Tuesday, November 3, 2009

October 2009: Priest in Alabama

Still feeling funky this morning. Thanks to a hefty dose of garlic and Nyquil, I'm functioning on a more human level. When I wasn't knocked out, I spent some time working on today's post. A few weeks ago, I discovered Alabama native Priest's work on Wooster. Since I don't get too many photos from his region, I knew I had to shout him out. Today, he shares some photos and stories from the deep South. He writes:

"I first started doing street art when I realized I couldn't do gallery art."
"Usually, if I do bring people with me it is because I need lookouts. I have learned though that if someone tells me they DEFINITELY want to go with me next time I paint, it means they have no intention on answering their phones at 2 am to go vandalize."
"How did I develop my style? Like Banksy, I try to rip off Blek le Rat every chance I get."
"I love painting in the ghetto because it's a short walk from my cardboard condo."
"I'd say the most stereotypical Alabama thing that happened to me was when I was painting an abandoned building next to a neighborhood and I heard a guy beating his wife. I took off after I heard the screen door slam shut and his wife scream, "He ain't got nothin' to do with it!" I went back 20 minutes later to grab my cans and the woman was pacing around the building and crying; she was all beat up and shit. Two days later, a posting went up on Craigslist with a cameraphone picture of the piece I did trying to find out who I was for 'Album Art' they wanted designed. No thanks."

"I'm working on too many projects right now, but I never finish anything."

Thanks, Priest! Keep holding it down in Alabama. For more photos (sorry about these tiny ones), check out his Flickr.

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