Environmentalists are convinced that graffiti is vandalism posing as art.
Carl-Jason Pidloan or “Mister Cee,” talks to Jemelyn Yadao about graffiti being far from hideous…
As a young boy living in East Ham, East London, Carl didn’t have to look very far for what sparked his interest in graffiti. “
The urban scenery, seeing graffiti along trains influenced me to start graffiti. I did it illegally for a bit, then I realised it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” says Carl, aged 20.
Being a reformed graffiti vandal in no way steered him away from this interest, he merely needed another way to express his growing talent. His god brother and the founding member of the “Ugly Kids Club,” known as “Mister Batlow,” was the central figure inspiring him into taking up a different and more legal approach. Carl said: “He taught me how to do graffiti on clothes and use this not just as a way of expressing myself, but also to create a business, a living.”
The “Ugly Kids Club” who won the urban fashion award for customisers of the year at the Newham Festival, was founded in summer 2006. Carl was there from the start. “In the beginning, we aimed to build-up our profile, searching for potential members who did what we did; who stood out as artists and could do things nobody else could do better.”
Currently, there are 15 members in the group, consisting of various street wear designers and artists and not just people who specialise in graffiti. “Obviously, we would have our graffiti writers and customisers because graffiti is a common interest in our group, but we also have graphic designers, people in fashion and art fanatics.”
Carl promoting at The Jump Off.
Despite frequent negative claims on graffiti as a non-art form, Carl has only impressed people with his graffiti drawing receiving positive comments.
Along with his fellow group members, he strongly believes that what they do is completely opposite to vandalism.
“We do get commissioned work to do graffiti on walls for decorations; we get footballers calling us up, people wanting their shop gates done,” he said, “our aim is to try and turn graffiti into a positive thing and to be creative in a legal way and also make some money out it.”
With celebrities like Mariah Carey and Cheryl Cole sporting UKC gear, Carl looks back at the struggles he went through to get to where he is now.
“Getting the funding to buy the paint was hard, I didn’t work so I had no money. I would ask my mum if she could lend me the money, but because she’s a single parent now, it was hard for her to do so.” He recalls.
They have been involved in festivals and fashion shows promoting their work. They played a part in the “pink party” fashion show in Leicester Square during London Fashion Week, to raise money for breast cancer and recently were involved in the monthly hip-hop festival, The Jump Off. While UKC are sailing their way through urban fashion, Carl is using it to his advantage.
“Being in the UKC is a big platform to get my name out, he says, “if I was doing it by myself, it would be harder because I’ll be in Batlow’s shadow. Trying to get my name out and being independent is a struggle because I’m generally a shy person, but being in the UKC is a confidence booster.”
As the group continue showcasing their work around the UK, it seems Carl has come a long way from causing environmental nuisances to acceptably painting graffiti on Luis Vuitton bags.
Find out more about these Ugly Kids and check out their T-shirt designs here. They’re so ugly.
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