The whole world is covered in graffiti. No one cares. It's just part of urban noise.
Most people think I do street art, so I do everything for nothing. I'm an urchin who paints walls and does work for nothing. That's the first misconception about street artists, that we just paint for nothing.
Street art, unlike graffiti, adds to the environment and is a positive experience for the artist and community.
When I started working at Pictures On Walls, I'd been hanging out with Banksy for a few years travelling around the world together painting stuff, and then we moved into a new office and wanted to do screenprinting.
David Cameron has given one of my paintings to President Obama. It's quite mad, really. But it's OK. It's not the kind of recognition I seek or get every day, but Cameron seems quite a positive kind of guy and Obama's a dude. I would probably have had issues if it had been for Bush.
I was brought up in south London and I started out in the world of graffiti when I was about 14 because I wanted to be part of that hooded tracksuit gang thing.
Street artists want to add something to the environment. They consider the audience, whereas graffiti writers don't care about anyone except themselves, they do it purely for the kick.
The Prime Minister gave President Obama one of my artworks and suddenly my name was all over the news.
I've a lot of respect for what people are doing here in Manchester, to promote the city's creativity and Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair has played a big role in that. I'm glad to bring my work to the North West.
I started off tagging stuff - I'm not meant to be having tea and biscuits with the prime minister.
I don't get paid for what I do in public places. So I invest the money I earn in galleries back into doing the stuff I passionately want to do on the street.
The art that I do is for the people. It is about engaging a new audience who wouldn't necessarily go to art galleries and museums and painting on the street is the best way to do that.
Old typography or letter woodblocks that are hand-carved, cracked, and worn are especially beautiful. I love that aged, handmade effect, and that's why I don't muck around much with Photoshop.
I'm a bit too old for anarchy. If I was younger I might be more political but I'm married with kids and I've got a mortgage.
Whenever I go anywhere in the world to do a show I try to paint something in the street as well.
Street art belongs on the street. But I'm a working street artist and I earn my money selling art in the style of street art via galleries.
I haven't studied art and I haven't studied typography, but I've still gone out and done it.
One of the advantages of not going to art school is that you're not taught what you can't do.
When I first got into graffiti I thought it was going to change the world. But when, 20-years-later, it still hadn't, I got bored of the self-imposed rules.
I don't want to sell to street art collectors, I want to sell to art collectors.
