Montana Cans LOOKBOOK 2022 Edition #7
It's that time again to welcome the release of the Montana Cans Lookbook 2022 edition #7. There is no rewind button on life, making it all the more important to reflect on the year that was, and the things that happened during that period. The Montana-Cans Lookbook does just that and reflects on some of the highlights from the year prior. A moment to reflect on those things that may not have received as much shine as they deserved while being "in the moment".
The 2021/2022 period was a particularly unique period not only for Montana Cans but for the world as a whole. Mankind arrived at what we hope is the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, there was turbulence in many regions, and the global population started to come to terms with the new financial challenges of life. But apart from increasing prices and challenging health/social situations, there were also many positive moments that brought innovation, fun, color, and creativity back into our lives.
The Montana Cans collaborations continued with our many partners, artistic friends, and organizations within the creative world, including a vast array of amazing limited-edition cans, cool collectible products, and new innovations that make painting and creating even more enjoyable than before. Countless brave event organizers pushed forward with their dreams and their world-class events, with Montana Cans as partners on board regardless of the social and political hurdles put in place in the name of health and safety. And off the radar, the global graffiti community kept on creating and pushing our culture forward despite the challenges put in place around them.
Regardless of where you were in 2021/2022, steel, bricks, canvas, furniture, and even clothing all got a special creative touch that Montana Cans was proud to be part of. With this in mind, we present to you the Montana-Cans Lookbook 2022 Edition #7 for your enjoyment. Available here digitally and in limited amounts in print at selected Montana Cans partners and resellers.
CLAW MONEY Memes,
CLAW MONEY Memes, Maturation, and Mentorship — how Claw contributes to the culture When creating their alter egos, writers usually stick to a spectrum ranging from pseudonyms to acronyms. Then, some specimens opt for a different, rather authentic approach. And then there is Claw. Often, graffiti follows cryptic codes, almost unreadable to the untrained eye. Native New Yorker Claw chose other means to communicate. She circumnavigated any confusion by selecting a carnal symbol as her throw-up. Location New York, USA Photography CLAW MONEY Profile @clawmoney Interview @team_flightmode 42 Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY
A Claw! In addition, her alias is almost a homophone of Claudia — her real name. We had the honor to speak to the bustling workaholic about authenticity, memes, and maturation in a seemingly ever adolescent scene. Growing up in the epicenter of graffiti, she quickly made a name for herself through reckless street bombing. Eventually, Painting Mad Spots evolved into a career. Hence, we were curious to see what Claw is all about. Various art shows, a brand, collaborations with big corporations, and her podcast “Gold Minds” represent just fragments of her work. Putting a single label onto her will not work. Claws need to be sharp, and Claudia lives up to the name. Behold, as “she’s about to say some real shit!” CM I guess graffiti started really changing mass culture’s aesthetics when people began making money with it. All of a sudden, everybody’s elbows went out. Look at my generation and the OGs- They stopped mentoring but began criticizing instead. “You guys don’t know how I guess graffiti started really changing mass culture’s aesthetics when people began making money with it. All of a sudden, everybody’s elbows went out. The recipe — cave painting versus letters MONTANA CANS Hey Claw! Let’s jump right into it. Blunt question, what’s your recipe for success? Your throw-up caught my attention because it appears to be quite unusual. Do you think strong iconography helps to stick out from the crowd? CLAW MONEY Yeah, this made it more easily understood by people who didn’t write graffiti, so it had a longer reach. I also wrote funny little things in my throw-ups. The combination of the nontraditional graffiti symbol and the humorous statements made it more relatable. An animal paw is a universal icon. Sometimes, people would interrupt me while painting, and a lot of times when it was young women, they’d be like, “I knew it. I knew you were a girl!” and I was like, “Yeah, of course, you did,” because, who else is going to write “sassy” or “sexy” in their graffiti? Humans learn through symbols, right? So, in a way, it has a very prehistoric messaging to it. Mentorship and maturation — what the game’s been missing MC A reoccurring motif throughout your podcast “Gold Minds” seems to be a perceived lack of mentorship within the Graffiti culture nowadays. Can you expand on that? Where do you see potential? ↗ A couple of minutes in an alley? Relaxed Sunday sessions at a daytime spot? Claw can adjust to any format. ← Nothing beats some nice throw-ups! MQ and Claw getting up. to paint. You don’t know about style.” But nobody really took any time to show these kids love or teach them the way they did with me. I was almost one of the last people that got that old-school mentorship from legends like Zephyr, Revolt, and Dontay TC5. Maybe, I was able to sneak in there as a young woman. Now, my mission within the culture is to step up, especially for young women and also young men. MC You agree with Stash 2 when he said mentorship dissolved with the commodification? CM He’s totally right. Once profit was involved, people started seeing everybody else as a threat. Graffiti has all this bravado to it. Sadly, there’s a fundamental disconnect between the newer and the older generation. The older generation doesn’t understand why the kids don’t care about them. They don’t care that some murals have been there forever. They’re going to paint over it because they haven’t been taught about the elders. And since they are rejected, they don’t even want to learn. Probably it’s because they turned their back on them, to be fair. Artist in focus / Interview CLAWMONEY 43
