A young, new street artist is making a splash on campus at Stony Brook University.
People may have seen @icnochanges’ designs in various places around campus, like outside of Melville Library or at the Engineering Drive bus stop. @icnochanges is a senior at Stony Brook University who did not want to be named in this story to maintain the anonymity of his art.
He uses spray paint and anything else he can get his hands on to create the art he has been posting around campus. He revealed that he is not an arts major. He said he has always liked art but only recently got into street art a few months ago.
His tag “@icnochanges” was inspired by the Tupac song, “Changes.”
“A line in the song is ‘I see no changes.’ So I simplified it: i c no changes,” he said. “The song has a great message itself and is very emotional talking about war on drugs instead of war on poverty, wanting fame and money rather than helping people.”
Though observers of @icnochanges’ work may read into his pieces, he says there is no specific message in his work.
“Everyone will see something differently and interpret it in their own way,” he said. “So in general there is no specific message, just to appreciate what is around you and always try to make someone’s day better, the campus better, the world better.”
“I’m not trying to change the world,” he added. “I just want more good people and for those people to know they are being recognized.”
@icnochanges said he has also been influenced by the popular street artist Banksy and some might even think he is copying Banksy, but he doesn’t feel he will ever “be on his level or even near it.”
His favorite piece of his own work? The father and son duo that he displayed on the side of Melville Library, because of the emotion he feels when he considers the possibilities of how others may interpret the duo. @icnochanges said he will feel satisfied if the painting causes one person to think about their parents or to think about being a good parent to his or her own child.
“A simple piece of paper can cause someone to think on such a deep level,” he said. “That is what is interesting about art to me. A picture is worth a thousand words. And if those thousand words can impact someone’s life, whether it is life changing or it simply causes a smile, I thrive off that.”
