Interview with Goin

Hi, Can you introduce yourself for us?

Hi, I’m “Goin“, I come from France and I’m 28 years old. I live near the Swiss’s borders, 20km from Geneva. I’ve been doing street painting since 5 years because I have lot of things to say to the world and it’s our duty to interact with our city...



What's your background? Art school? Self learner? Art for Dummies?

I’m self learner. Otherwise I have a robotics engineer diploma; nothing to do with something artistic!
Since few years I set up a design agency called “Fresh” in Geneva with a friend.



How will you describe your art for somebody who doesn't know your stuff?

My works is a subtle mix of radical attitude, subversion and powerful graphics. The marriage between Pop art and punk attitude. Something accurate and alive, in the action and in the moment.
What are your favourite materials to work with?
I work principally with stencils and spray paints. I hand-cut all my stencils in a 70x100cm,300Gr. cardboards with an art knife. I also work with acrylic and oil paint, and screen-printing for posters as well as silicone and casting resins for sculptures. Common supports are canvas, paper, walls and found objects.



Some of your stencils are amazingly detailed! How long does it take you to cut?

It takes up a lot of times, indeed. To cut a stencil like the brain (Title: “Where is my mind”), it takes me about 50 hours. Over the years I cut faster and faster…



Do you paint/work outside sometimes? Where can we see your stuff?

Most of the time I paint at the “Abode of Chaos”; a crazy and amazing art piece terrorising the French countryside. According to the New York Times it is “one of the most important and most emotional artistic adventures of the 21st century”. I have a lot of fun to paint there. You can see my works on my website in the “Abode of Chaos” section.
Also, I paint in the street of Geneva and I paint some big legal walls near leman's lake for cities or private. (Picts are in the Outdoor section of my website)



Who influence you the most, any favourite artist(s)?

Warhol, Basquiat, Banksy and certainly in the first place Marcel Duchamps!



Best Gallery in the world? and why?

I think the best Gallery is the “Abode of Chaos”. Because it’s an “In Situ” Gallery.
There, I can paint like in the street, with no censorship policy.
It might look the Warhol’s Factory. A fluid space as created by the Pop artist, where creativity lived from one day to the next in a random sensuality, to the beat of pure energy. Thierry Ehrmann (the owner and artist) invited artists to work with him in situ, creating connections between one endeavor and another, between countries and cultures. This perpetual activity which would finally be attuned to the perpetual movement of the world and its events.
Here is a link to his website: http://www.abodeofchaos.org



Best City to paint outside? and why?

I don't know, I don't have yet the opportunity to travel a lot. But probably London or NYC because I think people are more aware about art and it’s the paradise of street art. Or perhaps Barcelona for its nice weather.



What are your plans in the near future? Any upcoming exhibitions?

I surely come to the “Urban Paint Festival 2008” the 19th October at the “Tobacco Factory” in Bristol. A non-profit making contemporary freestyle art event bringing together an eclectic mix of local, national and international artist in support of a voluntary locally run charity with national coverage. Also, I’ll go to Berlin in November to see a friend and paint in the street…
As I paint permanently at the “Abode of Chaos” in Lyon (FR), you can see my art there all year long.
These days, I’m looking for an art workshop because I currently work in my garage and I don't have enough space to carry out all my ideas.
Also, if any London’s gallery is interested to exhibit me it would be nice!



Visit Goin website at goinart.net

Interview with Julian Phethean

Can you introduce yourself?

Julian Phethean from London, England



New found fascination (2007) mixed media

What’s your artistic background?

I have always been a keen artist and in between scribbling graffiti on every available surface as a youngster I found time to produce my first commissioned graffiti art mural at the age of 12 yrs. From this time I was obsessively into the graffiti art scene but still managed to focus on getting through school and into Art College where I trained in Art and Design in the early nineties.
This is when I first began to play with other art forms and discovered my love of painting. I then progressed onto university in 1997 to complete a degree in Fine Art with Art Practice and the Community at Middlesex University, London where I began to develop my painting and interest in art therapy/community work.
After my graduation being chosen as a finalist in the Mercury Art and Music Prize launched my career as a professional artist and I had my work shown at the Air Gallery and Art ’98, London. Since then I have had numerous commissions and exhibitions of my paintings in and around London including solo shows at: The Oxo Tower, South Bank, the Stables Gallery, Red Gate Gallery, Bodhi Gallery, London.



Touch the sky (2007) mixed media

Do you consider yourself Graffiti, Street Art artist or more of a fine art painter?

That’s a difficult one. I like to keep my graffiti art (A.K.A Cenz) and my paintings quite separate. I am continually developing both at the same time, but each has their own style and direction! So I suppose I consider myself both a graffiti artist and a painter.



The all seeing all knowing eye (2006) mixed media

Where’s your preferred location for painting (outside, canvas)?

It depends on whether I am doing my graffiti stuff or not. My graffiti art stays on walls and my paintings on canvas. I have a studio in Crystal Palace, London where I paint.



Through the trees (2007) mixed media

What are your essentials tools? (Spray, roller etc..)

All my paintings are mixed media. I like to mix and mess around with acrylics, oils, ink, spray-paint etc. I also use a lot of stencils and graphic art tools.



Emerging man (2007) mixed media

You use a lot of bold colours and mostly symbols, is there any reason for it?

The bold colours and forms are a direct reference to graffiti art! The symbols and imagery in my paintings are a reference to graphic art, and primitive art etc that have always influenced me too!



Homed in (2007) mixed media

Do you work in collaboration with other artists? Who influence you and your work?

With my graffiti I try to collaborate with other artists all the time and have recently done so in France, Poland and Spain. My paintings are always just me as they are much more personal. My influences are very broad from abstract painters like Roger Hilton, Ken kiff, Paul klee, Jean-Michael basquait etc to contempory illustrators and graffiti artists. But I make a point of not looking at others artists much as I strive to be original and have my own style.



Eureka (2007) monoprint, ink and acrylic

What do you think of the recent EXPLOSION of the Graffiti/street art movement?

It annoys me that people who know nothing about art think that this is a new art form just discovered! Also that people don’t know the difference between ‘street art’ and ‘graffiti art’. For me there is a clear difference! The amount of times I have been asked if I am or know Banksy is ridiculous. Apart from that or course it is great that more urban-based art is being recognised and hopefully that will increase the amount of art on the streets of London. Also if it means that artists like me who have been involved in the scene for years finally get recognised then great!



Star jump (2007) monoprint, ink, spray-paint and acrylic

What are your plans in the near future?

The next thing I am doing is a live graffiti art mural at ‘Urban art 2008’ an outside art exhibition in Brixton, London. Apart from that I am just going to be in my studio trying to get some new work together after lots of exhibitions last year! I am trying to work towards a new solo show in 2009!I will keep people posted on my web site!

Please check out my paintings and prints at http://www.jpart.net

And my graffiti art at http://www.mrcenz.com

Interview with EMOL

Emol, How did you choose this name? Can you introduce yourself to us ?

EMOL is a shortcut of EMerson and Oliveira, my first and last names.
I was born and grew in Diadema city (part of metropolitan’s São Paulo area). Since I was little child my playground was the streets (like almost all the children from here), and that was a big contribution to me to do street art.
I use to say that I’m one more “AfroEuroAmericanIndian” in this concrete jungle, living and searching to think the life without the standard and values that the consumer’s order imposes us.



How did you start working with paint?

My mother supported me since I was little child, giving me pens and papers. I used to draw at lot at school.
Since very early it was necessary to make money to survive and after some different jobs I started to paint soccer time’s flags and a few marketing to the neighborhoods, always to keep myself near what I wanted: painting.
By this way I kept studying and soon I started to teach painting in social projects. Than I started dedicate to some of my own creations, developing my own language.



Who or what influence you and your art? Where do you get your inspiration from?

The cities, the streets, put me in contact with different elements, that influence a lot in my work, like architecture, designing and propagandas. It’s something that I even need to search for because when I come out from home it is present all around.
Brasil is a country made by three etnies, where the colony one try to hide or appropriate yourself from the very present here African and Indigenous cultures, distorting them.
This process happens over the centuries. I grew up in the middle of this under the influence to fear these cultures like they were devils or something. I understand this racist process today and I believe that this child’s fear has an influence in my creative process; I add some of what I fear before.
Inspiration I got all the time, drawning a lot and always restudying my own works.



Do you prefer to paint outside or inside?

There’s a moment, a purpose for everything. I like to be alone most of the time, producing inside me, in contact with myself. But I believe that the richest way is to paint outside because it isn’t just painting, its live unpredictables process that influence straight away in the results. You just find yourself in some different environment.
This is a reason to find out new connections between Art-Artist-City. Its put this three universes together. To paint outside is the best way to grasp what’s happening at the moment and to know how your art goes to people.



The colours in your painting/drawing are really vibrant, are these colours a big importance in your art?

The colours are very important. There’s a different vibration in each color than the combination between them results in a different and powerful energy’s combination.
I value lines and forms in my art too and if you put them with the colors it will arouse others sensations.



Do you work in collaboration with other artists? Do you travel a lot?

I painted with many artists for friendship but I like painting alone because I’m very demanding with myself with the things that I do. I also work with my friend “Cena 7”, because we share a big commitment with our art, and other ideas that we share too. We’re always keeping in contact.
I travel to some Brazilian states and to Chile, but right now I’m dedicating myself to some projects and soon I’ll travel again.



How do you see the Street Art movement evolve in Brazil and South America in the next few years?

The economical situation in South America still difficult a lot the access to materials and technologies that proportionate some innovations, but with creativity people are developing something different, overcoming difficulties.
I believe that we’ll have lots of news becoming, especially when the artists pay attention to the riches and cultural diversity that exist here, references that a lot of times are uncovered by the imperialist propaganda that hypnotizes the most part of the population in the poor countries or the countries in development.
We have already a few good artists with world’s recognition and I believe this will influence positively the new generation.



What are your plans in the near future?

My mother always says “don’t tell your plans before they happen, make them first and tell people after” (laughing).
So, I’m just going to say what’s already right:
June: Exhibition in Gallery Collective, in São Paulo City called “Street Art: New Airs”.
July: Exhibition in São Bernardo City - Brasil



More my artworks:
www.flickr.com/emerson-emol
www.fotolog.com/emol12

Interview with Gawd

Hi Gawd, Where are you from?

I am from montreal Quebec Canada



What's your background? Art school? Self learner? Art for Dummies?

self taught artist



How will you describe your art for somebody who doesn't know your stuff?

I would say you got to see it



How long does it take you to produce a piece? Do you start out with a sketchbook or do you freehand all the way?

I never sketch first, I work on many peices at once dripping colors on them then seeing what happens



Where do you get your inspiration from?

good times bad times nice people shitty people ect



Where can we see your stuff?

I work alone and paint trains and street with labrona



Do you work alone? Are you part of a collective?

You can see my stuff on trains walls and gallerys through out north america , england france



Who influence you the most, any favourite artist(s)?

Im not inspired by art more actions experience

What do you think of the current "Street Art" movement?

If its in a gallery its not street,



Best City to paint outside? and why?

I like montreal, theres train yards near my house and big snowbanks in the winter for high up pieces



What are your plans in the near future? Any upcoming exhibitions?

Im exibiting at bricklane gallery friday , eliklien in new york this summer and painting outside where ever I end up going

Gawd currently exhibit at Burning Bridges, see more here http://www.burningbridges.co.uk/
You can also check his Flickr at www.flickr/people/mygawd

Interview with Stormie Mills

Hi, Can you introduce yourself for us?

my name’s Stormie Mills and I’m from Perth, Western Australia.



What's your background? Art school? Self learner? Art for Dummies?

my background is based is drawing from a very early age, in 1984 I discovered spray-paint and painting in the streets, so I’m primarily self taught, at 15 I left home and travelled extensively and became a student of watch, learn and self experiment.



How will you describe your art for somebody who doesn't know your stuff?

my stuff is figurative, studies of the human condition in isolation, in a self regulated palate: Black=Dirt, White=The attempt to remove dirt, Grey=Concrete, Silver=Dreams, these works contemplate the ongoing contest staged on the concrete-scapes, the build up of dirt and the futility of it’s subsequent removal. My works are celebrations of beauty masked by the layers of life.



You use a lot of "typical" characters on your pieces.
Does working on the character design the most important ? Or the action you describe?

I think that for me the character is important, but in context of it’s isolation and loneliness is equally important, art therapy tells us that the size of the figure in relation to the size of the canvas is a key attribute, contextulizing the enormity of the world in which we exist. The human actions are those of humble struggle.



Did you ever produce a toy or think about producing your own characters as toys ?

I did some work with Raymond Choy and his team from TOY2R a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It’s something I’d definitely like to revisit in the future.



What are your favourite materials to work with?

I’m more interested in working with materials that are available than specifying a particular group of materials, I try to maintain an extension of my learning by not having access a plethora of perfect colours or materials, I like the craft that is developed through thought and problem solving in creating work.



Do you prefer to work outside on a wall or inside for a gallery ?

either is fine, both is good, one informs the other for me, always.



You've produced a lots of work. Do you have a favourite piece?

my favourite piece is usually the last one I did, it’s then replaced with the next one and so on, I need to learn from my work. I’m more inclined towards favourite themes like mortality, loss, and isolation and how that transcribes to my perceptions of someone.



Where do you get your inspiration from?

I’m inspired by people by the super hero in all of us, how things make or break a person how lives lived are worn as proud battle scars on weathered faces.

Best Gallery in the world? and why?

there are many I think, from classical to contemporary, but also the streets are and should remain a vital component in this equation.

Best City to paint outside? and why?

for me it’s usually Perth I have a connection to it, it informs my work, but I’ve enjoyed painting in Cities in Greece, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Birmingham, Barcelona, Taiwan etc etc



How is the Australian scene ? Are you connected with other artists from your country ?

from what I understand the scene’s pretty vibrant, and innovative and I have connections to some artists, but I mainly work in isolation.



What are your plans in the near future? Any upcoming exhibitions?

I've some work in the Burning Bridges show that opens this week and I’ve just finished a body of work for a solo show in Sydney that opens at the end of July and am now working on pieces for a show in Los Angeles in October and another solo show in Perth in November, but immediately my plans are to move into a new studio when I get home, one that doesn’t leak when it rains!!!


Stormie's website http://www.stormie.com.au/

Interview with Cena7

Hi Cena7, Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from? Why the name Cena7?

For sure, I can. My name is Michel Ramalho de Toledo, I am of Sao Bernardo do Campo, a city of Sao Paulo - Brazil.
The name CENA7?! Han... Next question...



When did you start painting? Did you go to art school?

I started to paint very young, when I was 9, maybe 10 years old...
In the streets I started to paint when I was 14 years but I was not signing as "CENA7" at this time, I used to write the name "MORAL" with some friends, this happened in 1999.
I went to schools of art when I was 15 years of age, and today's, at 23 years and I do Faculty of visual arts.



Who or what influence you and your art? Where do you get your inspiration from?

What influences me and my work may be things that I don't even know how to say ... But I believe the city is largely responsible, the womens, the mad things in the world ...
And of course an unconscious collective and personnel manifests that I agree to and feel I need to create. My inspiration is to see and learn about things that are around me,
my inspiration is all that makes me tremble.



Do you prefer to paint outside or inside?

Certainly I prefer painting outside.



Can you explain the mix of Flower, Insect and people in your style of painting?

I must say that the art to be really good, has to be sincere, so sincere that doesn´t need "truths" and no need any explanations. My work speaks for itself, I can not and also can not explain with certainty what I do, I just do, simply, because I need to do, for an inner necessity that drives me ... So it is that happens, I can say with certainty is that with what I like, with not avoid.



Do you work in collaboration with other artist?

Sometimes, it is rare that happens in a direct contact.



How do you see the Street Art movement evolve in Brazil in the next few years?

Honnestly ... I don´t know. Some feel so advanced, but end up away from all ... And some are in it, can not communicate with many, they lock in their worlds and it makes them enough.
For me a good Street Art is that you alter in any way, that conversation with different types of person, young, elderly, women, men ... Finally ... I believe that evolution can not betray us. It should be smooth and collective, one(s) for all.



What are your plans in the near future?

Continue, always continue... Paint more and more, This is my plan.



You can see Cena7's work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cena7-mpc

Interview with PoSh One

Hi PoSh one, can you introduce yourself? Where are you from?

PoSh oNe is a Birmingham based artist living and working in Moseley. Using spray paints, acrylics and pens, he expresses himself on traditional boxed canvases but also works on hardboard, mirror and glass. He customizes skateboards, snowboards, lamp shades, trainers, vases and even mopeds so his artwork can be seen on the move!

PoSh oNe has also performed 'live' at various events throughout the UK. Utilizing canvases, windows, walls and even vehicles in front of packed audiences at some of the liveliest club nights and events around the UK.

"I like to observe my surroundings and use what I see as the main inspiration for my work. From nature, to people, to music, it's all relative to me and i try to interpret that in my work.” 'Characters are definitely a major part of PoSh oNe, in both his work and his life.

“Another major influence of mine is Futura, one of the earliest graffiti writers in America. He's the daddy at what he does so I suppose my characters can be seen as his little brothers and sisters, each one individual but all part of the same family. I paint and draw because I love it. I don't try and fit into any crowd or describe myself as a graffiti artist; I just put what's in my head down onto canvas."

This unique and distinctive style has earned him commissions from both major corporations and independent companies such as Virgin, Smirnoff Vodka, Corona, Urban Outfitters, Sound Control, Size? and Massive Records.



Where does the name come from, Are you the POSH one?

Haha thats cool, it comes from when i first got into graff as a kid, i was given the name because im quite well spoken .. apparently!



When did you start playing with spray and brushes?

With brushes since i was a kid, got into spray some years later...



What and Who influence you? Do you consider yourself a Graffiti artist or a painter? Is there a difference in your opinion?

I'm influenced by many things,plants and shapes, i love robots!!
I consider myself a painter or illustrator, but i guess theres little difference between that and a good graff artist.



Your style is really clean, your characters abstract, how do you define the direction taken in your work?

Thats hard to answer really, i just freestyle it and it all comes together in the end usually!!

Do you paint on the street? Which medium/material you feel the most comfortable with?

I do , not as much as i used to but when i do its with paint pen. poska

Where can we say your work in the coming weeks? Any show coming up?

Next show is at the bullshead moseley birmingham on the 21st june . the nites called " we are one"

www.myspace.com/posh_one

Work available at http://www.edgeart.co.uk/department/posh/

Interview with C215

C215, is it a code? Why this name?

C215 corresponds to my name Chris, but could also be a cell number in which I could have spent too much time



Where are you from? What's your background?

I am originally from Paris, I've studied a lot, with 2 masters in history and art, and some foreign languages.
I used to work in import/export, in the decoration area.
It was a bit too much for me and I decided to quit everything when my daughter, Nina was born, and came back to my true passion.



How would you define your work and what inspires you?

I do stencil on all supports and the street is what I prefer.
My favourite’s artists are the classics of the big centuries and for the more modern ones Pignon Ernest stay the basis.
Next, there were meetings and shocks, Carricondo, Swoon, and my friend Dan23 with whom I evolved for the last 2 years



What are the essential tools you use to create your pieces?

Everything I find.
I do not have any definite tools.
I like to build my work depending in contexts and this applies to the tools I also use.



Do you see a difference in the way street art is perceived in France and the rest of Europe/World?

Each place, each town and country has its own conception.
In France, "street art" has a very low credit, especially by the contemporary galleries, even if a number of French artists are some of the best street artists in the world.
Space Invaders, Zevs, JR, L'Atlas and André, are extremely proficient and create some really original work. They do expose worldwide. It's not the case for everybody and some must carry on trying to be original to arrive at the same level.



How do you choose your images and where they are placed in the street?

My images are the result of meeting with models and photographers.
They all mean something, the beggars, the refugees, the orphans. Broken people rejected by the society and capitalism.
I placed these images in "nonplaces", in the streets and on devalued supports, tagged and rusty doors, teared paste-up, broken or burned walls and some bins that I particularly like.



Are you in a crew, do you work with other artists?
I managed an association who gathered more than 200 artists for 2 years, with a satisfying collective result.
It's now belonging to the past and I now grant myself some personal time, except with one of my closest partners DAN23 (www.dan23.com) and B of Awake Studio (www.awakestudio.com), with whom I will entirely repaint a rundown factory in Strasbourg in June.
It will be something not to be missed.



What’s coming up in the next few months? Show etc…
All my news and future show can be found on my MySpace, www.myspace.com/c215.
I will be leaving soon to Brazil for a personal show of my daughter portraits at the Plastik Gallery. I also will paint a social centre in Sao Paulo with some portraits of street Childs who visit the centre.
In May, I will be joining a collective show in Bristol; the theme will be "working people".
In June, I will participate to a stencil festival in Warsaw.
Also in June, another festival, called graffiti Kosmopolite in the north of Paris (Bagnolet), to promote the exceptional book STENCIL HISTORY X (www.myspace.com/stencilhistoryx).
Finally, in October I will be in Melbourne, Australia for a new solo show. January will be Los Angeles at Carmichael Gallery.