Lush

TRASH NEXUS

Earlier this year Shepard Fairey and the Associated Press settled their two-year legal dispute over the status of the Barack Obama “Hope” campaign poster. Their decision: to split the merchandising profits and to collaborate on an AP/Obey product line.

This incident illustrates just how mundane and institutionalized street art has become. Street art’s passage into the mainstream has, save for a few novel and notable works, been incredibly disappointing and predictable.

Meanwhile, street art’s delinquent cousin, graffiti, suffers from the orthodoxy of tradition and the corrupting force of consumer culture. Pre-packaged graf kits are always a mouseclick away for any bored suburban yob with a credit card, all of which are looking for a b-line to become the world’s next Banksy rip-off.

It is in these dark days of disillusioned drudgery that we look to Lush, Melbourne’s premier perverted aerosol provocateur, for some answers.

Recently on the run from the local police force for his crimes against decency, he answered our questions concerning the state of public art via Flickr.

How’s Melbourne these days?
Full of toys, whiney, whingy cunts and myself.

Are you still in hiding? If so, what’s the gist – do you wear a disguise, avoid certain places, and so on?
I just got a new set of breasts, double D’s. I can put my drink in between them. I also wear a silver spice girls wig. I don’t go to the Polo Mansion as much or to the Nautica factory direct to get my gear as much or check out skip hop gigs.

Why do so many graffiti artists despise street art?


Because “street artists” are interested in making a dollar much more so then just getting out there and just getting up for the sheer fun of it. Street art just seems like some kind of formula to gain notoriety before you launch yourself into some kind of gallery career. A lot of “writers” are hip to this kind of shit and are now trying to cash in too, good on them I guess you gotta eat in the end.

And why is street art more appealing to most people?


Because the general public can understand the chase for a buck. Also street art is targeted towards the general public obviously. Who else needs to buy shitty stencil canvases of 101 Dalmatians to impress Jill and Jacob Honeypants next door? It’ll die out like any trend and graffiti taggering losers like myself will still be doing the same old shit we have been doing since the dawn of time, but because it’s the future we will have cybernetic graffiti enhancements for better can control.

Any chance we’ll see weaponized aerosol in the near future?
If someone can make money of it, they’ll make it.

How would you describe the current state of graffiti culture?


Its on the crux of becoming some kind of fucking skateboarding type shit, sponsors, endorsements, fucking ice cream flavors. Soon some of these guys will be selling their own fragrance, “Le’ Aerosoule alla lame”. I hardly see anything that impresses me anymore. I guess I’m like one of those grumpy old men that’s gotta shit on everything anyways. Graffiti is too safe and in some kind of box, only a handful of people are breaking out of it. But in the end its just a formula, you gotta try get over that shit and break out. 


So, if graffiti has become too safe, what’s the antidote?
Lose the “Graffiti Formula TM” and create some new ones or take that “Graffiti Formula TM” and just kick it the fuck up a notch. I’m gonna stop using cans anyways soon and only use chainsaws/sledgehammers/oxy torches to fuck shit up, cut out my letters in the gate with the oxy, take the chainsaw to fences, sledge hammer out my name in brick and concrete. Whilst naked. I think I just gave away a video I’m working on there. Oops.

Do you have any intentions with your work?

You go for a walk say, and you see all this boring fucking generic hippity hop graffiti and then there is a huge gushing cunt by me. What are you going to spend the most time looking at or just being confused about? If I wasn’t painting I’d be a serial killer. So It also helps curb the urge to mutilate prostitutes and put my dick in their viscera.



Do you think graffiti culture is a receptacle for unsavoury characters who would otherwise be directly terrorizing innocent civilians?
It’s a receptacle for pieces of turd mostly. I can hardly count on my hand the amount of semi normal people I’ve met. I think someone said it best before me, but I loved graffiti until I met other writers.

Should there be more sex on the streets?

I think there should just be more balls. People are too fucking safe. What are you afraid of? That you wont sell as many t-shirts because you offended someone or fucking graffiti grandmaster 88 will call you out for it? There is plenty of sex, it’s just butt sex.



What’s the future of graffiti?


More jail time, Cope2 funeral plans, and dental floss. More repetition of the same old shit over and over till someone divides by zero.


Do you plan to do more gallery/product work?


Only if I can take the piss. I’m trying to avoid painting Bearbricks or pairs of Vans for shitty product launch parties. I do want to make a mold of my cock so you and just about anyone else can just sit on it. BUY NOW! Lush’s Hard Cock only $9.99



A lot of writers hate on getting up on the Internet, any thoughts on this phenomenon?
They are craggy old people usually, or toys who look up to those senior graffiti citizens, or just people who secretly want to shine but don’t have the nads to go out and get it. They cut down those who are hungry enough to do whatever it takes to get that fucking graffiti perfume line.

What’s your next move?
Some shit that involves pornstars perhaps. I’ll keep it vague. I may or may not be in the U.K. , U.S. and Asia this year.

[flickr.com/photos/mercyfulfate]