the latin american vein
dasic
interview with paul gregoire i.t.a.
dasic thanks for speaking with us here at powder. we’ve been so taken by your artworks and are looking forward to finding out about what’s behind them.
hello guys, thanks for featuring me in your mag.
firstly, what have you been working on so far this year? and what have you got coming up in twenty fifteen?
This year is about mixing to me. I've been experimenting with a lot of different styles for many years and I feel this the moment to put them somehow together. I'm getting ready for my solo show in NY also.
what led you down the path of street art? when did you begin? and have you always been creating?
Yes, I’ve always been creating since I have memory, but I started to paint in the streets from when I was 14 years old, that's 15 years ago. I started because of Hip Hop culture.
why do you work on the streets? what does it add to your art? and what do you think street art does for the community in general?
It makes me happy to paint on the streets. Street is everything for my art, it’s my way of connecting with the people. I believe that art can heal, so if it’s outside it works for a bigger number of people.
what are the risks involved creating out on the streets? have you ever been in trouble with the law?
Yes, I had some issues but nothing compare with the positive things. Street is aggressive, it’s open for anything to happen and all that intensity finally is part of the pieces when you finish them.
rainbow colours feature significantly in your works, along with sultry women. what would you say you’re trying to express through these images you conjure?
To me there are at least two responsibilities when you paint outside, one is the message and the other one is with the quality of art. I try to respond to both in my pieces. Thru the colours I try to catch the attention of the viewer of all ages, after they get trapped by the colours I give them the message, which is another mix of political and spiritual messages. Everything is very simple and spontaneous tho, I let myself go by instinct in all the steps of the creative process.
over the last couple of years, you’ve featured a lot of pieces with people wearing head coverings and hijab. what’s that all about?
Ephesians 6: 11-13
which artists have had the biggest influence on your style? and besides artists, who’s influenced your work?
Artists themselves many, I've always been a big fan of Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Matta, Matisse, to name a few. Then probably my own friends, which is logical. But the main inspiration is life, which makes me vibrate the highest, from my personal spiritual grow to political contexts. From music to dance, architecture and people in general. Lately, I’ve used art as a way of healing and that has been a great resource of inspiration also.
i’ve interviewed other artists from south america, such as marco saldaña from peru and stinkfish from colombia. do you think there is something unique about the style of south american street art that sets it apart from other styles around the world?
Of course, yes. I would recommend reading The Open Veins of Latin American. We have a very strong history of oppression and resistance. Many of our countries had dictatorships and a lot of people were exiled, and then their kids came back to the continent with a lot of new information, the mixture of that info with the local context, plus the history created a unique style. Then as street artists or graffiti writers, we started to create from the few supplies that we had, latex was probably the main one. There is a lot more info about it, like for example all the artists that died painting political messages illegally on the streets or the influence of the Mexican mural movement.
what’s the street art movement like in chile? is it significant? who are the big artists on the scene there?
Santiago in Chile and Sao Paulo in Brasil are the main cities for graffiti and street art in South America. So yes, it is very significant. There are many good artists around.
a few years back you moved to new york city. what prompted that? and how have you found new york so far?
I went because of personal reasons that had nothing to do with art. I didn't know much about NY but then found that is an exciting city. So full of information and good artists that are working super hard. Definitely an inspiring place.
and lastly which new york city street artists should we be keeping an eye out for at the moment?
put an eye on my work...
check the dasic site
