Business/ Profile:

What got you started in the Art world?
I was born with the art gift. So it was normal for me to become an artist.

What is your favorite & least favorite part of your business?
Favorite: When I meet new clients and work on new projects.
Least Favorite: When a client doesn’t know what they want.

What did you do before you got into Art?
I was doing my Graffiti underground

Do You consider yourself a graffiti artist or just an artist?
I’m an Artist. I don’t want to be categorized as a Graffiti Artist or an Urban Artist. Yes Graffiti was a big influence when I was growing up but that wasn’t the only type of art that I was exposed to…Davinci , Picasso, Salvador Dali, Chuck Close and Stand Lee were part of my influences as a kid too. I’m still evolving as an artist and I have many different styles that I haven’t put out yet, that’s why a I go by SUE (Styles Under Evolution), that’s why I consider myself a full-blown Artist.

When did you sell your first art piece? What was that feeling Like? I sold my first piece in 1997 at a Soho Restaurant Gallery Art show. I was the first and only Artist that ever sold a painting at that gallery. The night of my exhibition a customer liked my painting so much that he bought it on the spot. I got a standing ovation and that felt awesome, terrific, and fantastic- especially since I was on my hustle as a bus boy at the restaurant at the time! From that day on I knew that's what I wanted to do for a living. I now have had my own business doing what I love for many years with a following & demand for my art! I am living proof that regardless of your circumstances if you have a passion for something & work hard towards it then the Sky’s the limit!

Is tattooing just an extension of your art or totally different style & technique from what you do?
Yes it’s an extension of my art. Just a different medium to use.

How did you get involved in Tatooing?
A friend of mine was tattooing in jail with a jailhouse gun. When he got out in 1991, I bumped into him on the street. We started to talk and he told me I would be good at tattooing because I knew how to draw and had a steady hand. He gave me the tattoo gun and after that I started tattooing.

Are your tattoo clients different from the clients that collect your art?
It’s the same. They all have to give me an idea for me to work on.

What are some of the highs & lows as a young artist trying to get exposure & sell art?
The art industry is one of the hardest businesses to get into. So it’s very hard for an up-and-coming artist to get exposure. You will get no play from any gallery or press if nobody knows you. You really have to put your self out there showcasing your work hard core and making a name for your self, of course your work has to be really tight too. but After all the hard work of promoting and showing your face at every art show that u can, you will start to see a buzz.
Remember never under estimate your work. If u spent money on canvas and paint, add the total amount you spent twice and then add an additional price on top of that for the time spent creating your work. This way, you can make your money back for your supplies and make some profit. You will never feel like you under sold your work and that’s how the art game is played.

What do you see in the future of global art?
I see art coming back in a hard way to much more of the digital work going on right now. There are too many so-called graphic designer wannabes killing the industry, so companies are picking up real artists to design and create their Ad. Campaigns. Real artists are going to take over in 2009!

SueWorks’ President Obama piece along with Photographer Anthony Barbosa will be featured at:
The African American Museum in Long Island on Feb 21.
Reception is from 3pm-5pm
myspace.com/sueworks & http://www.barbozastudio.com/
Exhibition runs through Mar 10th.

African American Museum
Hempstead, 110 North Franklin Street
516-572-0730
Open: Wednesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission: Free for individuals; admission charge for groups of 30 people or more