Posts Tagged ‘rodi’
RODI 5 – Berkeley, CA
Friday, December 4th, 2020YA, RODI – East Bay, CA
Thursday, July 30th, 2015
Photographer: Madeleine Tonzi
RODI, BELLA – East Bay, CA
Monday, August 25th, 2014SPLAT, 455, RODI – San Francisco, CA
Thursday, May 10th, 2012RODI, WRANE – San Francisco, CA
Sunday, January 29th, 2012It’s all fun and games for me… RODI Interview – 2012
Monday, January 23rd, 2012I first started to notice Roddy or Rodi back in 2009. His slap was all over the San Francisco financial district, reminding me of the good old days of the later 90’s and 2000’s when PEZ and others totally crushed that part of the city. Then he started popping up in the WSO and, big sticker nerd that I am, I figured I should meet and interview him … So here it is.
Endless Canvas: Graffiti or street art or is it all the same to you?
RODI: I try my best to appreciate all different types of graff and street art… I pretty much love all graffiti, but I definitely can’t say the same for street art… There is plenty of whack shit going on out there… It’s a hard question though… If a graffiti bomber goes and does a sick illegal piece, but it’s hella good and appeals to a broad audience, then couldn’t it be considered street art? I think it’s really hard to lump it all into just two categories…
Endless Canvas: Why risk your freedom and sometimes your life for this thing called graffiti/street art?
RODI: Some things are worth a small risk… When I first started putting up stickers, it was such a cool feeling to revisit a spot and see that my shit was still running… Even cooler to see that someone had put their sticker next to mine!!! I was hooked since day one; I didn’t give a shit that it was illegal… The past year or so I’ve tried keeping my actually risky business to a minimum… Basically by just not painting… I have responsibilities that the majority of writers don’t have which are a full time job and a family to support…
Endless Canvas: Who is your biggest influence in style?
RODI: My biggest influences come from the stickers that I have seen over the past few years everyday… Splat, Pobrecito, Dead Eyes, Dume, Starpig, Adam Infanticide, Plan Trees, Broke, Beer is Good, the list goes on and on……
Endless Canvas: Do you try to keep your identity anonymous?
RODI: I try to, but I’m definitely not too hardcore about it… A lot of people know who I am and what I write… If I could start all over, I’d definitely try and be more discreet about it…
Endless Canvas: Why write RODI?
RODI: Ha ha. Sorry, I can’t talk about that on here…
Endless Canvas: Is it an everyday thing for you or do you only go out a few times in week?
RODI: On the weekends, I belong to my family… But Monday through Friday, 9-5 I’m out there putting in work!!! I got the best job ever for a graffiti writer…
Endless Canvas: What’s more fun SF or Oakland?
RODI: I’m starting to like Oakland more and more… If you put your shit in the right spot, it will RUN! I’m always going to hold it down in the financial district and surrounding areas of SF… But 2012 is the year I annihilate Oakland!!!
Endless Canvas: Are you trying to say something deep and meaningful or are you just having fun or a little bit of both?
RODI: Naw. It’s all fun and games for me… I started writing little messages on backwards USPS stickers, usually just an inside joke or whatever pops into my head at that moment… The message there is: don’t take this guy too serious. Ha ha.
Endless Canvas: What’s your feeling on crews?
RODI: I think crews are all good… Friends going out and bombing together is good shit… The thing I do hate though is the mentality of “fuck with me, fuck with my crew.” If you start a beef with someone, you should sack up and deal with it yourself… Getting all 10 of your homies to go over one person just shows weak character…
Endless Canvas: Do you ever plan out a spot or is it all free style?
RODI: I’d say 90% is unplanned… Every once in a while I’ll go off the way to a specific spot or neighborhood…
Endless Canvas: What or who are some of your influences outside of graffiti that influence your art?
RODI: I dunno if it counts, but graffiti photography has a huge influence on my life and my art… I REALLY love to take pictures of graffiti and sit at the computer and geek out on graff… Seeing dope flicks motivates me to get out there and produce something worthy of a picture…
Endless Canvas: What’s your favorite tool? A mop, stickers, glue, spray paint?
RODI: I’m definitely most known for my stickers but I really like it all… I’m really not that into wheat pastes though… Such a pain in the ass making the glue and carrying it around and shit… I got a fat stack of paper ready to go that’ll never see the light of day; I’m just too lazy for that shit…
Endless Canvas: Beer or weed?
RODI: BEER, BEER, BEER!!!!!!!! I’m too old for weed…. Gimme a beer and lemme kick it…
Endless Canvas: Daytime or nighttime?
RODI: I used to do everything during the day… fucking rooftop BART shit… I didn’t give a fuck… until about a year ago. I had some crazy ass shit happen to me on federal ground… Let’s just say I got VERY lucky and I’m much more careful now. Ha ha… I’ll still put stickers up night or day though!!!!!!
Endless Canvas: Time to give thanks
RODI: Definitely got to give shouts to DUME and SPLAT for all the teamwork… My wife for putting up with all my graffiti shit… and of course Endless Canvas for getting my name out there… ==>>RODI<<==