Interview: STINKFISH


Stinkfish was born in Mexico, and at the age of 4 he moved with his parents to Bogota, Colombia, where he now resides. Most of his work is primarily created by portraying a variety of Random faces artistically. He loves to take pictures of random people, who are not aware he is taking, and from these photographs, he turns the images into a work of art that is deeply moving and unconventional.

The artist was nice enough to answer a few questions we had for him.

2360210Could you tell us a little about yourself and where are you from?
I was born in Mexico City (Mexico) but since I was 4 years old I have lived in Bogota (Colombia). I do graffiti, play soccer with friends and travel whenever I have the chance.

How or When did you start doing street art?
I started in 2003 with 3 friends at the time, basically doing stencil graffiti, stickers, and posters. We worked together until 2008. And ater that I started working on my own and also as a part of APC (Animal Power Culture www.animalez.org).

Do you have a Formal education?
The most formal and important education is the one I had in the streets with friends and acquaintances here and there.

Being an artist is not always easy, sometimes where there is little support from family and friends, how was it for you starting up?
I always had the support of my family and friends. It took them a while to understand in the begining, but with time and work it became clear that I wanted to do this in spite of the difficulties.

Who are your favorite classic artists and from what it was and why?
Many but mostly my friends who also work with graffiti, they are the people I admire and with whom I learn.

Is there a message in your art?
There are many messages, some more obvious than others, but the one that interests me most is the global graffiti message: Street must be a free space, for building real politics, where everyone has the chance to say and observe at the same level, such life itself could be away from the prefabricated world in which we are born.

8812262_origHow do you paint a wall, do you ask permission, or you just go ahead and paint?
Each wall is different, every time, every place, every city. I always prefer a painted wall without permission, I enjoy it much more and it has an additional value for me. But I also take walls with permission.

How do you feel 7254946about the role of the Internet and social media in making your work more accessible to the public?
It is very important, photography defines the history of modern graffiti and internet perfectly complements this close relationship of photography and graffiti. As in many other disciplines, the Internet has allowed the construction of information and collaboration network, that makes it possible to know the work of people from anywhere in the world, learn, share information, ticks, roads.

Have you painted in the USA? If yes Where? And how was your experience like?
Not yet.

Street art is still Considered vandalism, how is it for you to go out and paint in the street? Did you ever have any problems with the law?
Graffiti is vandalism, that is what defines it and makes it powerful. If you are going to do it, vandalism is something that needs to be clear and that you have to handle. Many times I have had problems with the law and I am sure I will continue having these problems, it is part of the job, but I’ve never had a serious episode.

What are your views on human rights, racism and injustice?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-u1dm6cb58

What is the best advice You have ever had about how to be creative?
I do not believe in creativity. Personally I work making relations between information that I find, not more than that.

3618059_origWhat is your favorite piece of art you created and why?
Each one has a special history, from a very large colorful wall to a dripping tag done in a few seconds. I can not have a favorite, everything is connected.

1839805What do you do When you are not creating art?
I think I never believed art. When I’m not doing something related to graffiti I’m wandering around alone or with friends.

What are your plans in the near future?
Continue painting in the street, traveling, improving my skills, learning new ones.

Any words of advice for aspiring new artists?
Graffiti is not art, not decoration, not advertising, not a product, not fashion.

SAUS would like to thank Stinkfish and wish him the best of luck and prosperity for the future.

Stinkfish
www.stink.tk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stinkfishate/

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