TOX is the “king of taggers.”
The Guardian

He has been imprisoned 9 times for graffiti, and has been referenced an almost equal number of times by Banksy.

It’s a tough pill to swallow in art and in life that a name might be enough to make you famous. A pop proposition that permeates all levels of the culture-sphere, what was once reserved for the rich is becoming inextricable from the street, or at least, that’s what Banksy might argue.

The “tag” – simply a name or a logo written on buildings, train cars or any other public space – has long been lauded as one of the lowest forms of graffiti (read: straight up vandalism), a flash of ego with no artistry or purpose aside from saying “I was here”. It’s a signature, but often a solitary one, unmoored from an image or larger piece of work. Inarguably the world’s most famous street artist, Banksy, is not known to simply scrawl his name across public spaces for the sake of it, but time and time again he has referenced the work of his “peers” (so to speak) through the use of their tags in his paintings. Most notably, London-based graffiti artist TOX’s work can be found in reference repeatedly and throughout the years, which is why many who have been paying attention were excited to see the two sit down for the unordinary – an interview.

The March edition of The Big Issue saw record-breaking sales with an editorial takeover by TOX in the lead up to his semi-secret exhibition with 10Foot and Fume, with Banksy’s bi- line hitting page 8 for the discussion. The exchange is funny, candid, and unusual in more ways than one. It’s hard not to get the sense that there is a chasm between them. TOX reflects on the failures of social services and being targeted relentlessly by police for vandalism. Banksy asks for permission for something that he’s already done – use TOX’s work in his own. TOX comes across as someone that needs to be making. Banksy is critically cool, asking straight but sometimes sour questions and giving the same kind of answers. It reads as though one is looking at the other thinking “I like what you’re doing but I don’t think you’re doing it quite right” – that their lines for the law don’t land in the same places. To Banksy, TOX’s work brings him joy and serves a purpose – “I kind of use it to signify ‘generic urban decay, damage and abandonment’”. To TOX, well, you get the sense that frankly he couldn’t care less what Banksy does, because it’s got nothing to do with him or how he makes.

The respect between them is evident, and the influence of the tag feels indisputable. Put in a different context – legal documents aren’t valid without a signature, paintings increase in value based on their presence – in some ways, it may be one of the most powerful tools any of us have and the most obvious of propositions. So whether you call it art or vandalism, or somewhere in between, at this point, it’s hard to avoid that the tag, and artists like TOX, have something very loud to say.

LONG DARK TUNNEL featuring works by TOX, 10Foot and Fume runs until Sunday 13th April.

Editorial:

Sarah Forman