Slowtide & Risk have teamed up to create a unique towel featuring his distinct and colorful graffiti.
For Summer ‘19, Slowtide has collaborated with notorious graffiti artist, RISK.
RISK, né Kelly Gravel, is a Los Angeles-based graffiti artist. In the 80s, RISK gained popularity for his distinct style and pushing the boundaries of graffiti. He famously participated in the street art crews West coast Artists (WCA) and the Seventh Letter. RISK is considered one of the first artists to paint on freight trains and a “pioneer of the heavens,” a reference to painting on highly elevated surfaces like billboards and overpasses. He has become one of the most influential graffiti artists, specifically in Los Angeles.
We caught up with RISK at his Los Angeles studio.
“I think I first got introduced to art with my father drawing me a dragster and I was infatuated with that, just drawing that dragster over and over...I’ve been drawing since I can remember…In ‘83 when I started doing graffiti...the only graffiti that started surfacing...was East Coast guys. All of my influence was New York because there were no LA guys. So I developed that style, very New York letters but a very West Coast style with colors.
In art, treat it like a job, it’s not just a hobby. If you’re serious about something do it 24/7. You’re gonna get sidetracked in life with so many other things: make sure they all relate to art. That’s all I can say because I’ve had so many business opportunities...and now I own multiple companies as well but I still only do stuff that relates to art. Keep the synergy tight.”
Shop the collaboration here.
