Étiquette : Actualité

At the junction of letters and characters, Mayor seems to resolve the surrealist conflict taking place between images and words, this group of poets at the base wondering what words or images were born first in the brain. Even if the neurosciences have since answered this question that it is the images, Mayor offers a pacifist compromise to this ancient conflict.

Hi, Yiors aka Mayor, you from La Coruña in Spain, you have 31 years and you paint since 2003, your name comes from your surname, did you drawing before?
Yes, I began to paint when I was in Chile. The drawing was always a part of my life.

Did you study art in school?
No.

What are you looking for when you create letters? 
It depends on the moment, recently I try to find the simplicity and the best contrast.

Your letters are very singular, what is your inspiration, idea for making that? 
I’m an open-minded person, I’m in a continuously searching for new ideas, the inspiration even comes from washing dishes or go for a walk… I’m searching to add a touch of humor usually including characters with simple, clean, and contrast styles.

How was this style?
I try to find the perfect balance between the graffiti and the illustration with my touch of humor and my thoughts and all of this creates my style.

Do you travel to paint?
Yes, whenever I can.

Did you live with your art?
It is difficult, there are good times and bad times but that is the objective.

Do you think the letters have specificities in your city and country or everything has been diluted in a great international style?
Some time ago, each city had her own style, a marked style but nowadays social networks and the new forms of communication had done that everything is diluted.

If the artwork creates a world and life imitates art more than art imitates life, what kind of world you want your painting impulse?
Colorful and funny world fueled by constancy, love, and sacrifice.

Do you think it is like one chromotherapy for the city where the dominant is monochrome light?
Yes, a grey city is like a lifeless city. Streets need colors, I’m glad to be a part of that culture.

Do you think that writing only modifies the space or the mentality of people, and how does it modify it?
In my opinion, I think that is something which helps in the visual appearance from the neighborhood, from the streets and it can give life to the city but not all the people think the same… It’s something that during the years It has come to be accepted.

Do you have some anecdotes?
A lot of them! The last was some months ago. I was in Porto, I was waiting for a man to get out yo the place that I want to paint and when I thought the man was gone, suddenly he starts painting the spot that I wanted.
I have crazy stories, once  The GNR (Portuguese police) pointed a gun at us after a police raid. Another day I was offered 50 € to paint a  shop window because the owner was in debt! Also, another day when I escaped from the police I broke my hand… There are a lot of anecdotes.

Do you have a word for the end?
Thanks a lot and don’t stop the party!

Follow him on his Instagram: Mayor

In this world tour of writing, we pass through Morocco to meet Mevok.

Hi Mevok, you from Tangier in Morocco, you have 29 years, why choose this name?
It’s just I collected the letters I like, no story behind.

Can you tell us how you started to write?
I started scratching 2006/2007 and it was just here in Morocco at the beginning of the scene so it’s was nothing and I continue scratching just for fun until I found my self addicted to this beautiful world.

Do you draw before?
Yes, some portraits and comics books.

Why do you choose writing?
Cause writing is so creative and so illimitée to progress and discover.

What you studied in school?
Economics license degree and I’m not working with it cause I want to follow graffiti.

Do you have a crew?
SMC, mean Street Masters Crew, with local writers and it’s since 2017.

The question of the crew is it important in your city and country?
Not important in Morocco there are few writers so there is not a big scene.

Can you explain how the writing comes to your city?
It was me the first one in Tangier city.

How do you explain that he arrived so late by rapport in western Europe where he arrived at the beginning of the ’80s for example or in eastern Europe at the end of the ’90s
Graffiti arrived in Morocco and whole arable or Islamic world late cause people are focused on their Islamic or Arabic culture and it is hard to accept anything new even now peoples still don’t accept something coming from outside their culture. And it’s started in Morocco at the beginning of the 2000’s.

How people and authorities see the writing in your city, your country?
Sometimes talks and tell you to stop and sometimes they just let it go because of graffiti here not too much like Europe so there is a bunch of empty walls so they don’t mind if some are painted. It’s Illegal but there is no police for only graffiti so it’s not so dangerous to paint but it still illegal.

They are many places to paint in your city and the rest of your country?
Yes, there is a lot of empty walls over here.

What are you looking for when you create letters?
I look nothing I’m feeling if my feelings are bad the letters are shit and if am happy the Graff is lit and dope. For me graffiti it with Latin letters you can make it with Arabic or Chinese but the original one is Latin.

What are your inspirations?
Wildstyle and typography and all styles honestly.

How we can define is letters are good or not?
First thing if the letters follow the basics and then it’s OK for me.

You spend a lot of time drawing with paper or digital?
Paper for sure digital it just in this last year.

What the digital change and bring at your work?
Digital makes sketching easier for coloring and does effects but for flowing the letters I prefer papers.

Do you live with your art?
I’m trying to yes even it’s hard.

If the artwork creates a world and life imitates art more than art imitates life, what kind of world you want your painting impulse?
Art imitates life cause there is a lot of things in life to get inspired from.

Do you have some anecdotes to tell us?
There is a lot but I tell you one time we were painting and the police catch us and they took us to the police station than one policeman told us you’re the guys of the jet ski.

Do you have a word for the end?
For now, graffiti is my life, my wife, my friends, and my parents who take care of me. Emotionally and all and I love graffiti so much.

Follow him on his Instagram: Mevok

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