by THOMAS STØNJUM © 05.07.01

So Kazy when did you start with graffiti, and how was the scene back then?
I started back in 1984 when the scene consisted of basicly young teenagers that all started out with graffiti at the same time. There was no thug mentalety, and no wars between writers. Everyone was down with everyone. When you met other writers there was big respect from both sides, lots of friendships were made. Most writers were helping eachother out with ideas and sketches - there was so much unity back then.

What made you come up with calling yourself for the name Kazy?
I got inspired of KaseTwo when I checked out the book SubwayArt back in 1984. He had a good style and I liked the letters too, so I thought Kazy would be a cool thing to call myself. I got almost all my inspiration from that book Subway Art. First after many years of graff experience I saw that famous film Beat Street.

Another inspirasjon for me back then was the norwegian DD2 crew. They were the first ones that painted Grønland subway station and it kind of impressed me. Later on I got to know Fuz, Sean, Pay2 and Raide. We all inspired eachother with ideas and styles in many ways.

How old are you now?
- I'm 30.

It's been rather quiet around you graffwise the last years - do you have any comment to that?
I still make a lot of graff sketches and am not planning to stop at all. But the last years I've been very busy with custom painting motorcycles and it has taken all of my time.

I still consider myself as a writer and havent changed views on anything though. - I've just been very busy! I keep an eye on what's going on within the scene though. Like I keep reading the taggs, and keep looking at walls everywhere.

Unfortunatly the fines are too high nowdays, so I don't paint illegal anymore. -It still itches in my fingers so I possibly might go out again one night, you never know.

You don't look much like a "typical writer". Has it been like that always or have you changed style as you became older?
I've always gone my own personal ways with everything. Believe it or not, but not long ago I was wearing a leather vest with a backpiece on it!

I've always tried to put much personal soul within whatever I do. The motivation that keeps me going is comming up with new ideas. If I ever stop developing my creativety I think I'll consider to stop and do something else instead.

Your pieces are always so technical clean. Is there anything even you consider as difficult, or anything special you focuse much on when you paint?
There isn't anything directly that I consider as difficult. I just try to make a lot of movement, clean lines and work out light, shadow and depth. Mixing and using different elements too like for example Norwegian nature is also cool. I also like to put some humor into what I create, everything dosn't have to be blood, rough and hardcore.

Do you paint canvases nowdays?
Not really, I prefer to paint walls and airbrush motorcycles. Maybe I will do some canvases in the future, but they will probably not be graffiti related. I think graff looks best when it's outdoors where everyone can see it. It's no big ambition for me to have my stuff represented in art galleries. I will rather have my stuff outdoors around in society.

What kind of job do you have?
Lots of different stuff among crafting and decoration. Lately it's been mostly Harley Davidson motorcycles. I'm now in the startphase of making my own atelier/mc workshop.

When it comes to tools I don't like to use computers, because they take away some of the life within the artwork. Try looking at old Disney cartoons like Snowwhite and the seven dwarfs. They had much more life and joy in them compared to these new cartoons. The new cartoons have lost much of their bounce and flow. It's all becoming so steril and cold. They should try to variate the thickness of their outlines like what it comes out when you draw by hand.

Any Norwegian writers that you have taken notice of more then others?
Yeah I've always noticed what that guy Sean makes. He's been doing his own thing since the very beginning, and is probably the only Norwegian writer that creates things that I've never seen anywhere else before.