San

2007 has brought San (www.eseaene.com) many good news and and interview was in order. Since we collaborated with him for the “La alucinante unidad errante” project we curated he was already telling us about the show he was going to be having at Upper Playground in San Francisco. Those good vibes have confirmed and right now San is one of the most international of a new generation of Spanish artists.

First of all a question we usually make: when, where, how and why you started to do work in the streets?

Well, first of all it would be good to be realistic when referring to the beginnings: Me, like many others, started by simply writting my name, without really knowing why I was doing it. This is, without a doubt, the main aspect with a Graffiti writer. It’s important to note where I grew up: a small village called Moraleja in the province of Caceres. Imagine the kind of access I had there to what was going on at the time in Spain. We are talking early 90s when freestyle experimentation with more figurative characters was starting to happen. I was very incfluenced by those murals with characters and backgrounds that I would see in my many visits to Madrid and Barcelona. We could say that the phase I’ve gone through up until now it’s been one of “training” in which I’ve learned to discover that “why in the streets”. It’s only after many years that you come to realize the power and the game factor that street as a medium has. It’s an universe ready to be explored and, no matter how much I’ve painted there, I don’t think I ever reflected there what I really wanted to.

I guess it must be difficult to find the time and energy to stay active in the street when, like in your case, a demand for your studio work starts to be important. How do you find that balance and how does it fit, the studio work with the street work and how are they different?

Honestly, I don’t let that “conflict” bother me too much. I think it’s necessary to let the work pursue its own destiny. It’s only necessary that, in my case, after all that painting outside, my work requieres more of the reflexive side of studio work. Right now I’m working less in the street because I need to develop my work on a plastic level more carefully. Let’s say that I needed to truly inmerse into my own work in both a concepctual and formal level. It’s also decissive the kind of work one intends to do: My paintings need a longer execution time and thus, I cannot mantain a constant and visible activity out there like other artists do… but I’m preparing new experiments!

Well, the news is that you had a sold-out in the opening night in your show at Upper Playground in San Francisco. How’s fame treating you? ;)

Hahaha….”fame”! What a big word? Truth is that the fact that your work fits so easily and the first time in a place where the level of the game is that important is quite amazing to me.

Now, seriously, how was the experience?

Like I was saying, I was surprised by the reaction of the people in San Francisco. I’ve realized that there’s people (artists, gallery owners, collectors, critics and the general public) that are really interested in this, that there’s a fully established scene. And after all, what’s most satisfying is the interest of the public. Selling more or less is just the result of that interest and how the market revolves around that. Unfortunately there’s a big difference between Europe and the US in the way there’s a much clearer intention from many people over there to push this kind of art forward. What I was the more surprised with was seeing some of the artists I admire buy pieces from my show.

I can imagine that after this you might have more offers to participate in events, festivals, exhibitions… but mostly there will be a bigger demand for your studio work. Does this make you have a stronger work discipline? Some people prefer working under some pressure. Is this your case?

So far things have worked out with this people over there and we are talking about some dates for this new year besides some other projects. Truth is that they seem very interested in my work and we will be working together. Besides this I was trying to put more time into my studio work months before this but it’s difficult for someone like me, always up and down painting here and there. To lock yourself up in a studio means sacrificing many other things that come up along the way and besides you have to be able to support yourself during that time. As for the pressure, what can I tell you that you don’t know already? There’s people that work months in advance, then selects work and shows it and usually that kind of artist just does that. In my case I also do work as an illustrator and it’s hard to find time for everything so I have to embrace pressure and use it in my favor.

And precisely those projects that come up along the way such as events and festivals maybe that’s something that you won’t be able to do much anymore. Or maybe you still find interesting the experience of doing work live in front of an audience and knowing that it will be a piece that will be painted over or trown away after the event…

Those events usually have positive side elements such as travelling, hotels, friends, going out and having fun… you know! Well, seriously, it’s always good to participate in something that’s worthwhile from the creative point of view. For now things are taking shape pretty much by themselves and for me what’s important is to work on my stuff with freedom and that’s precisely what I’m doing right now.

One of the things that are more interesting in your work is the detailed line work. How’s your working process? Do you improvise a lot or do you always start from a previous sketch? Do you usually work in series? Are you a slow artists, as it seems from the detail in your work or are you more chaotic than it seems?

I’m a true maniac!!! When I was a kid and would draw at school I wouln’t put color in the drawings if I didn’t have the precise colors, I would sharpen the crayons after every stroke… that kind of things. And now, in a way, it’s quite the same. I draw every day in my sketchbooks, like a regular excercise. I take ideas from there for different uses. Lately I write to put my ideas in order. If you draw a lot, there’s always ideas that are left undone and I usually use those for the street like independent pieces and when it’s time to work on an idea there’s always room for surprises and ideas that can improve the original concept. Sometimes the piece can mutate and become something that looks completely different but the concept that lies underneath always stays the same.

Back to the fact that you travel a lot, how would you say that’s influencing you and your work?

The experience of travelling and meeting places, flavors, people… it mostly teaches you to look. In my case I feel this is making my work more solid and personal. One of the things that I consider more interesting in each artist is how his culture and where he’s coming from, before he knew he would become an artist, shows in his work. I grew up in this small village in touch with nature and organic textures and things not created by men. This, in a instinctive way reflects more and more in my work. And it’s the result of confronting my background with the visual experiences I have when I travel. In a way these experiences are making me “come home”.

In your work there are shocking elements and the overall sensation is that there’s something there that can be fully decyphered. How much do you expect people to feel something in particular and how much do you rather have each person make its own interpretation?

My work is completely based on symbols. We could say that my message is part of the very essence of my work but there’s not an ulterior concept beyond the forms. The message is in the images. That’s whny I try to choose elements that, together with others, create a discourse. Although people might see unpleasant things I always refer to the most common things from your everyday life. But you have to look for it. Recently I read an interview with David Lynch where he was “acused” of making films difficult to understand, very twisted. He answered that the movie industry has plenty of movies easy to understand and made just to entertai and how people that wouldn’t understand his movies are simply not used to think. His films are very detailed both in a technical and symbolic way. In my work there’s some of that. I work very much on the details and I feel the need to suggest and twist if necessary. We all have a detective inside.

So is there a recurring theme in your work?

Human behaviour, althgouh not in a explicit way but I always try to get you there.

And as for you work as an illustrator, how does it relates to your painting, how much drawing is there in you painting and how different both works are?

In the technical aspect I feel like I’m getting there, to a middle ground, at least with paintings and street work. Let’s say that there’s a symbiotic approach, part painting part drawing. My goal now is to make this appareance come true. On the other hand I love drawing and I will never stop drawing as a goal in itself and not just like a mean to an end. And in the more conceptual sense, I try my work to have a common coherent discourse, at least for now.

And back to your street work, how do you see the situation right now and compared to what it used to be?

When I started there was everything and everything was part of the same thing while now each particular scene is apart from the rest. I guess it’s only logical. I’ve always considered myself a Graffiti writer because I’ve done Graffiti but at the same time my work has evolved to the point where it is now and I think that you have to respect where you are coming from while not necessarly making it the main part of your discourse. In interested in a scene where you can create with absolute freedom, and no prejudices but always with a sense and a goal. I love Graffiti but it doesn’t mean it invades my artistic interest.

There seem to be a lot of people nowadays doing art in the streets but with a great diversity in their ethics and aesthectics. Where would you see yourself in that world, what would be your coordinates? What artists do you admire the most?

I couldn’t say… my coordinates but right now I’m focused in the more formal aspects of my work to give it still another twist. This way I go out to the street with a different vision and with it I can contribute without having to go for the latest trend of posters, stencils or purely conceptual actions. I cannot understand my street work without the technical side so I tend to do more meditated actions. Well, I guess those are my coordinates after all. I admire many artists in different ways. In the visual sense I find the work of Sat one, Herbert Baglione, Mars one, Vitché, Os Gemeos is very interesting but I love the discourse and tone of Banksy, Revs or my friend Blu.

Besides these shows in the US, what have you been doing lately?

I’m working on a couple of shows in the UK in february. After that I will try to organice things a little bit and do some more street work that I’ve intending to do for some time already, very teathrical, you’ll see…

Any plans for the future you want to tell us about?

My general plan is to work hard as a consecuence of my experiences. Every new year is a surprise and there’s always new people and travels and conversations.

What project do you want to do that still nobody has asked you to?

Any project where the curators would really research into my work and the final result would take an interesting shape for the public and myself.

Any particular artist or initiative you want to recommend?

I think that all the pieces in this world would have to open and look further towards different places more seriously and in a professional way. Start defending our ideas in our own area although that’s difficult in a country like this one. I feel more exchange between artists and more solid projects are possible. It’s just a question of hard work and energy so… let’s get working!

Add comment January 7th, 2008 10:00pm Administrador