In Designwars’ launch we have the great honor of hosting Daim in our website, a guru of 3D Graffiti and a world renowned artist with has taken part in countless contests and festivals whom in his own right has contributed to the evolution of graffiti. Take a look at his extremely interesting interview.
People in Greece possibly don’t know much about you, one of the best 3D artists in the world. Could you tell us a few things about yourself?
I have been active for over 22 years with the name DAIM as a graffiti artist. From there I moved to Hamburg and soon in several other cities and countries in order to stay there. In 1996 I went to study art in Switzerland. Meanwhile I’m working again in Hamburg, where I co-founded the studio community “getting-up”.
When and how did you start doing graffiti?
At the age of 15 I started to listen to hip-hop music, perform my first graffiti in the city, drew the first styles and then, two years later took a spray can in hand for the first time. Of course then came the charm of a small, close-knit group of people that were adapted to this new “culture” of the United States. They felt like something special. It never occurred to me at the beginning that I would make art or that I would even become an artist. But since then I’ve drawn for a short time and it dawned on me that graffiti would be a prospect for my future life. To develop our own styles is possible not only by talent. It’s more like the graffiti industry coming forward again and again so they can actually realize their ideas
It is well known that your style and ideas have literally defined the evolution of graffiti. How do you feel about it? How has time affected your art?
I started in a time of interest to me for the entire hip-hop scene when it was still so new in Germany, which was one very small group. There were basically no fans, but only those that were actively introduced into this new movement. That was something very special. We wanted to inspire other people with our art. With the professionalisation of the entire scene, it has changed so much, but the base is still remained the same: Develop your own style and go out and stand by it!
n your website we noticed that you also deal with other types of art involving graffiti as a main ingredient, i.e, sculptures, animations and installations. Could you tell us a bit about it?
At the beginning of the nineties during which I concentrated on 3D styles my goal was to create the illusion of a „real“ 3D object on a 2D medium. Doing truly three-dimensional objects wasn’t such a long leap after that. From spraying walls I was familiar with concrete. After years of using it a background for my letters the idea of shaping it into letters was fascinating. Admittedly, even though this is of great appeal, I still feel as a „classic painter“ meaning the creation of images on two-dimensional media will still keep me busy for quite some time.
Why didn’t you establish your own graphics arts company so corporate identities of many other companies could have been based on your own personal style?
I see myself as an artist and not as a graphic designer or illustrator.
Have you considered opening a school so you can teach the secrets of graffiti?
No, but this is what I would teach: “Develop you own style. Find inspiration inside but also outside the graffiti scene. Help others and work together. Be open to new ideas and respect all those who love graffiti as much as you do.”
You travel and paint all over the world, in the past you have also been in Greece. Do you have any thoughts about the greek graffiti scene?
I’ve traveled a lot for many years and I have visited most of the countries in which there is a large graffiti-scene. I’ve been received warmly in all these countries, no matter whether it was at the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, France, Italy or Greece. I very much hope to visit some countries in which, unfortunately, today, there is a great scene missing.
Graffiti is a global language and therefore it’s great in every country, no matter how different and foreign, it appears to be a way to meet like-minded people and together we can implement our different styles to murals.
My graffiti trips to Greece were very exciting for me because I already knew the country from of countless trips during my childhood and I was able to experience it from a different side.
You recently collaborated with Volvo and Opel on different projects. Can you share a few things on that?
Working for a client helps you create great communication and exchange with them ideas that you want to realize. You have to advertise their ideas, which is not always possible but I am lucky that in over 20 years, because of my developing style, clients appreciate this style of work.
With these projects you get the opportunity to make faces and places, which you would otherwise not be able to affect. So I open myself to new ideas and directions, just the way it happened in the recent projects for Opel and Volvo.
Have you ever felt you are running out of ideas? What inspires or provokes “DAIM” ‘s artwork?
My aim is to show new sides of graffiti. There will always be taggers who paint illegally, but also those who increasingly use different media and styles. So we have new ideas, without the old ones. Graffiti can be designed differently. For me it’s more important to try new things and not losing sight of the basic concept. While taking under consideration advertising, comics and art movements such as Pop Art that still affect graffiti – and vice versa – so that they are placed in a new context, and anything to do with nature. All possible shapes, color schemes, patterns … you just need to keep your eyes open!
What are your plans for the future? What are you working on now?
After turbulent years with many trips, exhibitions and projects in which I was also often involved in the organization, I needed a stage of concentration on my own artistic work. This meant to me quite clear to focus on few but renowned projects and exhibitions. I wanted to get back a feeling for where I stand with my work as an artist and also as an active writer in the graffiti scene.
For example, by the Urban Discipline exhibition series and the published books, there were times when you had to ask yourself if you are leading more an event agency or a publisher than being an artist. But basically it was always clear in my mind that my artistic work has to be the focus and I have shifted my efforts in recent years to that effect again.
I could focus on the stuff that is important to me, develop new forms and methods and take part in first-class exhibitions.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview for our website’s grand opening. Is there something that you would like to add?
Last year I did a relaunch of my website. It shall show more than just the current works and projects. I regard the site also as an online archive in which you can follow up my work of the last 20 years. There are published over 1000 photos in revised and considerably better quality than before. In addition there are also editions, sketches and videos as well as magazine and newspaper publications.
People in Greece possibly don’t know much about you, one of the best 3D artists in the world. Could you tell us a few things about yourself?
I have been active for over 22 years with the name DAIM as a graffiti artist. From there I moved to Hamburg and soon in several other cities and countries in order to stay there. In 1996 I went to study art in Switzerland. Meanwhile I’m working again in Hamburg, where I co-founded the studio community “getting-up”.
When and how did you start doing graffiti?
At the age of 15 I started to listen to hip-hop music, perform my first graffiti in the city, drew the first styles and then, two years later took a spray can in hand for the first time. Of course then came the charm of a small, close-knit group of people that were adapted to this new “culture” of the United States. They felt like something special. It never occurred to me at the beginning that I would make art or that I would even become an artist. But since then I’ve drawn for a short time and it dawned on me that graffiti would be a prospect for my future life. To develop our own styles is possible not only by talent. It’s more like the graffiti industry coming forward again and again so they can actually realize their ideas
It is well known that your style and ideas have literally defined the evolution of graffiti. How do you feel about it? How has time affected your art?
I started in a time of interest to me for the entire hip-hop scene when it was still so new in Germany, which was one very small group. There were basically no fans, but only those that were actively introduced into this new movement. That was something very special. We wanted to inspire other people with our art. With the professionalisation of the entire scene, it has changed so much, but the base is still remained the same: Develop your own style and go out and stand by it!
n your website we noticed that you also deal with other types of art involving graffiti as a main ingredient, i.e, sculptures, animations and installations. Could you tell us a bit about it?
At the beginning of the nineties during which I concentrated on 3D styles my goal was to create the illusion of a „real“ 3D object on a 2D medium. Doing truly three-dimensional objects wasn’t such a long leap after that. From spraying walls I was familiar with concrete. After years of using it a background for my letters the idea of shaping it into letters was fascinating. Admittedly, even though this is of great appeal, I still feel as a „classic painter“ meaning the creation of images on two-dimensional media will still keep me busy for quite some time.
Why didn’t you establish your own graphics arts company so corporate identities of many other companies could have been based on your own personal style?
I see myself as an artist and not as a graphic designer or illustrator.
Have you considered opening a school so you can teach the secrets of graffiti?
No, but this is what I would teach: “Develop you own style. Find inspiration inside but also outside the graffiti scene. Help others and work together. Be open to new ideas and respect all those who love graffiti as much as you do.”
You travel and paint all over the world, in the past you have also been in Greece. Do you have any thoughts about the greek graffiti scene?
I’ve traveled a lot for many years and I have visited most of the countries in which there is a large graffiti-scene. I’ve been received warmly in all these countries, no matter whether it was at the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, France, Italy or Greece. I very much hope to visit some countries in which, unfortunately, today, there is a great scene missing.
Graffiti is a global language and therefore it’s great in every country, no matter how different and foreign, it appears to be a way to meet like-minded people and together we can implement our different styles to murals.
My graffiti trips to Greece were very exciting for me because I already knew the country from of countless trips during my childhood and I was able to experience it from a different side.
You recently collaborated with Volvo and Opel on different projects. Can you share a few things on that?
Working for a client helps you create great communication and exchange with them ideas that you want to realize. You have to advertise their ideas, which is not always possible but I am lucky that in over 20 years, because of my developing style, clients appreciate this style of work.
With these projects you get the opportunity to make faces and places, which you would otherwise not be able to affect. So I open myself to new ideas and directions, just the way it happened in the recent projects for Opel and Volvo.
Have you ever felt you are running out of ideas? What inspires or provokes “DAIM” ‘s artwork?
My aim is to show new sides of graffiti. There will always be taggers who paint illegally, but also those who increasingly use different media and styles. So we have new ideas, without the old ones. Graffiti can be designed differently. For me it’s more important to try new things and not losing sight of the basic concept. While taking under consideration advertising, comics and art movements such as Pop Art that still affect graffiti – and vice versa – so that they are placed in a new context, and anything to do with nature. All possible shapes, color schemes, patterns … you just need to keep your eyes open!
What are your plans for the future? What are you working on now?
After turbulent years with many trips, exhibitions and projects in which I was also often involved in the organization, I needed a stage of concentration on my own artistic work. This meant to me quite clear to focus on few but renowned projects and exhibitions. I wanted to get back a feeling for where I stand with my work as an artist and also as an active writer in the graffiti scene.
For example, by the Urban Discipline exhibition series and the published books, there were times when you had to ask yourself if you are leading more an event agency or a publisher than being an artist. But basically it was always clear in my mind that my artistic work has to be the focus and I have shifted my efforts in recent years to that effect again.
I could focus on the stuff that is important to me, develop new forms and methods and take part in first-class exhibitions.
Thank you for agreeing to this interview for our website’s grand opening. Is there something that you would like to add?
Last year I did a relaunch of my website. It shall show more than just the current works and projects. I regard the site also as an online archive in which you can follow up my work of the last 20 years. There are published over 1000 photos in revised and considerably better quality than before. In addition there are also editions, sketches and videos as well as magazine and newspaper publications.
