Got a chance to chill out with 3Modes, a graphic designer still in high school, making waves in the art scene."I noticed a lot of graffiti on the bus. Used to see one of those white factories and I just started getting into it freshman year."
"And so you're sort of thinking about style and..."
"This one is horizontal."
"Oh."
"Did you have any personal influences, friends who were inspiring you?"
"I have a friend named DAP. We bounce ideas a lot. So when I paint... The first known graffiti artist I met got me into IOF, writer named JECK."
Sitting on the green with the street artist, you get a sense that clearly based on his persistence, there's a very real likelihood that we will eventually see more of his work as time goes on.
At this point, there's a young kid about ankle deep in the water of the fountain, getting into trouble with his grandparents. There was also a woman dancing to herself, wearing headphones. The fountain was off but there was water in it. One of his notebook pages flew into the fountain. 3Modes just kind of sat there.
"So who do you look up to?"
"I like a lot of writers from all over. I look up to my friend DAP. We bounce ideas. Sofles from Australia. A lot of MSK and AWR artists from California and stuff."
"What about some of the mainstream guys, in the local scene."
"REO, CRAZE, AOKE, KEPH, RC Murals.. They're local and they're amazing."
"REO was the very first name on your list. Is he like the king right now?"
"I don't think of people as kings or what not. I look at their art and go by what's going on. Technical-wise and style, he's just nuts. Can't go wrong with that dude."
"Ever heard of Young X Legends? Mike Green is like the main rapper in it," says 3Modes as he touches up on an album cover for the musician. "I was a music student before I got into graphic design," he says.
Stay up on art in the City by keeping up with everything happening locally, only on NHVMusic. You can follow 3Modes (or any of the other local writers mentioned like Jeck or REO, as well).
