Sam Gaden of Aerosol Art is the talented street artist behind the colourful creations which adorn some of the town’s walls and buildings, and he spoke with the Somerset County Gazette about his life and career.
Sam’s interest in art was forged at an early age, drawing from the age of three and advancing into graffiti and spray painting as a teenager.
“In the mid-1990s, some decent graffiti appeared in the Obridge Link; by artists ‘TEK1’, ‘CESTE’ and ‘SIKER’, and every time I walked past, I hoped to see something new. It got to the point where I thought I ought to do some myself”, Sam said.
Read More: Green Days café in Taunton welcomes new sunflower mural
Read More: New floral mural unveiled in Taunton’s Independent Quarter
Equipped with some spray paint cans, Sam started dabbling in graffiti, slowly advancing beyond tags into more substantial pieces of artwork. In 2001 Sam, AKA ‘Tisk’, and his friends established Taunton’s graffiti crew, the Fresh Rotten Apples. But being an artist wasn’t always straightforward.
At the time, Sam says that he was “always told that being an artist wasn’t a feasible career” and that he “had to focus on a manual career.”
It led to stints of manual work, including with the Bulldog Buckle Company – which supplied buckles to A-list celebrities – and employment as a sheet metal worker, and steel fabricator. But as Sam reflects, “I just found that it wasn’t creative enough for me”
Alongside his time as a metal worker, Sam was involved as a youth worker for six years at Wellington Youth Club. And in February 2009, his brother, Tom Gaden, 24, was killed while serving in Afghanistan.
It was at this point that Sam said he “questioned my life and my mortality. Am I doing what I want to be doing? I realised that I was not doing enough artwork, so I painted every weekend back in 2009/2010, which was when I really developed my style.”
From 2012 Sam gained experience in signwriting while working at PJ Signs. They were very supportive of his mural work.
By 2018, Aerosol Art had been established, and Sam’s artwork had grown in interest and recognition. “It was getting to the point where people were asking for a commission, and I’d have to pick and choose what do”, Sam added.
For Sam’s wife, Anna, the decision to set up the business was a “leap of faith”, especially considering the pair’s youngest at the time was a baby. Today, Anna is Aerosol Art’s Admin Manager and provides crucial behind-the-scenes support for the burgeoning business.
Already for 2025, Sam says his diary is “pretty full up”, reflecting the demand and popularity of his street art. “I want Taunton to be known for its high-quality artwork, not just mine, but other artists’ too. We’ve got a huge art scene, and the town has some really talented artists.”
For those young artists wanting to enter the art world, Sam says “if you’re passionate about something and if you work hard, you can achieve your goals. Someone’s got to do the cool jobs.”
It’s why the artist is keen to provide a space for and support the younger wave of artists coming up in the town. Sam has already been instrumental in legalising several areas in the town, including Obridge Link, parts of Chip Lane and Lambrook, for street art purposes.
His latest ambition is for a new wall in Hamilton Park to be used by young street artists in the town, and he is working closely with Cllr Federica-Roberts of Taunton Town Council to support the idea. Sam said: “For me, graffiti is never about destroying something. It’s about enhancing the community.”
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
