, and supporters who

have been part of graffiti from the start. If you don’t

know the synonyms of women, of course, you won’t notice

them in public either. But women like Lady Pink, Sany

from the “Girl Power” movie, or Martha Cooper, who have

been documenting the graffiti scene since the beginning,

are of course icons. But there are also many others

who are not in the public eye that have not come out

publicly as “woman” to be judged differently or torn down.

With the support of some male

friends, we started our project in the

first place and many thought it was

very cool that there are women who

paint.

MC

When you are out in the ‘field’, do you think fellow male

artists treat you any differently to their male counterparts?

SH

Yes and no. We have all had different experiences, and

definitely not only negative ones. With the support

of some male friends, we started our project in the first


Additionally, that as many people as possible hear about

the exhibition and see it. Just so that people understand

the message, celebrate, and respect women in

graffiti. Not forgetting that we manage to give girls a

stage and encourage them to do their thing.

MC

If your whole crew had only one Montana Cans cap and

can combination to use, which one would it be?

SH

Black-orange dot! Lavender, Royal Purple, Nappies,

True Yellow, Black, and White!

The worst is when guys think that

something is being taken awayfrom

them, or who are afraid that they

will all be branded as fools.

↑ In the end, it’s all about

graffiti. And the

playing rules for girls

are no different to that

of the boys. So in the

end, graffiti wins.

Montana Cans

SPOTLIGHT

get to know:

Sister

hood

place and many thought it was very cool that there are

women who paint. But also, something like being

treated very nicely, or that people want to take care of

you was part of it, which was kind of patronizing.

We also know what it is like to be not taken seriously or

reduced to how we look. Unfortunately, often our

gender is automatically their first point of attack when

they are aware that we are female. And for many, it

becomes an issue as they start to find you somehow

attractive, or interesting. This sometimes makes

things complicated. We can understand that women are

celebrated by men who do atypical things, and with

whom they share their own passion. But there have also

been some very unpleasant interactions where personal

boundaries have been crossed. These are the types

of guys that are unlikely to be respectful to women

outside of graffiti. It’s a societal problem.

MC

If you could achieve one major achievement as a collective,

what would that be?

SH

The first thing would be to encourage other women to

continue doing what they love and not to be belittled!

Pooling skills, strengths, and resources are

no secret for success in whatever endeavors

you choose to do. So why should it

be any different for female writers? The

SISTERHOOD is here to stay, so stayed tuned

for the artworks, events, and colors that

this group is destined to spread across the

globe.


129

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Montana SCHWARZ 500ml is a recycled BLACK formula for more paint, less waste and a one-off

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131

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The NEEDLE FINE LINER (Purple) is the little sibling of the original Needle Cap. Its average spray width

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The NEEDLE CAP series earn their names due to there unique appearance. Unlike the dots

that designate the spray trajectory in standard caps, the needle cap has a hollow plastic tube

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the NEEDLE FINE LINER (Purple) produces is similar to the STANDARD Cap with its dirty and raw

characteristics. Often used by street artists, urban artists and studio artists to achieve splatter

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The phrase “Hello My Name Is”, is all too familiar with the modern-day

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are. The new Montana HELLO-GRAM stickers take sticker bombing to

a new level. The 12cm x 9cm sticker base features the traditional Montana

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with a galactic touch on the new Montana HELLO-GRAM sticker.

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Montana Sticker Set #2

No longer is painting a secondary thought while

on vacation, these days we travel to paint.

To celebrate the Spraycation way of life, we

have created the new Montana Cans STICKER

SET #2 "SPRAYCATION". Like their patch

equivalents, the SPRAYCATION stickers capture

the spirit of the graffiti brotherhood.


9

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paint strands on the surface area of the object in question. The area which

is to be sprayed is not entirely covered and will stay partially visible.

Can be top-coated with many common lacquer types once thoroughly

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Aluminium

The Montana ALUMINIUM Primer is a quick-drying primer for the optimal

pretreatment of aluminium surfaces to increase protection against flaking

and cracking. The primer is ideal for use on aluminium. In limited

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Primer can be coated with Montana GOLD, Montana BLACK, Montana

WHITE, Montana TECH, EFFECT range colors. Always test before

using on a non-visible area of the object. Available as 400ml.

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10-years CANPIRE

Anniversary Can

2020 saw the ten-year anniversary of the beloved

„CANPIRE“ (The Montana Store Frankfurt).

With a litho image that pays homage to the tradi -

tional „Geripptes“ glass, a lozenge cut glass

used for drinking the region‘s favorite beverage

Apfelwein, this Montana BLACK black, took

on yet another personality as the store‘s own

birthday icon.


133

→ The new Montana

Ultra Wide Power

Green. The new generation

of vibrant colors

for the artists that

love spontaneity.

Gamechanger

Text

Team Flight Mode

Photography

Edward Nightingale

Emanuel Batali

Usually, circumstances dictate possibilities in our game.

Surface, timeframe, visibility, light, third-party work

routines, and weather are just some of the crucial external

factors that influence outcomes. Of course, some

of these elements can be modified to even play in one’s

favor. Especially when things do not look promising,

creativity is vital, and one must not underestimate the

factor of motivation. Writers are a flexible crowd. The

history of Graffiti constantly shows signs of adaptation.

New approaches, new techniques - and new materials.


After all, Graffiti means competition.

The inner pressure to achieve adequate

results, the external pressure

to perform yet get away with it.

→ Second to none

coverage at an application

rate that is at

the top of its game.

We have come a long way from repurposing

hardware supplies. In the 1980s, enamel paints and ovencleaner

nozzles were our most advanced tools. Fast

forward twenty years later: a broad range of colors and

numerous caps can be ordered online – designer

paints with shorter drying times, better coverage, new

valves, and more pressure. Pressure surrounds us.

After all, Graffiti means competition. The inner pressure

to achieve adequate results, the external pressure

to perform yet get away with it. Translating these underlying

patterns of culture into a product is a reasonable

conclusion.

↓ The sky is the limit

both literally and

symbolically with the

new Montana Ultra

Wide Light Blue.

In 2012, a new player entered the

game: the Montana Ultra Wide.

A high-pressure can with a unique

valve enables it to cover bigger

spaces in significantly less time.

In 2012, a new player entered the game: the

Montana Ultra Wide. A high-pressure can with a

unique valve enables it to cover bigger spaces in significantly

less time. There is no need to imagine a

boost through a double-handed use. For a real-time de -

monstration, watch any recent video. Numerous

clips showcase how boundaries can be pushed. Since

the launch, the game has been changed. Backjump

windows of three minutes all of a sudden offered valid

options. Palanca gained a new catalyst to race the clock.


135

↑ A David von Bahr

work, in the still

of winter. Is it aggressive,

or is it spontaneous?

With the

Ultra Wide cans, the

lack of friction during

application leaves

the viewer guessing.

Go big or go home, right?

Not exactly. Any new medium is

essentially no more than a tool.

Go big or go home, right? Not exactly. Any

new medium is essentially no more than a tool. However,

a particular use case may be intended during the

development. Artists, on the other hand, like to play with

ideas. Thus, there has been an extreme countertrend.

Instead of strict outdoor use, Ultra Wide has been

introduced to the studios, too. Think of works by

David von Bahr, for instance. Stark contrasts dominate

his paintings which exude impulsivity, spontaneity,

and even hints of aggression. All facilitated by the

frictionless paint application. Ultra Wide is an instrument

that can create a distinct look. The outcome,

nonetheless, depends on the specific context. Whether

these aesthetics are consciously highlighted or just

a by product is up to the artist. No loose ends!

← A ductus that is

as chaotic as it is

beautiful. The marks

of the Ultra Wide

cans bring the streets

to the studio and

beyond.

→ Abstract markmaking

or palm trees

in black? With the

Ultra Wide can, the

viewer's interpretation

is as open as the

tool that created it.



137

1

2

5

138 BLACKBOOK

3

4

6

1 ATOM ONE

2 LA FRANZ

3 HORST

4 NOID

5 HOT DOG

6 TWIGS

7 FRESH

7

Blackbook

139

8

11

8 AMUSE126

9 CAN2

10 SMASH137

11 SWEET

12 CAN2

13 MOST

140 BLACKBOOK

9

10

12

13

Blackbook

141


Montana-Cans Ultrawide #GAMECHANGER

Montana-Cans Ultrawide #GAMECHANGER

Imprint

LOOKBOOK

021

Media owner and publisher:

MONTANA-CANS

Editorial Staff:

MONTANA-CANS

Editorial design & Art direction:

Matter Of (MO-P-126)

Alexander Krziwanie (MONTANA-CANS)

Nico Gnad (MONTANA-CANS)

Texts:

René Van Kan

Flightmode

Special thanks to all contributing artists & partners!

Cover Photo:

Montana Cans

Cover Illustrations:

Lugosis & Strato200´s

© 2021, 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.

MONTANA-CANS

Häusserstraße 36

69115 Heidelberg

Deutschland

Ph: +49 (0) 6221 36 333 0

info@montana-cans.com


WWW.MONTANA-CANS.BLOG

148 Imprint

#MontanaCans #GermanSpraypaint


LOOKBOOK / EDITION #06 / 2021


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