A 2004 Interview with Klutch
The Stencil Archive just found out that Russell "Klutch" Short passed away on June 8, 2023. This led us to doing a quick search on the site for some of his contributions to the art world, this site, and to stencil culture, art, and fandom. This Stencil Archive interview with Klutch (here is his stencil archive) is from 2004, soon after the amazing Vinyl Killers 2 exhibit (here is the stencil archive for VK1). This post needed a bit of revision, but Klutch's humor, opinions, and love for making and living art still shine through. His thoughts and words needed no revision! Rest In Paint, Russell Short.
K: I was born in Oklahoma and raised by hippie parents. I lost my mom when I was 12. This really affected me, so losing her early in my life has made me focus on living in the moment. After she was gone my dad told me I could do anything I wanted, but that I was also responsible when I fucked up. He wouldn’t be there to bail me out. I still did some crazy shit growing up but knew it was all my ass if I got caught. This sense of urgency about not wasting a single day, self reliance, and a complete lack of respect for all authority figures has shaped my whole life.
My “live for now” attitude has twice led to me leaving secure and lucrative careers to do what I want with my life. First, I left a job in the early 1980’s for skating and hardcore. I left another job three years ago to get out of the rat race and spend more time doing art and playing in the mountains. Money can be a very empty reward when you aren’t doing what makes you happy.