We first met David RIMX Sepulveda at this year’s Afropunk Festival and at once fell in love with his aesthetic. Soon after he completed his wondrous wall at Bushwick Five Points, we met up with him again and posed a few questions:
When did you start writing?
I started back in ’97. I was 16.
What inspired you to get up?
I was attending an art high school, the Central High School of Visual Arts in Santurce, PR and my friends and I formed a crew. I grew up in the projects of San Juan, so tagging was the natural thing to do.
Have you any preferred surfaces these days?
I like big walls and highways because I like to share my art with as many people as possible.
Have you any favorite artists who influenced you?
I love Rembrandt and the Spanish painter, Joaquín Sorolla. My favorite Puerto Rican artists include: Lorenzo Homar, Rafael Tufiño, Antonio Martorell and José Alicia. I also love the Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Gabriel Orozco.
What about graffiti and street artists? Any favorites?
I have many. Among them are: Sen2, Ske and Rek, Sex, San and Dems from Spain and Sego from Mexico.
Have you any formal art training beyond high school?
Yes. I studied art in college in Puerto Rico at la Escuela de Artes Plásticas. I’m trained as a classical painter.
Do you feel art school helped you develop your craft?
Definitely! And learning about the history of art was important to me.
Do you tend to paint alone or with crews?
Both. I paint alone, and I also paint with El CORO, ADM and APC.
Where have you painted?
I’ve painted in Puerto Rico, Miami, Barcelona, Granada, Japan and New York.
Have you a favorite place to paint?
Puerto Rico, because of the weather. But I like the scale of the buildings in New York City.
What about galleries? Have you exhibited your work in galleries?
I’ve exhibited in galleries in New York City, Miami, Paris and Japan.
What percent of your time is devoted to art?
Almost all of it. During the day, I work at a tattoo shop.
How do you feel about the role of the Internet in all of this?
It’s great. It gets our art out to the world.
What are your thoughts on the so-called street art/graffiti divide?
I think of graffiti writers as purists. They gain their respect by being everywhere and by hitting hot spots. Street artists are more focused on ideas. But the two disciplines will merge.
What’s ahead?
More projects that engage more people. I want to continue to integrate everyday people into my work.
That sounds great! We are looking forward to seeing more of your artwork on the streets of NYC!
Photos by Lenny Collado, Tara Murray and courtesy of the artist.
