March 2010: Senkoe in Mexico City

Many artists choose sides and stick with graffiti or street art exclusively, but Senkoe has the best of both worlds. Today, he tells us how he mixes styles and techniques to push his work further. He writes:

"Most of my work is in the metropolitan area of Mexico City. It's distributed in various parts of the city and there's some in other states of my country. When I started painting in my neighborhood there was nobody doing it. I'm used to working alone; it's how I feel more comfortable."
"My style has evolved gradually, as I found more inspiration in nature and its forms. Apart from that everything is built from drawings. Everything has been flowing slowly. I started using aerosol techniques that were my favorites, but I also use brushes to achieve certain effects. The first tags and graffiti were more orthodox pumps and wildstyle, but what influenced me most was the enlightenment. I became interested again, but I think have yet to really reach the style I want."
"I especially like the walls situated in contexts of wide avenues and textured or smooth surfaces in which one can give greater effect, but I also feel very attracted to aged and cracked walls that show traces of the passage of time.
"There have been many crazy things that happen in the street. The most common are insults to threats of coup, but Mexico is full of very intolerant people. On one occasion, a man approached and told me things he drew were a thing of the devil. He had had a hallucination due to illness and he had seen things like I was painting, jajaja!"
"Now I'm drawing and doing some artwork. I like painting on the street and my works are for the street. In my opinion, it's the best gallery there, so everything's about decorating the outside."

Gracias, Senkoe! Visit his Flickr for more fabulous photos.

November 2009: Seher One in Mexico City

I'm on a Mexico City kick this week. Today, Seher One checks in from El Abismo. Born and raised in Mexico, he's represented el Distrito Federal for the past eight years with his colorful street pieces. In between playing football and spending time with his daughter, he found a second to drop us a line. He writes:

”Seher is an ambiguous word. It is used mainly in the Middle East. In Arabia, it is a common name with a magic meaning, denoting a mystical act chained to the aura of people, like a halo around us.‘Seher’ is synonymous with ‘prophet’. When I began painting, I needed a new name, a name that identified me and just talked about my work. I started to find different words linked with ‘magic’ before I reached Seher. I’ve been Seher One for 8 years.”
"I try to put significant personal elements against a backdrop of my childhood. There are works in which the saturation of items is huge to the point that reading becomes slow and chaotic. It gives the viewer a moment to think about each of the elements and shapes. I have elements that are repeated throughout my work: a carton of milk, pumpkins, peyote, flowers, animals, skulls. Each has a specific meaning. The milk carton brings more memories of my brother who is a cornerstone in my work."
"When I was a child, it gave me great pleasure to draw; my favorite characters were imaginary. I really like fantasy stories and since I grew up walking the streets, I liked seeing the painted walls. When I went to high school, I met a couple of fellows who were devoted to graffiti and that completely woke me the encouragement to do things on the street. I started to create handmade stickers, posters and then came the mixed technique for murals. Most of my work is based on spontaneity. It is difficult to create and control the balance because there are colors that are fighting to be together and require organization. In some cases, when I create a preliminary sketch, it is only black and white. Color is added depending on my mood or on the message."
"In Mexico, the street art scene has great distribution and I think that it continues to grow. A few years ago, the streets had so many stickers or posters. Today, people who did not believe in the medium before enjoy it now. It is no longer just the traditional graffiti but a very interesting mix between art and design is reflected in the new generation. Still, there is much conflict in street art even if you do it legally. I do not find as much trouble spot. The biggest challenge is to leave a message or feeling good on the wall."
"I want to transmit a good mood through color. I want to reflect their lives or illustrate part of a small momentary fantasy world. Each item to see figuratively lift them to a small episode in their lives. II hope people will take the time to think and play with their perception of things and believe that everything is in sync: movement, time, and space."

Gracias, Seher! For more photos check his MySpace and subscribe to his blog for more updates.

November 2009: Dhear in Mexico City

When the weather gets chilly, I dream of warmer weather. Mexico City is pretty tempting because it's got everything I need: good food, toasty temperatures, and amazing street art. If I had the cash, I'd be there in a second. Dhear's photos make me want to book a flight immediately. Today, he checks in from the City of Palaces to share a bit about his work. He writes:

" I was a thirteen-year-old high school student when I started with graffiti. I would do graffiti every weekend. Then I became interested in painting, and so I started to apply these techniques to graffiti, and vice versa. I consider myself an autodidact."
"When I'm painting on streets I don't think I'm doing street art. My sources come from graffiti, so I paint graffiti. I usually paint by myself."
"It all starts in my head, then it goes to paper. Then it is a long, meticulous process with clay, light table, taking pictures, or working on hues with Photoshop; it is exhausting, but I'm always satisified with the results. If I'm not, I destroy it and start it again."
"Things can get crazy out in the street. When I was 13 years old, I was tagging a phone and some dude broke my nose and some teeth. When I was 19, I fell in a hole and fucked up my right arm. Then there are always problems with the police..."
"Nowadays I'm still painting on the streets, drawing, and doing some design work to earn my living. I'm working on a project of my own characters and letters for canvases and street. The name of the project is called 'Vakterya.'"

Gracias, Dhear! For more photos, visit his Flickr page.