A refrigerator, milk jug, barrels, an umbrella—David Anasagasti (better known as graffiti artist Ahol Sniffs Glue) doesn’t know what his next “canvas” will be until he sees it. He hits the streets of the Magic City on his bike each day, armed with spray cans, markers, stickers, a Bluetooth speaker, and a joint in search of his next piece on which to quickly paint his signature drowsy eyes. “I keep my brain sizzling all the time,” he says. “If I come across something that’s interesting, I’ll see if I can work with it.”
For nearly three years, Anasagasti has logged 10 to 15 miles a day on his bike, wandering through spots like Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, downtown, Overtown, and Cutler Ridge in search of inspiration. The less planned the better. When he’s completed a new piece, he snaps a photo, uploads it to social media and Discord, and waits for followers to make their way to the location to claim the piece as their own—for free. Aventura caught up with Anasagasti to talk about making art eco-friendly and accessible to the masses.
Aventura: How did you get started working with found art?
Anasagasti: As somebody who isn’t formally trained or didn’t go to any specific schooling for art or whatever, I’m kind of like a “by any means necessary” type of dude.
What draws you to your next canvas?
When I’m out on the bike, the weirder the stuff the cooler it is for me. If it’s between a cardboard box and a refrigerator, I’m going to paint the refrigerator. The more interesting the actual surface, the more of an interesting piece that it makes. When I take the picture, I try to make it as well composed as possible so it looks like a dope picture. I don’t just stop at every single piece of trash; I’m trying my hardest to curate it as I go to paint the most interesting piece possible.
How does your bike play into the process?
For me, it’s [about getting] the ride in and painting on the trash is the bonus. Keeping the people guessing, keeping the project as gamified and fair as possible is my objective. And also letting go—encouraging people to do what they want with the trash.
You offer some art as NFTs. Tell us about that.
There’s just so many different ways to play around with stuff and make things that will live forever on the blockchain. Not everything has to be the currency upfront. [It’s about] making work that is memorable and is going to be something that withstands the test of time.
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