Telmo Pieper and Miel Krutzmann met in 2007. But the official start of the collaboration, however dates later in 2012, after both had completed the Academy of Art. The two artists work with a photo-realistic style with lots of contrasts. They work separately on ideas for murals and come together with the sketches to see if combinations can be made. The result is usually very surrealistic, with attention to detail. They always work on the same piece together and are able to switch places when ever wanted or needed.
Our esteemed writer Hannah Judah caught up with the duo on their 10-year anniversary show “Together Apart” at the KIRK Gallery in Aalborg, Denmark.
So, firstly congratulations on 10 years as TelmoMiel! Your work has taken you to 50 countries and almost all continents. If you could paint absolutely anywhere in the universe, where would that be?
MIEL: The universe is big place. I have a lot of Star Trek on in the background when I paint. Soothing voices of captain Picard and Commander Worf are just awesome for painting. But you know what, I don’t actually enjoy traveling that much. I feel like being in a can of worms in an airplane. So, if I could choose, it’d be close to home. Maybe Elon can send us a Starlink satellite to paint. Or if teleportation becomes a reality, let’s say I’d go from New York to Japan ending up in the Maldives with a big canvas and turtles swimming just outside our tiny house. As long as I can paint or do something with my hands, I’m happy wherever.
TELMO: I’m very happy we got to see so many great places with the work that we do. I don’t have many left on my bucket list. Mexico is one of them, never been there, but already know I will love it. And as you said ‘almost all continents’. I would definitely want to finish that list and visit Antartica. Probably not easy to paint there but it would be epic.
Your 10 year anniversary show, ‘Together Apart’ at KIRK Gallery is clearly a huge deal. In the two years spent preparing for it, what has been your main driving force and inspiration?
MIEL: It is totally a huge deal for us, to think we’ve held it together for 10 years and creative growth is still progressing. That’s something I wouldn’t have thought possible all those years ago, and I’m proud we made it this far. Inspiration is, I think, a very personal thing. The path you walk to get to a subject or sketch has infinite dimensions. It is very much decided by thinking patterns influenced by a personal life. All our paintings are our personal views and experiences. We didn’t have a mutual concept or theme we hung over our heads, actually I didn’t even seen Telmo’s paintings yet. I have no clue as to what he has made. Some things have unfolded of course after us promoting our show online, but still quite mysterious… For me, I was just happy to start on this show knowing we’d have two years to complete it. I take my time. I mindlessly start with something in sketch form. Afterwards I start thinking about what it is or could be, from the initial composition. My girlfriend and I are quite convinced I’m slightly autistic, making slow decisions with way too much awareness of every aspect. I kind of build a relationship with every single painting. Shared moments of doubt, re-viewing, re-coloring, re-compositioning and re-conceptualizing. It’s not easy creating something from thin air, not for me. Not something worthy of being painted with all the dedication we put into it. So, to keep it short; it’s a struggle, with moments of receiving renewed positive energy when finally being happy with an end result. As to the paintings themselves; every painting has it’s own story. Personal views on current society features and logically also influenced by the pandemic situation, which is exactly the period that we’ve painted this line of work.
TELMO: We already decided before to not plan a big show in 2021. It is always a big hassle to balance your time between studio work and all the travelling for painting murals. So it was nice to have the deadline further away for a change. But then Covid happened and we actually had even more time than we anticipated. These last years made everybody contemplate about what is important to them and how everything changed for the better or worse. The pandemic has definitely been the inspiration for this new body of work.
If you could bring back any artist from the past and spend a day in the studio with them, who would it be?
MIEL: First one I thought of to be honest is Robert Proch…
TELMO: Yes I can’t argue with that. I would love to see Robert in action again. Great artist and a shame he is not with us anymore.
Do you ever feel stifled when you have to compromise on every wall because you work in duo form?
MIEL: No, we don’t. As we don’t compromise. We work individually. It’s just that, when Telmo’s sketch is chosen for a project that we both signed on for, I’m his butler. Or the other way around. We decided a while ago that we both want to progress our own individual ideas, in murals and paintings. Otherwise, as you said, you’ll have to compromise. That way you’ll never really get your own ideas going. Which can be a choice, and it’s safe being able to depend on two minds. But then again, that’ll slow your own progression.
What’s the best reaction you’ve ever had to one of your murals?
MIEL: The best one for me was in Sweden a while ago, someone said nothing but had put a rose on our lift. In Sicily we had a resident of the building buying us lunch every day and ended up giving us his prized Rolex watches. We declined him kindly 5 times, but he wouldn’t let us leave without his watches.
TELMO: Not really the best but definitely one I will never forget was in Portugal. The first day we started with our mural an elderly woman came to us very angry, bringing police with her and telling us to stop. Not knowing what was going on and any patience to let us explain ourselves, she left. A week later after finishing the mural she came back saying sorry and crying, because it was so beautiful.
You’ve obviously developed a very harmonious rapport since first meeting at the Willem de Kooning Academy all those years ago. If one of you developed a really annoying habit like say popping bubblegum, sniffing loudly or wearing an overpowering cologne – how would you deal with that when you’re up in the lift?
MIEL: I would just say; ‘Stop it, or I’ll throw you off!’ But I think Telmo would be annoyed by me quicker, rather than the other way around. Although, Telmo is maybe the hardest person to annoy, nothing bothers him. So I’m in luck. Maybe that’s why it still works after such a long time.
TELMO: Not really, we are both pretty easy going. I always find it a waste of time to worry.
What was it like to collaborate with SMUG and do you have any future plans to collaborate with him again? Your classic realism, abstraction and surrealism combined with his photorealism created such an explosive piece in Rotterdam!
MIEL: He’s one of the best, and such fun to work with. I believe we will meet him again this year in Sweden if I’m not mistaken. Might be a chance to do something together again.
TELMO: We had the plans to paint together for a while, but it took some time before we found the right wall. Doing this collaboration with Smug was a blast and it definitely wasn’t the last.
Some people blame street art for in their view, playing a critical role in the gentrification process and pricing out locals. What’s your view on this?
MIEL: I think it’s logical that cities and communities are looking for ways to make things more exciting in their neighborhood. If it be a music festival or street-art, it’s just a way to get attention for that area in the world. Tourists and people that are interested will come and spend their money in that area. That way I think it has a very positive effect, on every step of the financial ladder. Hotels will have more business, but smaller businesses will have more people coming in as well. Last year we were working in Germany, and the kebab place across from our wall had a lot more business because of our project there. People stop, look, have a chat and buy a kebab. With pricing out locals, you mean lower income families will have problems because rental prices will rise because of street art? Or do you mean local artists don’t get a chance because we’re in the way? If it’s about driving out low income families, I’d be very surprised if street art is directly responsible for that increase in rental prices. If so, that’d be awful. We come to create positive vibes, not for governments to feed upon. If it’s about local artists not getting a chance; I would say, it is what it is. We don’t get a lot of chances back home either, maybe last year a bit more. But our business is mostly outside of Holland. Also, it’s just a given that an Hawaiian artist will be sexier in Amsterdam, rather than a local artist from Amsterdam. It’s just the way organizers and consumers think.
TELMO: Gentrification is a shame. But I don’t think street art is the main problem in that because it was already happening long before big murals became a thing. However I think it is good to know who you are really working with, because there are organisations that don’t care at all and get money to just spruce up the place.
That’s also why I love painting in small places. It’s much easier to meet all the right people than in big cities where there are many people involved in the process.
What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve encountered during all your years working together?
MIEL: I immediately have to go back to about 9 years ago, when we worked for a sheik in Beirut. The whole trip was a culture shock; scaffoldings getting welded on top of lifts, assistants changing the stance of the lift while we were still up 20m, people getting fired and a crazy party to celebrate the client’s birthday. But the most bizarre story from that trip is when the spray-can dealer wouldn’t deliver the cans. Our project leader had trouble getting in touch with that dealer, and in the end I believe he just refused to deliver. That’s when the client (sheik) went over to the dealer and we had the cans within an hour. Story is that his trunk was full of weapons… So, the dealer gladly handed over the cans.
TELMO: We’ve encountered some strange things but that Beirut trip was definitely the most bizarre one.
What is the most unexpected benefit you’ve had from your global success as street artists?
MIEL: Benefits enough, but unexpected is hard to place my finger on. I guess it would be the network of artists that we have now. We never expected to be in touch with people like Smug or guys like Case Maclaim, Felipe Pantone, Sebas Velasco, Vesod etc. When we started, most of them were already on top, or at least further along. When we did presentations about them at the academy, not once did it enter my mind that we’d be painting along side them in a year or two. To have those things come true is just awesome.
TELMO: Definitely having this big group of artist friends spread out over the world.
You use such beautiful, vibrant colors in your work. Are there any colors you really hate or would be reluctant to use?
MIEL: Every dish needs it’s salt and pepper. I love all colors, there are just color combinations that I wouldn’t use. It has to compliment each other, colors can make each other stronger or weaker. And that fine line is where we both try to walk.
TELMO: No, we love to work with all colors. We are more reluctant to use real black. For realism it works much better to use dark colors instead of black.
Any advice for artists just starting out?
MIEL: The only advice I can think of is; PRACTICE. Make a lot of things, and when you think you’ve made a lot of things, make more things.
TELMO: Don’t worry to make mistakes. Failure is the best teacher.
What’s next up on your agenda for 2022?
MIEL: We’ve been so busy preparing the show that we haven’t really had the time to finalize all requests and scheduling them. But I do know the first thing after this is a mural project in Switzerland with Exomusee somewhere around the end of April. Telmo’s sketch, so I’ll be butler.
TELMO: We have a lot of new plans and projects in the making, but giving everything a spot on our calendar will happen after the opening of the show. But Switzerland will be our next stop.
Thank you both for giving so much insight into your fascinating world. Your body of work for ‘Together Apart’ is phenomenal and we’re looking forward to many more decades of TelmoMiel creations!
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‘Together Apart’ runs until April 2nd at KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark. Stay tuned for KIRK Gallery’s 8th season of ‘Out in the Open’ to take place this summer.
Telmo Miel: website | facebook | instagram
Kirk Gallery: website | facebook | instagram
