Bonom at Le M.U.R XIII

Posted on 07/06/2012 by mylifeonmybike

For the inauguration of the second Le M.U.R wall in Paris at the thirteen arrondissement, the association invited the Belgian artist BONOM to do a live performance last Wednesday in front of the Senna River.

As I’ve written here before, the famous Le M.U.R at Rue Oberkampf has been presenting live artistic performances every 15 days, promoting urban art since 2007. Le M.U.R (which stands for modulable, urbain, reactif) is an association that invites street artists providing gallery exhibition conditions on the streets.

The Mayor of the 13e, Jerome Coumet, is really engaged in promoting culture in this area. With a lot of expressive national and international works from artists as Shepard Fairey, C215, Vilhs, Jana & Js and Inti, the arrondissement has been transforming into an open sky museum for street art, specially now, after the opening of the second wall of the dynamic Le Mur.

I was there, expecting to watch Bonom draw an animal, a subject that he draws very often and is really impressive to see around the city.

But for this performance he drew a woman, a beautiful naked woman, which, I’m guessing, could be a nice tribute for his girlfriend who was there.

I quickly asked him only one question: Why did you decide to paint a woman instead of an animal? He replied: “ Why shouldn’t I paint a woman? It’s so motivating!”

With a raw technique, he used spraypaint only in the beginning to add some colors and the first traces of the drawing. After that he painted with a roll in a rustic and rushed way.

See pictures of Bonom Performance at Le M.U.R XIII

Shepard Fairey interview in Paris

Posted on 06/20/2012 by mylifeonmybike

As contributors to Street Art Paris, last Thursday Demian Smith and I, we had the opportunity to interview one of the most famous street artists in the world, currently: Shepard Fairey.

It’s a tremendous responsibility to interview an artist like him, who is also involved with business and politics. But yes, working as a journalist of street art I believe that when we have pure intentions and our goal is to absorb what the artist has to show in a positive way, we always get the right dots to connect.

Shepard Fairey is the brains behind the Obey Giant campaign and also the Barack Obama Hope poster during his campaign for the presidential elections. He came to Paris to launch a collection for Levi’s at its flagship store on the Champs-Elysees, and also to create a huge wall in the thirteen arrondissement.

During the interview we talked about his relationship with the fashion world, the project with Levi’s, all the charity programs that he is involved with and the help he gives to several institutions and also about how he feels nowadays after being responsible and influencing so many people to vote for Barack Obama with the poster “Hope”.

It’s hard to deny that he is a mix of artist, and politician and businessman. Talking with him and hearing his strong voice with well articulated answers I realised that he has a strong power to make a difference and to be a great example. It was really beautiful to hear how he is concerned about using his own profit to help others and the environment by collaborating with non–profit organizations such as Occupy Wall Street, Surfrider Fundation and many others.

When the interview finished, in an informal way I asked him if he was planning to paint something in Paris, and so we had the information first-hand of the address of the wall that he was going to paint (which was kept in secret for the first two days of work). The wall was painted over three long days, and we were there following step by step his work in progress.

On the third day (Sunday 18th June) the gallery responsible for the project , invited the media, fans and people involved with street art to make a conference on the residential building that he was painting. As a super-star Shepard was there posing for pictures and giving autographs with patience even with a lot of work to do before finally finishing the black and red, and involving and beautiful painting.

Between Thursday and Sunday, My life on My Bike and Street Art Paris recorded different moments and perspectives of his stay in Paris to produce a video that you can watch now on the link below and discover more about Shepard Fairey’s positive ideas and his performance in Paris.

Pictures below by – Demian Philip Smith – Street Art Paris and Maria Fernanda Schweichler

Hand-picked artifacts from the Studio of Shepard Fairey exposed at Levi’s Champs elysees.

Hand-picked artifacts from the Studio of Shepard Fairey exposed at Levi’s Champs Elysees.

: Shepard Fairey on the pick-up, VIP Party @ Levi’s

Shepard Fairey – work in progress day one, Paris

Shepard Fairey – work in progress day one – Paris

Shepard Fairey – work in progress day two – Paris

Shepard Fairey – work in progress day two – Paris

Shepard Fairey – work in progress day three – Paris

Shepard Fairey- work in progress day three – Paris

Shepard Fairey- Paris

Shepard Fairey – Paris

Dasein Projekt x Paris Zona Libre

Posted on 06/12/2012 by mylifeonmybike

Continuing the “Invasion Berlinoise” in Paris, last Saturday I joined the opening of the installation – Dasein Projekt x Paris Zona Libre. The second exhibition of the project Paris Zona Libre happening now at the Gallery Frichez Nous La Paix on Belleville neighbourhood.

After the exhibition of the itinerant Gallery Open Walls with some well known artists of the street art scene from Berlin, it’s time for Estelle Beuvais, director and producer of a series of french-german movies called Dasein Projekt.

In the occasion of this event, through a collaborative way, the concept of the project was to bring 80 different artists from Berlin and Paris to present their work sticking it in the gallery (and outside as well). Moment also to present the new series of movies that Estelle produced, called: No Art No Street (which can be entirely watched on the Desain Projekt website).

It was pleasuring to spend the raining Saturday afternoon watching the act outside of the gallery. The work of the artists were stick on the wall by the representative and very good hands of artists such as SP-38 and Demain Roudeau who is also responsible for the organization of this event.

SP 38 painting alive for Dasein Projekt

Around 7pm the official opening started with good music and an animated party. The walls inside of the gallery were all covered by pictures and drawings full of poetry, everything in black and white.

If you are interested to submerse yourself in the beautiful and positive message of the fusion of the creative scene from Berlin-Paris, make sure to reserve a good time to visit the small gallery and appreciate each universe of the 80 different artists.

The installation is running until this Thursday, June 14!

Below pictures of the event.

Fred Le Chevalier – Interview

Posted on 05/31/2012 by mylifeonmybike

It’s Friday, 7.15pm, a beautiful and sunny afternoon. I have an appointment with the street artist Fred Le Chevalier in front of Le Canal Saint Martin in Paris. Wow, I’m nervous, I will interview him for my blog and also as a guest for a post on the Street Art Paris Organization.

It’s not a secret that I am a big fan of his work. I already wrote two articles about him, I went to his first exhibition and I’m following everything that this so poetic street artist has been doing.

I was there waiting for him with a friend of mine that was really lucky and bought the last piece available at the day of his first vernissage. He arrived, dressed in black clothes and also with a suitcase filled of his work.

Fred Le Chevalier and My friend MInes at Canal Saint Martin.

Now I will share with you the sweetest words from this Knight and his so true intentions with his art that inspired me and I am sure that inspire a lot of people in Paris and soon all over the world.

Fred Le Chevalier started to draw when he was a child and stopped as a teenager. Seven years ago, for our happiness, he started again. At the beginning, he used to upload his drawings on MySpace, also presenting them for people around who appreciate the work. With a positive feedback, three years ago he got the confidence to stick on the streets.

“The first stick was for a woman that I used to love. It was a present for her. At that time, I didn’t realize that I could do it so often”, he said.

When young, he found influence on the work of Ernest Pignon-Ernest and on the punk movement, that represented freedom to be and do whatever you want.

In love for literature as Alexandre Dumas and Don Quixote, he explained to me where the name Fred Le Chevalier comes from: “I used to take care of a young baby and I had to gave names for his family, so I chose one beautiful name for me, Fred Le Chevalier (Fred The Knight)”.

Three time a week, during the day, Fred walks around the city to act. He doesn’t know exactly how many drawings he’s already sticked but he estimates around 2 or 3 thousand works. “We walk very fast in Paris, we have many things to do, we don’t have time, but sometimes when you see something on the wall you can stop for 1 second or for 10 seconds and slow down.”

I asked him to describe his work, that is about his alter ego, once all his characters come from his feelings:

“It’s not easy to explain. But what I like about my work is that people can create their own meaning. I like when people appropriate my drawings and recount their stories with their own imagination. I like sweet things that come from the infancy to the adult age connected with the dream realm and tales. Sometimes are sweet emotions about love, but sometimes are hard emotions. My characters never are adult or child, man or woman, it’s always a mix. I try to do things that are optimistic. I’m not interested to make a provocative work. I like mixing poetry with street art. I really enjoy when people tell me that my work makes them remember their childhood or for instance a mother that already passed away. When people take ownership of my work, this is what gives me pleasure.”

My friend MInes bought a original drawing called “I live in a house inside of me” that coincident is the same serigraphy that I have in my wall at home. Both of us created our own personal meaning for this drawing, but here is Fred Le Chevalier explanation for his creation: “The draw – I live in a house inside of me – is a story about a child discovering the world and considering the world as cold and violent. The child decided to come back inside himself to find his own place again as a way of protection. When you create your own world inside of you, then you can communicate easier and grow up. It’s also a story about self development and improvement.”

“I live in a house inside of me” by Fred Le Chevalier

As I already wrote here, in his first vernissage at Houla Ops Bar, he sold everything in less than one hour and after this success he was invited for some galleries to exhibit his work (check his agenda for 2012 at the end of this article). But talking with him about the issue Street art vs. Gallery was so beautiful to hear from him, his pure intention with his drawings: “I’m not a specialist about galleries, but I’m discovering this world now and I will have more exhibitions this year. I’m a little bit afraid of this world. I see a lot of people coming to me because they want to buy my art as a product, which I don’t consider very funny. I’m more interested to sell for a cheap price for someone that loves my work instead of selling for a big price to someone that wants to buy as an investment. When I draw, it’s the same thing for a street or for a gallery but the emotions are different. I really like the feeling of sticking my drawings on the street.

Quick enquête with Fred Le Chevalier:

One color: saffron

One book: The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)

One website: Beatrice Myself

One Movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

One meal: Asian vegetarian food

One place in the world: Toulouse

A period that you like to be born: Tomorrow…maybe!

Below, some draws that Fred Le Chevalier did between 2011 and 2012.