The Railside Street Files: Irons --Graffiti Artist Interview

The Railside Street Files: Iron

What name do you write, and what’s the story behind it?

I write Iron, the name originates from a Marty Robbins song.

Where did graffiti first start for you, and what pulled you into it?

For over 12 years I've been dabbling in and out of graffiti but was aware of it prior to picking up a can. Everyone goes through a stage of writing on things when they're younger, I just turned it into a hobby like many of my peers.

Has there ever been a chase, close call, or sketchy moment that stuck with you? What happened, and how do you look back on it now?

Had some near misses when I was younger with trains and chases. I guess you become more attentive as time goes on but it's also an occupational hazard and sometimes somethings are out of your control.

When you’re exploring the rails or travelling through different towns, what do you notice first — the lines, the yards, the old history, the silence, the colours, or the atmosphere?

Probably a combination of all those features. Although I have a strong interest outside of graffiti in railway and industrial history so I usually check those places first.

How has travelling through the South of New Zealand shaped the way you look at graffiti?

I probably pay less attention now to graffiti done by writers as the years have gone on and more to names and markings left by civilians. I find that more fascinating, sometimes your lucky and you come across names left from the 1950s or earlier.

You’ve also spent time in Australia. How did the graffiti scene over there compare to New Zealand?

Big and busy. A lot of motivated people over there putting in work, which I think pushes writers to stand out from the rest particularly for new ones coming up. New Zealand is a lot more slower paced which has its pros and cons but I think the isolation of the south island puts out some writer who are painting interesting stuff.

Did seeing graffiti in Australia change your style, mindset, or the way you approached painting when you came back?

For sure, it would be hard to live in a big place like that without being influenced by its scene. Theres a lot of different styles and different minded people there doing cool stuff, some of them definitely rub off on you.

What makes a track side flick or piece stand out to you — the spot, the background, the letters, the photo, or the story behind it?

Bits of all those definitely. I think what's important to me is always doing the spot justice. What I mean is taking a brief minute to think what's going to look best on what you're painting, sometimes that's more, sometimes that's less.

Is there one trip, piece, wall, train flick, sketch, or moment from your travels that still sticks with you? What makes it memorable?

Bike packing across Tasmania a few years ago with some good people would be up there. Despite the heat it was a really memorable trip.

How would you describe your letters and style to someone who hasn’t seen your work before?

It varies a lot from really minimalist to full colour productions but when it comes to painting pieces I enjoy playing around with letters and trying different things. I think that shows through in what I paint.

What writers, crews, cities, rail lines, magazines, photos, or eras helped shape your style coming up?

I really started taking painting seriously post-quake. I was influenced a lot by the writers that were active then like Shank, Dfuse, Weks, Fiasko, Mesr, Sleeper, Recap & Apek. Crews such as RODS, USK, JFK, IMK, BC, CCK and FILTH all made a lasting imprint on my self and others over that time. The arrival of out of town writers like Enok, Togo and Dwane definitely rubbed off too. Traveling to Europe for the first time also helped shape my outlook on graffiti particularly in terms of the spots that were being achieved with ladders.

When you’re painting, what matters most — clean letters, flow, colour, impact, placement, atmosphere, or just getting the name seen?

I think all of those hold an importance but it really depends on the spot, sometimes you need to go big, simple and bold other times you're going all out for the wow factor.

Are you more of a sketcher, or do you prefer to work it out as you paint?

It depends on what I'm painting, but I think working things out on paper is always a good for self-development.

What’s your go-to setup — cans, caps, markers, solid markers, colours, or tools you always like having with you?

Nowadays it's usually a paintbrush and a two litter container of white house paint.

How do you think the New Zealand graffiti scene has changed since you started out?

There's probably more of an awareness on the world stage of New Zealand having a small but thriving scene particularly with some of the writers from here that have gone onto making a name for themselves over seas.

What keeps you motivated to keep travelling, exploring, painting and pushing your name?

As I've gotten older it's definitely harder to find the time and motivation to get out there. I guess that's part of going through life though, your prioritizes shift along the way. In saying that, graffiti in some shape or form will be something I'll continue doing for the rest of my life, I know that much.



Any writers, crews, photographers, or people from the scene you want to shout out?

Shout out FOK, TBE, TDA and everyone doing their thing down in the South. Shout out to the North Island and overseas connections I've made over the years, some of whom have gone onto becoming good friends of mine. Finally shout out to anyone who finds the time to get out there and paint while juggling the struggles of normal life.

What’s next for you — more travel, walls, rail flicks, canvases, prints, collabs, merch, or anything else in the works?

At this present time I'm just working towards refining the balance of painting, work and travel. Other than that just enjoying life and the little adventures and experiences that come with it.