ARTISTS NOTES
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Denver Graffiti Tour has interviewed dozens of Denver and national street artists in order to get the back story on their art and their history. All artists were advised that the interviews would be used for our tour. You can find edited notes and resources below.
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We will continue to publish more interviews with these Denver street artists as we can. March 2018 - Present.
PATRICK KANE MCGREGOR
Background​
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Did advertising and then did train painting, did legal walls, never into tagging
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Got back into street art when he returned to Denver- 2012
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Trying to find artistic expression- make meaningful to whatever he’s painting- dog in most of his art
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“Boug” was his dog
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Erico motors owner dressed up like Evil Knievel one year and did a jump in front of his shop
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Taught through billboard training - taught me how to oil paint
Art​
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Once he moved from doing backboards to doing faces and portraits, got more money
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Ended up being good at doing those in a timely manner and has honed those skills
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Freehand but does grid
Politics and social commentary​
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Only semi controversial one I did was an Einstein ("Question Everything"). Went up at same time as Trump election.
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Back of Atomic Cowboy (designed with son); 25 year old son (Tristan) helps; Patrick is 45.
Commercialization / Gentrification
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Grew up in Denver and had relatives that used to be in Globeville
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Kind of inevitable when artists move into a community
LAEDEN GARCIA (DINKC)
Background
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pronounced Lie-don
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Have been doing art my whole life
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Branded self at Kansas City art institute senior year (2012)
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Branded self for design and illustration- after doing that for a year in Kansas City, moved to NYC and then the name stuck.
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In NYC for two, two and a half years. My fiancee is the one that went out there first after graduation; convinced him to visit and went out there and was supposed to stay for a couple years (NYC and then moved to Brooklyn)
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Moved to Denver - fiancee originally from here; next move in general since her family is from here and the art scene is pretty great and liked it here and saw how much it was expanding
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Grew up in KC, art scene was hugely inspiring by graffiti because there’s a little bit of it everywhere, few artists that I met and was inspired by
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NYC - once I got out there and got involved in art community, so many events, explore and meet up with other artists and other events, very accessible (size wise doing shows in KC once every 2 months or so, doing them weekly in NYC,) NYC got a little overwhelming and saturated. Wanted to step out and expand, studios, more services, Denver has helped (clothing line, and be involved in arts’ community through Crush and RINO district)
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Been here since 2017
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JASON GARCIA
Background
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Grew up in Orange County, parents live in Laguna Beach
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Graffiti since 15
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Last letter set was over a decade ago
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Followed emotional side to get into art
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Graduated UCLA in 1997
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Went to SF for Art Institute (post bacc year)
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Painted on stage with the Roots, Modest Mouse (going through Europe, Japan)
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Around 36, had lifestyle change (started lifestyle at 22)
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Went to grad school (UC Boulder)(finished in 2014)
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Whatever you make is autobiographical
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In order to understand what I want, needed to experience what he didn’t want
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MIKE GRAVES
Background
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Painting since high school/character driven drawings since mid-nineties
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More public street stuff the past 10-11 years
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Went to high school in Lakewood, grew up in Lakewood, went to Denver proper 2003-2006
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Did not go to college for this
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No formal training and then had to start over again in college (Metro)
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“Chicken fish” - joke from his daughter, and fun to do for her
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Has had relationship with Illegal Petes; has worked with Pabst for over ten years now- big supporter of the arts and really good at supporting the arts- certain things they sponsor, have done murals, post designs, all sorts of things I have done for them
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Other big names he’s done: Pabst, Breckenridge, Toyota, New Amsterdam vodka
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CRUSH - bigger artists find out a lot quicker, moved 6 times during CRUSH-
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Money has gotten into it
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Developers have pushed lots of money; everything is because of Dread; started and responsible for that; lots of it was Ken Wolf pushing it after he saw Basil in Miami and Winwood; tenants pitch in, Ken Wolf pitch in, mix of tenants, business owners and sponsors
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Lots of people will call 8 people in time and then low ball people and end up getting it cheap and then those numbers are given out easily
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Just painted a mural wall in Hawaii, painted Miami, paintings all over place - NY, CA, Chicago, Phoenix, Australia, London, Singapore, San Francisco, painted in Winwood in Miami- painted with Gamma in Miami
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