GOMAD Interview – 19-12-2023
1A- How do you define yourself?
I define myself as a muralist or urban (fine*) artist nowadays. But I started as a graffiti artist back in 1984.
1B- How do you define your projects?
Just as what they are, murals with a high level of realism and lots of details*. I work international around the globe from Europe to the States and Australia. Doing murals as an full time artist and canvases for art shows. My clients are meanly companies, mural festivals and art collectors.
2- How did you start working on street art?
My style developed through the years from graffiti letters (1984) to cartoons and characters and since 2016 it turned more and more into (sur)realism.
3A- Where do you find the inspiration to create your projects?
Everywhere and nowhere. All things surrounding me like art, nature, flowers, animals, people, movies, photography, architecture and much more. But sometimes I have a writers block because I always want to challenge myself to new levels. And it’s not always easy to bring my thoughts onto a design.
3B- Are they modifiers of urban space?
I hope so. My murals often are portrayed in concrete and colorless urban environments in suburbs. And in my experience it seems to be contributing to a social and collective pride in those neighborhoods. People are sincerely proud of ‘their’ art on the building they live in. So yes it does!
4- What does Street Art represent for you in this constantly changing world?
That’s a difficult question to answer. I think it’s colors versus concrete and may the colors win. Art in general is important in the world but especially street art is art for everybody to see, public and free. It’s also the biggest art movement worldwide. I think we as artists are in a way influencers and can bring both, beautiful art and a message across to our spectators.
5A- Do you think Street Art should be legal or should it continue to be a form of art pursued by the police?
Legalize it for sure is my first thought. I think we only put paint on something, not vandalize it. What’s the harm in that. Also when it would be legal, the graffiti or street art would evolve into a higher level of art performance in all styles because you can take your time for it during daytime, like you see on legal spots and hall of fames. But of course not all buildings or surface’s are suitable for art, graffiti or murals. So that makes it difficult to decide where it is allowed and where it isn’t.
5B- Have you ever had problems?
Yes when I was in 17 years of age I ren into the police twice for doing illegal graffiti at a trackside. The judge gave me a criminal record. I had to do community service for 240 hours, clean the wall myself, and had a fine of several hundred’s of Guldens (currency of the Netherlands before the Euro).
6- How long does it usually take to prepare each project?
This depends on the project of course, the size of the wall and the complexity if the design. I recently did a project of 2000 square meters, the largest mural of the Netherlands. It took several weeks to prepare this project, do the design, have meetings with the client, order the paint, rent the boom lifts, plan the project, select your team, rent an accommodation, etcetera.
But with normal size walls (100 m2) it takes about two or three days max to do all preps en design. And about 6 to 10 days for the production.
Interview conducted by Art Bill – journalist and owner of Street Art In Action.
TAKE A LOOK TO THE WHOLE WORK THAT HE DOES, IT’S COOL, ESPECIALLY
“Sun kissed*”
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