A Crowler Art Q&A with Ferd

By Dan Carlson

If our most recent crowler art seemed familiar to you, it shouldn’t be a surprise why. The artist, Ferd, has shared his distinctive comic-book-inspired graffiti art all across Worcester and beyond - including at the Grove Street fire station, restaurant patios like The Hangover Pub and Paku Lounge, and recently as part of the city’s Black Lives Matter mural (see if you can spot Ferd’s letter).

We chatted with Ferd to learn more about his background as an artist, how he developed his unique style, and the incredibly personal story behind the crowler art he created for us. Read on to learn more.

How did you first get into making art?

I was just born with it. No lie. I knew how to draw before I could spell my name.

I’ve always been an artist and I never stopped drawing. When I got older, I always wanted to do more, no matter what it was. I’ve done oils, airbrushed cars, and motorcycles, graffiti, tattoos, comic books. I focus on everything right now. I can paint a mural, start drawing for a couple of hours, then do comic books. It’s non-stop. 

I never grew up thinking I wanted to be an artist professionally. I just did it as a strength. It’s just what I do. 

You have a pretty distinct style. How did you develop that?

I came about my style when I was younger, like in the sixth grade. I used to draw musical icons like The Jackson 5, The Beatles, Guns n Roses. I’d sell those to classmates and started making a little money as a kid. I did that when I was learning to draw cartoons, and then I learned how to do anatomy.

And basically, I learned anatomy from basketball cards. I was always drawing pictures of Michael Jordan, trying to make money with it. I would see MJ’s biceps and triceps when he’s dunking, and that helped me draw superheroes better. When I was doing graffiti, I was putting a comic book style into it, and vice versa. And when I was in sixth grade, I saw a cover of a Jim Lee X-Men issue at the Midtown Mall. And I just loved the anatomy - never seen it so realistic in a comic book format. I thought if I could put a lot of details like that into graffiti and into characters, I could stand out. No one was doing that.

I call it Acid Evil. It’s characters and spaces molded into sharp designs. And a lot of detail - small details.

Who were some of your biggest inspirations?

A lot of people influenced me. There’s an artist, Amy Lopez, who I’ve known forever, does realistic portraits that are amazing! Like, she is the first person I can honestly say was doing hyper-realistic portraits before there was a name for it. So she’s been a huge inspiration to me since I’ve met her. And Ryan Gardell, who’s been doing his art in the city, too.

I really get inspired by what local artists in Worcester do also, whether I’ve met them or not. And there are a lot that don’t get the recognition they deserve. There are artists that inspire me, too, from Boston, Providence, and Springfield, just to name a few.

Tell us about the crowler art that you created for us.

It was done in October, for Halloween. The month is related to personal tragedy in my life. 

The first graffiti art show ever in Worcester was mine in the early 2000s. It was at The Sprinkler Factory, called Unconscious Thinking: The Dream Effect. I did a piece with three characters that had their hands on their knees, like they were in pain or like they were vomiting. It was dark and all in grey tones, and October Grey was the name. I gave it to my cousin and he knew what the meaning was right away, because he knew about this personal thing that happened to me, because he was there.

Basically, when I was a teen I got arrested and charged with a crime I didn’t commit. I got released when new evidence came up, to make a long story short. It messed me up mentally and physically going through the system like that. It really messed me up.

But I got over it. I didn’t give up. A lot of people didn’t quit on me, my family, and the friends that I have. My behavior wasn’t right. So I let all that go one year, and it’s been great ever since. So I learned creatively and personally to forgive myself and others. And if I want to be forgiven, I gotta forgive too. No bullshit!

So, I ended up doing your crowler with that design. I came back to that piece, but with color this time, because it’s a better feeling now. It’s complete. I’m over that. I overcame that tragedy in my life. 

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a secret project right now. Gonna flood the market, man - toys, books, shirts, everything. But I’m not doing this for money. I gotta make a living but that’s not why I do it. It’s not ready yet but check out my Instagram to see when it’s done: https://www.instagram.com/yerenemy/