all photos courtesy of: EL TORO
P.P: How long have you been doing street art?
E.T: I’ve been drawing all my life, but started writing graffiti in 2001 and started drawing EL TORO in 2003.
P.P: How did you come up with EL TORO?
E.T: I needed a mark to stand out in the city, and I always drew characters as a kid. It was a natural progression to do something I was already familiar with, but also apply it to the graffiti mentality. I needed a mark that would be easily replicated quickly and also serve as a logo. EL TORO is similar to Mickey Mouse: you can just see the silhouette of Micky Mouse and still know that’s him. It’s like that when you see an EL TORO sticker from afar.
P.P: What drew you to street art in Philadelphia?
E.T: Just the positive responses I began to see and take notice from my peers. I had an “I love you, I hate you” article in the City Paper about EL TORO basically saying that she loved seeing my stickers on her walk to work and it brightens up her day. If i knew i affected her this much, there’s gotta be more of them out there.
photos from: eltoro215.blogspot.com
P.P: When I did street art a few years ago your crew was a pretty intimidating force that no one messed with. What is your opinion on street art crews in Philly?
E.T: There wasnt an official crew back then. Bob [Bob Will Reign] and I were just really tight and we’re good painting partners. We felt like when people are disrespecting the scene and our art we had to step in and put a stop to it.
P.P How: has your art evolved over the years?
E.T: My style keeps evolving because I love experimenting with different styles of painting and drawing. I feel like alot of artists have a “look” that sells them, but I feel like I don’t want to pigeonhole myself in the way I approach my art. I’m always trying to learn more. That why I picked the name False Idle for my website since I try to always change and never turn stale.
P.P: What is the most difficult part of street art?
E.T: To me it is the balance between the artsy side, like painting canvases, and also keeping your presence known on the street.
EL TORO Collab with UWP
P.P :Who are some of your favorite artists?
E.T: I love all kinds of artists: Bob Will Reign, UnderWaterPirates, Ticky, Question Josh, Flying Fortress, Robots Will Kill, 14Bolt, Amanda Visell, Joe LedBetter, Mike Giant, The whole MSK/AWR squad, Angry Woebots, The Killer Gerbil, Ben Balistreri, Chris Battle, Jesse Hernandez.. man i can go on forever.
P.P: Favorite musicians?
E.T: I think music influences me: MF DOOM, Wu-Tang Clan (RIP ODB), Jay-Z, NERD and, my new love, DUB STEP music.
P.P: What is your favorite medium to work with?
E.T: My favorite mediums currently are acrylics and spray paint. I am trying to get into 3D, like toys and sculptures, but its really a big learning curve for me.
P.P: Where is the craziest place EL TORO has appeared?
E.T: The craziest place was in the 2009 movie called Armored. My friend 14bolt from LA had an opportunity to put stickers on this kid’s door for the movie, and my sticker totally appeared for a good five to ten seconds on the big screen.
photos from: eltoro215.blogspot.com
P.P: How do you think the Friends with Benefits show three weeks ago went?
E.T: The show was a great experience and totally caught me off guard with the response of the public. The people in attendance totally showed respect and support for the culture. A lot of paintings got sold that night, and it was great to work with such talented artists for the event. I couldn’t have asked for more.
P.P: How does Philadelphia street art compare to other cities you’ve worked in?
E.T: The Philly sticker scene is very unique compared to any other cities out there. Most if not all sticker artists in Philly focus on developing one character that they are known for. Most cities have other street artists that also do letters, paste-ups, installs, of all different types of subjects.
P.P: If you could do street art in any other city, where would it be?
E.T: I’d love to do street art in Europe or Australia. I heard Madrid is an absolute playground for street art, and also Amsterdam. Australia seems to tolerate street art more and they really have great upcoming artists that are blowing up and pushing the envelope of creativity in the culture. I also heard parts of Canada are dope because they regulate side alleys for street art.
P.P: How do you think you came to be such a strong force in Philadelphia?
E.T: I made it a point in the beginning to interact with new artists in Philly. If you were putting up stickers, I wanted to meet you. With more and more people getting into it, it just became harder to keep up with the abundance of new people currently getting into the scene. I have such a personal attachment to the Philadelphia sticker scene because I feel like I really helped it grow to where it is and how it’s recognized now. I want people to think EL TORO when they think Philly. I also wanted to make myself accessible to the young bucks, too, and help mentor them and make them better artists. Like KRS-ONE said “the fifth element of hip-hop is knowledge and passing that knowledge down to the younger generation.”
P.P: Where do you see your future heading in art?
E.T: I’m still hoping to get a vinyl toy made of my character one day. I would love to do 3D and functional items.
P.P: Do you have any more shows or other big plans in the near future?
E.T: There are a couple groups shows brewing up for summer. I do have another solo show with Abakus. We collaborated for their first solo show and it was a blast. We are hoping recreate that 100 times better and bigger this year.
P.P: You’ve taken your street art inside. How has that changed you since then?
E.T: I’ve remained indoors because I don’t like paying court fees and lawyers. It really forced me to grow as an artist and get my art career in check. I feel like I literally paid my dues on and off the street.
P.P: Who are some of Philly’s artists that you mesh well with?
E.T: I love working with Bob Will Reign, Under Water Pirates, & and Ticky in Philly. The Friends With Benefits show was so much fun to work with and it’s always easier to work with like-minded individuals who also don’t mind putting a lot of work in something we all believe in. We actually just formed a collective called “The Sticky Bandits” that’s made up of me, Bob Will Reign, UnderWaterPirates, Ticky and Question Josh in LA. We are planning big things for the future.
Lovin' 215 and EL TORO
P.P: If someone gave you one million dollars tomorrow what would you do with it?
E.T: One million dollars won’t really buy you much these days, but I would totally buy property and build a gallery, store, studio and living space. I would love to have an opportunity to renovate an old factory, but also new modern space would be rad too. I always wanted a retail/gallery space to showcase my friend’s art work and promote the culture more. It definitely needs a studio that’s hooked up with all crazy tools, so me and my friends can have a place to build and create our wildest dreams.
P.P: What advice would you give a person looking to start out in street art?
E.T: Learn the rules of graffiti first. That would give you an understanding on the world you’re about to get sucked into. Develop your idea first on paper; don’t put it on a sticker and go out stickering. Make sure that’s the best you can do at that time and put out quality rather than quantity. Have fun with it.
To get some official EL TORO art of your own, check out here or here.
Painted Philly 