Asbestos

“Who I Am Today,” mixed media on wood

“Retreat of Reason,” mixed media on wood

“Le Hooligan Disco,” mixed media on wood

“Going Back To,” mixed media on wood

“Back In The Land Of,” mixed media on wood

“Too Close For Comfort,” mixed media on wood

Street art is a little bit like Asbestos. Asbestos is all around us (in the walls and in the fabric of many buildings), but it often goes unnoticed.

When we realize that it’s there it really gets our attention, it gets under our skin and we question it, it gets discussed. When I started putting work on the streets that’s what I wanted my work to do, to become part of the fabric of the city and to cause a reaction that makes people aware of their environment. So hence the name Asbestos.

My background was in art history, studying in Dublin and Rome, but all the time working on my own ideas and skills. I never went to art school, so I’ve had to learn everything off friends or worked it out myself. But I do find it essential to know what came before me and to draw on these influences. I was greatly influenced by Caravaggio spending a year back in the 90’s studying every painting I could find in Rome, poring over every precious detail and marvelling at how he got so much emotion and tension into each work. From Artasy Interview.

Asbestos’ Website

Asbestos’ Flickr