In June 2019, Estonia hosted Stencibility Street Art Festival in Tartu, its second-largest city. The festival’s website states that it sought to foster street art “in its most authentic quintessential definition.” Stencibility outlined the tenets of such a definition with their manifesto stating that that “(1) public space belongs to everyone who uses it (2) it is everyone’s duty to take care of it like you would in your own home (3) the purpose of street art is to enrich, not ruin, public space (4) all additions are welcome: if you don’t like it, improve it (5) to guarantee ultimate creative freedom, actions can be guided by common sense, not by law.”
Stencibility assembled a group of artists and enthusiasts who exemplify these beliefs in order “to give life to the most interesting and bizarre street art projects, explain the true nature of street art to the wider public, and support the active scene of street artists.”
Last year’s rich lineup of Eastern European artists included Sepe (PL), Your Mom’s Knights (RU), Kiwie (LV), Bisser (BE), Krõõt Kukkur (EE), Zahars Ze (LV), Maari Soekov (EE), Lazy Bra (LV), Glow (BG), Sänk (EE) Siguel (PL), Vour (LV), Pintsel (EE), and Someart (PL).
On their artist page, Stencibility notes that they learned of this final artist, Someart’s, work “when he sent an impressive pack of stickers to SLÄP! exhibition last year. Now finally we get to meet him. We are huge fans of his stickers and paste-up’s.”
Based in Poznań, Poland, Someart’s own bio says that he committed to a full-time “art adventure” after graduating college. “His main inspirations,” the bio explains, “are m-theory and multidimensional nature of Universe. This interest is very noticeable in his works.”
After the festival, Someart gave an interview to James Finucane where he detailed his experience painting for Stencibility, the symbols that drive his work, and the values that fortify his commitment to the arts.
Someart was attracted to the festival as a new step in his adventure. “First of all, I’ve never been to Estonia,” he said. “I’ve never had this kind of ‘spraycation’!”
He found the festival unique because it remained completely true to its ideals. “Speaking about the overall impression I really appreciated the organizers’ flexibility,” the artist recalled. “In the beginning we got walls on which there were already murals and we didn’t like the idea of painting over them. Finally, we decided to go and look for some new places we could paint. [Festival organizers] Sirla and Kadri went with us to find new, interesting spots and helped with translations. We found a workhouse and it turned out that the owner had a birthday this day. For him a newly painted mural was the best birthday gift ever! For this reason I think this kind of approach is worth more than gold.”
Someart completed four murals with Stencibility: one at the workhouse, two smaller pieces “in an abandoned building in Tartu,” and “one quick wall in an abandoned building 40 minutes outside of Tartu.”
His pieces on the workhouse and abandoned building all featured dogs in his singular illustrative style. The larger piece showed “a dog fighting with my diamond sign,” while the smaller works showed “a dog escaping” along with “a calm greyhound which suited perfectly the silence and peace surrounding this place.”
When asked about the persistent ‘diamond’ symbol throughout his work, the artist replied that it is “an octahedron without walls, also called a Platonic Solid,” whose value he highlights with a distinct golden color.
“This is my symbol of the dimensions,” Someart continued, “which we can’t see because we are captured in our four-dimensional world. The ‘diamond’ has a very important place in most of my works. In general I set it together with animals in moments of struggle or the annihilation of our real world.”
When asked to elaborate on the presence of dogs in his work, the artist wrote, “Dogs have a special place in my heart, it’s always been like that. I believe dogs see and feel more than us, they are some kind of a magical window to the world of energy or even ghosts. When I was a child I had a few situations with my family dog, when I felt something magical and hard to explain. Those moments coded permanently somewhere in my head. So I think I’m a bit sentimental about dogs and that´s the reason why they interchange with my creativity.”
Finucane noted that last year’s edition of the festival focused on “anarcho-street art, which takes its inspiration from anarcho-punk in an attempt to reclaim street art´s anti-establishment origins.” He wondered how these ideals meshed with the practicalities of a working artist’s career.
To satisfy these idealistic inclinations, Someart cited his ‘Friendly Faces’ series, which he updates every year. “The latest edition was dedicated to people who fight for their rights or the rights of others,” the artist wrote. “I created 12 faces of protesters from around the world.” The project seeks to highlight “that everybody is a piece of art, as individual and unique as can be, without criticism or passing judgement.” He continued, “this is my anti-establishment project, especially because this project ‘lives’ on the streets.” During Stencibility, Someart left twenty posters from the series around Tartu.
Someart also accepts corporate clients and completes commissions on his own terms. He’s partnered with GoPro, and explained, “They already know my style and they know what I paint and how I paint, and they respect it… when GoPro invited me to work for them I created something that I would normally do: I did some black and white pieces of nature during the annihilation process with a golden octahedron and they were very happy with it.” The key lies in finding partnerships that are a natural fit. “It’s always my ideas, my style, my interpretations, but clients are aware that they will get a piece of street art in their offices or homes,” according to Someart.
The artist also harnesses his authenticity to increase street art’s standing in his home country. “Poland isn’t very aware of street art but I hope it´s starting to change now,” the artist told Finucane. He participates in educational events, like a recent opportunity at the “Zamek” Cultural Center. Someart recalled, “I created topography of the city; I made the castle and main streets and after that together with children we drew some other important city landmarks. It was great fun, for me and for them. They got to know new forms and techniques. I had a chance to show and explain how important expressing yourself is and how we can influence the cities where we live.”
For the larger Polish populace, Someart noted, “During last few years I’ve been trying to organize some exhibitions, mostly concentrated on street art and illustrations.” He and a friend also manage a gallery in Poznań’s center. “I‘m quite passionate about organizing and I have a huge desire for creating the place where people can meet and show what they do. Especially as there aren’t many galleries in Poland which are open to street artists. ‘Zacnie’ gallery is going to change that.”
There is an increasing tension in street art that I believe will ultimately determine its identity moving forward. The diverging paths are trod by those who remain true to the medium’s intrinsic revolutionary ideals and those who chase extrinsic rewards like money and fame. Someart’s career exemplifies how these paths can perhaps coexist, as he maintains the creative spark that makes him an artist while exhibiting the business savvy required to earn a living from his calling. The solution here lies in wholehearted collaboration: with clients and the communities where he works. Stencibility, with its commitment to preserving the original street art spirit, further lends credence to the original motivations surrounding the form. Their work, marvelous in its own right, has a deeper meaning that will surely unfurl with each additional edition of the festival.
Someart: website | instagram
Stencibility: website | facebook | instagram
