Friday ProFile: Olivia

Due to some technological difficulties, today's ProFile will be in a weekday kind of format. Fortunately, Olivia has a lot to say about her work and the future of street art. She writes:

"I was born in Bilbao, north of Spain and I've been living in Barcelona for the last 15 years. I always liked that name, I used it as a nickname on Internet, so that was a name I felt comfortable with and using olive-oil character. Olivia as a subject came easily. I also look a little bit like her."

"Everywhere I go I try to take posters with me. Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Granada, Valencia, Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, Lisbon. In Spain I really like Valencia, because you can find very good spots and it last forever, at least by now. In Europe I loved Berlin, amazing city and full of really good stuff; also Paris is not easy but they really like stencils and I feel they appreciate my work. Paris is like the capital of stencils and for some reason my work always has a little French touch. When I'm not pasting, I work as a textile designer for fashion companies and also as a teacher of plastic arts to High school students."

"I remember myself always drawing and painting with colour pencils when I was a child, when I grew up I use to do it at school instead of doing maths. I started painting on the street when I was already 35, so at that time I had already studied Fine Arts and I had my own style of drawing. What I took from the street was the technique of stencil that I had never used before, Barcelona 5 years ago was very inspiring because there was murals and works of people of all types, colours, techniques and sizes, that was amazing.

"I was introduced to street art by Mr Case four and a half years ago. He told me everything about it, even how to make a stencil. I can't forget how excited I was when I painted my first stencil on the street, them I realised that was a bit more dangerous than I thought, police, fines. I think my olivias are more elaborate now. I started doing simple 2 or 3 layer stencils. Now I put more elements in them and I use different techniques apart from stencils, like fabric, feathers, etc. "

"Street art is very exciting, not because you can get caught by the police, but because being out on the streets everybody can see your stuff and other artists can interact with you. Also because street art makes a city feel alive, public space is a common place where everyone should have the opportunity of express themselves as citizens, not just the big companies with ads always trying to sell something, democratisation of public space."

"Once I got caught by the police on a bombing night in the city. I was taken to court and my punishment was to spend some hours as a social worker doing something for the community. I ended up teaching kids how to paint graffiti in a small organization, they had to paint the shutters of the neighbourhood shops with graffiti related to the products that were sold in each shop. The project was really interesting, teaching the kids how to make a sketch before starting and how to paint together was very nice. It was strange to teach kids how to paint graffiti as a punishment for painting graffiti... But it was a beautiful projects and the kids were really happy with the final piece, and that's the important thing for me."

"Painting with friends makes you feel safer and more self-confident. Street art is not an easy thing to do, many people hate it, you have to be careful with the police, and you must get used to see your work destroyed, covered, ripped and trashed (good for educating your ego), so doing it with friends makes it less hard and more fun."

"I think the main difference between old-school graffiti and street art, apart from the technique itself (spray vs brush/sticker/poster/whatever), is that graffiti is done by writers for writers, while street art is more open to all kind of people. Tags and throw-ups are a close code of communication for people who are inside the scene. Actually, tags are very hard to read for people not familiar with graffiti-style letters, they are intended for other graffiti artist to see and appreciate. While anybody can understand and appreciate street art. That's why graffiti and tagging are more stigmatised and not so accepted by society, while street art is more generally accepted, because graffiti is a close code of communication, while street art is more open o anyone and easily understandable."

"I never tried to express any special meaning behind my work, but I think there's always something, a way of seeing life that goes within. My girls are very feminine, but strong and even pioneer in their times. Each of my Olivias represent a quality I consider important, a tribute not only to the person or character but also an attitude. Frilivia Khalo, for instance, represents courage and self-improvement; Oliphine Baker to be ahead of your time. Now I'm working for an exhibition in Menorca, it's opening soon so I must hurry and finish the last pieces!"

"When graffiti started your ego was very important, a graffiti writer looked for fame and recognition in the graffiti scene. I guess this is a kind of attitude that fits more with men than with girls... Men tend to be tougher and more self-confident, while women can be more insecure, in general. But there are more and more girls doing street art now, and there were also girls in the old-school days. I think that's very important, hip hop and street art needs some girls! I don't think much about it, my fellow boys never made me feel different for being a woman; but there's a different sensitivity and normally you see the difference in the art, but not always.It's true that being a girl generates curiosity from people, because there aren't so many girls in the street art scene. I don't feel I have to lead any cause, but I am a woman and express my feelings and maybe those of any other women as well. Powerful, sensitive, intelligent, tough, but feminine. I prefer a strong woman to the image of a fragile conventional girl, and that's what I try to represent with Olivia. You can be strong and very feminine at the same time."

Thanks so much, Olivia! For more photos, catch up with Mr. Case on his website. Right now, I'm gearing up for a World Cup-filled weekend. Nobody call me (unless it's to discuss the matches)!

December 2009: Villas in Barcelona

Rodrigo Villas is no slouch. While the winter weather may be cooler than usual in Barcelona, Spain, he's been out painting and already snapped shots of his 2010 pieces. What a busy guy! This Brazilian born artist shares a bit about Rio's style, Barcelona's scene, and what he has planned for the new year. He writes:

"I started tagging as all children from my school did at around 10 years old. That was really funny and exciting but we were just kids playing around in Rio de Janeiro. At that time, I got to know the few graffiti pioneers back then, such as Eko, Acme, Lets and a few more. I never stopped admiring them. There were no good graffiti supplies at that time in Rio. Those guys were responsible for keeping the scene alive and inspiring the next generation of street artists. That was like 10 years ago and right now there is a third generation in Rio really rocking. "
"I think that style is one of the most difficult things to explain or discuss. If it's real for you, I mean, if it's your true style, it's the most personal thing you can share with other people. I always try to be true to myself and keep my work developing in this way. I guess it's not just aesthetic; it's somehow the way you see the world. I think world doesn't need a revolution, just some restructuring. That's my belief and that's what I try to share in the streets."
"My favorite places to paint are the places that I try to understand better. I like to interact with people, listen what they have to contribute, and even let them participate. In Rio, I usually go paint in a favela that is near my place in Ipanema, called 'Favela do Pavão'. Last year we made a nice documentary about how graffiti can be a good way to start a city / favela relationship. I strongly believe that painting cities is important for claiming public space, but more often I go into places that regular people don't even know exist. It´s a good way to make these places part of our everyday life and to make people pay attention to the people living in those places. I think a lot of street artists today are just painting in streets to promote themselves and get famous. That's just ego, and it doesn´t bring anything positive."
"Rio de Janeiro is very liberal about graffiti and street art. I think that most of the time it's between you and the owner of the wall. If he doesn't complain, it's all right. One day, a really heavy police patrol car stopped and a lot of cops came out of the car carrying huge weapons. We were really scared, but the chief just said, 'Hey! Nice work!' and one of then took a picture with his telephone."

"I just finished a serie of graffiti attacks here in Barcelona called 'My Little Playground'. That was a tribute to all my friends that become fathers and mothers this last year. That was a really 'baby boom' in my circle of friends and I tried to make a tribute to their love! I'm still running my character project called 'Love Bird'. That is another kind of street art and it's just a little point of color in the middle of the city. It's my way to make visual poetry. The bird represents a lot of personal stuff.The birds are always on trees or some high point to remind people that it is important to look the sky sometime during our stressful days. Discovering a bird on the street puts a smile on people's face and that what I´m looking for. I want to spread love!

Also, I'm planning a big installation that I would like to finish in a couple of months. I'm trying to construct something that can be a middle point beteween the street art work and a piece that can integrate some ephemeral and ethereal elements into an inside space."

Obrigado y gracias, Villas! For more updates on his projects, visit his website.

Friday ProFile: Plas

What happens when people with 9 to 5 jobs see giant plastic sculptures on the Internet? In Plas’s case, they make their own. Since 2008, members of the Elche, Spain, collective have decorated city streets with huge translucent figures. Inspired by the original plastic creations of Mark Jenkins, Plas members explain, “The initial group was derived from sharing the love of urban art, sharing facts, curiosities, pictures. Thanks to the Internet, we could compile an extensive archive of works and artists. Then we formed a task force and began creating works. We believe that culturally, our city is very off. Through our sculptures, we try to awaken a sense of art.”

Each time Plas members combine their powers on a project, they approach it from a different angle. They insist, “We do not believe in a style. If someone gets up in the morning and has an idea to play with, the group starts working on it. It’s true that on the blog you see a very particular style, but it was a series that went on for several weeks.”
The process is cyclical; the more Plas sees on the street, the more they create pieces for the street. “Everything we create is inspired by the streets,” they add. “We see graffiti and it inspires us. Seeing people move makes us move with greater enthusiasm. And it's very motivating to get many ideas and combine them, play with them, and create something personal.”
Working in the streets isn’t always easy. “Typically, people who see us working encourage us,” they say. “But some people will destroy the work, or the police will arrive just as we’ve installed the work. We always play with some risk of getting caught or not, but it’s something we don’t really worry about. We’re more concerned about our works not damaging the cityscape.” For Plas members the best part about streetwork is collaborating with others. “Teamwork motivates us more,” they confessed. “It’s cool to sit down and discuss how to create, perform, and display. It’s very powerful to work with people with similar ideas. We love to see other people moving and creating, too.”
In the future, Plas members hope to keep pushing the boundaries of their medium. "We love searching for new documentation, new works, new artists," they insist. "As for us, we will continue working on what we like. Through their work and the work of other dedicated individuals, they hope to open people's eyes to the beauty of street art. "Many people see only the graffiti," they add, "but street art is any art form that inspires feelings in the viewer. Urban art is great because it's changing every day; there's always a blog or a new website with amazing works.
Gracias, Plas! For more fantastic cellophane creations, take a look at their blog. Finally (if you haven't already), please give Illicit a shout-out under the 'art, craft, and design' section of the Bloggie nominations. Thanks so much and I'll see you next week!

November 2009: Skount in Barcelona

More often than not, gray is the color of city life. From the buildings to the sidewalks, the landscape can seem overwhelmingly monotone. Fortunately, there are people like Skount bent on make urban spaces a little brighter. He gives us a brief tour of his home base, Barcelona, and shares the reasoning behind his work. He writes:

"I started in 1999. At the time, I was largely influenced by hip-hop culture. My style changed over time as my own curiosity and desire to investigate other aspects and artistic disciplines grew. I began to discover and develop other things, without questioning whether or not it was graffiti, street art or whatever you call it. I simply painted where and what I wanted to. When I paint, I feel in some way free to receive and transmit a stream of sensations. Also, my own love to know and mingle with other cultures and people leads me to travel and paint throughout

Europe, Central America and Asia at the moment. This fact also contributed to my development not just as an 'artist' but as a person and directly influences my painting and my

way of seeing things."

"Normally, I enjoy developing my work alone. I limit myself to develop my work by my emotions and what I see in the urban environment or different sensations

perceived in different environments and situations. It is very difficult to merge and share these emotions and sensations with another person. But obviously I love to develop projects, whether I'm painting or doing another good activity with others. It is a way to nurture each other on several levels. One could say that I develop my work alone and in

company of others; this form gives a unique quality to my work."

"Well, I think we live in a society that in general is becoming more gray. We pursue an unhealthy lifestyle. We follow the rules implemented by a few that tell us how

dress, eat, wear, and buy. That color has become our home. We pay more attention to this kind of thing and we forget our soul in the original sense of the word and the small pleasures of life.

All this, this way of seeing things in my view is part of my style today."

"Usually my favorite places to go and paint are houses or factories. They're rather desolate and quiet, so it is easier to work in this environment. But sometimes I love to paint in noisy places, full of people to interact with in a certain way. Everything depends on the day and situation." "I'm working on "Incadescent Natures." It is a project of abstractions: color, black with implosions in different urban environments. Composed of deconstructions of color and

chromatic wooden sculptures, the project will be integrated into the urban landscape. But this is only a preview I am shaping today."

Gracias, Skount! For more lovely spraycan photos, check out his Flickr.

Back In Time: Barcelona With Chanoir and Friends

I've already shared my love for Barcelona on this page. It's time to hear from someone else about this beautiful city and its magnificent street art. Today, Parisian artist Nukod talks about his friend Chanoir's new street art documentary, Muros Libres. He writes:

“Between 2001 and 2004, Barcelona became the place to be for European graffiti. Some years later, we realized that the “Logo Art” Movement was born there. Spanish artist Pez as well as Colombian artist Chanoir are the representatives and founders of this movement.” 

 “Chanoir decided to film his artist friends Sixe, Pez, Dios, and Flying Fortress; these people mark the city with their fingerprints. Miss Van, Jon One, and Psy also contributed to the painting. Barcelona quickly became the hub for this new form of freedom of expression and originality.”  

“When post-graffiti was born, artists reappropriated the city in a rainbow of colors and shapes, creating a new urban community. In an age where families are broken and neighbors are strangers, post-graffiti goes beyond the canvas hanging in a museum to create a friendly public space. Everyone in the street can do this.” 
“In the end, the movement characterized a new symbiotic relationship between the city and its people. Unlike the Pop Art Movement, which multiplied the works for the individuals, post-graffiti creates a single work accessible by all.” 

“This DVD is a real-time document of the graffiti scene, which today leaves the streets to emerge in galleries and other auction houses. The film takes places during a privileged moment when street art was still tolerated by the authorities and before Barcelona, like other European cities, started to become 'clean and sanitized'.” 

Artists featured in the DVD include: Cha, Pez, Xupet, Sixe, Dios, Miss Van, Pone, Oyes, Zosen, Skum, Mister, Craneo, Flan, Flying Fortress, L’Atlas, Jon One, Poch, Psy, HNT, Roch, Pow, Stak, Krisprolls, Tanc, Paki, Kasper, Dasy, Miss Bull, 1980, and Slip Crew. Pick up a copy exclusively in Nukod’s store (11 rue de Paris 75010 Aqueduct) or  on the internet. Thanks so much, guys! Congratulations on a project well done. 

March 2007: Barcelona

Barcelona makes me want to learn Spanish.

With its sprawling beaches, wild nightlife and breathtaking architecture, I feel like I could retire there if only I knew the language. My lack of Spanish combined with my inability to read a map made for an interesting beginning to my three day visit. 

Anyone who knows me can attest to my nonexistent sense of direction. Don’t elect me to be co-pilot or to ride shotgun. I will undoubtedly mangle even the simplest instructions, sending you farther away from your desired destination. As a rule, taking my advice and doing the exact opposite of what I say will get you there on time. 

However, I was traveling solo in Barcelona. Stepping off the overnight train from Paris, I opened my map and set out to find my hostel. Maybe I was holding the map upside down. Maybe it was an outdated copy from 1948. At any rate, I have no idea where I went that day. For four hours, I wandered small neighborhoods with unmarked streets in a sleepy part of town. When I finally made it to Las Ramblas, I was exhausted, dehydrated, and ravenous.

In spite of my circuitous route, my roundabout journey yielded some excellent street art. I loved the bright colors of these pieces; I felt like they reflected the sunny and welcoming vibe of the city. Big names like Above and Pez painted alongside artists I didn’t recognize, making for an interesting collection of photographs. While I didn't know anyone in Barcelona that first day, the city's street art never allowed me to feel lonely.

Also, thanks to Rio and Paul, two awesome Germans who helped with my street art hunt. Rio’s description of Berlin’s scene (combined with Yas’s photos) inspired my upcoming side trip. Fabulous! 

Tomorrow, we'll get the scoop on an Australian artist's new collection of prints. Definitely worth a look-see.