Q: So tell us about yourself?
G: I'm not a graffiti artist - I do comics - graphic novels. And I paint walls in pubs - you know the old Mojos? And I play drums with this band.
Q: How did they contact you?
G: They just called me. I came because of the money scene.
Q: What do you think about graffiti in India?
G: Nobody knows about the graffiti scene in India - there is no scene. But graffiti has become a very Indie thing - a very cool thing - all pubs want that. I first painted in a Bombay pub - the Ghetto. I used to ape western graffiti - now I have a style of my own. My version is a mix of street art and art from music albums and poster. I don't want to call it graffiti at all. I pulled elements from Stones also - don't like it too much - they don't light it too well.
Q: The lack of literature in graffiti here - is that a loss?
G: Why is the voice not there? We face this in many issues here. Our public is very preoccupied with earning a living. This is expensive paint. I prefer to use brushes. Stuff inside malls and showrooms - you don't want it to smell. So water based is the best. We face this in my band also. Rock music - is present here more than graffiti - but it's not really thriving. All the style's on the cover. Behind that we're all hammering walls. Graffiti - if it didn't evolve - it needn't evolve. So why do we need it?
Q: But graffiti is about subliminal messages and speaking out...
G: It's always a kind of vandalism, which is why it's so cool with big brands now. It's become a cult. I work for Fastrack . They do a very expensive shoot with a model and say "revolution." WHat revolution? I'm making money, I'm happy. I don't want to promote graffiti. I'm doing art only - when I SAY it's graffiti - I get buyers. With these guys I have to create IMPACT.
Q: So you label it graffiti so that it sells?
G: It's already sold. My 20th store is open now - on for three years. Everybody wants to be young, wants to be adventurous, wants to be edgy. They'll give you a totally designed retail space, with freshly neatly painted walls, a blue floor - nowhere does it say adventurous, young, edgy. Then I come in and do the paintings there.
Q: So how do they find you?
G: They approach me because they've seen my work in Bombay.
Q: But what about the buses they're painting here - each artist is getting only one side of a bus to paint on -
G: I didn't like the idea so I'm not doing the bus.
Q: So are there more artists like you?
G: Very few people do all the pub painting. I work from home - I've got too much time - I don't want to waste my time.
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