What we do as writers is not street art. Graffiti is more hardcore and has rules to its existence. A street artist may come with the intention of stenciling or gluing an object with some politically motivated objective. As a graffiti writer, you write your name, take a picture and leave. Politics from time to time may influence a graffiti writer, but it’s seldom. In my personal work, my objective is to tell a subliminal story through shape and color.
During this time of social distancing and desolation my creativity has driven me to explore abandoned places. Under normal circumstances, writers have to be very discreet about entering and exiting places where we generally choose to paint. It’s important to stay out of the eyes of officials and anyone who looks like a vigilante. My latest exploration has led me to a state-owned property that was once a hospital for those considered to be ‘mentally challenged.’ What interests me the most about the place is the variety of surfaces, the old-style layout, and the silence. I’m moved and intrigued by the architecture. I get a less-is-more feeling that comes over me when painting abandoned places; a balance between creating something subtle and new and preserving what once was.
-TenseOne