Cale One - Killing the System

BrownPride.com : Tell us a little about yourself?

CALE ONE : I've been doing art for most of my life. All kids are encouraged to draw in school or at home but in my case I just never stopped. I fell in love with graffiti at the age of 11 and worked hard for years to get as good if not better at it than the graffiti writers I admired back then. I still strive to get better not just at graffiti but all the art that I do. I am also an illustrator, graphic artist and muralist. I have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects with some really great people. I have worked for movie studios, magazines and free-lanced for some pretty famous people as well.

BrownPride.com : What does your street moniker CALE ONE come from?

CALE ONE : "CALE", came to be out of pure necessity. When I was a kid I wanted to write Skale because the letters looked cool when connected but at some point I felt the name was too long so I dropped the S and changed the K to a C and here I am today.

BrownPride.com : What was your first official graffiti piece?

CALE ONE : I did a few simple and very whack pieces around my neighborhood and near the freeway, but the first one I was proud of was in 1988 at the Motor Yard. It was a Blue and silver CALE piece.

BrownPride.com : How would you describe your style and technique?

CALE ONE : My current style I'd say is a mixture of caricature and realism. When I began to study fine art I tried to incorporate what I learned into my graffiti characters. I stopped outlining them and began to define their shape with color and value instead.

BrownPride.com : What are your favorite "tools of your trade" for your art?

CALE ONE : I think that amongst all the tools I've used for painting my three favorites are oil and brush, spray paint and Adobe Illustrator.

BrownPride.com : Who are some of the artists local or international that you respect their work?

CALE ONE : I've always admired Slick's work but more so now that I've had the chance to paint with him and watch how he works, not to mention that I'm from his crew KILLING THE SYSTEM. I really like Astek's work too, also Plek, Defer and Big Sleep's letters, Prime, Craola, Totem from New York and that crazy European chick Mad C to name a few…



BrownPride.com : Tell us about your new book "The Art of the Character"?

CALE ONE : This book is my introduction to the world of tattoo art and I wanted to release a collection of drawings for reference. My boy Big Sleeps has been instrumental in teaching me about the business and introducing me to some of the people in that industry. The book has been well received and I've had a lot of positive feedback. The “Day of the Dead” is a popular theme and I wanted to share my version of characters and designs which I hope will make the tattoo artists who buy it a lot of money.

BrownPride.com : Any future projects, art shows, or events?

CALE ONE : I'm starting The Art of the Character Vol.2 which will be bigger with a whole different subject matter. I'm working on a few projects with members of my K2S crew and hope we can get a show put together for this summer. I'm working on a mural at Graffiti House LA and will post the final images soon. I'm also developing vector art chosen from The Art of the Character Vol. 1 to create merchandise in collaboration with Big Sleeps and perhaps a surprise partner but that is yet to be determined.

BrownPride.com : Last words and websites / social media to follow your work?

CALE ONE : I appreciate all the support and interest in my work. You can follow me on Instagram @cale_one_k2s, www.illfeelin.com and Facebook under Ill Feelin Brand and Cale Fine Arts.

Interview and Photography by SalRojas.com | Grafflicks.com