Your work is very raw and disobedient. Do you actually care about how people perceive your work?
Mint Some of our previous work is reactionary to common misperceptions and realities about graffiti and painting. With Support, Therapy and Instability we tried to infuse and charge the work as much as we could, in hopes that it [the charge] penetrates the viewer. I think the work is unresolved, if the intent and the charge is not transferred to the audience. With silk as a medium, we would like to transcend and reframe some of our previous work around new ideas and dialogues.
Serf I tend to care about perception of others in regard to my work because there is always something to be learned. If it's positive or negative, if I'm able to take something from it and improve upon what I'm working on, whether that's physically or conceptually, I think it's a positive and can only enhance my work.
Have either of you ever participated in KINBAKU?
Mint Metaphorically yes, plenty of times. In actuality no, not yet.
Serf If you consider silver handcuffs from police officers [as] taking part, then yes. But no I haven't taken part, although I'm definitely interested in it. The embrace of the rope intrigues me. It seems very… I want to say, familiar... hugging, embracing, warm. I see it happening in the near future.
Korupted is a nod to Araki’s KINBAKU series which office covered as well in our last issue. What do you think draws people to punishment vs. gratification?
Mint I think Korupted is a nod to Araki, as well as John Willie and Kinbaku art form in general. Much of sex can be viewed in terms of domination and ultimate gratification that it is easy for people to relate to it. Many things in our lives are set in opposition, while some of the most dangerous things in life are also the most gratifying. The forbidden fruit per se. Korupted is also a celebration of sexuality and freedom of expression.
Serf I don't know… why one without the other? I mean, why can't punishment be gratifying? There is something to be said for mistakes, and learning from them as well as overcoming obstacles that could be interpreted as punishing, in order to reach the next level in certain projects or endeavors.
Do you think using multiple colors as opposed to just one (like the blue theme used by ARAKI) conveys the message of hectic or frowned upon behavior?
Serf The initial goal of those paintings was to convey disgust for the status quo of what qualified paintings as ‘hot’ in the market at the time. We were attempting to drive as far away as possible while still retaining a semblance of a true to life/form action painting since we were living that action in the streets. As some would say, we were keeping it official in the studio. We did not want to pay homage by reproducing redundant looking works. Our paintings are based on real life mark making.
Mint Chaos is the composition.
Will you be wearing your silks this winter?
Serf I'm wearing silk every day.
Mint I only sleep in silk.