interview conducted by Pam Lamberton

This week ArtsCAP interviews Dontavais (Tae) Mitchell. Tae (pronounced Tay) is only 5½ years out of high school but already has a reputation for his exceptional and affordable art. He does mostly airbrush art but is also skilled with a brush. Some of his work can be viewed on Cookman Ave. Did you see Marilyn or Betty Boop?

Tae, where did you go to school?

I started high school in Asbury Park but after my freshman year my Mom moved us to Rockville, Maryland. That’s where I graduated in 2002.

What brought you back to Asbury Park?

I guess I got homesick. My Grandmother and the rest of my family were still in Asbury Park. So I came back. I have an apartment over at Middlebrook but I do my work in Asbury.

Do people know you are an artist?

I guess they do. They see my murals on Cookman Ave. My Aunt owns “Hair and Beauty Spa” at 560 Cookman. I usually have a window mural there. I had Marilyn Monroe there but I took it down and now I think I’ll put Betty Boop there.

Why are people attracted to your art?

Its good and its affordable.

How long have you been doing murals?

About 2 years. I started with T-shirts. They are kind of a mini-mural. I do it all with an airbrush.

What are the skills involved using an airbrush?

Well, you have to pull one lever and push another at the same time, And you have to control the distance from the window or canvas and how fast you move. A very fine line is easier to do with a brush but that’s all. The airbrush is easier for me because you don’t have to wait for one color to dry before you start another. You don’t have to worry about colors running together. I actually started with ‘blow-pens’ but I gave that up because it made me too light-headed.

Can you make a living at your art or do you have a second job?

I could make a living if my business was more constant. But I may have a large funeral order on one day and then only a couple of tee-shirts the next. So I also work at Wegmans.

Why do you think ART is important?

It’s a way to express yourself, you can let it all out through your art, instead of doing something stupid.

What is the first art form you think of when you think of Asbury Park?

Graffiti. Mario Scagnetti (another Asbury Park artist) and I both do graffiti. Graffiti is a style. Its not graffiti because its on the side of a train. People think if its on a brick wall its graffiti but if you took the same work and framed it and hung it on your living room wall it would not be graffiti.

Did you study art in school?

Always and I always got an A. Except once, we had a new teacher in The Asbury Park Middle School and he gave me a D. I think he was jealous because my work was better than his.

After you finish a piece what do you do to celebrate?

I take photos of it and put it on the internet. I want people to see it. You can see my stuff on www.wanttobeseen.net, look for a link to KASHKUSTOMZ. Kash Kustomz is the name of my business. After I finish I feel a satisfaction that I can do something new.

What are you future plans for art in Asbury Park?

I want more exposure. I want to concentrate on window murals, interior wall murals, portraits, landscapes, paintings on canvas….but I’ll do anything if I’m asked. I do large orders for funerals. I can make T-shirts with a picture of the person or just “Rest in Peace” or whatever. Or I can do T-shirts for family reunions or birthday parties. All custom.

Where do you hang-out in Asbury Park?

I can hang-out in my Aunts shop but I don’t hang out on the streets. I am too likely to be harassed by the cops. I don’t wear baggy pants because if you have on baggy pants then they think you are carrying a gun. They also look at what color you are wearing. So I’m mostly in the shop or up in my studio. My studio is on the second floor of my Aunts shop. Everyone has their own perceptions. You see someone on the street, you draw you own conclusion. Right or wrong. People have to change their perceptions individually.

What is your favorite Asbury Park memory?

Playing football, street ball, on the field on Prospect Ave. I don’t play anymore, I’m too old. But I do play basketball on the Prospect Ave courts.

When you die, many,many, many years from now, what would you like your tombstone to say?

Loved By Many.

If you could change anything in your past, what would it be?

Nothin’ . If I changed something, I wouldn’t be me right now.

If you had $100 to spend on art in Asbury Park, what would you do?

That doesn’t go very far. I’d probably buy T-shirts and paint something on them, like Go Vote. Then I’d give them away.

What if you had $100,000 to spend?

I’d fix up some buildings. Cookman Ave is glamorous, it looks like Hollywood. The cops are there all the time. I’d fix buildings in another part of town where people live; or I’d open an art studio, not just for kids but for all citizens of the city, and teach art.

If people want to contact you or if they want to see your work, how should they contact you?

They can come to 560 Cookman Ave. Go in the shop and the receptionist will help them. If I am there they can come up to the studio. There is a portfolio that the receptionist has that they can look at. Or they can call me 732-682-1410. I have a special window mural planned for February which is Black History Month. They should come check it out.

ArtsCAP can be contacted through its website www.artscap.org