Friday ProFile: Random Formation

Street artists view the world in terms of canvases. Where others see only buildings, they see walls for hanging work. The ability to break out of function fixedness patterns and view the world in a different way reached Random Formation at an early age. “I would ‘repair’ my toys with a big hammer and then assemble them in new ways,” he remembers. At the time, graffiti was everywhere and the art form slowly seeped into his consciousness. “Then there was a big wave of street art in Denmark around 2005,” he says. “I didn’t think much about it as something with a ‘start.’ It just happened.”

"Random Formation was actually a project name from a website I was making," he says. "I ended up liking the name so much I adapted it as a name for myself also. It comes from a very fascinating aspect of the universe: the perfect formations you see all around which aren't man-made (clouds, stars, paint splatters, etc.)." For the past four years, he's covered the streets of Aarhus and other Danish cities with giant spray painted works. "I want to share my creativity with others," he explains, "and not doing things for money has a special reward in itself. Maybe it's something about sharing and defining oneself. At least to me, it feels good!"
For Random, spending time with friends and meeting new people is the best part of painting in the street. "Back when I started, I was in a small two-man crew called '40'," he recalls. "Then the crew grew to three people. Now I'm part of a different crew...it's more like a family. We combine everything from architecture and electricity to gardening, graffiti, and bonfires. Everything's conducted with the same very special approach. It's hard to explain; you should just check it out."
Another crucial element of street art is the challenge. "I don't feel unsafe much," he admits, "but I do feel that usual tension or excitement. I've had run ins with the cops, but fortunately I had luck with the Jedi Mind Trick!" While he paints on canvases as well, he feels as though his work "sounds" better in the street. "It's more open for everybody to join in," he argues. "It's less entangled in the 'broken windows/crime' theory than graffiti, but both mediums are basically about getting your things out there."
In the future, Random is unsure how street art will develop. "Maybe it'll collapse on itself," he muses, "but most likely it'll evolve into something new. We are already witnessing people reaching superstar status in this field. I'm sure it'll live on, though. Just like graffiti, it can't be killed."
Thanks, Random! For more indoor and outdoor pics, check out his website. That's all for now! I'm off to nurse a cold and brace myself for a weekend of working.