Tilteed

You're a bike messenger, does this shirt represent your true desire to fly? and all the weight on your shoulders? Is this like a self portrait shirt? c'mon SAT, we want answers!

It's my world, bike love and illustration, the little chap is half a bike and half a chomba creature, he is like me. Always with a desire to live free, be free, just fly. Bike messenging through a big city like Berlin is like a drug, it's like being in a natural way on speed. When you ride fixed gear, with your messenger back and your walkie talkie, you feel like being faster than anybody else, trying to find your way through the cars gives you the feeling of being somehow superior.

Being a messenger can be as exiting as being a graffiti writer or street artist. Always with one foot on the edge of legality. Crossing red likes, riding fixed gear with no brakes or just one, checking crossroads for police cars. It's such a fun job, combining tactical thinking, teamwork, and it's freelance, independent as well. You know that you are able to earn money everyday, which is often very difficult with arts & design sometimes. Still you have many worries, how to make enough income, not to break your bones. it's a fast life and any mistake can punish you badly or knock you out quickly.

Making art is a great way balance the hectic bike day. I used to be very anxious about the future, living from one week to another with few income with art. Bike Messengin' for me is a work as much fun as being creative. For me it's like earning money like a singer with music. Makin' money for flying through the city, I do what I like to do and get paid. It takes some of the worries one has and makes you a much more relaxed person.

What got you started in street art and at what youthful age did you first deface public property?

I started to notice Graffiti back in the days in 1992 when i was about 12 years old. I had to use the Metro to get to school. The metro always stopped in the entrance of a tunnel which was covered with amazing graffiti murals. I could not read all of these letters but I liked it, while watching YO MTV Raps as kid I knew that Graffiti was also a part of Hip Hop culture (I know it's not necessarily). With 13 I started to sketch graffiti myself, I think I was 13 when I made my first piece. It was so horrible ugly, neon pink and dark blue. I wrote "Sozial-X", my first arrest was with 15. I got caught tagging at a train station by Kripo (Criminal Police). I did walls here and then but used to sketch much more than writing actually on the wall. With 19 I lost a bit the connection, but stayed eeing interested. Still I used to sketch always for fun. After some years of break I got hooked up by Streetart in Berlin about 2006. I loved the freedom of Streetart and the mixture of techniques and styles. If you are not only looking on the pavement you are flooded by streetart in Berlin.

For those who don't know, tell us all about Chomblandia, and how can we each obtain VISAs to get in?

Chombalandia is the place to be. It's the place where there's fewer gravity and creatures seem to float over ground. Everything is wobbly and chombalicous blobby. Fewer gravity means a more relaxed life, it's non-officially probably the so much searched "Paradise". It's the place where all SAT creatures are from, they share lifes also with human people like of any types. Hipsters might over proportionally apply for VISAs. It's not easy to obtain VISAs or permanent Residency. Riding bike is one qualification. The process for permanent residency might take 3-4 years. But everyone can get a day visa for 20 Chomba $ but be aware that you have to leave until 10pm or you get harassed by mean SuperBlobbstas.

What kind of super skills do you have that no one else knows about? nun-chuck skills?

I can imitate so many german and international accents I wonder myself why I didn't end up in acting. Some people out there that I DJed a lot as well and used to produce some beats for fun.

If you could have superpowers what would they be?

Burn huge, monster Blockletters on trains just with my eyes. Riding always backwards with my bike and forward only for fun. Teleportating myself to any tourist trap island in the world.

Give us some links to the great SAT.

People can check out my website for all necessary links:
http://www.stickathing.com

My portfolio can be seen on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/stickathing

Any last words before this interview dies?

Though I am busy with many things, there's coming up always new stuff by ze SAT. Always be prepared, when you expect the least a lot of chombalicous things are coming up to you. Big ups also to all my latin american friends'n supporters, all appreciators worldwide and my brother Bembo Fresh. Ride more bikes!