Showing posts with label Milan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milan. Show all posts

Friday, June 4, 2010

Friday ProFile: Seacreative

Back in the day, Italian artist Seacreative tagged up Milan like it was his job. “Sea was my tag when I was just a writer,” he says. “A name of three letters only that sounds and looks nice together. I’ve just kept on using them ever since.” Traveling across Italy and Europe, Seacreative isn’t afraid to pick favorites. “I’ve painted in Italy and Europe,” he says. “Valencia is the one I prefer, especially for people and atmosphere. In Valencia, people are allowed to paint everywhere, even in the city centre. I think that is great!”
Trips to the beach inspired Seacreative to start painting.“When I was a kid, we used to go to the seaside in a place full of graffiti,” he says. “In that place, there was a fantastic hall of fame and you know, all those vibrant colors and tags aroused my enthusiasm. At first, I started copying other writers lettering just like everyone but then I found my own way to graffiti. I preferred brushes and stencils instead of lettering.”
Over time, Seacreative moved from tags to characters. “In 2001, I found my way,” he explains. “I evolved my painting and gave more emphasis to my characters and the use of brushes. I prefer brushes because they help me express myself much better.”
While he may dabble in canvas works, Seacreative believes working outdoors is the best. “The streets are the best gallery you can find,” he insists. “You don’t have to be invited. No one makes you explain the works. There’s no selection, you know. Out there, you can make art for everyone and everyone can judge you. I think it’s a big challenge.”
Sometimes, stuff gets crazy in the street. “On a Sunday afternoon, my friends and I arrived in an abandoned factory,” he recalls. “We chose a wall and started painting. After 20 minutes, we heard some noises, but you know those kind of factories always have a lot of strange noises, so we didn’t care about it. We were painting when suddenly, a bunch of people surrounded us with guns and rifles, everything a soldier could handle. They were watching us just saying nothing. I tell you, we were scared to death! Later on, we found out they were air-soft players.”
On occasion, Seacreative works with friends. He enjoys painting with pals like Vine, Refreshink, and Borse. They work under the name Spruzzer and mix their individual styles into cohesive pieces. “Sometimes, we use sprays, some paint, and some 3D works. Other times, we pass from realistic to graphic. We have fun mixing everything together. Sometimes, we have four different ideas, but the result is always worth the effort.”

Thanks, Seacreative! For more photos, stop by his website. That's all for now. After a killer week of training, I'm looking forward to not moving all weekend. See you Monday!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

January 2010: Mr. Di Maggio in Milan

Mr. Di Maggio knows how to mix work and play like a pro. By day, he makes money through graphic design. In his spare time, he creates huge wheatpastes and decorates the streets of Milan. He writes:

"I started pasting my characters on walls back in 2004. I called myself The Stoned Face. I got the name from a remake that I did on The Stoned Face logo. Back in the day, I used to work as graphic designer. I sat for hours and hours in front of my computer drawing characters, remaking logos and making lots of graphics while working!"

"I got my start with graphic design. Since then, I kept developing my style. I think it all comes from my character, my attitude: I get bored quite often in general so I always need to change. What I do nowadays is different than before. I only work as a freelance graphic designer when I get paid for it. Otherwise I spend my day painting paper, most of which get pasted out on the street as billboards. I always try to keep a graphic stroke in my paintings and I draw different types of faces!”
“I like to paint at my studio in Milan. I believe that it’s the best place ever to hang paintings in the street, but I hate the city where I live. I will probably move to Berlin soon, maybe in April, I think! I need some ‘fresh air,’ to find new ideas and see different people and cultures.”

“I have to say that I have never had particular problems doing my work out on the streets. The only thing that makes me pissed off a lot is when I paste my big posters at night and then come back after a few hours to take photos only to find that it has been pasted over with some sick advertisement. Instead of taking pictures, I start working again to gently remove the adverts and get my poster back alive!”

“Right now I am working on large sized posters to paste and photograph. Get ready, Berlin!”


Thanks, Mr. Di Maggio! For more photos and projects, take a look at his website.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

September 2009: The Stickheads in Milan

The Stickheads may not have a lot to say, but they sure do a lot. This Italian crew teams up with other local artists for the Stick My World project. (I sent some stickers in this year; it's a great time!) Here's a look at their work, who they are, and what they do:
"At the beginning of the 21st century, the crew was proudly founded by: Run 128 and Naws."
"In 2002, Curt and S103 joined the crew."
"In addition to the original crew members, Story 134 and Undo work with us."
"We're all about stickering, postering, and writing."
Thanks, guys! Stay up on all the Stickheads news by visiting their website.