G: Tell us about what do you do?
I make art and graffiti as PURE EVIl and I run a gallery called PURE EVIL GALLERY and in the basement of the gallery I have a music studio and I make music with my friends that I upload online for free. I do it because it gives me a thrill , its something that I LOVE doing and I think people dig what I do.. Doing what I do also has a kind of message behind it and I like being an evolutionary agent of change, commenting on society
G: What does inspire you?
The amazing things I find on the internet, in books, in films, in the street, in the garbage can, and also SPACE.. I love all those planets and stars and stuff out there… Its mysterious.
G: Why are you unique?
Wee’re all unique , were all thinking different things and are influenced by different stimulus.. even identical twins who are genetically closer than any other person on earth are unique.. I prefer to focus on what makes us all similar and what we have in common… We’re all really embers from the same fire….
G: What are the main challenges maintaining your business and how are you overcoming them?
Having to organise shows every month is quite a challenge, so far I’ve organised about 50 in the gallery and they are loads of work , but it’s a hell of a lot of fun so its worth it.. Nothing important ever comes without a struggle.. Making rent and paying my taxes and doing all the nitty gritty business stuff is sometimes challenging but doing it right and making sure all the artists get paid on time is IMPORTANT.. Some galleries should take note.
G: What would you say has been your most memorable experience while developing your business?
Every day I never know who is going to pop in and visit the gallery for the first time.. I love meeting people and seeing them check out the space and the art.. That’s the best thing,. Its what gets me up early in the morning .. I love the excitement of that first connection.
G: Why do you choose to run your business in Shoreditch?
I was living out in California and I was introduced to a friend of a friend called Elliot.. I used to come back to hang out with him in the late 90’s in London and he lived on Curtain road in an old warehouse opposite from Bar Music Hall.. I loved the area, the pubs, the humour of the people and the fact that if somebody didn’t like you they’d tell you, it was really refreshing coming from California where everybody is SUPER FRIENDLY but sometimes quite insincere… I made stronger connections with people back in Shoreditch and I felt like I fitted in. I always felt like a bit of an alien in California and I felt like my IQ was decreasing the longer I was out there…
G: What is your view about the development of Shoreditch?
Shoreditch is not becoming Silicon Roundabout , Shoreditch is giving birth to Silicon Roundabout.. Boxpark is setting up in Shoreditch because of the cool ass companies and places and people who live work and breathe here.. The Ditch has an edge because it’s a dirty part of London but dirt is important because it helps things to GROW. What inspires me is change and conflict, and all the different stages that Shoreditch goes through keeps it vital. Shoreditch decides if Boxpark and Silicon Roundabout will survive, not the other way around.
G: Who/what are your favorite Artists/Businesses in the area?
I like seeing Gilbert and George walking around, I like seeing Pablo Delgado’s artwork popping up on street corners and every day there’s a new street artist putting new work up in Shoreditch.. I find that incredibly exciting.
G: What are your favorite places in Shoreditch?
I hang out in my gallery, I donated some artwork to Shoreditch House so I have membership there which is really great, I like the people who work there the most they are really friendly… I get good strong coffee from Apostrophe and I like mooching around St Leonards church and looking at all the amazing antiques they tear out of old stately homes. I like Black Rat Projects Gallery and I particularly like Hoxton Street it’s the STREET THAT TIME FORGOT. It has good cheap café’s where I always eavesdrop on some really good conversations. I don’t go to pubs and clubs in the area anymore its not my thing… I cant waste time socializing .. I am a producer not a consumer
G: What does the future has in store for Shoreditch?
Its always going to be changing, its just the nature of a hub like Shoreditch . Its going to feel the affect of the Olympics and beyond that I hope it just keeps growing. Hopefully the rents won’t keep growing .. people need to get a grip and not get too greedy and learn to coexist . Its important. The future will contain what we put into it NOW.
Twitter: @pureevilgallery
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pureevilgallery
Website: http://www.pureevilclothing.com/
