I remember first meeting CZRVII a couple of years ago while he was airbrushing on South Street. He is by far one of the most talented artists I’ve seen in Philadelphia, and as you can tell, a pretty interesting guy. Check out his thoughts on everything from art to the economy here!
P.P: What was your inspiration behind CZRVII?
CZRVII: “The inspiration behind my name started back in high school. I think we were learning about how Julius Caesar conquered the Roman Empire, and America looked like a pretty fucked up empire that I wanted to conquer. So I changed the ‘S’ to ‘Z’, switched a few letters up and that became CAEZAR. CZRVII is just the ‘on the run’, quick version of my tag.
P.P: What got you involved with street art and graffiti in Philadelphia?
CZRVII: “I started doing graffiti because it was something that always intrigued me. I figured out that spray paint and walls were easily accessible. You could ride over the Philly bridges and every rooftop would have massive pieces on them. I always wondered how they got up there without getting caught. Eventually I started figuring it out myself. My friends and I would full-out ninja, with grappeling hooks, rope and crates of paint.
P.P: Favorite movie of all time?
CZRVII: “ ‘Beetlejuice!’ And it keeps getting better every time I see it!”
P.P: What is your favorite medium to work with?
CSRVII: “Airbrush, spray paint, oil paints, pain markers and, of course, the ever-faithful Bic pen.”
P.P: Where is the craziest place CZRVII has appeared?
CZRVII: “I’d say the craziest place I’ve see my artwork was in the video game ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3’, in the background of Chad Muska’s skate video part. I chilled with that dude quite a bit when I lived in L.A. and he let me paint in the Shorty’s warehouse one night when we were all wasted. I did a R.I.P. piece for a friend, J.R. Neves, that died last year and I just saw that piece in Thrasher magazine. It was also in Jay-Z’s new video ‘Young Forever’.”
P.P: One of my personal favorite Philly questions, Pat’s or Geno’s?
CSVRII: “Real Steak. Pat’s Wit’.” [I have to agree 100%]
P.P: Where is your favorite place to go in Philly?
CZRVII: “FDR Skatepark hands down. It’s a slice of full-fledged anarchy in the city that we’ve put out blood, sweat and ankles into for years. When they paint the park they always go around my artwork. And I really respect that, the locals look out for me a lot. I always help the park out any way I can.”
P.P: What sorts of things inspire you?
CZRVII: “All sorts of people and things inspire me. Mostly people that are in my life and supportive of everything I do creatively, especially friends and family.”
P.P: Describe an average day in your life.
CZRVII: “Well, lately since I just lost my job to this bullshit economy, it’s wake and bake, coffee, orange juice and cigs. Than whatever art project I have planned for the day, my only source of income right now, guitar and computer, then some Hulu and cookies. Turn over, and repeat.”
P.P: What is one thing in your life you can’t live a day without?
CZRVII: “My heart?”
P.P: Describe the Philly street art community in your own words.
CZRVII: “Philly has a street art culture that is just unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. People really take new meaning to ‘stay the fuck up’ around here. You can’t fuck with East Coast kids because we always do it gnarlier, harder, and scarier than anywhere else.”
P.P: Have you ever gotten caught?
CZRVII: “I’ve been chased tons of times. Yelled at, threatened, but I’ve really been arrested once when I was under 18. I had to repaint the garage door I hit after my art teacher bailed me out. The craziest time was when I was on trains in New Jersey painting drunk as hell. The trains started moving while I was in between them and I hit my head so hard it knocked me out. That was a crazy fucking night. I could have easily fallen off the grates while I was passed out and been crushed under the train.”
P.P: What would you do if you got caught in Philly?
CZRVII: “If it’s not too late, run like hell. Or, if not, be as cooperative as hell. Philly cops are trigger happy, and I’ll be damned if I’m getting shot for running from my artwork.”
P.P: Who is your favorite artist?
CZRVII: “One of the most influential artists to me has always been DaVinci. I have a lot of really old books on him. Also, Alex Grey and VanGogh have always been huge inspirations too.”
P.P: How many tattoos do you have?
CZRVII: “Seven.”
P.P: What would you do with 1 million dollars?
CZRVII: “Truthfully? Not much. A million bucks won’t get you shit these days. Maybe pay some advance rent and hospital bills, then buy whatever expensive art supplies I might need in the next year to make more money to pay rent again. Maybe light my cig with a hundred dollar bill. I’ve always wanted to do that. Then give the rest to my little sister.”
P.P: Favorite band?
CZRVII: “Being a Jersey born kid, the Bouncing Souls have always been my favorite.”
P.P: What is your idea of CZRVII’s personality like?
CZRVII: “Very open-minded, optimistic and sometimes completely dark and alone in a world of closed curtains and minds.
P.P: Where do you see your art going in the future?
CZRVII: “I’ve been airbrushing for ten years now and I’m getting into the automotive side of it. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of murals, t-shirts designs, album covers, concert flyers, all sorts of things. As for my future it looks like a lot of hard work up ahead and some even harder times, but who knows? Maybe in 100 years someone will actually know I was.”
P.P: Where do you see street art going in the future?
CZRVII: “As long as people keep documenting the artwork and supporting our underground culture, street art will always have a future.”
Painted Philly 