Hello My Name Is: Set One

Name: SetOne
City/Country: Australia
When did you start writing? 2001

What’s graffiti for you? A hobby, a very time consuming hobby.

Influences? There are a lot of talented and underrated writers in Australia. I was mainly influenced by a lot of the guys that I now paint with on a regular basis. I mostly looked up to the writers that were versatile (for lack of a better word). People that could hold it down with a nice piece, had a few diferent styles, rock a decent tag/throw-up and got up.

Tell us about your city, how is life and graffiti there? Sydney is a nice city, it’s a bit of a grind and not the greatest place to paint, but you can get shit done if you want to.

What keeps you still writing? Its still fun (sometimes). I have a bunch of reasons why I shouldn’t paint and the day I stop enjoying it i‘ll stop painting.. however, thats easier said than done.

What first made you interested in graffiti and how did you end up on that track? I always liked to draw, I was a competitive kid and liked a challenge, Somewhere down the line I met some guys that were into graffiti, then managed to catch the ‘bug’ so to say.

What trends are you seeing now in the graffiti world that you don’t like? I kind of feel sorry for people (teenagers especially) that think that the reason you paint is to show your stuff o on the internet as opposed to just getting out and doing it for doing its sake. If you post everything you do on the net/IG etc, I guarantee you will look back at it and think ‘that is so wack’. I mean, I look back and hate the stuff I did last week let alone when I was a teenager. And all this cross promoting brand promotion shit kind of sucks too. ‘check my boy..’ ‘check the guys at..(some shit brand/company)’ etc.

What do you do when you’re not painting? Work, pay bills, play sport, read, chill with fam and friends- normal adult stuff really.

How would you describe your style? To be technical its a variation/version of Sydney-style which is a version of new york semi-wild style which is.. blah blah. I’m not too sure, I just paint the kind of graffiti I like to look at I guess. Doesn’t everyone do that? I mean if you don’t like or get any satisfaction out of what you are doing then why the fuck even bother doing it..?

Can you remember the rst piece you did? I cant remember doing it, but I remember how it looked.. really bad!

Future plans? Design and build my own home. Play in the NBA.

Do you adapt your pieces and tags to the spot/surface? Sometimes, I usually go to a spot with a basic idea and sometimes a little rough scribble on a bit of paper.. open to improvisation though.

What do you think about the new generation of writers in your city? Some good writers and some dudes that smash it, I do think originality is lacking a bit in Sydney though.

What are the best and worst aspects of graffiti? People. I have met some really good people doing this (some of my closest friends) and some really irritating people too. I mean, Just because we share a common interest does not mean we are obliged to be friends and/or paint together.. And spare me from that big ego bullshit, You ain‘t no hotshot architect or surgeon, you are just a graffiti writer.

Who do you paint for? Myself I suppose, graffiti is a very selfish hobby (like y’all don’t know). And all the writers out there that keep pushing it and doing mad stuff.. Big Up!

What writers have inspired you? A whole bunch of writers (far too many to name) have and continue to inspire me -both locally and abroad. There are so many talented writers and artists from all over the world that its hard not to feel inspired and motivated by what others are doing.

Can you ever feel tired of graffiti? Yes.

What do you hope people will think and feel when they see your stuff? Happy? motivated? Grumpy? not too sure.. thats a hard one.
Shout out to all my friends and family, the writers I’m down with and all the people out there rockin’ it! Keep pushing things forward!

Instagram: @set1st