F1nk-0ne is a street artist based out of Bristol, UK who has had more than his fair share of run ins with the law because of his art. Recently he talked with us about these experiences, how he discovered street art, and the state of the European art scene today.
Starving Artist: How did you first get into street art?
F1nk-0ne: I got into graffiti when I was about 12 years old. I got mixed in with a Bristol graff crew who painted a lot of trains at night. At first I would just follow everyone around and watch and pick up the techniques they were using, but then I started drawing out a load of ideas that I just felt needed to be painted. That's when I started hunting down abandoned buildings and practicing my can control and techniques before moving onto publicly visible walls.
Starving Artist: What are your thoughts on the European art scene, where it is now and where it will be in the future?
F1nk-0ne: At the moment the whole European art scene is in an awesome place. Every European country that I have visited seems to have great street art and it's becoming a lot more acceptable, which is great. About 90% of the work that I see abroad is incredible and it's all progressing at such a fast rate. Hopefully it'll only get better and the streets will all be really colourful, instead of small areas/occasional buildings where everyone paints. I hope to see it seen as the norm instead of the risky business that it is today.
Starving Artist: Where did your alias F1nk-0ne come from?
F1nk-0ne: It was actually a really basic concept. I had been painting under several different names over the years but when I stopped painting illegally and started doing my work on canvasses etc to sell I would just sign it with "Jimi" on the back. After a few years of doing this I started entering festivals and when you sign up they require an artist name so they can put you in the brochure and show where you're painting. I remember completing all this paperwork and then getting to the artist name section and panicking because I didn't really have one. After 10 minutes or so I was like "I really can't think of one I wanna use" and so I thought that I would kind of abbreviate that, change the spelling, and make it my artist name. So it went from "Can't think of one" to "F1nk-0ne" and it kind of stuck.
Starving Artist: In a previous discussion you mentioned that you had been arrested because of your art, can you tell me more about that?
F1nk-0ne: When I started painting years ago it was pretty much just an underground movement, unlike today where I have people paying me to paint shops, and because of this it was a lot easier to get yourself on the wrong side of the police. A lot has changed with peoples attitude toward street art since I started painting. All that I wanted to do when I was starting out was to get my name known around the city, whether it be on walls, rooftops, or vehicles. I would always paint with the childish attitude of "Fuck the police, I'm untouchable" and it ended with me getting locked up on several occasions. I have had my house raided by police on three separate occasions and there is nothing worse than having to sit back and watch as they tear apart your house in the hopes that they find proof that you painted a picture where the law says you can't. There has been run ins with the law since but never anything much. I mostly sell my work now and paint legal walls and festivals, at least that way I can make a living.
A huge thank you goes out to F1nk-0ne for sharing his time and experiences with us for this interview. You can check out his work at https://www.facebook.com/F1nk0ne.
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