What's your favorite taco spot?
Mariscos 4 Vientos in Boyle Heights.
What brought you to LA from MIA?
My friend Ikon moved from Hialeah to Venice Beach in 06/07.
What is the biggest difference between LA and Miami?
The amount of people. For every person in Miami there is eight people in LA. Also, not many Mexicans and Asians live in Miami.
What's your favorite place to paint?
Up high. Any rooftop, ledge, billboard, heaven or ladder spot.
Tell us about the origin and evolution of your orange character?
In 2008 the Miami Orange Bowl was demolished. I started painting and putting up stickers of the orange character shortly after. The Orange Bowl committee got wind of my campaign and sent an email "cease and desist" notice in 2009. I made a few major changes and kept it moving.
Most graff writers have a few crazy stories of late night adventures, care to share one?
Many moons ago I was painting on the east side. It was me and another writer. We were rocking a freeway wall with fill ins. Just as we are about to finish one time rolls by and gets off at the exit. We take off running and get to the fence, hop out and start walking to the sidewalk. Guess who pulls up next to us? Highway patrol. We keep walking, casually. He hooks a right on the corner. We get into the ride and jam. One time flips a bitch. We made a right, 5.0 hit a left and we drove off. That night on the way home we watched the ghetto bird search for us. Good times.
How did you get the name Atomik?
My name is Adam so my friend came up with the tag Atom. There was a lot of Atom's already so I added the "IK".
What are your future plans? Travel? Shows?
I plan to paint hard in the streets for another 3 years. I want to travel Asia next year. I've been making art to show for the past year and change. On Friday, December 6th I'll have a few pieces in a group show at Space Twenty Three (7763 Melrose Ave.) and on March 14th I'm curating a group show in Atlanta, Georgia at the Nelson Street Gallery.
What's the biggest mural you've done? Smallest?
The biggest mural I painted is 40 feet in height and maybe 20-30 feet wide, it says Welcome to Little Havana. I haven't painted any small murals, lol. Go big or go home.
Photo Credits:
Photo 1 by Peter Vahan.
Photos 2 & 4 by Coulourourcity.
Photo 3 by UTapOut.
