Australian street artist Buff Diss uses masking tape as a drawing medium rather than spray paint or markers. This June 2009 interview report introduces his view of the city as a canvas and the way tape can turn existing architecture into part of a work.
The discussion of removability is part of that historical account, not a guarantee that tape leaves every surface undamaged or that an installation is permitted. A removable medium does not establish permission to use someone else’s property.
Watch the original interview
The original Flash player is no longer usable in modern browsers. The video originally referenced by this report is linked here: Buff Diss interview on YouTube. Availability has not been independently confirmed; this page is a short interview report, not a transcript or a new interview.
The original report credited Wooster Collective for the video and linked to Buff Diss’s Flickr photographs. These links preserve that provenance rather than imply a current partnership or a verified complete catalogue.
What to look for in tape-based work
Consider how the line work changes a familiar surface: its scale beside doors and windows, the rhythm of repeated lines, and the relationship between the drawing and the surrounding architecture. The material is only part of the work; the choice of location and the viewer’s position also shape how it reads.
For related historical reporting, explore our streetwear, collaboration and culture archive collections. Read older accounts of authorities’ reactions in their original context, not as present-day advice about where artwork may be installed.
Updated 14 October 2026. Originally published 2 June 2009. This article has been revised to integrate historical context, qualify claims about removability and clarify the original video provenance.
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