(the following is the transcript of a T.J. Monkey’s interview with Litchfield, CT native and ‘Statement Artist’ Craig Devlin)
TJM: Statement Artist?
Craig Devlin: Yeah. Huh. Totally. Well, here’s what I do, man. I create message art: art with a message. So like, bam, Message Artist.
TJM: I thought it was Statement Artist.
CD: Yeah, bam, Statement Artist.
TJM: Ok, well why don’t you explain what it is that you do?
CD: Sweet, totally. Well like a little while back I was all driving around in my car, y’know, like I normally do and I totally rolled up on this stop sign. And I was like ‘Whoah’ because for like the first time I looked at a stop sign all outside-the-box-y, ya know? And I was like, hey, stop sign: sign that tells people to stop. But like, stop what?
TJM: Cars.
CD: Yeah cars. Yeah, I guess. But like, what else? We don’t know, right? It doesn’t say. So, I was all like, you Craig, let your voice be heard man. Cuz I like, know a lot of things that need to be stopped.
TJM: So you started writing things below the word ‘Stop’ on stop signs?
CD: Yeah, holler.
TJM: And what sort of messages did you put out there?
CD: Well, I started out with stuff like Stop Bush and Stop the War, ya know, like the obvious stuff. But then I started thinking like all artist-like again and like expanded my brain. So then I started putting words up there like ‘anger’ and ‘racism’ and ‘ziti.’
TJM: Ziti?
CD: Awww yeah man. That’s like my least favorite pasta. I hate that stuff. Anyway, then I even tried some multiple word stuff, like ‘legalize marijuana.’
TJM: Really? I would have thought you would be for the legalization of marijuana.
CD: Oh, holler, yeah. I am. On that one I ended up crossing out the word ‘stop’ because I couldn’t figure out a way to get the message otherwise.
TJM: Wow. Craig, did you ever worry about the illegality of your actions? Your art essentially amounts to vandalism.
CD: Nah man, cuz nobody knows it’s me doing it. I do my art at night and I don’t even take credit for it because it’s about the friggin’ art, ya know? Nobody knows I’m a statement artist.
TJM: Well, until now.
CD: Huh? Sorry, don’t follow you man.
TJM: Don’t worry about it.
CD: Hey is it cool if I give a shout-out to my bro ****** and all my peeps from ********* ****?
TJM: No.
CD: Ok, like, sweet.
TJM: You’re an idiot.
CD: Yeah, whatever. Holler!