By Sami Montague

Pref has been a long time player in London writing and has been beautifying the city’s walls ever since he stumbled across a copy of Spraycan Art. Through plying his trade as a graphic designer he has cultivated a fresh perspective on graffiti which shows through strongly in his pieces. As a result, the pieces sit well above the average in terms of conceptual and creative content. Aiming to be remembered for doing something original and adding something new to writing, he is blazing a bright trail towards this…

- How did you first get into writing and when?

When I was about 13 I found a copy of Spraycan Art at a car boot sale, it was a great moment. I don’t really have any graffiti memories from before that point. So, that was the first time that I ever really consciously noticed graffiti and I spent the next age copying every piece. There was just something that spoke to me, not only that though, the book also helped to explain the world of graffiti around me, showing writers, bedrooms, pens, and paint helped me understand some of the mysteries. I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but it was that book.

- So, it was a lucky find! You’re from London, which crews do you represent?

At the moment I represent ID. My first big crew was SHK with Pher, Kayme, Pheks and Hore etc. Hore was one of the first guys who used to do outlines for me, he used to work at a camping shop near where my mum lived, so on weekends I’d go and hang out there. Aside from that I have represented a few other London crews along the way, like DFA, DY and TLD but nothing as much as ID or SHK.

- ID paint high quality, big, concept production walls, do you think that this sets you apart?

I'm not sure. Painting a good concept production takes a lot of planning, time and money. It’s a real testament to your dedication as a crew to pull it off well, let alone frequently and consistently. There are crews like RT who do amazing concept walls really well; I think what stands us apart more is the fact that we always try to add an element of humour. Most of our concept wall ideas have come from a joke and consequently ended up as one. We have a nice mix of people who can do letters and people who can be background bitch, ahem, I mean, do characters, so between us we seem to manage. ID’s made up of people who are all good friends that came from different graffiti backgrounds so we've all got really mismatched styles. More than anything it’s about a laid back attitude and having a fun approach. We’re certainly not known for our precision or organisation.

The FULL interview with PREF appears in issue 56 of Graphoism magazine - click here to purchase your copy http://www.graphotism.com/subscriptions/