Pez - The Flyer Artist

There are so many different people working within the rave scene and more often than not, only the promoters, DJs and MCs will receive press coverage. This month, Dream Dance Magazine goes behind the scenes to speak to one of the most creative and innovative minds in the scene, whose artwork for flyers has been recognised worldwide. From the illegal world of graffiti, Steven Perry progressed as an artist. When the explosion of the rave scene occurred in the late 1980's, unbeknown to him, his illegal activities were to become a full-time career.

The images and perceptions of so many rave organisations throughout the years have been credited to this man:-HELTER SKELTER-RAINDANCE-WORLD DANCE -DREAMSCAPE -HARDCORE HEAVEN the list goes on.....his work is both colourful and mystical, but more importantly it has become an identity with millions of ravers across the entire globe. Not only ravers, however, for people with an eye for artistic integrity have been captivated by his awesome images. Dream recognises this demigod of the rave scene, the demigod known to most as PEZ....

Picture the scene, a sparse wall, several cans of spray paint and one man with a vision. Illegal and controversial as it may have been, graffiti is an expression of one's self. In the mid-1980's, Pez began to experiment, but soon found his expression to be limited by the confines of a spraycan, by 1989, Pez had recognised a niche in the market and that market was the rave scene.

For those who remember, the early rave flyers were extremely simplistic and to be quite honest, Neanderthal in comparison to the artwork produced today. Pez explains that in the very early days the illegality of the scene meant that flyers were not needed. " You only found out about events by word of mouth. There wasn't a need for flyers. I remember being handed a black and white flyer for an event, a photocopy, I laughed, I knew I could do better". As the scene began to bubble, more and more promoters started to pop up and the need for making the event look attractive to the punter became one of the main priorities.

Indeed today, the design of the flyers is probably the most important factor to the success of an event. This was something that Pez realised very early on in the development of the scene and jumped at the chance to put his skills to good use. Like everything in life, doors do not open too easily and Pez found himself trying to sell the concept to many clubs and dance party organisations. " I found myself constantly harassing promoters and club owners. When I started, I found myself performing the job of a salesman, as opposed to my real profession as an artist." If it makes Pez feel any better, a career in sales could well be possible as his concepts were very well received by those who saw his work.

Some may ask where Pez gets the influences from to produce so many different flyers. We're not just talking about a few, but flyers in their hundreds and each one taking days, if not weeks to create. " I am always influenced by everything around me, all forms of media, television, advertising, magazines, technology. Anything that catches my eye."

Considering most of his work is linked with the music scene, it will come as no surprise to most to find that he needs some sort of music to fill the air whilst he works. " I cannot paint without music , new work is fed by new music", he continues, " I listen too all types of music from the mellow rhythms of fabio and bukem to the darkside that is grooverider also I listen to the radio late in the night and sometimes classical music just for a while to change the mood. My most inspiring type of sound is a good breakbeat track hip hop based with a decent tempo and a lyric that is saying something.!" Strange as it may seem, Pez also works best when suffering from exhaustion, " My imagination is most productive when I am very tired, it wanders a lot more. I believe that complete lack of sleep is the doorway to my best work, by persevering and not retiring to bed I will travel into my most creative realm."

After nearly ten years in the design field, Pez must be a very very exhausted person. Today, Pez is busier than ever and not just with rave flyers . His private commissions along with work for the BBC and record companies keep him booked up. Ten years seems like a lifetime to most, but for Pez, surely this is just the start of a blossoming career? He has contributed so much vision into the scene and it is only now starting to pay off. A man with so much talent is destined for greater heights and with the scene really starting to kick off across the world, I predict his fame to spread internationally. As the old saying goes, the sky really is the limit......