SEAK Claus Winkler: A Journey Through Art and Legends
Picture a book: monochromatic in a striking pink-red, published and printed in Japan in 2008, crafted by the renowned author Ian Lynam from Portland, Oregon. It’s no ordinary work – it captures art and the magic of crafted letters. And I, SEAK Claus Winkler, am part of it. Alongside legends like Twist (Barry McGee), Delta (Boris Tellegen), Mike Giant, Lady Pink, Chaz Bojorquez, and Eklips (AWR/MSK), I was interviewed by Ian Lynam while spending months painting and shaping the scene in California in 2008. This book is a testament to my journey – one of many references that anchor my work as an artist.
SEAK Claus Winkler: Eine Reise durch Kunst und Legenden
Stellen Sie sich ein Buch vor: monochrom in einem auffälligen Pink-Rot, 2008 in Japan verlegt und gedruckt, gestaltet vom renommierten Autor Ian Lynam aus Portland, Oregon. Es ist kein gewöhnliches Werk – es fängt Kunst und die Magie gestalteter Buchstaben ein. Und ich, SEAK Claus Winkler, bin Teil davon. Neben Größen wie Twist (Barry McGee), Delta (Boris Tellegen), Mike Giant, Lady Pink, Chaz Bojorquez und Eklips (AWR/MSK) wurde ich von Ian Lynam interviewt, als ich 2008 mehrere Monate in Kalifornien malte und die Szene prägte. Dieses Buch ist ein Beweis meiner Reise – eine von vielen Referenzen, die meine Arbeit als Künstler untermauern.
SEAK Claus Winkler: A Journey Through Art and Legends
Picture a book: monochromatic in a striking pink-red, published and printed in Japan in 2008, crafted by the renowned author Ian Lynam from Portland, Oregon. It’s no ordinary work – it captures art and the magic of crafted letters. And I, SEAK Claus Winkler, am part of it. Alongside legends like Twist (Barry McGee), Delta (Boris Tellegen), Mike Giant, Lady Pink, Chaz Bojorquez, and Eklips (AWR/MSK), I was interviewed by Ian Lynam while spending months painting and shaping the scene in California in 2008. This book is a testament to my journey – one of many references that anchor my work as an artist.
SEAK Claus Winkler: Eine Reise durch Kunst und Legenden
Stellen Sie sich ein Buch vor: monochrom in einem auffälligen Pink-Rot, 2008 in Japan verlegt und gedruckt, gestaltet vom renommierten Autor Ian Lynam aus Portland, Oregon. Es ist kein gewöhnliches Werk – es fängt Kunst und die Magie gestalteter Buchstaben ein. Und ich, SEAK Claus Winkler, bin Teil davon. Neben Größen wie Twist (Barry McGee), Delta (Boris Tellegen), Mike Giant, Lady Pink, Chaz Bojorquez und Eklips (AWR/MSK) wurde ich von Ian Lynam interviewt, als ich 2008 mehrere Monate in Kalifornien malte und die Szene prägte. Dieses Buch ist ein Beweis meiner Reise – eine von vielen Referenzen, die meine Arbeit als Künstler untermauern.
A Life in Art: Connections That Matter
My story as SEAK Claus Winkler is defined by encounters with the best in the scene. Back in the mid-nineties, I met Delta at a graffiti jam in Belgium, held in a high-tech industrial hall. I swallowed my pride and asked him to sketch something in my blackbook – a piece I still treasure today. Then there was Mike Giant, whom I met at Art Basel Miami in 2007 or 2008, introduced by Shepard Fairey. We talked about his days working in a porn shop and how he fills an entire sketchbook in just a few days when visiting his hometown. Years earlier, we’d chatted about Buddhism while I was exhibiting in Montpellier.
Chaz Bojorquez invited me to his cozy hillside home overlooking Los Angeles. He shared stories of his iconic skull tag and showed me his paintings – moments that continue to inspire me. In Portland, I was welcomed by Joker (Transcend) and Susan Farrell, the founder of Artcrimes, alongside my colleague Daim. Together, we painted a mural at the cult barbershop Bishops. And in Milan, I met Eklips (AWR/MSK) while exhibiting with Saber, Revok, and others. He remarked that Saber and I were like twins – in style and presence.
Ein Leben in der Kunst: Verbindungen, die zählen
Meine Geschichte als SEAK Claus Winkler ist geprägt von Begegnungen mit den Besten der Szene. Mitte der Neunziger traf ich Delta in Belgien bei einem Graffiti-Jam in einer Hightech-Halle. Ich schluckte meinen Stolz, bat ihn um eine Skizze in meinem Blackbook – ein Stück, das ich heute noch hüte wie einen Schatz. Dann war da Mike Giant, den ich bei der Art Basel Miami 2007 oder 2008 kennenlernte, eingeführt durch Shepard Fairey. Wir sprachen über seine Zeit in einem Pornoshop und wie er in wenigen Tagen ein Skizzenbuch füllt, wenn er seine Heimat besucht. Jahre zuvor hatten wir über Buddhismus geplaudert, als ich in Montpellier ausstellte.
Chaz Bojorquez lud mich in sein gemütliches Haus am Hang mit Blick über Los Angeles ein. Er erzählte von seinem Schädel-Tag und zeigte mir seine Werke – Momente, die mich bis heute inspirieren. In Portland wurde ich mit meinem Kollegen Daim von Joker (Transcend) und Susan Farrell, der Gründerin von Artcrimes, empfangen. Gemeinsam sprayten wir ein Mural beim Kultfriseur Bishops. Und in Mailand lernte ich Eklips (AWR/MSK) kennen, als ich mit Saber, Revok und anderen ausstellte. Er meinte, Saber und ich seien wie Zwillinge – im Stil und im Auftreten.
A Life in Art: Connections That Matter
My story as SEAK Claus Winkler is defined by encounters with the best in the scene. Back in the mid-nineties, I met Delta at a graffiti jam in Belgium, held in a high-tech industrial hall. I swallowed my pride and asked him to sketch something in my blackbook – a piece I still treasure today. Then there was Mike Giant, whom I met at Art Basel Miami in 2007 or 2008, introduced by Shepard Fairey. We talked about his days working in a porn shop and how he fills an entire sketchbook in just a few days when visiting his hometown. Years earlier, we’d chatted about Buddhism while I was exhibiting in Montpellier.
Chaz Bojorquez invited me to his cozy hillside home overlooking Los Angeles. He shared stories of his iconic skull tag and showed me his paintings – moments that continue to inspire me. In Portland, I was welcomed by Joker (Transcend) and Susan Farrell, the founder of Artcrimes, alongside my colleague Daim. Together, we painted a mural at the cult barbershop Bishops. And in Milan, I met Eklips (AWR/MSK) while exhibiting with Saber, Revok, and others. He remarked that Saber and I were like twins – in style and presence.
Ein Leben in der Kunst: Verbindungen, die zählen
Meine Geschichte als SEAK Claus Winkler ist geprägt von Begegnungen mit den Besten der Szene. Mitte der Neunziger traf ich Delta in Belgien bei einem Graffiti-Jam in einer Hightech-Halle. Ich schluckte meinen Stolz, bat ihn um eine Skizze in meinem Blackbook – ein Stück, das ich heute noch hüte wie einen Schatz. Dann war da Mike Giant, den ich bei der Art Basel Miami 2007 oder 2008 kennenlernte, eingeführt durch Shepard Fairey. Wir sprachen über seine Zeit in einem Pornoshop und wie er in wenigen Tagen ein Skizzenbuch füllt, wenn er seine Heimat besucht. Jahre zuvor hatten wir über Buddhismus geplaudert, als ich in Montpellier ausstellte.
Chaz Bojorquez lud mich in sein gemütliches Haus am Hang mit Blick über Los Angeles ein. Er erzählte von seinem Schädel-Tag und zeigte mir seine Werke – Momente, die mich bis heute inspirieren. In Portland wurde ich mit meinem Kollegen Daim von Joker (Transcend) und Susan Farrell, der Gründerin von Artcrimes, empfangen. Gemeinsam sprayten wir ein Mural beim Kultfriseur Bishops. Und in Mailand lernte ich Eklips (AWR/MSK) kennen, als ich mit Saber, Revok und anderen ausstellte. Er meinte, Saber und ich seien wie Zwillinge – im Stil und im Auftreten.
Why SEAK Claus Winkler Deserves Your Attention
My art is more than paint on canvas – it’s expression, history, connection. The book by Ian Lynam is just one chapter, a marker of my place among the scene’s giants. For art lovers seeking something unique, I offer works that stir emotions and tell stories. For investors, my art is an opportunity – a creator with global recognition whose value grows with every project. And for those who champion artists, I’m someone who lives and breathes art.
Warum SEAK Claus Winkler Ihre Aufmerksamkeit verdient
Meine Kunst ist mehr als Farbe auf Leinwand – sie ist Ausdruck, Geschichte, Verbindung. Das Buch von Ian Lynam ist nur ein Kapitel, ein Beleg dafür, dass ich mit den Großen der Szene gestanden habe und stehe. Für Kunstliebhaber, die etwas Einzigartiges suchen, biete ich Werke, die Emotionen wecken und Geschichten erzählen. Für Investoren ist meine Arbeit eine Gelegenheit – ein Künstler mit internationaler Reputation, dessen Wert mit jedem Projekt wächst. Und für diejenigen, die Künstler unterstützen möchten, bin ich jemand, der Kunst lebt und atmet.
Möchten Sie mehr über mich erfahren? Recherchieren Sie meine Reise – von Magazinen über Kataloge bis hin zu Zeitungsartikeln. Oder investieren Sie in ein Werk von SEAK Claus Winkler – sei es als Statement für Ihr Zuhause oder als langfristige Wertanlage. Philanthropen und Unterstützer sind eingeladen, mich zu fördern – jede Geste hilft, meine Vision weiterzutragen. Haben Sie hochauflösende Fotos meiner Kunst? Senden Sie sie mir – ich freue mich, sie zu sehen. Und wenn Sie jemanden kennen, der Kunst schätzt, empfehlen Sie mich im Freundeskreis – ich bin dankbar für jedes Gespräch, das daraus entsteht.
Why SEAK Claus Winkler Deserves Your Attention
My art is more than paint on canvas – it’s expression, history, connection. The book by Ian Lynam is just one chapter, a marker of my place among the scene’s giants. For art lovers seeking something unique, I offer works that stir emotions and tell stories. For investors, my art is an opportunity – a creator with global recognition whose value grows with every project. And for those who champion artists, I’m someone who lives and breathes art.
Want to know more about me? Dig into my journey – from magazines and catalogs to newspaper articles. Or invest in a piece by SEAK Claus Winkler – whether as a statement for your home or a long-term asset. Philanthropists and supporters are welcome to back me – every contribution fuels my vision. Have high-resolution photos of my art? Send them my way – I’d love to see them. And if you know someone who appreciates art, recommend me to your circle – I’m grateful for every connection that sparks from it.
Warum SEAK Claus Winkler Ihre Aufmerksamkeit verdient
Meine Kunst ist mehr als Farbe auf Leinwand – sie ist Ausdruck, Geschichte, Verbindung. Das Buch von Ian Lynam ist nur ein Kapitel, ein Beleg dafür, dass ich mit den Großen der Szene gestanden habe und stehe. Für Kunstliebhaber, die etwas Einzigartiges suchen, biete ich Werke, die Emotionen wecken und Geschichten erzählen. Für Investoren ist meine Arbeit eine Gelegenheit – ein Künstler mit internationaler Reputation, dessen Wert mit jedem Projekt wächst. Und für diejenigen, die Künstler unterstützen möchten, bin ich jemand, der Kunst lebt und atmet.
Möchten Sie mehr über mich erfahren? Recherchieren Sie meine Reise – von Magazinen über Kataloge bis hin zu Zeitungsartikeln. Oder investieren Sie in ein Werk von SEAK Claus Winkler – sei es als Statement für Ihr Zuhause oder als langfristige Wertanlage. Philanthropen und Unterstützer sind eingeladen, mich zu fördern – jede Geste hilft, meine Vision weiterzutragen. Haben Sie hochauflösende Fotos meiner Kunst? Senden Sie sie mir – ich freue mich, sie zu sehen. Und wenn Sie jemanden kennen, der Kunst schätzt, empfehlen Sie mich im Freundeskreis – ich bin dankbar für jedes Gespräch, das daraus entsteht.
Art That Endures – and Points to the Future
My work as SEAK Claus Winkler bridges past and future. In a world where technology reshapes creativity, the human touch remains the core of my art. The 2008 book is a milestone, but my journey presses on – with projects that inspire and leave a mark.
[Excerpt from my interview in the book]:“Art is freedom and connection at once. It’s about leaving traces – on walls, in books, in people’s minds.”
Let my world inspire you – whether as a buyer, investor, or supporter. The next trace could be yours.
Kunst, die bleibt – und in die Zukunft weist
Meine Arbeit als SEAK Claus Winkler verbindet Vergangenheit und Zukunft. In einer Welt, in der Technologie die Kreativität neu formt, bleibt die menschliche Handschrift das Herzstück meiner Kunst. Das Buch aus 2008 ist ein Meilenstein, doch meine Reise geht weiter – mit Projekten, die inspirieren und Spuren hinterlassen.
[Auszug aus meinem Interview im Buch]:„Kunst ist Freiheit und Verbindung zugleich. Es geht darum, Spuren zu hinterlassen – auf Wänden, in Büchern, in den Köpfen der Menschen.“
Lassen Sie sich von meiner Welt inspirieren – ob als Käufer, Investor oder Unterstützer. Die nächste Spur könnte Ihre sein.
Art That Endures – and Points to the Future
My work as SEAK Claus Winkler bridges past and future. In a world where technology reshapes creativity, the human touch remains the core of my art. The 2008 book is a milestone, but my journey presses on – with projects that inspire and leave a mark.
[Excerpt from my interview in the book]:“Art is freedom and connection at once. It’s about leaving traces – on walls, in books, in people’s minds.”
Let my world inspire you – whether as a buyer, investor, or supporter. The next trace could be yours.
Kunst, die bleibt – und in die Zukunft weist
Meine Arbeit als SEAK Claus Winkler verbindet Vergangenheit und Zukunft. In einer Welt, in der Technologie die Kreativität neu formt, bleibt die menschliche Handschrift das Herzstück meiner Kunst. Das Buch aus 2008 ist ein Meilenstein, doch meine Reise geht weiter – mit Projekten, die inspirieren und Spuren hinterlassen.
[Auszug aus meinem Interview im Buch]:„Kunst ist Freiheit und Verbindung zugleich. Es geht darum, Spuren zu hinterlassen – auf Wänden, in Büchern, in den Köpfen der Menschen.“
Lassen Sie sich von meiner Welt inspirieren – ob als Käufer, Investor oder Unterstützer. Die nächste Spur könnte Ihre sein.
Parallel Strokes is a collection of interviews with
nineteen contemporary typeface designers, graffiti
writers, and lettering artists around the world. The
book is introduced with a comprehensive essay
charting the history of graffiti, its relation to type
design, and how the two practices relate in the
wider context of lettering.
Interviews within include conversations with
type design collective Underware, Japanese
type designer Akira Kobayashi, American graffiti
writer and fine artist Barry McGee/Twist, German
graffiti writers Daim and Seak, American lettering
artist, graphic designer and design educator Ed
Fella, among others.
Parallel Strokes is an inquiry into the history,
context, and development of lettering today,
both culturally approved and illicit.
The Book’s backside information:Parallel Strokes is a collection of interviews with
nineteen contemporary typeface designers, graffiti
writers, and lettering artists around the world. The
book is introduced with a comprehensive essay
charting the history of graffiti, its relation to type
design, and how the two practices relate in the
wider context of lettering.
Interviews within include conversations with
type design collective Underware, Japanese
type designer Akira Kobayashi, American graffiti
writer and fine artist Barry McGee/Twist, German
graffiti writers Daim and Seak, American lettering
artist, graphic designer and design educator Ed
Fella, among others.
Parallel Strokes is an inquiry into the history,
context, and development of lettering today,
both culturally approved and illicit.
ISBN 978-0-165-18307
Parallel strokes
by Author Ian Lynam
published by wordshape, Tokyo Japan
Library of congress cataloging – in – publication data
ISBN 978-0-165-18307
https://ianlynam.com/category/writing-on-design/
There is chocolate in my peanut butter, Chaz Bojorquez, Renos, Jens Gehlhaar, Daim (Mirko Reisser) , SEAK (Claus Winkler) , Ed Fella, Delta (Boris Tellegen), ESKAE, JonasWilliamson/REALA, Giant (Mike Giant), Handselecta (Christian Acker & Kyle Talbott), Joker (Jerry Inscoe), Pink (Lady Pink), Akira Kobayashi, SHE ONE (James Choules), Tauba Auerbach, Underware, TWIST/ BARRY MCGEE, EKLIPS AWR/MSK
Thanks to Author Ian Lynam, from portland Oregon, iam honored to be this book in great company with artist colleagues like:
There is chocolate in my peanut butter, Chaz Bojorquez, Renos, Jens Gehlhaar, Daim (Mirko Reisser) , SEAK (Claus Winkler) , Ed Fella, Delta (Boris Tellegen), ESKAE, JonasWilliamson/REALA, Giant (Mike Giant), Handselecta (Christian Acker & Kyle Talbott), Joker (Jerry Inscoe), Pink (Lady Pink), Akira Kobayashi, SHE ONE (James Choules), Tauba Auerbach, Underware, TWIST/ BARRY MCGEE, EKLIPS AWR/MSK
Where did you grow up?
was born 2 miles outside of Koln in the sticks. There are
n000 people in the city I grew up in
When did you start writing?
My first interest was through Spraycan Art and Subway Art
e at school. In 1990, I came to America and started
looking at graffit, then in 1993 I met a writer and started
bombing In 1994, I did my first legal piece which said Seak
Did you start out with that name?
Yes
Did you have other names?
Yes I have different names for different activities. Forwalls
and other stuff, I have one name, and another for other
things In Germany, it’s best that you have different names
for day and night. The police are rather skilled and have a
reputation, so they who’s who, and you have to be careful
egal graffiti was never super-big for me, and was never
wally my focus, so talking about that stuff won’t really
help you out that much. There are other people who do a
lot more of that stuff
what got you started with graffiti other than the books?
I was a young kid trying to get acceptance creating
something, and be part of a movement, as well as be an
individual who is creating something for myself as well as
for the public. Growing as a man. Getting respect. You know
when you are in puberty and don’t have a lot of confidence,
se you want to do something and through that you grow.
What kind of influences did you have?
I had my role models. They were from the European graffiti
movement. In 1992 and 1993, I admired the work of Loomit,
Delta, Bates, Shoe, Vandal, CanTwo, and Daim, and lots
of other people. Now I have the great gift of being able to
paint with most of them very often. I have friendships and
am on an equal level with most of them and for me it’s a
very great thing. I am really happy about that. Nowadays,
like anyone, it is the people that you share experiences
with who are the ones that influence you. I think the
biggest influences are the everyday things: the pop culture,
the magazines you read, the movies you watch, all kinds of
weird things get into it. And for some reason, it all gets into
my work and influences my style. Like a one-trick pony, but
the code that makes it up gets more complex every year.
Your work is so much more organic than the influences
you cited. Where did that come from?
I don’t know if the purpose is to make it look organic. Its
just a period of things looking organic, but I have my basic
forms that I work form and unlike the others, I never did
sharp, straight lines. I never cut things in that old school
way. I just kind of popped up as a new school kid and
worked with things that fade. I like making things that look
like Muppets, things that you can squeeze. I was always
into kitschy, alien-looking effects on my letters. I wouldn’t
really describe my work as organic. Its people like Shock
whose work that I see as “organic”
How would you describe your work?
To someone who was blind and had never seen it before?
Yes. I always drop this question on other people, but haven’t
had to face it yet… I guess, abstracted letters, that you
can’t see anymore if you’re not a writer, kind of space-
probe-looking, self-propelled kind of things that could work
in a parallel universe. Some of them are resting. Some are
intense and animated, with antennae, and robotic parts
which make up a visual language which at present are just
crying, but in the future might do something else, but not
yet. It’s also a logo, constructed out of very easy geometric
forms, painted from dark to light like the old oil masters,
but in the future, I would like to do it more graphically. I
used to paint it with the letters painted separately, like
in the old school days, and I just wanted to work out the
separate forms and give them a lot of love. But since then
I wanted to do something new, and all of these sketches
are not single letters, it’s more of a logo and they have a
lot of continuity.
Did you go to art school?
No.
Who are your favorite writers right now?
The longer I stay in one place, the more I like the work of
people there. So many people… There are like a hundred
people… Because I do 3D stuff doesn’t necessarily mean
that I like a lot of 3D stuff. I actually like a lot more
bombing and tags and throwups and quick stuff. I like
scribbled books much more than old school totally worked-
out blackbooks. It’s kind of boring. This is the kind of stuff
I look at more. I like sitting on the train and looking at the
quick stuff. My letters are based on throwup stuff that I
started out with and that I never practiced a lot, but that
loved a lot, so I thought that I should give them some
dimension. If I bring it down, I can bring the forms of my
pieces all back down to a throwup.
I
What is it that you add to things other than dimension?
Detail and depth.
What do you look at outside of graffiti?
I look at things on the internet and movies. I love to travel.
I love history. I am nonviolent and I hate war, but I like the
history of war. I like Michael Lau and a lot of those kinds of
toys. I collect toys and models. When it comes to art, 1 like
graphic design. I never practiced it, but I like looking at it.
I used to collect comics. If I am not painting, I am getting
my
stuff together, promoting myself or concentrate on
new projects. Being a full time graffiti artist representing
internationally is a full-time job.
Author Ian Lynam, interviewing artist SEAK Claus Winkler in 2008 during his time painting in San Francisco, in the mission district/ SOMA (South of market)
Where did you grow up?
was born 2 miles outside of Koln in the sticks. There are
n000 people in the city I grew up in
When did you start writing?
My first interest was through Spraycan Art and Subway Art
e at school. In 1990, I came to America and started
looking at graffit, then in 1993 I met a writer and started
bombing In 1994, I did my first legal piece which said Seak
Did you start out with that name?
Yes
Did you have other names?
Yes I have different names for different activities. Forwalls
and other stuff, I have one name, and another for other
things In Germany, it’s best that you have different names
for day and night. The police are rather skilled and have a
reputation, so they who’s who, and you have to be careful
egal graffiti was never super-big for me, and was never
wally my focus, so talking about that stuff won’t really
help you out that much. There are other people who do a
lot more of that stuff
what got you started with graffiti other than the books?
I was a young kid trying to get acceptance creating
something, and be part of a movement, as well as be an
individual who is creating something for myself as well as
for the public. Growing as a man. Getting respect. You know
when you are in puberty and don’t have a lot of confidence,
se you want to do something and through that you grow.
What kind of influences did you have?
I had my role models. They were from the European graffiti
movement. In 1992 and 1993, I admired the work of Loomit,
Delta, Bates, Shoe, Vandal, CanTwo, and Daim, and lots
of other people. Now I have the great gift of being able to
paint with most of them very often. I have friendships and
am on an equal level with most of them and for me it’s a
very great thing. I am really happy about that. Nowadays,
like anyone, it is the people that you share experiences
with who are the ones that influence you. I think the
biggest influences are the everyday things: the pop culture,
the magazines you read, the movies you watch, all kinds of
weird things get into it. And for some reason, it all gets into
my work and influences my style. Like a one-trick pony, but
the code that makes it up gets more complex every year.
Your work is so much more organic than the influences
you cited. Where did that come from?
I don’t know if the purpose is to make it look organic. Its
just a period of things looking organic, but I have my basic
forms that I work form and unlike the others, I never did
sharp, straight lines. I never cut things in that old school
way. I just kind of popped up as a new school kid and
worked with things that fade. I like making things that look
like Muppets, things that you can squeeze. I was always
into kitschy, alien-looking effects on my letters. I wouldn’t
really describe my work as organic. Its people like Shock
whose work that I see as “organic”
How would you describe your work?
To someone who was blind and had never seen it before?
Yes. I always drop this question on other people, but haven’t
had to face it yet… I guess, abstracted letters, that you
can’t see anymore if you’re not a writer, kind of space-
probe-looking, self-propelled kind of things that could work
in a parallel universe. Some of them are resting. Some are
intense and animated, with antennae, and robotic parts
which make up a visual language which at present are just
crying, but in the future might do something else, but not
yet. It’s also a logo, constructed out of very easy geometric
forms, painted from dark to light like the old oil masters,
but in the future, I would like to do it more graphically. I
used to paint it with the letters painted separately, like
in the old school days, and I just wanted to work out the
separate forms and give them a lot of love. But since then
I wanted to do something new, and all of these sketches
are not single letters, it’s more of a logo and they have a
lot of continuity.
Did you go to art school?
No.
Who are your favorite writers right now?
The longer I stay in one place, the more I like the work of
people there. So many people… There are like a hundred
people… Because I do 3D stuff doesn’t necessarily mean
that I like a lot of 3D stuff. I actually like a lot more
bombing and tags and throwups and quick stuff. I like
scribbled books much more than old school totally worked-
out blackbooks. It’s kind of boring. This is the kind of stuff
I look at more. I like sitting on the train and looking at the
quick stuff. My letters are based on throwup stuff that I
started out with and that I never practiced a lot, but that
loved a lot, so I thought that I should give them some
dimension. If I bring it down, I can bring the forms of my
pieces all back down to a throwup.
I
What is it that you add to things other than dimension?
Detail and depth.
What do you look at outside of graffiti?
I look at things on the internet and movies. I love to travel.
I love history. I am nonviolent and I hate war, but I like the
history of war. I like Michael Lau and a lot of those kinds of
toys. I collect toys and models. When it comes to art, 1 like
graphic design. I never practiced it, but I like looking at it.
I used to collect comics. If I am not painting, I am getting
my
stuff together, promoting myself or concentrate on
new projects. Being a full time graffiti artist representing
internationally is a full-time job.
It’s interesting coming from the American perspective,
because it seems as though it is more difficult in the U.S.
to make a living doing graffiti as opposed to Europe.
Maybe, but there are people doing it, like Twist and Mear.
I could be doing more commercial work in Europe, like
cheesy landscapes and stuff, but I’m just not feeling it. You
have to what you want. Its difficult, but you need the globe
for that
Have you done a lot graphic work for people?
Not really. I’ve had the opportunity, but it didn’t feel
right. I finance myself through a mixture of walls that you
paint for yourself and commercial work with your name
very small next to it with your number. There are also the
artistic things that an agency will commission you to do for
an event. That is rare, unfortunately. But, then there are
canvases, too. I have my own studio and my own place, but
the travels are the things that keep me inspired. I need new
inspirations and to meet new people. The German graffiti
scene is so strong and so tight that you could probably stay
your whole life and get everything that you need, but I
want to live outside of that.
When did you start doing canvases?
In 1995. I did it for a benefit show for Jane Goodall called
Gorillas in the Mist and it was my first contact with canvas.
Every now and then I would do canvases, but never really
took it seriously until 1997. That gave me a good push. It
helped me work on my details and since then I have
been working more and more on canvases, and trying to
develop. I realize now that there are so many more ways
of expressing yourself. There is an artist in Bonn doing a
little paper sculpture with me, and working with people
in Koeln on a bigger sculpture. I have been developing my
visual language in the past few years and now I am doing a
lot of things with that. And I think there are other options
outside of the spraycan, also. You have a cellar of spraycans,
but there are a lot of other things to do. I still want to do a
piece or two a week, but other things, too.
What kind of sculptural stuff is it that you have
been doing?
Nothing special. Thinking about toy figures. When I was
in kindergarten and grade school, I drew a lot of fantasy
weapons, and spaceships and imagined I was in Star Wars,
and this influences my letters now and that aspect of the
sculpture. As a kid, I couldn’t afford the Konami tanks and
the 1942 replicas that I wanted, so instead I drew them. I
was really inspired by the box designs of those models. For
me, these sculptures are a way of making my own little
Seak Stars or something. I always liked the texture and
the look of the finish on the boxes, but you would open the
boxes and it was just the raw plastic-I didn’t really like that.
Just the boxes. Also, I like the Gundam robots when they
are done, but I like them better when they’re airbrushed
to look distressed. The surface is important to me. I make
a lot of effort when I paint so that my pieces have a certain
surface finish to them. I like my pieces to look as though
they are used. Kind of like George Lucas’ universe that is
in progress, instead of the original Battlestar Galactica,
where everything is brand new. I really enjoyed the old
looking Millennium Falcon leaking oil when I was a kid.
Star Wars changed my life. There was one other thing that
was like that for me and it was a piece out of Spraycan Art
and it was the “Future Rock Style” or something and the
was some next-level stuff and it really opened my eyes
had been using an old Amiga 500 computer, and I used
to play a lot of games, and I was kind of a little kid nerd
playing games and getting respect in my neighborhood
mastering those games. Those games had a big influence
on me. The perspective. The contrast and color setting
really influenced me. We had computer names at the
time and my name was Goopy 74. We had a little computer
group called Crazy Connection and we had our names
on our jackets and stuff. People were probably laughing
at us, but we had the newest games. People were on our
dicks, because the second people cracked the games, we
had them. It was kind of a graffiti mentality, just making
name for yourself.
Author Ian Lynam, interviewing artist SEAK Claus Winkler in 2008 during his time painting in San Francisco, in the mission district/ SOMA (South of market)
It’s interesting coming from the American perspective,
because it seems as though it is more difficult in the U.S.
to make a living doing graffiti as opposed to Europe.
Maybe, but there are people doing it, like Twist and Mear.
I could be doing more commercial work in Europe, like
cheesy landscapes and stuff, but I’m just not feeling it. You
have to what you want. Its difficult, but you need the globe
for that
Have you done a lot graphic work for people?
Not really. I’ve had the opportunity, but it didn’t feel
right. I finance myself through a mixture of walls that you
paint for yourself and commercial work with your name
very small next to it with your number. There are also the
artistic things that an agency will commission you to do for
an event. That is rare, unfortunately. But, then there are
canvases, too. I have my own studio and my own place, but
the travels are the things that keep me inspired. I need new
inspirations and to meet new people. The German graffiti
scene is so strong and so tight that you could probably stay
your whole life and get everything that you need, but I
want to live outside of that.
When did you start doing canvases?
In 1995. I did it for a benefit show for Jane Goodall called
Gorillas in the Mist and it was my first contact with canvas.
Every now and then I would do canvases, but never really
took it seriously until 1997. That gave me a good push. It
helped me work on my details and since then I have
been working more and more on canvases, and trying to
develop. I realize now that there are so many more ways
of expressing yourself. There is an artist in Bonn doing a
little paper sculpture with me, and working with people
in Koeln on a bigger sculpture. I have been developing my
visual language in the past few years and now I am doing a
lot of things with that. And I think there are other options
outside of the spraycan, also. You have a cellar of spraycans,
but there are a lot of other things to do. I still want to do a
piece or two a week, but other things, too.
What kind of sculptural stuff is it that you have
been doing?
Nothing special. Thinking about toy figures. When I was
in kindergarten and grade school, I drew a lot of fantasy
weapons, and spaceships and imagined I was in Star Wars,
and this influences my letters now and that aspect of the
sculpture. As a kid, I couldn’t afford the Konami tanks and
the 1942 replicas that I wanted, so instead I drew them. I
was really inspired by the box designs of those models. For
me, these sculptures are a way of making my own little
Seak Stars or something. I always liked the texture and
the look of the finish on the boxes, but you would open the
boxes and it was just the raw plastic-I didn’t really like that.
Just the boxes. Also, I like the Gundam robots when they
are done, but I like them better when they’re airbrushed
to look distressed. The surface is important to me. I make
a lot of effort when I paint so that my pieces have a certain
surface finish to them. I like my pieces to look as though
they are used. Kind of like George Lucas’ universe that is
in progress, instead of the original Battlestar Galactica,
where everything is brand new. I really enjoyed the old
looking Millennium Falcon leaking oil when I was a kid.
Star Wars changed my life. There was one other thing that
was like that for me and it was a piece out of Spraycan Art
and it was the “Future Rock Style” or something and the
was some next-level stuff and it really opened my eyes
had been using an old Amiga 500 computer, and I used
to play a lot of games, and I was kind of a little kid nerd
playing games and getting respect in my neighborhood
mastering those games. Those games had a big influence
on me. The perspective. The contrast and color setting
really influenced me. We had computer names at the
time and my name was Goopy 74. We had a little computer
group called Crazy Connection and we had our names
on our jackets and stuff. People were probably laughing
at us, but we had the newest games. People were on our
dicks, because the second people cracked the games, we
had them. It was kind of a graffiti mentality, just making
name for yourself.
