Today we’d like to introduce you to FEL 3000ft.
Hi FEL , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started painting, graffiti art and street art and I fully immersed myself in it in 1982. I was completely overwhelmed by hip-hop culture as it started to trickle into Detroit. I was introduced to most of it from kids who had moved into my neighborhood from New York from the Bronx. They brought Polaroid pictures of graffiti and cassette tapes of local radio station 105 with red alert who played rap music and hip-hop, I started painting, mostly in Delray and towards the Down River area gradually making my way to the train station or the Michigan Central station as it’s now called when it was abandoned I used to ride trains as they would stop right near my neighborhood and I could ride all the way downtown and then Paint all the way back home. I used to write my thoughts about community or whatever was on my mind and I would paint things that I thought were important to me at the time and there was really no one else really around doing it. I’m told that myself and one other guy were the first two ever to do it Detroit I’m not sure how true that is, but I haven’t run into anyone else who could prove otherwise eventually the work I was doing started to take notice, but I also wanted to give back to the community so I started doing community outreach programs to help beautify neighborhoods I would work with youth groups to give some direction to kids that were coming up. I Did a project with AJ Fosik for the city of Detroit 300 year Mural festival in Hart Plaza this was probably one of the first big projects I did but I was just an understudy on that job pretty much, it did gave me the opportunity to see the value in art and my voice artistically, Eventually, I would end up doing work for Pepsi Odwalla, Minute Maid shade 45 and paint walls in the stadium for the Detroit Lions. Since then I’ve been able to paint a couple of gifts that went to Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney and Art has taken me all over the country.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would be lying if I said it was always a smooth road, with everything there has been trials and tribulations. Some of the kids that I taught passed away some From violence or accidents or drugs and it’s hard to see these young people who you nurture artistically and look at them sort of like your kids disappear in such hostile and violent ways you carry it with you and it’s a wound that doesn’t necessarily heal., it just kind of stays with you in the back of your soul. Moving from one platform to another is difficult trying to find your voice artistically when it comes to moving from street art to fine art, knowing how to market yourself and learning all of the ins and outs of that aren’t necessarily ready available things you can be taught when you come from the street. . So that world in itself is a hurdle and easy for people to get Eaten alive when they step into that arena. Being noticed in public is weird for me even today. As you create these pieces, it comes with dealing with people and the public and it got pretty weird for me. Walking down the street at hearing people yell my name and say hi or whatever, especially when most of my life was keeping my identity, concealed and living very privately to lives lol
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in large scale murals I use spray paint, roller, paint, and oil to get my work across I most known for doing murals around the country but here in Michigan are mostly known for the murals I painted in the tunnel and throughout the stadium for the Detroit Lions and the Mural on Canfield and Woodward of the girl with gears on hop cat. I think when I specialize in whether it’s on canvas in Gallery or on a large scale, Mural seven stories high is trying to tell some sort of story to the people who view my work and create a feeling they can connect to.. I’m not sure exactly what sets me apart from anyone else. I suppose you would have to look at my work and my life and make that decision for yourself 😉
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I think the most important lesson that I’ve learned is to make sure that I take breaks and spend time with the people who mad at the most. I don’t hold back words when it comes to how I feel about people in a positive way so I try to express that regularly so that there is no question how I feel . Learning to take time to breathe to manage my time wisely and to focus on the moments you have while you’re in them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Fel3000ft.com
- Instagram: @fel3000ft
- Facebook: Fel3000ft
- LinkedIn: Fel3000ft
- Youtube: Fel3000ft
