The Digging in Graffiti saga continues, today we are with BC1 NBA aka BC, a New York-based writer who will tell us about his vision of graffiti and what was and is New York! Enjoy reading…

Hi, let’s start by asking something about yourself. When you started in New York what was the place and how did you live it?

Hello my name is BC1 NBA, but to keep it simple I am now BC. I’m a native New Yorker, born in Spanish Harlem, and raised in Da Bronx, I consider myself as having roots in both these neighborhoods, and my heart and family reside there. Beauty is birthed in many different ways. For me, my love of art started at a very young age. I’ve been influenced by people and circumstance. Tragedy brought me to where I am today. My art is my way of expressing beauty through color, dimension and words.

New York City in the 80’s had some innocence, but not innocent at the same time. Filled with much grit, glamor and mystery like today but much simpler. As a child, New York was this massive place where you could get lost and not found, but intriguing me, peaking my curiosity, because of its fast pace, lights on all night, always something happening, as they say “The City that never sleeps”, it was so exciting. Especially the subways.

When did you take your first steps in the world of writing? And what motivated you to get started?

As a child, I always drew and colored. In elementary school, 5th grade, I had a classmate who was into graffiti and introduced me to it. From then I began tagging in my neighborhood. Life’s circumstances drew me to want to do graffiti and influenced me more by viewing, from my window the number 4 train as it passed by, in Da Bronx, where it all began. 1982 was when I began hitting the trains.

From the various interviews we did there was always a sense of community, do you think there is still that sense of belonging?

Now there is a community. But back in the days, there really wasn’t, in a sense that our identity was kept secret to only a chosen few, and those that were in a crew were their own community, family if you will. But it was a dog eat dog world back then and I chose to bomb predominantly by myself in order to avoid the negatives of the Graffiti world and stick to getting up.

Competition in graffiti is a motivator that led more and more to raise the bar. How was the relationship with other writers and crews? Was there competition to show one’s style?

There definitely was a competitive element whether it was bombing or piecing. Everyone was fighting for position, space, to see who could out-do each other, getting Fame.

What was it like in those years to go out and paint there and how has it evolved over the years?

Back in those days we did not have the many colors or different pressured spray paint as today or specially caps. Every line of paint back then were all high pressure and we used stock caps. But there were some caps we’ve adapted to use such as Rusto fats, NY thins, Fat cap we would get from, ironing spray starch to all types of cleaners; oven, marble, panel, kitchen etc.

The days of painting and bombing trains no longer exist, I was fortunate to have done so. It was hard to paint and bomb because you had to constantly look out and not get robbed and or jumped by other writers and their crews or get caught by the cops and had to work very fast. I bombed as quickly as possible with much caution avoiding these dangers. Boy what a fulfilling thrill it was every time I completed my mission.

How did society and communities react to graffiti initially? Was government repression a limitation or one more way to raise the level of competition?

Society and communities reacted negatively toward graffiti. It was shunned upon. And the law was constantly on us trying to lock us up, to stop us. But that only motivates us to continue because it was and still is a passion and a voice I and we have.

Does graffiti today still have the power it once had? By power, I mean a value and a feeling of reclaiming one’s space, of showing who one is through art?

It certainly does have that power. It began in Da Bronx, NYC and is a global phenomenon and will always show who one is through it.

What have been your biggest inspirations and influences in the world of writing?

My biggest influence was Mitch 77 Latin Artist, and others such as, Dondi, Seen, Zephyr, Lee, Duro and Ban 2 OTB (Deli 167).

What is it that still drives you to make art?

What still drives me to do art is the love and passion I have for it.

In interviewing Lady Pink, we asked her what she thought about the world of fashion and advertising, which make the imagery of graffiti or more generally hip hop their own to sell, but without understanding its value, what do you think?

Since we live in a capitalist society, they are only in it for profit without completely understanding the culture. It’s great that graffiti is recognized, revered, and artists should be paid for their works and not get ripped off.

The last question, did you ever imagine that what was happening in those streets and subways would expand around the world? And that guys across the ocean after forty years are trying to find a connection to the roots of this culture?

I did graffiti back then purely for the love and enjoyment of doing it but would have never imagined that it would have grown as it has.