“It’s the underground community of what we call writers. Worldwide burners, gettin hotter, getting brighter.”
It’s almost as if, in 1995, KRS-One predicted the fate of graffiti artists. During that time, they were packing aerosol cans in their backpacks to create masterpieces. Street art incorporated bombs, trains, subways, wall murals, street signs, back to back walls, and backjumps. New York City brought out their Anti-Graffiti Task Force. Perhaps the only positive recognition for the graf artist came from The Source Magazine’s Graf Flix.
Fast forward to Art Basel Miami 2010.
The artists who were once arrested for their art are now being invited to paint their pieces on a wall in the Wynwood Arts District.
During this art-inspired weekend, I attended Fresh Produce, an exhibit given by Graffiti Gone Global and Primary Flight. And of course, some pieces spoke more to me than others. Imagine my surprise when they all belonged to the same artist.
He goes by the name of Tes One.
Two factors drew me to find this artist. First and foremost, it was his work. Tes’ art conveys an emotion. Whether euphoric or in deep thought, the figure is completely immersed in the moment.
And that is intentional. “I want people to feel what I feel when I’m painting. It’s not a celebrity or recognizable person. It’s just the essence of people. I want it to touch people and wake them up to that moment they can get lost in.”
Secondly, I wanted to get in the mind of Tes One. On the night Graffiti Gone Global was showcasing his art, the Tampa-native was nowhere to be found. So what was he doing? Simply stated, the artist was painting.
Moreover, he was working on a mural alongside his childhood friend and fellow graffiti artist, Bask. The two are now part of a newer collection of artists called Contra Projects.
Making their debut at Primary Flight during Art Basel Miami 2010, Tes and Bask are working along other heavy hitters such as Ron English, Tristan Eaton, and Thomas Thewes.
“It’s amazing what they [Primary Flight] do in the city. They bring in artists from all over the world, give them paint, lifts, and resources to do stuff [murals] that when we first came up, we were not invited to do. We were arrested for that.”
Since that time, it’s not just the culture, but Tes One who also grown and evolved with the art.
After stumbling upon a friend’s sketchbook in high school, he knew, in that single moment, that he wanted to do graffiti. Being naturally good at art, he studied the street craft and Tes went all in.
“I wanted to share my work with people. I wanted it to be good enough that even the owners [of the building] were happy that I did it. I painted all the time. And just like other genres of art, there were boundaries and rules. And I learned all those things. I wanted to be a graffiti artist and I fought hard to get into that culture.”
“Once I achieved it, I knew there was more to do.”
That’s when Tes One studied graphic design and incorporated that into his work. There lies the beauty in his work as he is not conventional.
It’s all about contrast and creating something new with his art. “My favorite is to mix all types of art, in concept and style – graffiti and graphic design, contrasting colors, nature and technology.”
And it shows in his Wynwood’s Contra mural. It’s painted, but actually looks like computer-generated perfection. The points are sharpened, the features are precise, and yes, the figure’s essence of being in the moment is there.
The artist has undeniably come a long way since his days as a graffiti artist in ’92. His work can no longer be viewed as just graffiti, but more as a fusion of street, gallery, and digital.
Once the man who just wanted to share his work with people, his client list now includes the likes of XBOX, Absolut Vodka, Red Bull, MTV, Sony Ericcson, and Barack Obama.
And even today, he still doesn’t take it for granted. Uncommon for a graf artist to be given supplies for murals, Tes One and his childhood friends, SBS (Side By Side Crew) brought their own ladders, paints, and cans to Wynwood.
But now a welcome mat has been pulled out for these artists. They are now invited to display their craft that was once considered vandalism.
Thanks to the likes of Bask, Tats Cru, Ces, Ron English, and of course, Tes One, the doors have been opened for the next generation of taggers and graffiti artists to come.
And the veteran does want the youth to realize something about the craft he has spent over a decade evolving with.
“Even with all that’s been done, there’s so much more to do. They shouldn’t feel restricted by what they can and cannot do because the truth is they can do anything.”
Spoken in the words of an artist who has done the same.
Tes One’s gallery and contact information can be found at tesone.com.
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