You can't talk about Los Angeles graffiti without talking about RISK.
For nearly four decades, Los Angeles-based artist RISK has crushed the streets with the graffiti aesthetics that he helped to pioneer; from highway overpasses to dilapidated buildings, walls, trains and buses. He's played an insurmountable role in not only solidifying Los Angeles as a graffiti hub, but pioneering a dangerous and beautiful art that has made him one of the most influential figures for subsequent generations of graffiti artists.
Havoc had the opportunity to stop by RISK's studio last week, where the legendary writer took us through everything from his first tag and early days getting up at Pan Pacific Auditorium and Motor Yard, to making the world his canvas, having the opportunity to work with Michael Jackson and Ice Cube, and his new autobiographical book, Old Habits Die Hard. RISK's stories and recounts of being shot at, scaling freeway overpasses and billboards, and the struggles he's faced and overcome in differentiating graffiti from straight vandalism, are inspiring and a true testament of passion and creativity. RISK continues to work prolifically both in his studio and on the streets, all the while staying true to his vision of graffiti and continually setting the bar with a style and technique that artists have been trying to match for years.
Stay tuned for our exclusive video piece with RISK coming soon.
