Husk Mit Navn

March has arrived, and with the new month we bring you another fresh interview with one of the most interesting and active artists from Denmark: Husk Mit Navn (www.huskmitnavn.dk). This name migth not sound familiar to you, but in his country is one of the best known urban creators, either because his peculiar illustrations, or because his mural works, his weekly illustration for one of the most important newspaper of his country or his massive and dynamic wheat-pasted posters bombing in the streets of Copenhagen, his hometown. We have no doubt about that HMN work has tremendous power and unusual coherence and that is the reason why we didn´t think twice to ask him these questions and invited him to redesign our monthly header… enjoy!

When, where, how and why you started to do work on the streets?

Ever since Graffiti came to Denmark in back in 1984, I have been interested in the Graffiti scene and one day in 1993 I just decided to start painting myself. In 2001 I started to do street posters as well because I wanted to do something in the public space for everybody to understand.

So you were into the Hip Hop thing?

Only in the 80’s. Not anymore. I’m only into the Graffiti part of Hip Hop.

You were doing characters since the beginning?

No I started after a couple of years, but I quickly noticed that the other writers only remembered the characters I did, so I started to make more of them.

I know through some friends that you used some other names to bomb. Which ones and why did you finally chose Husk Mit Navn?

I can’t really tell you my other street names. I try to keep them a bit separate from each other. I use HuskMitNavn (which means RememberMyName in Danish) when I do my street posters, cartoons and art in galleries. HuskMitNavn is a “no bullshit” name, because that’s what it’s all about, that people remember my name and see the stuff I create.

So what you do under those names is with a different style?

I make classic Graffiti when I use the other names: Tags, throw ups and pieces.

Well… you do a lot of bombing under your HMN personality, don’t you?

I make posters under the HMN name and simple one-colour characters. I used to paint more classic Graffiti, now I try to paint once a week in secret spots around town.

It’s been a while now since I first saw your stuff in the streets trough some zines and the web (I think around he urban art info expo). Since the beginning it caught my eye your raw and synthetic images, but at the same time intelligent concepts. How would you describe your style?

I try to make simple and strong art that ordinary people can relate to. Most of the time I mix it with a bit of humour. That way it becomes easier to comprehend.

Do you think there is any connection between this style and the stereotype of the north European Graff scene of dirty or loose style of letters….I think from the mid to late 90´s this was a revolution in the international Graff scene….do you relate to this?

I have been part of the Danish Graffiti scene for a long time now, over the years I have been inspired by other Graffiti writers such as: Mess, Pike, Blade, Mode2 and Soe or Sabe from Denmark. I don’t know if my way of drawing is particular Danish or Nordic, but I feel connected style-wise to the other people of my crew: Duek, Tele, Nutron, Dasl, Kegr, Hovs, Reim, Mart, Pheo to name a few (it’s a big crew).

You mentioned some important names in the Danish Graff scene. What’s the name of that crew?

Bea crew and ASS crew. Together they form the BEASS crew.

I know some of them do different things to classic letter oriented, but is there a whole scene of people doing newer stuff in the streets now? (and I am talking about some solid shit, not your average design student who gets up for a month and thinks he is a king!)

Not really, there are some people; they are not a big movement. Tele a.k.a Freaks Gallery is good. He paints a lot and does all kinds of crazy projects and exhibitions.

He was in that documentary Urban Wallpaper by Idahella Therp, right? I was at the premier in London back in 2001

Yes, I think so. Idahella Therp is a friend of mine. She used to be Reim’s girlfriend. They lived together in London.

Is there respect between classic writers, bombers and the most recent type of bombing like wheat-pasting or stickers…?

I have not had any problems with other writers, I thing most people know the rules of the street.

What about the influence of classic American cartoons or underground comics like Zap or Mickey Rat? Main influences?

I used to be very inspired by Keith Haring and early Walt Disney stuff. Their styles were raw and energetic. I use my everyday life experiences when I make the text for my cartoons. My texts are a bit inspired by texts of Jenny Holzer, who also used to do street posters in New York back in the 70´s.

I can totally see the Keith Haring influence in some of your stuff. He also used to do posters during early 80´s …I think it’s the first person I consciously saw doing that. When and why did you start to use wheat pasted paper to bomb?

In 2001. My friend Tele had already started and I wanted to join in.

Your work is basically character-based, but a lot of time there is some writing completing the picture. Mostly is written in Danish, right? What are the main topics of the stuff you do?

My texts are about everyday life situations or they are political. Most the time people remember my text more than my drawings. I write small funny stories about the small problems of life.

Have you ever thought of using English to reach more people?

I write my text in English when I do stuff outside Denmark. The last T-shirt I did had an English text which said “A boy is a girl with no problems”. I do about 20% of my work outside of Denmark and I am planning and hoping to do more.

I saw that one…I love that sentence! So real!! Hahahaha! Now that you bring that out, looks like you have been quite a few times in Germany, but your work is little known and unseen down in the south of Europe. Never travelled to paint?

Not so much. I have painted in Germany, Finland, England, Sweden, Paris and Prague.

Is there a direct connection between Germany and Denmark?

My friend Reim knows Adrian from Backjumps, because they used to make Graffiti magazines. That’s how I got invited to the Backjumps exhibition.

You did many things in Christiania, but this place is now gone, right? Can you tell us a little bit about this place?

The place still exists. It’s a hippie village in the middle of Copenhagen. The police is trying to shut it down constantly. You could buy hash there not so long ago, but the police put a stop to it. But you can still paint legal Graffiti there.

Did you go to Art College or something like that?

I have got an education as a fine art teacher, but I never used it. I have been making a living as an artist for the past 4-5 years.

Does your art pay your bills? What do you do for living?

All I do is draw. I sell my art and illustrations and do mural project for money. Things are going well. I have just done a solo exhibition here in Copenhagen at V1 gallery and I sold almost everything in 3 days. Even the National Gallery bought a couple of drawings. It feels a bit funny.

Why does it feel funny?

Art on the street has been looked down upon by the “real” art scene for a long time. But now things are changing a bit. It feels funny.

You are really active in the gallery scene, right? Can you tell me a little bit about your relationship to the gallery world? What is V1 gallery?

I am represented by V1 gallery. It’s a popular gallery which shows all kinds of contemporary art including street related stuff. It has also had exhibition by Banksy, Obey, Faile and Futura 2000. It’s fun to do stuff in galleries, you don’t have to worry about the cops and you can reach a different audience. The gallery scene can also be a bit boring and all about money, but I try to have a much fun as possible every time I do a show. And after the show I take the money and run.

You are having a solo show now at this gallery right? What is it about?

It’s about the Danes attitude towards foreigners which is a bit bad nowadays. Something has to be done about it. The Exhibition is my contribution to the debate…

Do you approach your work inside the same way you do outside?

I make site specific art. I don’t hang my street posters or do Graffiti pieces in galleries. My art must be alive and kicking whether it’s in or outdoors.

You have collaborated also with brands doing t-shirts and also with fashion designer Henrik Vibskov (I like what this guy does!)….how this collaboration came about and what do you think about fashion?

I’m not so much into fashion, but I like to do a t-shirt design once in a while. The designers I work with are my personal friends or people who have contacted me and asked me to do it.

This might sound stupid but…Do you consider yourself a street artist?

Not really, the word sounds a bit silly. When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I do drawings.

What are your main interests besides art?

I don’t really have a hobby, because drawing used to be my hobby, now it’s my job. But I like to read history books about how things were in the past.

You also do some comic strips for a Danish newspaper, right? Can you tell me a little bit about this? Anything to do with the new jihad against Denmark for the Allah comic strips?? :-P

Nope, I’m lucky I don’t work for the newspaper who printed the drawings of Mohamed. It’s a real crap newspaper. I make a comic for the second largest newspaper in Denmark: “Politiken“. I do it once a week. It’s not a strip. It’s only one drawing, but it’s quite big, half a page.

Any new projects coming up that you might what to share with us?

Among other projects I’m going to Stockholm in May to do a show at AG 925 gallery and I’m going to Paris for the Kosmopolite Graffiti Festival in June.

Hey!! And can you also tell me about your winter dick project?

It’s just a poster of a small dick in the winter cold. I used to post them in the wintertime in Copenhagen.

Link:
www.huskmitnavn.dk

Interview by: Zirus the virus.

3 comments March 1st, 2006 09:03am Administrador