Here We have a look into the thoughts and paintings of one of the better known writers to come out of the new york area. Zephyr has been putting in work for over two decades now and it doesn't look like he's letting up anytime soon. Whether its rocking steel or throwing a piece up on some concrete, hes down. Unlike some writers that have let fame get their heads, Zeph's kept his humble positive approach to his art and his life in general. So sit back and indulge yourself in what he has to say. Interview conducted by Mike Mesa.

M:
I know that alot of graffiti inteviews have a certain format, like what do you write, how long have you been painting for and whatnot, but we're going to try and get away from that this time. What would you say motivated you as a kid to start into art in general? Was it graffiti, or were you developing through another medium?

Z:
I grew up in Manhattan; my parents were intellectual types who were kind enough to expose me to a lot of traditional art as a young kid. My parents hung a print of the Rousseau painting "The Sleeping Gypsy" in my bedroom before I could even talk, so that famous image of the lion gazing down at that sleeping woman may be one of my earliest exposures to painting. Of course the pictures on all those sugary cereal boxes were pretty fun, and all the crazy cartoons on TV I used to watch in the 60's like Popeye, Gigantor and Kimba the White Lion; they all had an effect on me. Later it was album covers, psychedelic concert posters, underground comic books and superhero comics. I first tried to mimic the handwriting that I saw on the subways and the walls all around me at age 13, that was in the year 1974. Before that I was drawing a lot of monsters like Frankenstein and Dracula, super heroes and weird guns and space-age cars. My medium of choice was a good ol' number two pencil and any white piece of paper I could get my hands on. I suggest that anyone more interested in this stuff go to the section on my site (www.zgraf.com) called "IMPETUS" for a more detailed description of how I became involved with graffiti and some of the other artistic directions I was considering as a youngster, and I apologize for the shameless website plug.

M:
Now after the many years of painting and meeting many friends and artists through graffiti, what drives you to keep going out and putting time into the art?

Z: Z: I love it. It's just what I do. I'm like a shark that breathes through his gills as he passes through the water; If I stop moving forward, I'm dead.

M:
You've been able to have an opportunity to paint in other states and countries other than your own, are there any memories that stick out through all the travelling that you would either re-live or just be happy knowing that you were there?

Z:
I'll use the colloquial, "it's all good." I look at it as one big trip called LIFE, so I can't isolate specifics out of it. That would be like trying to pick the marshmallows out of the cocoa after they've already dissolved.

M:
Do you feel you have accomplished everything that you initially set out to do as a writer? Or is there any unfinished business, or things you would like to try before you call it a day?

Z:
Yes, I would like to paint about a thousand more graffiti pieces, all illegally of course. My motto is "Dismantling the status quo, one piece at a time." My work has only begun. I'm busy planning my next thirty years of making graffiti.

M:
Of what I've seen from you, your a very positive person who is up for pretty much anything. Do you think that your personality and the way you carry yourself heavily influences your art?

Z:
I don't know. That's funny. Most people can't stand me.

M:
You have seen graffiti evolve and take many different shapes. Where do you see the artform taking itself into the next ten or twenty years? Do you forsee much change in the way it is now?

Z:
Once it was outlaw, now I'm sad to report that graffiti has been completely accepted into the fold of polite culture. We're going to have to come up with something much harsher very soon.

M:
Well thank you very much for taking time to shedding some light on your life through art and the best of luck to whatever you tackle next. Anything else you'd like to say before were out?

Z:
Yes. We desperately need help from you nice people up in Canada. We're sorry about that South Park movie and that dumb song. Down here, just south of you, we're being held hostage by a band of extremely dangerous, psychotic, warmongering sociopaths. They have illegally occupied the Whitehouse for over four years now. I beg you, please send help immediately...we're losing hope.

If you want to see more on Zephyr go to his personal website, www.zephyrgraffiti.com theres loads of good stuff to look at.