In Memory of TRE

Let us know who you are? who youre with? and how long youve been doing the damn thing?

I am Treske from south eastern Pennsylvania I've been writing treske for about 16 years and had used a seperate name locally for a few years before that.


Over the years ive seen your style change and develop ? Did hanging around other artist influence you and how?

I've always been open to influence from family and friends... most of my family comes from a fine arts background so I have always tried to pay attention to what was going on with other people's work and even what influenced them... I've had the privilege to cross paths with a handful of quality sprayers over the years and have learned a great deal from all of them

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Where are you from and where do you stay?

I am from philadelphia 
How is the scene there?

I love the scene here it is rich with history and top notch handstyles... philly has become a bit more welcoming to out of towners over the years which has allowed a positive mingling of influence which I think has revitalized the way locals look at the way things are done... In the end tho nothing gets my heart beating faster than a well placed tall print with a quality punch line

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Ive noticed as time goes on youve started to focus less on Panels and more on Monikers. Why is that? 

I've done so much with spray and enjoyed myself over the years, I'll never turn my back on blasting a quality panel door to ladder... There's something that just gets my blood pumping when i know I'm cleaning up a boxcar that had a bunch of garbage on it... With that said I can't deny that with growing older I have found a more spiritual and therapeutic gain from walking lines alone and marking trains... I've grown more and more distant from my painting bag and fallen in love with the railroad all over again in a more mature way I guess... I enjoy the thought of reaching a wider audience with my monikers and having influence on anyone who chances crossing paths with a mark I have left behind for them to read.

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Can you share a story about a time youve been chased or caught?

I prefer the nights which are calm and quiet... It's the thought of those peaceful times under the pale moon light that get me through the work week not the memories of troubling times running from people who are just trying to do their job 


Tell us about your experience painting clean cars compared to freight trains whats the differences for you.

Two completely different worlds... It's been over a decade since I touched a panel with windows... I'm glad that I survived it and thankful for what I learned from my times running around in the shadows of clean trains... I'm also glad I was able to move on from it and continue to grow and explore other possibilities as a railroad vandal

I know you have a close relationship with your daughter, do you think she will be railhead like you are? Do you want her to learn to paint and carry on the tradition of burning steel?

I'm grateful I get to share my passion for the railroad with Bones but I have no expectations other than she follow her own interests and passions... I look forward to watching her grow in her own direction 

Did having your daughter slow you down or change your mindset of graffiti?

It's changed me in a sense that Im no longer willing to risk as much to get over anymore and I work harder on keeping things under the radar more... I've gone to jail for worse things than just vandalism and have struggled with addiction for over a decade... I guess you can say I've done my best to learn from all of it and keep it moving... The older you get the busier life gets and you have to slow things down to be able to show up for your normal life... Friends, work, and most importantly, family all require your time but if your dedicated you learn to be patient and you eventually find time to walk a line take it all in and let the world know you were here

Give us a name of a local writer not affiliated with your crew you think is dope and why?

In my city there's a crew of gentleman under the three letters DHS whom I have become quite a fan of... In my opinion they have become the dream team of Philadelphian script wizardry... To be more specific I would say Drama DHS due to the fact that I have been a fan of his hand styles since I was a youngster, he never disappoints
Where do you see the future of freight train graffiti

It's getting crowded out there and with the recent in flux of new jacks taking out historical panels and monikers carelessly it would be easy to turn this into a very negative reply to your question but let's take a minute to be realistic... the crowding will make for some interesting attempts from sprayers to stick out more and seek recognition which will get things evolving and changing in new directions... And though it pains any of us older fellas who are still here trying to stay in the game to see older panels and monikers disappear it actually is motivation for us to try to step our game up and educate people more as well as get out there and police what's going on, all the while keeping us active and in the game for that much longer... I love railroad graffiti and fortunately I grew up and still reside in a city rich with spray history and style, Nothing compares to philadelphia... I have always enjoyed the stories and respect people have payed for those who came before us time and time again... just with this current in flux of toys in the railroad I have seen the same happen here in the city I love for which we all learned from and worked hard to deal with and keep it moving as I have faith railroad graffiti will do as well... I believe in our success.

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Interview from the WRBT Railroaders Magazine. 
On behalf of the entire WRBT family. You will be dearly missed.


-ZaneWRBT