I am from coal country. Though I live in New York now, I still have a special affinity for middle American culture, for gas station with worn neon signs advertising showers for truckers. I swoon over cheap motels where couples likely rendezvoused in the seventies, and dive bars where smoking indoors is still legal. I have traveled forgotten towns between New York and Pensacola, and the entire length of Texas. My next ambition is to drive the length of highway I-10, thereby exploring Texas’s width.
Blek Le Rat is a French graffiti artist who has been working in the streets since 1981. Renowned artists like Banksy and Sheperd Fairey have cited him as an inspiration. The artist, who is frequently hailed as the “God Father” of the stencil movement, recently made is own tour of what some might call “the real America”. Brian Greif of 2:32AM Projects curated the voyage, which brought Blek and his work to Nashville, Waco, Austin, and Houston.
A press release by the organization features an interview with Blek, who recounted the journey’s origins. “Everything started during a conversation with Brian Greif from 2:32 AM Projects. I was working with Brian on a gallery exhibit in San Francisco last year. I told him I wanted to leave my mark across the US for many personal reasons.” He continued to explain, “I loved the idea of visiting cities like Waco, that are new to Street Art.” The press release acknowledges that these are “not cities people normally think of when an internationally known street artist comes to the US,” but are populated by “people who may have only seen ‘street art’ through social media.”
Blek’s tour began in Nashville, where he spent a week painting a life-sized mural at Montgomery Bell academy while teaching students stenciling techniques. There, he was pleasantly surprised by the students’ intelligence and engagement, though he joked, “they seemed a little surprised that a 67 years old man is involved in Street Art and painting on walls.”
His work for the school adopted an academic tone. He “painted famous authors, philosophers and artists at the school.” His works included a cubism piece inspired by Picasso, a portrait of French writer Victor Hugo, and another depicting Socrates. Photos of the artist at work feature crowds of interested onlookers observing him in action. He said, “they had many questions about my technique, the street art movement and my 40-year career,”and that, “this was a very rewarding way to connect with young people and pass along my knowledge and hopefully inspire the next generation of stencil artists.” At a time where the arts have been suffering in education, Blek’s visit reignited their appreciation, and he recalled that “I heard from many parents and teachers saying their students were now very engaged and much more interested in art.”
In Waco, he stenciled further historical figures and an original character. This creation looks like a businessman with a gladiator helmet, sword raised high, and the wings of an angel. While the character’s intentions seem ambiguous, his stoic posture and book in hand create an atmosphere of righteousness. This same figure can also be found in Austin. In Houston, he created another historically-minded image with the life-sized stenciling of a boy playing a small pipe.
The tour ultimately left Blek even more inspired to continue exploring America’s rich secondary cities. “I love painting in the bigger cities, but in places like NY and LA there is a lot of street art. The amazing part of our tour of Tennessee and Texas was the response from the public. There were crowds at every mural location. The people asked questions, they were very appreciative and engaged.”
He values the importance of bringing culture to places who may not access to it directly, and stated that “today most of street artists post on Facebook or Instagram and they touch hundreds of thousand people. I think its time now to go back to the real sources of street art by painting real walls in real cities and not just the major cities around the world. We need to touch people by painting walls in cities that have not experienced this movement.”
To this end, he has hopes for more tours in the future, and said, “if I could leave my mark in every city in the US that would be a dream realized … we would love to come paint in cities like Omaha, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Columbus, St Louis, or any other city that would invite us. My dream is to visit and paint in as many cities in the US as possible.” I hope he comes to relish a rich passion for gas station culture and kitschy museums along the way.
