Art of BUST

October 14, 2023

Bust is an artist that loves traveling. Participating internationally on various projects and events is something he does with ease because he paid his dues, worked hard and genuinely enjoys what he does. He stays involved within the world stage by lending his talents to different communities around the world and also donates his work to causes he believes in like this Smurf-esque piece below (furthest to the left if you're on a desktop). It is one of his signature characters that was painted on a sign and donated to charity for the Kraus Gallery in New York in support of Meals on Wheels America. 100% of the proceeds for this went to help feed the elderly. To give you a bit of backstory; Bust grew up in Basel, Switzerland where their train tracks are the longest painted walls in Europe.

◼️"Surrounded by graffiti, I fell in love with it in 1996. In 1999, I changed schools and in my new class, there were two guys who painted walls. They took me along, and later on, I became part of their crew."
-Bust (on how it started) ◼️

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We asked Bust a few questions to get some insight into his processes:

1. You are very passionate about graffiti and street art, what would you say got you into it? Were there any special instances or an event that gave you a moment of clarity that you feel led you to it?

◼️ I grew up in Basel, Switzerland. This city always had a history of high-quality graffiti. Our train tracks are the longest painted walls in Europe, so colorful that even the train company advertised this fact back in the days. Surrounded by graffiti, I fell in love with it around 1996. In 1999, I changed schools and in my new class, I had two guys who already painted walls. They took me along, and later on, I became part of their crew.

2. Are there any tools or art supplies you wish you knew about or had when you first started? Any wisdom you can part with that might help someone else on their journey?

◼️ I definitely don't want to know how much chrome and black is in my lungs without using a mask. At the time I started, the tools were very limited. I was lucky to begin with Hit Color from Belton, and soon the Spanish Montanas reached Switzerland, laying the foundation for high-quality cans specifically made for writing. During my travels around the world, I bought new tools to bring back to Basel. I remember being the first person ever to hit the city with a Krink mob silver. Good times... At the moment, I feel there is a massive overload of products. In the beginning, I built my markers myself, and nothing beats a shoe polish marker with homemade ink.

3. Any advice for beginners just starting out or advice to those hoping to turn their art into something they can support themselves with?

◼️ My advice is to paint because you love it, not because you might make money from it. It's an illusion to think you can make an easy living by painting walls. When I started, there were no commissioned works, no sponsors, and no street art festivals. The only thing we had were jams where everybody paid for everything themselves just to represent their name, style, and city. If you have a solid painting style, everything will fall into place. Add some hard work and a lot of hustle, and you will make it.

4. Did you have any favorite cartoons, characters or artists that you liked growing up?

◼️Take a look at my walls; they are all in there! (-:

5. Was there art in your life before street art and graffiti? Like did you do illustrations, comic book drawings, sculpting, music etc.?

◼️I am the kid who never stopped painting. Characters became letters, and letters became characters again. In kindergarten, I got a fat marker from my cousin and painted the whole playground with skulls. I even painted the entire Simpson family on the walls of my room when I was 10, and I got into trouble for the first time at 11 when I painted loads of skulls at an abandoned place with cans I found. I guess there was a pattern from early on.

The first two images above (if you're viewing on a mobile phone) Were works created to auction off for The Save The Children Foundation in efforts to raise money for children suffering the effects of the war in Ukraine. (Center and image to the right on desktops)

6. Are there any other forms of art or hobbies that you get down on outside of this?

◼️ My inspiration comes 100% from comic books and the TV series I watch. Basically, I recycle my life in my artworks; you can find all the influences there. I developed a liking for pop art, but by that point, I was already deeply into graffiti.

7. On your bad days how do you stay motivated?

◼️ Creativity is a part of your brain that is very big in the beginning of life and then gets smaller and smaller as we age. The good thing is, this part can be trained and developed. I am always creative and constantly have loads of ideas about what to do next. In the beginning of my "professional" art life, I had to force myself a few times to be creative, which worked as well. But that feeling of being uninspired only lasted for a few months, and I've never been uninspired since.

8. Is there a story behind your name?

◼️ I was busted for painting graffiti, and then I changed my name to "Busted." However, it had too many letters for bombing, so I chose "Bust." Later, I was approached by another writer in my city who had painted the name "Bust" before (probably for 2 months). Then, I added "Art" and made it "BustArt" to create a wordplay with "bastard." Nowadays, I also go by just the name "Bust." There is a connection with my real name, which I only discovered after painting the name for a few years... but this remains a secret...