There are a lot of street artists working right now, but there’s only one Paper Frank. The internationally admired painter and tattoo artist has signature steez that utilizes large, simple shapes, and is, in many ways, the result of a practical consideration — because Paper Frank is colorblind and has incredibly poor eyesight, both of which affect the way he sees the world.
“I see stuff,” he says, “like you see stuff a weird way, and you and the rest of the world, I don’t know what’s wrong with y’all.”
Does this sound like a man who would let his disability get in the way of his hustle? Nahhhh, instead, he paves his own path and has discovered his unique voice.
In addition to physical limitations, Paper Frank also battled with his own talent. He was energetic, bold, and creative… he just couldn’t draw. The street artist grew up in a family of talented creatives, but didn’t show any evidence of the gift. Instead of feeling defeated, he felt challenged.
“Every time something makes me mad, I have to beat it,” he says. “Like a video game.”
He committed to not only developing a set of skills, but also doing something with them. He’s looking to inspire young people to follow his lead and chase their dreams. If someone says what you do is ugly, it’s not a reason to stop.
“Ugly means unique,” according to Frank. “it’s just a short way to say it.”
As a mark of how far his career has come, Brisk recently asked Paper Frank to paint a large, drab wall in two days. Check back on Wednesday, August 2 to see how he looked at this space from a unique perspective and innovated with the result. And, watch today’s video to learn more on the artist’s journey.
