In an exclusive interview, Today’s Northumberland tracked down Cobourg’s most infamous tagger who goes by the name of ACE.
ACE who is 36-years-old, has a family, a full-time job says he is a “ethical hacker” and admits on video he’s responsible for 200 pieces of tagging or graffiti around Cobourg in the last two years and hasn’t been caught by police. But Today’s Northumberland caught up with him and ACE agreed to be interviewed.
The cost in damages is unknown, but ACE said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was over $10,000.
In a nearly 20-minute video ACE which is the acronym for “Always Change Evolution” explains how he started as a graffiti artist.
He says the acronym came to him as a result of fatherhood.
‘I became a father, raised my kid and realized you always want them to do better than what you have.”
A Google map timeline indicates he’s done approximately 130 tags or graffiti drawings, but because he’s repeated in some places where they have been cleaned off it’s, ACE estimates it’s been approximately 200 times.
From using a small white-out pen to graffiti spray cans, ACE has created images up to five metres wide.
A large part of the mailboxes in the downtown core will have the ACE tag on them.
“The east end is just something new I’ve been hitting.”
“But mostly I stick to downtown.”
One of his largest pieces he recently completely was behind the West Northumberland Curling Club, just west of Victoria Street.
From mailboxes, bridge underpasses, fire hydrants and everything in between, ACE said approximately 70% of his work is on town property.
“The remainder might be old buildings, new buildings still owned by different management.”
But he adds, he will never tag/graffiti cars or homes.
“More recently I’ve been working on using easily removable vinyl to down cost the town for them cleaning it up.”
ACE totally understands what he does upsets people, and though it may fall on deaf ears to the public, he says that some of what he does actually covers up offensive words or words related to drugs.
“One of the first tags I did in Cobourg was on King Street just a little bit east of Pizza Pizza there is a little alley-way. There was a reference of a word “down” there. The word “down” in the drug world means heroin. And everytime I walked by with my kid, he would see it and say, “what’s down mean?”
“And I’d say, there is down and there is up.”
“In my head, it’s so negative. Why does someone have to write that on the wall?”
“So at that time I did the Raptor’s logo.”
Along with the word ACE at various locations, he’s also created a character he refers to as a “Onesy” and the other one is known as “Pepa.”
ACE’s family knows what he does is illegal, but they put up with it.
Late at night he stroll’s the streets of Cobourg looking for a clean canvas.
But he also is well aware what time the town employees will clean up his palette.
“The workers come out at King and Division and clean up that yellow box and every night I go back out and re-tag it.”
Recently, ACE has been “throwing up slappers” stickers in different areas, but he still works on large pieces.
In a surprise statement, ACE says, “I would take 100% liability if that day came and they knocked on my door.”
ACE shared there are approximately 10 people in the community that “tag.”
He’s hesitant to admit it, he ACE does consider himself a criminal.
But many more draw in books and don’t post on the streets because it is illegal.
To the people who have been victimized by ACE, he says, “I apologize for that. The removal is easy. And I’m just spreading the word to hopefully promote a legal wall and the arts and entertainment industry could be more lively around Cobourg.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
