Meeting with Burs and Bozik from Russia

We met Burs and Bozik from Russia the last year, they were in Paris to prepare an exhibition.

Can you explain what you make exactly? Letters, characters…?

Burs: I write letters. This may be my name or Vice versa. Now I began to write different phrases. Mostly I write things that inspire me. Sometimes I create them myself. Sometimes, somewhere, hear them, and understand the sentence. I want to write on the wall. Recently on the street wrote the sentence: « Do what you love ».

Bozik: I draw everything. From tags and stickers to large murals. I like to draw sacred geometry, I like to draw animals and I like to draw a letter and fonts.

You are in same crew, can you tell us more about?
Burs: we came up with the team « good » with my friend Anton . Back in 2011 . We wanted to create a team of unique and original people . This team was created to do good for people . But after a while I realized that we inspire many people to work and people talking with us , began to engage in any kind of creativity . This is good . One of the only salvation of man lies through creativity ,Creativity makes man free , through the process of creativity man is tuned to positive vibrations . Creativity is changing and expanding human consciousness . Man develops through creativity . That’s what we understand . And that’s what the team strives for « good » – to develop .

How long have you known each other?
Bozik : We met live 2 months ago, but I was familiar with the work of Bursone and his team for a long time. I always liked what they did.
Bursone : I met bozik 2 months ago, in his hometown of Kazan, at the combination festival. I felt a good vibe when I met him. After getting acquainted with a lot of drawing on the street, and I realized that we are very similar to him.

What are these similarities?
Burs: we are close in spirit people – to put it briefly .
Bozik: We are very similar in that we are both in a positive mood. For a long time I did not write my name on the street, I wrote the word Love in English and Russian (ЛЮБОВЬ). Roman and his team have long been writing the word ДОБРО (Good, kindness). And it’s almost the same thing. Love and Good are inseparable. Therefore we are united.

When did you start drawing?
Burs : I started drawing graffiti in 2004. I’ve been drawing for 13 years and there have been breaks in my creative work related to the understanding of my art. I have experimented a lot in my search for my forms. But I’m still looking for more and more forms of letters. This is the process where you are constantly developing your style.
Bozik : graffiti started to draw in 2001, but then I did not draw much, and I had a long break, then I started drawing in 2011 and still draw every day.

Why make pause, how many time, and what did you do?
Bozik: I had a break in drawing. I have not painted on the street for about seven -eight years. At this time, I painted on paper and painted canvas. I painted a lot of abstract and surrealistic paintings. I experimented a lot and gradually came to the point that I began to draw with dots. I really liked it. When I started to draw graffiti again – the first drawing after the break I drew. I really liked it and for many years I drew only dots.

How did you start drawing?
Burs : I was inspired by 1 person from my area to draw graffiti. This is Pacer tad in 2004?. The first time I met graffiti when I saw his work. They inspired me very much.
Bozik : I started drawing as a child, drawing trucks, motorcycles and ninja turtles. Graffiti began to draw with the appearance of a musical CD Rap-music 2000, it was a powerful collection of Russian rap. My first piece I drew from the cover of this album.

Why?
Bursone : After my inspiration, I ran to the shop for spray paint. And when I first tried drawing, I really liked the feeling of drawing. I liked my vibrations while drawing. can you describe these vibrations? I can say that I didn’t feel so good before I met graffiti.
Bozik : I’ve always liked the drawing process itself. I like the state of the art while drawing. When I draw, I forget everything. Time disappears. I feel calm when I draw on canvas and I feel invigorated when I draw illegally.

What kind of studies did you do?
Burs: I did not conduct classes , I drew if it was required by my soul . And if I wanted to do something to Express through
Bozik: I studied at high school and the oil technical university.

How did you study drawing?
Bursone : This is a personal process and everyone has their own. I wanted to achieve interesting forms of graffiti, good combinations of colors. I didn’t do it all at once, sometimes I was upset that I couldn’t do it. But after a day I ran back to the shop for paint to make my drawings even better. After 5 years of drawing, I saw my development. I had no talent for drawing. I don’t need it. The main thing is to love my business. That’s what I realized.
Bozik : I haven’t specially studied drawing anywhere. I constantly painted on the rear ports at the school institute. And I did not like to study and therefore always painted. I received all the basic drawing training while standing against the wall. He learned to draw people and animals not on paper but on the wall. In general, when I started drawing graffiti, I always bought paint and spent all the money on it. I drew little sketches but drew a lot on the walls. This is probably why I have a lot of bad fonts and drawings. I always try new techniques to apply it outside.

Do you draw only for an exhibition or draw something else?
Bursone : I draw mostly on the street, I like that passers-by can see the art of different artists on the street. It’s an open-air gallery. Isn’t it beautiful?  I have always painted only on the street, in illegal places. I drew on the roofs of St. Petersburg, in the city where I live for 10 years. I drew on everything I can imagine. This is my first exhibition, I want to thank the owner of the gallery « in Art we trust » Jonas, for this opportunity. I am very pleased with this opportunity.
Bozik : We make paintings for the exhibition, but most of all I paint on the street. 90% of what I paint is illegal work on the street. I think it’s the best exhibition ever. In my own city, I have been drawing on the street for many years for another name so that the police wouldn’t find me.

Why want to show art to passers-by?
Burs: Because art is a holiday of the soul, and when you have a holiday , you want to share it . People like to see art . They are charged , they are inspired to new thoughts on new ideas .
Bozik: Streetart and graffiti is a very convenient creation to show it to a casual spectator. These people may never go to the gallery, but they will see our drawings on the streets. It can inspire a new generation to create something good.

Do they really want to?
Burs: I can’t answer that question . I do not know. Sometimes they are unhappy with what they saw creativity . But who knows, maybe he should be unhappy . And the other on the contrary will be inspired by the drawing on the street , and will become an outstanding artist .
Bozik: I don’t know if passers-by need this. Like it or not. Always someone likes someone doesn’t like it. But something inside me tells me that I can make some places even better. I can decorate them).

How is the legislation in Russia about tags?
Burs: In Russia it’s very simple . If you tag and you get caught, the fine is 8 euros , and you’re free
Bozik: In Russia, if you are caught for a tag on an ordinary building or fence, then you will be taken to a police station, you may sit in jail until morning, then they will write you a fine of 500-1500 rubles (8-20 euros) and let them go home. But if you draw on historical buildings and monuments, they will first write a huge fine and in some cases they can put you in jail for vandalism.

How is the reaction of people?
Burs: In most cases there is no reaction . All people are in the matrix of their problems and things that they need to have time to do . They don’t have time before you, before you paint. I always wonder about that. But on the other hand, I don’t do anything criminal , I just draw .
Bozik: Everyone thinks differently. some people like and some don’t. In Russia you can hit if you draw or try to detain to call the police. But more often yell on you. Few people say positive things.

Have u word for end?

We would like to thank the whole family and friends for supporting us. we thank everyone with whom we painted and will paint! We love everyone and everything! we feel that we are all one. our game is beautiful. our illusion is wonderful. life is a joy! Thank you.