What do you write?
Monoe One
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Rust-Oleum, ‘Green Apple’, ‘Berry Pink’, homemade ‘Light Pink’ in a Rusto can, ‘Emerald Green’, Krylon, ‘Jungle Green’ & ‘School Bus Yellow’. Outline: Homemade ‘Plum Purple’ in a Krylon can. Cloud: Krylon, ‘Colonial Blue’.
Tell us a little about yourself… How long you’ve been painting and who you’re down with etc.
I started writing in or around 1990 but didn’t start pieceing until 94. I didn’t talk to, or meet any other writers for the first four years of doing this shit. I still do most of my painting alone and like it that way. I’m down with ITD, It Takes Dedication. FDA, Fundamentally Disturbed Artists. T, Circle T & AAP, All American Painter.
So what brands of paint did you use most frequently in the early years?
In the early days I would use whatever I could get my hands on. But when I could take my pick vs. racking whatever I could find, I’d use Krylon and all varieties of Rust-Oleum. I’m pretty big on mixing my own blends up and Rusto has been the best brand to make crossover mixes.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Rust-Oleum AA, ‘Leafy Green’, ‘Green Apple’, Rust-Oleum PT, ‘Herbal Green’, home made ‘Teal Blue’ in a krylon can
for fill designs. Background outline: Home made color in a Rusto can.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Rust-Oleum, PT ‘Sky Blue’, Rust-Oleum, AA ‘Slate Blue’, Krylon, ‘Safety Green’ & some random can of a Montana Pink.
Outline & 3D: Krylon, ‘Navy Blue’ & Krylon, ‘Teal Blue’. Background outline: Krylon, ‘Plum’ & Krylon, ‘Baby Blue’.
Are you a can collector?
If you asked me that question 15 years ago I’d have laughed and said, “fool I’m a user.” Followed up with me stealing all your paint!!!. But seeing as I’m an adult now, and have some how managed to not use all of my old cans I got back back then and over the years I’d answer you with, “yes!” I consider myself a collector of old and obscure cans of spraypaint, but not to the extent of others. Over the years I have really come to appreciate the old cans I come across. I feel they are an important part of our history from a graff artists point of view, but I have seen people out there that just collect random weird shit. Old cans would be part of that.
^Partial shot of Monoe’s personal collection.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Rust-Oleum AA, ‘Leafy Green’, Rust-Oleum PT, ‘Herbal Green’. Home made ‘Baby Blue’ designs in a Krylon can. Background outline: Rust-Oleum AA, ‘French Lilac’. Outline: Rust-Oleum AA, ‘Canyon Black’ & ‘Honey’.
Can you still find old paint stock in your area?
Once in a great while I do randomly find some old can in someone’s garage, but I haven’t found any truly old cans of spray paint in the stores around me in a long time… I pretty much gave up looking hard about 5 years ago.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Krylon, ‘Teal Blue’ & ‘Hot Pink’. Rust-Oleum, AA ‘Green Apple’ & left over homemade ‘Deep Burgundy’.
Background outline: Krylon, ‘Pacific blue’. Outline: Krylon, ‘True Blue’.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Homemade blend of Krylon, Rust-Oleum, Ironlak & Rusto AA, ‘Iris Blue’. Designs: Rusto AA, ‘French Lilac’. Background outline: Homemade in a Rusto can. Outline: Rust-Oleum, ‘Sunrise Red’.
Any good racking stories?
Tons! I don’t like to talk about that shit, but seeing as I haven’t had to in a long time…
I used to go into this one store with a 3 foot long duffle bag, fill it up, and just walk out! One time I was stopped at the door by the stores’ security guard. He was a house of a human! He put his arm out, that was the size of my leg across my path at the exit, and waved a badge in my face real fast. He was starting to say something and that’s when I spun around and whipped out a can I had jocked… I threw it like a grenade into the store! Thats when he flinched, so I ran around him and jetted out across the parking lot while the 2 other cans I had jocked were running down my pant legs! I remember when I was around halfway across the lot, I took a quick look back to see him just standing at the door, but that didn’t stop me from running! I ducked into someone’s backyard and stashed my bag and jacket in some guy’s shed. I walked home right past two cruisers flashing their blues. I went back to the shed to get my shit that night only to find the shed owner was doing something inside. I waited in the alley for a few minutes and thought I’d wait a while and see what happened. He seemed to be cleaning shit out to get to something large. I saw him put my bag on top of some tool boxes just within my reach from the sidewalk. I went over, walked by, and took my shit back… then I went painting!
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Rust-Oleum AA, ‘Moss Green’, ‘Lagoon’, ‘Iris Blue’, ‘French Lilac’ & homemade ‘Pink’.
Outline: Rust-Oleum AA, ‘Canyon Black’. Background outline: MTN, ‘Valley Green’.
Any favorite old paint stores?
No, not anymore. I used to have a field day at Caldors, Woolworths and a few others that went out of business!
Best discontinued paint, and why?
Rust-Oleum Woodsavers. Not because of the colors, but because it was sooo thick!
Any good racked cap/can combos?
No, nothing stands out.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Background outline: Rust-Oleum, ‘Sand’ & some scrap Krylon, ‘Teal Blue’. Fill: Rust-Oleum, ‘Orange’, AA ‘Berry Pink’ & Krylon, ‘Grape’ designs. Outline: Home made ‘Deep Burgundy’ mixed into a Krylon can.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Valspar, ‘Mandarin Blue’ & Krylon, ‘Grape’. Outline: Krylon, ‘Cherry Red’. Background outline: Krylon, ‘Pacfic Blue’.
Worst paint ever award goes to?
Hands down… the new Krylon gets the award for two reasons. Fantips and thinning out their formula. Biggest company FAIL in spray paint history.
What are some of your best painting experiences?
Painting with other writers that I consider my friends, more than just an associate of the same artform. Painting with a few guys I really looked up to years ago. One time painting in a yard with like 12 other writers and all of us doing multiple pieces with each other. Doing as many as 10 pieces in a night. I have a lot of good memories from graff.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: About 8 cans of some cheap shit fan spray ‘Gloss Black’ made by Sherwin Williams, Rust-Oleum AA, ‘Nutmeg’ designs.
Outline: A blend of Rust-Oleum, Krylon & scrap Eruo paint mixed into a Krylon can. 3D: Krylon, ‘Safety Green’. Background outline: Krylon, ‘Ultra Flat Black’.
How do you feel about the brands of Euro paint and their impact on the scene?
Over all I’m not a big fan of Euro paints, but I do use some in small amounts here and there from time to time. I think most of my personal scepticism of the Euro brands comes from me feeling they are, for the most part, cheating the learning curve. In so many ways it’s just too easy to use. I see newjacks out there painting with nothing but MTN Golds etc. that couldn’t even do a clean handstyle with a Rusto, let alone a piece! I mean don’t read this wrong, fancy paint has its place, but it’s just another tool in your bag of tricks. In short, it should never be the only paint a US writer uses, and basically it’s asinine to use only that shit. Those of you doing so are robbing yourselves of learning how to really paint.
Also, I have had so many more issues with Euro paints than I have ever had with US brands of paint like Rusto. The best thing I ever heard someone say while painting with some Euro paint was, “you just can’t trust this shit.”
If you could choose a few cans to keep on your shelf, what would they be?
I can’t answer this question. I’m a paint addict! Plus, I think if I started to reply to this question, it would be a page long. I want it all!
Any thoughts on CMC documenting knowledge of paint?
I think it’s great. It’s good to know that someone has finally made an effort to preserve the history of one of the most important tools that made
graffiti art what it is; the spray can. We wouldn’t be what we are without it.
Any other comments?
I got some shoutouts: Arsn, Spek, Aves, Ich, Norms, Jec, Tint, Perl, all the rest of ITD, T & the BNI guys. Also a big FUCK YOU to the few haters I got out there.
^Classic Piece Breakdown! Fill: Krylon, ‘Pebble’ & Rust-Oleum, ‘Sand’ & ‘Real Orange’. Background outline: Krylon, ‘Violet’.
Outline: Rust-Oleum, ‘Sunrise Red’.