Tero Interview @149st

TERO INTERVIEW

©1999, 2003 @149st Do not republish without permission.

Where and when did you start?
1973 in Brooklyn, NY

Who influenced you?
Before I started writing on trains I always watched them.I was like 12 years old and pieces by PISTOL 1, FLINT 707, All 1, SPIN and many others rolled by and I was completely into it. I started practicing with a toy marker around the neighborhood and on paper.

When I started on trains a year later I got influenced by 3 writers: TEE for speed, technique and throw up style. We had to work fast! AFX2 for systematic approach to bombing (he was always taking notes) TRACY 168 for creativity in styles and lettering.

Where and when did you first hit trains?
On 45 st RR lay up, late 1973 - some really shitty pieces.

What lines have you hit?
RR, N, D and B, were my main lines. I also did F,GG,E, and 3 and 5 lines.

Who were your best writing partners?
I started writing alone and eventually I teamed up with Pinto 1 who introduced me to the whole scene at Atlantic Ave. B'klyn. Pinto (DP) was my first writing partner. I later hooked up with TEE and STIM (R.I.P.) legendary brothers and great writers. I took them to the RR lay ups on 45th and 53rd while they brought me to the New Lots ave. yard, which was around their way.

AFX 2 I actually met on the 45th station early one Saturday morning in '74 . We were both on our way into the tunnels, there was silence and skepticism until AF finally broke the silence with the classic line; "....you write ? " We were a team for a while - racking up and piecing, racking up and piecing - going to yards, lay ups and finding stores that weren't hot which was really hard back then.

D59 (Danger 59 aka RM) moved to my block from Forest Hills, Queens. We were also writing partners - we rode bikes out to Coney Island and hit the yard there while all other writers seemed to think the yard was HOT and full of dogs. They were right the F yard was hot and had dogs, but we were on the other side- where they kept the D, N and B trains. Eventually the Transit caught on to us.

Where was your favorite location to hit trains
Along the RR line in Brooklyn; 45th and 53rd

What was your favorite work that you did?
A TERO piece on the RR with the "R" going through the "O", which was my best piecing style in 1975. It was done in School Bus Yellow with Black outline and 3D and a White cloud with Pink dots. I also did a whole car on the D-line the same year "TERO ONE IS UC 3 WILD STYLE", inspired after meeting Tracy 168, P-nut 2 and Ton 5 in the Bronx and having practiced styles with them one day.

What was your favorite paint?
RUSTO, S.B. Yellow, Avocado green, S. Purple
KRYLON, Pink, Tan.
RED DEVIL. Black,(outlines) Bone white, Silver (fill in).

What was your favorite ink?
Flo-master, Black. (Preferably in a flooded Pilot or a Mini)

Got any good Bowery stories?
Funny you should mention it. It was with Robert (AFX2) we went in real early one Sunday morning and we obviously weren't the first that day. The Fabulous Five had been piecing all night and had left ladders still standing on the side of the train. MONO and DOC pieces still wet. AFX was furious, no good spots left to piece on and like he said "..damn, they're making the place HOT!" This took place early 1975 I see it as part of a turning point for the BMTs. The competition on the flat RR and Ms was reaching IRT-proportions.

Got any good Bench stories? like Brooklyn Bridge, Atlantic Avenue or 149th Street
We got chased so many times from Atlantic on pure suspicion. When a bunch of writers were gathered and taking bows as their pieces passed the DTs would raid the place and arrest anyone for just holding a marker. Got busted there once and had to go scrubbing - that's a different story. Met a lot of writers there while removing Toy-scribble from the white tiles (using brillo pads and wax) on various stops along the 3 line in Brooklyn. Vinny , Caine from the 7 line and Jester one (DY 167) were there, among others. It was funny cause Vinny and AFX had this little war going at the time - crossing out each others names and writing nasty things about each other.

When did you do your last piece?
In 1975 I did my last train piece - I did a wall in Brooklyn in 1978

What are you doing currently?
I hold a position in marketing for an international company.

Are you in contact with any old writers?
No, not in many years. The last one I spoke to was D59 and that was like the mid '80s.

What do you think of writing today; Clean trains, Freights, European movement?
Clean trains are boring as they pass by, all sterile and dull. Freights are more exiting, they are operating nationally and give great exposure. They are limited compared to graffiti's heyday in NYC simply because of the close connection between writers and trains. The writers back then could look out the window and almost see their name go by, very few people live along the freight lines. So the freight scene will not be as dynamic as the NYC subway art scene was. This is also partly true for the European movement. There is lots of talent in Europe, many "beautiful" pieces to be seen. Mostly on walls. But is the scene dynamic? I'll have to think about that.

Do you have any advice for the current generation of writers?
It would be to keep it real, try to be the best at what you do. How can you bring it to the next level?

Would you like to voice your opinion of the whole graff movement?
Little did we know back then about the movement we were a part of and how it would influence popular culture the way it has done. Were talking Art, Clothes, Music, Computer software to name a few. It's something to think about next time we ride a freight train.

Peace,
TERO

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