“I remember hookers and dope dealers in Manhattan, black dudes walking around with fat headphones on their heads. I remember it all like if it was yesterday.”

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By Rachel Nichols  |  Send to Friend

French born photographer Mathieu Le Bijoutier has made it his mission to capture compelling images of graffiti. His first book, This Means Nothing, chronicles three years of searching New York City for a message in its often-overlooked street art. Le Bijoutier has an eye for subtlety, shooting the tattered streets of Queens and making it look majestic. With one book of photographs under his belt, Le Bijoutier’s drive is as strong as it was since his first inspiring visit to New York. A self proclaimed “street art addict,” his hunger is apparent in his current work and aspirations for the future.

two.one.five: What do you remember about your first visit to New York at 12 years old?

ML: I remember I was rocking the brand new Converse sneakers, and blasting the Run DMC LP’s. I remember the trains with graffiti on their flanks. I remember hookers and dope dealers in Manhattan, black dudes walking around with fat headphones on their heads… I remember it all like if it was yesterday. But over all I remember that New York was like what I saw on TV, I felt I knew it all already. I had seen it everyday in the movies and TV series, for years and it was huge, urban, dirty, and wild, I was only a kid, but I could feel New York was special. It was calling to a kid like me… I was starting to feel that edgy culture, at 12 years old you start to change as a teenager. It was then I knew I wanted to be part of hip-hop, so I started getting involved.

two.one.five: How did you stay connected to hip-hop culture living in France as a kid? Who were your favorite artists?

ML: From 1987 on I really got lucky to be able to travel every year for at least a month and a half, mostly during summer. During that time I had access to everything that I wanted hip-hop wise like record stores and mix tape sellers. Back then there was no Internet or CDs to burn or stuff like that. All there was to keep updated on hip-hop culture was to build a network. So I had made friends, hip-hop fiends like me. Growing up in a suburb of Paris, I was exposed to the rising of hip-hop.  We were always swapping cassettes, dubbing them, trading and selling. The things I brought to my friends in France coming from the states were Run DMC, Fat Boys, Biz Markie, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Rob Base and DJ Ez Rock, KRS One, Jamalski, The DOC, N.W.A, Epmd, Stetsasonic, and above all, the B-boy breaks and instrumentals like Inspektor Gadget. A little after that came Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and Tribe Called Quest. That’s how I stayed connected. At first years it was a struggle to meet guys like me in France, hip-hop was unknown by most. But by the year 1992, France was the second largest market for hip-hop in the world. Back then it grew so fast, crews were everywhere.

two.one.five: Can you remember the first time you realized you were addicted to street art?

ML: The first time was probably when I traded a bunch of tapes for a graff drawing a friend of mine had done. I loved his style. The drawing was of a b-boy character and a lettering saying New Zulu Teenagers, back then we were the “New School”. It was 1988 or 1989, while I was in Junior High. Ten years after when I realized most of my pictures were of walls and stuff I had seen in the street.

two.one.five: Which do you think is more inspiring, graffiti with a beautiful graphic or with a beautiful text?

ML: I think both should be, in different ways. Text has to hit you in the face for its ideas and political meaning or social issues, or just make you laugh and question. A graphic has to hit you up with colors and composition. I am sensitive to both really. I am also interested in a third ingredient beside text and graphic, which is the location, the spot. It also reveals a lot on a writer or activists mentality and point of view.

two.one.five: Have you ever seen a graffiti that has been offensive to you? What was it?

ML: Bitch tags are offensive, discriminating statements on walls are offensive. Otherwise graffiti is not offensive, I want to see more, I want graffiti everywhere.

two.one.five: Besides NYC what other cities do you think have the best graffiti?

ML: For the States I would say San Francisco, for it’s special flavor, and Los Angles for its undeniable richness of styles. In Europe I’d definitely say Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Liege [Belgium], Toulouse [France], Marseille [France]. Europe is very active all over there are plenty of good spots and talented people.

two.one.five: How do you prepare for you photographs when you’re not behind the camera?

ML: I have a normal life, a girl, soon a baby, and a job. Photography is one of my hobbies. I have many hobbies; I produce music with a few collectives, reggae with Dissident Sound System based in Marseille, and hip-hop with A Step Ahead Production based in New York. I also host radio shows, organize music festivals and events, and build sets for the movie industry. When all is done, I pack my camera tie my shoelaces and walk out the door, that’s how I get ready for photos. I am busy and I love that…

two.one.five: Where do you see Graffiti in the future and your work with it?

ML: In the future graffiti will be in the streets and on the walls. It’s been like that since the caveman. There is no way graffiti should change. I am only a witness to the self-expression of the street. I hope This Means Nothing will be in bookshelves preciously kept by owners as a reference book for the years 2004 to 2007. Personally I will keep on exploring the streets to find new street art expression and graffiti. I have recently worked with Public Enemy, providing them with photos for their latest record release How You Sell Soul in 2007. I am currently working on live music photographs with a selection of over 40 artists. Right now, I am really happy about the way things are going, I do what I enjoy everyday and I’m glad my work is being exposed. I also have a lot of ideas and concepts to explore, radio shows to host, records to make, books to publish, movies to make, but over all a wife to please, a baby to raise, and a life to live. So who knows about the future … I would have never been able to anticipate what I am living today.

Interviewer Rachel Nichols is best known for her graffiti tag "Rae Rae."