The term graffiti fetishism - does that refer to your obsession with graffiti or your obsession with drawing on flesh?Basically I’m a real fetishist. I have a big collection of high heels, leather, rubber, and vinyl clothes. I love bondage, exaggerated red lipstick for girls and
Eric Stanton. But at the same time I've loved classic and basic graffiti since 1988, that's how I considered myself as a GraffiTi FeTILTshist. I think that a simple dirty dripping throw-up can be as strong as a very complicated 3D German piece. I love tags, New York's bombed trucks and everything makes you feel the energy of Graffiti.
So how did the whole drawing on (and taking photos of) naked ladies thing start? I wanted to mix what I like the most: graffiti, girls and travelling around the world with my camera. So it was obvious that the BubbleGirls concept come through. I also started doing pictures from all the countries I visited cause I didn't want to only come home with pictures of graffiti. My ex-girlfriend that I used to travel a lot with was my first model, a kind of muse. We did many photos in different crazy places during a Californian road trip that really put me into girls’ pictures. So it was evident that after we separated I still wanted to shoot nice sexy babitches.
If I asked a girl to take her gear off so I could draw on her, I’d be put back in jail. How does a Frenchman like your self get away with it?I think girls like and trust me, that's it!!! I look like a cool guy that you can do crazy things with and not feeling ashamed or guilty. Or maybe I'm just super lucky...
Your book mentions you have an impressive ladies' shoe collection. How did the high heel obsession come about?My first girlfriend when I was 14 introduced me to kinky sex. I was just a kid and she wanted to have sex wearing a wedding dress and white super high heels, she talked very dirty, we'd fuck in front of her parents bedroom door while they were sleeping inside, always had too much make-up and lipstick, loved spanking and much more. It was probably a bit traumatic for a 14year old prude skateboarder like me. But that was so cooooooooooolllllllllll!!!!!!!
You’ve got a few books based on your current bubble, throw-up style. Do you only work in this style?I have been doing such complicated wild style stuff since 1999 and I was doing many throw-ups during my long nights here in France. I had so much fun doing those simple primitive fast lines that it made me realize that my daytime regular graffiti was only about the final result and not about enjoying doing it. So I just decided to turn my night-time graffiti into my day time one. After 16years of doing this I wanted to feel pleasure and have fun painting again.
Where are your favourite BubbleGirls from?Sydney and Tokyo if I have to choose, but that is almost impossible for me.
You've just done a show in New York... How did it go and what has the response to your work been like abroad?I was so stressed to know how people would react about my new orientation ‘cause they only know my painting. I was positively surprised to see how people like my new stuff and especially my writer friends like Cope2, Ink76 or T.Kid who I thought wouldn't be into it except ‘cause there's pretty girls involved. I was so happy when they were very enthusiastic about this as a new concept for my graffiti.
What’s your favourite city to paint?New York of course, for the flavour and recently Auckland ‘cause it reminds me of my place when it was cool to paint all the time in the city or on the tracks...
What do you think of graffiti in Australia? I knew about Australian graffiti for a long time ‘cause of HYPE mag which was so good for us. I always loved graffiti over there. I was lucky to meet writers last time I went there and they are fuckin’ cool people so what else can you expect from another country’s scene?
What's it like to be a skater in France these days?I still skate sometimes but I broke my knee really badly a couple of years ago so I have to chill for a bit. I love skating in Toulouse (my city) with my best friend Tober who has the best style that I know!!!!!!!!
What's next for Tilt?I will work with KidRobot on some new toys, have some BubbleGirl photo shows, keep on travelling, shooting, painting, fucking, eating sushi, and laughing cause life is too short baby!!!!!!
Finally, being the Sweet Edition, what’s the sweetest part of the body to draw on?It depends on the girl but I would have to say the belly or butt!!!
Sex Mushrooms and BubbleBabitches...
Thanks Tilt.
To view more of Tilit's work visit our Tilit Gallery here.