I have wanted to write a bit about this blog, my work, progress, and different direction for some time now.
Last year was kind of rough. I had some crazy bad experiences with a few festivals, which made me rethink all this "street art" thing. It inspired me to reflect on all I've done to this point and where my focus should be going forward.
This doesn't mean I will stop painting murals at the festivals or in general.
Not being placed in a specific box and avoiding labels has always been why I loved painting outside. If I wanted to do a more realistic or illustrative piece or try something different, no one was there to say, "Hi, but that's not what we know you for, so don't do that. Do what we like". Usually, that is what galleries do, but more and more organizations have this kind of approach in the "urban art scene." I want to point out that my experiences with galleries in the past two years were only positive. Many "street art" projects are funded by the city and might have deals with tourist agencies, so sometimes, the mural artist becomes a hand for their propaganda. Not always, but on some occasions. It is a good thing that people have embraced this type of art, and now it is easier than ever to paint a big wall, not worrying about prejudice and being accused of destruction of property (even if you had permission to paint). Mural festivals can hardly work without sponsors, and the more money a particular project has, the higher quality it gets. At least that is how it should be, and I have nothing against that. Many people involved in this type of organization are my friends, and I know how hard it is to get something started and how much effort it takes to organize a big event.
I think the people invited to a particular project are not there to please the sponsors or make a tourist commercial for the city. That becomes a commercial/ commission job that costs much more than the fee for doing "your own thing."
My own thing:
Looking at some earlier works, I can see many bad decisions, compromises, and not the best approaches, but I'm happy they were made. After all, "More is lost by indecision than wrong decision," as Cicero so eloquently put it a long time ago.
Lately, I'm spending my time in my studio working with oil, gouache, and aquarelle so that I can completely transit from spray to brushes. No, that doesn't mean I will stop painting with spray or change what I do. I want to expand my skill set so I can work more freely without relying on just one medium (and its quantity), especially if I'm painting outside my hometown.
I'm also interested in developing/ exploring different palettes, working on my brushstrokes, and avoiding total rendering. It is much easier to render and make smooth transitions with spray, but if the whole piece is like that, it can look dull. It is also fun to try new mediums and see where they take me. Repeating the same trick dumps me and makes me not want to paint anymore.
I could continue writing this part, but I'd leave the future works to speak on their own.
In future posts, I would like to write a bit about influences ( adopted art parents and inspirations and a shout-out to some contemporary artists whose works make me continue to work and evolve.
Seeing this type of text might seem unusual, but I just had to throw it out. Having it, all written here will make me work more and stand my ground if situations similar to those from the last year occur. Let's hope they won't.
Peeling off layers of bad influences and mistakes can hurt, making more room for healthier growth.
