Biography

 
  • Born in Blakenall, Walsall, April 10th 1971
  • ACTIVE DUTY since 1973

EDUCATION

  • Began using home computers in Junior school 1979, as part of select team of ‘whiz-kids’.
  • Secondary Education from 1982. Left after getting 6 O Levels without revising, including two Maths.
  • September 1983, picked up an aerosol can to paint with in Streetly, Walsall.
  • College education on Graphic Design course being ‘guinea-pigged’ in Walsall. Failed to enter the second year of study again after trying for a full-time position. The course leader at the time: “I admire your healthy irreverence towards authority, but there is no place here for your work”.
  • 5 years voluntary work, running aerosol workshops in conjunction with Walsall Borough Council Departments Leisure and Education. Developed projects to get free paint and look after one of the Country’s flagship ‘legal’ graffiti sites, the Paddock.
  • Employment training scheme for an extra tenner a week, teaching other ‘n’er-do-wells’ how to use a photocopier a sa design aid. Mother also attended the clerical section of the work camp.
  • Gainful employment as Walsall Councils own: ‘Part-time Temporary Aerosol Art co-ordinator’, for 15 hours a week at least.
  • Enjoyable payroll work with Walsall’s leading Computer-Game developers for over 6 years, moving from bitmap sprite animations for Aladdin on the Gameboy, through to 3D visualisations for Interface, menu, FMV’s and Character/Vehicle design.
  • Freelance since 1996
  • Set up the GRAFFITI BASTARDS collective, now due its fourth event..
  • Moved to London in June 2000.
  • Moved back home, to Birmingham, in March 2002.
  • Became print/design & events consultant for Banksy.
  • Set up artworking department at Mission Print specialist screenprinters, Birmingham.
  • Painted 36m x 5m mural ‘Born in Walsall’ single-handedly over 4 days, local brewery releases BIW beer.
  • Created 5 minute animated short & soundtrack installation for hometown festival of light 2006.
  • Returned to London in 2005.
  • Created artwork in collaboration with Jamie Hewlett covering a massive 434m of Virgin Pendolino Train.
  • Painted 42m x 14m mural ‘Hole in the Wall’ single-handedly over 42 days, setting a new world record.
  • Created largescale 200m installation ‘EYE Fidelity’ for hometown festival of light 2007.
  • Designed and built experimental 11 foot cubic interior for solo show in Birmingham.
  • Left London in 2012 for Amsterdam & Barcelona.
  • Used aerosol paint to ‘distort the plane’ with large anamorphic projections.
  • Reached over 27,00 views in one day during protests against cuts in 2012 (Sodtherich sticker photograph on Flickr)
  • Google Cultural Institute invited me to participate in the Artist in Residency program to develop Tilt Brush virtual reality painting software

SHOWS