Klutch - The Vitals:

Age:
42. Still climbing, still shining.
Hometown: None
really, we moved a lot. I was born in Oklahoma so I guess I gotta claim Okie.
/>Where do you now live?: Portland, Oregon, USA
/>How long have you been creating street art?: Off and on since
1982. Pretty active during the 80’s then I went on a long hiatus to pretend to
be a civilian. I just sort of started back in June of this year.
/>What did you do last night?: Read some of my friends book,
The Best of Intentions: The Avow Anthology. Revealing some of his personal
stories took courage and makes my feel like I know him a whole lot better. Great
personal triumphs and tragedies told as only punk zine kids can.
/>What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner?: Almost
anything I cooked myself. Last night it was falafel’s and garlic drenched
garbanzo beans.
Who is your favorite fictional character?:
Easily this is Travis Bickle. I’ve watched Taxi Driver well over a hundred times
and am totally obsessed with him. I am god’s lonely man.
What do
you currently have in your pockets?: My usual, an empty wallet with
just my driver’s license and library card.
If you were given “more
time,” what would you do with it?: I have always tried to focus on the
present and not think too much about time, especially the future. A few years
ago I left a very secure and lucrative career to have the time to spend my days
as I wish. Art and traveling are what I enjoy most and I do plenty of both so I
am good.
Who do you love?: My wife Sandy and our kitty
Shasta.

/>

Klutch - The A’s to Our Q’s:

Wooster: How did
you get started in creating art for the street?

/>Klutch: Without really thinking about why I used to paint a
cassette tape and crossbones back in 1982. Then I caught Style Wars on PBS and
realized that there was something bigger going on. I painted mostly skate
ditches and pools and I really got into cholo (Latino gang) hand styles.  In
1985 I caught a show called Urban Abstraction that continues to be a huge
influence to this day.

Wooster: Why “Klutch”?
/>
Klutch:  It’s from a Disney movie Superdad. Klutch was
a weirdo artist that was scamming on Superdad’s daughter. My friends started
calling me Klutch and the name just stuck.

Wooster:
What other street artists do you most admire and why?

/>Klutch:  Numero Uno is Magmo The Destroyer. Awesome work and
a super cool person. His 5 Tips right here on Wooster are true words of wisdom
and something I try to think about everyday. The whole mob over at href="http://www.stencilrevolution.com">Stencilrevolution. A dope little
community that is really advancing stenciling by sharing advice, critique,
technical tips, and support. It is an amazing thing that a good portion the
stencil heads around the world know and are connected to each other.

/>Wooster: What’s your favorite city, neighborhood, or block,
to post and/or to see street art?

Klutch:  San
Francisco changed the way I think about street art and though it doesn’t seem to
be what it was in the 90’s it will always be special to me. Most of my wife and
my first dates were spent roaming the alleys and train yards of SF, Oakland, and
Berkeley. Really though it’s anywhere someone is doing something cool.

/>Wooster: What inspires you now?

/>Klutch:  People everywhere who are living their asses off
like today is the last day ever. Everyone who is burning with a desire for
creation, connection, and doing something right now. You are an inspiration.
/>
Wooster: What are you currently working on? Can you
give us a sneak peek?

Klutch:  Still wrapping up the
Vinyl Killers show that I just put on (with a WHOLE lot of help from my friends)
and beginning to plan for Vinyl Killers 2 for April 2004, again at Zeitgeist
Gallery in Portland,OR. The whole painting on vinyl thing keeps blowing up and
is sort of becoming a sub genre within stenciling. The show was a huge success
on every level and tons of fun to be involved with. Contact me or watch
Stencilrevolution.com if you would like to participate in #2. I will be sending
out a call for submissions sometime in late January.