For more than ten years, Danish BATES has spent thousands of hours secretly building up his own private hall of fame at a sand factory in Malmö, Sweden. In this edition of Ironlak Films BATES discusses the thought-process behind the self-initiated project and shows off the collection of artwork.

The inaugural launch of the show will feature 15 artists, including Inkie, Dank, Hunto, Masai, Parlee, Benjamin Murphy, Pogger, Andy Corlett, Ferres and International Nobody. The names of more artists will be released in the coming days…

Official launch night: Thursday 30th May 2013 6pm – 9pm
Opening dates: 28th May – 13th June 2013
Regular opening hours: 10am – 6pm Monday to Friday
Location: 207 Whitecross St, EC1Y 8QP (site of the Curious Duke Gallery)

For more information please go to insidergallery.com

Dan Kitchener or DANK is one busy man. Resisting categorization, his art incorporates several branches of technology, from digital paintings to stop frame animation, music videos to AV displays, video games to commercials, graphic novels to graffiti; there doesn’t appear to be one avenue of artistic engagement which Kitchener hasn’t exhausted… An enduring interest in the urban landscape and a desire to turn the city itself into a giant graphic novel, sets the tone for Kitchener’s latest works.

From Dan to Dank

DANK is simply my name abbreviated. I was called Dan K in primary school as well as Dekay and DK, but I didn’t want to make up a tag, I just preferred to use my name! As my work is strictly on the legal side of the street art and graffiti world, I am open with who I am and the work I do, as I also do a large amount of commercial work. I don’t feel the need to do illegal work.

I have been making art ever since I was able to hold a pen. I used to fill sketchbook after sketchbook in primary school, WW2 planes and tanks, as well as a fair share of monsters. I basically used to draw all the time. I’ve continued this throughout my life and still draw whenever I have a clear minute to whip out the sketchbook or now the iPad as well, it’s just something I do naturally, without thinking really.

For me walls have only really come around in a big way in the last 5 to 6 years. I discovered spray paint and saw that I could turn my paintings and drawings into huge street based illustrations, something that still really excites me creatively. I love the way painting at a large scale is possible, the impact these large pieces have really suits the subject matter too, I can’t see me ever getting tired of doing this.

I’m an Essex boy, born and bred, lived here all my life and love it. As well as its proximity to London, Essex is a great place, it seems to spawn some serious talent. I went to school and college in Essex, then did an Illustration degree at Portsmouth Uni. GCSE art, A Level art, a Foundation in art, BA Hons in Illustration, these all set a good basis for my career, but you never stop learning and experimenting.

I have painted using brush and paper etc. since I was probably 2. I did some walls when I was younger, a few naughty underpasses when I was really young with Halfords car spray paint; it never really gelled with me and how I was at the time. I painted the sixth form common room with large surrealist type pieces when I was 17, kind of my first large public wall, this definitely ignited something in me, but I never returned to painting large scale until I was in my 30′s.

As I do so many diverse things, I think with my sketching, painting and wall work, I try and convey an emotion, or an emotional response. I may have an image in my head of a sunset or a lighting effect and I try and get this across in the painting. Light and the use of it, how it can affect the scene, the image, is key to my work. I absolutely love the use of light, getting it right can totally transform the atmosphere of a piece; it really is amazing what light can do.

Subconsciously I put a lot of my own emotions into what I paint. Last year I went through a particularly dark period when my mum was seriously ill. My art was kind of haunted by dark imagery, something that really echoed through all I was creating. Animations had dark undertones, walls and illustrations had tormented creatures, sombre, ghostly apparitions. I’m kind of moving away from that darker side and now looking into more areas of light. Looking at how light affects a scene and the moods different lighting can create.

I’ve been influenced by a huge amount of sources over the years. As a kid I used to avidly read and collect comics, 2000AD to name one. I also loved Sci-fi movies and monster films, as well as the old black and white and 60′s war films. I basically try and absorb so many different things, it kind of creates a visual memory bank that you can dip into, take what you need, add it to an image and create something unique and fresh.

I like a variety of artists, James Jean, Ashley Wood, John Martin, Paul Delvaux, Mr Jago, Georgio de Chirico, Simon Bisley, there are so many great artists out there. I think I am inspired by artists that can draw well, something I rate very highly. I feel it’s vital for an artist in any field or medium to have drawing as a basic skill. For me, everything I do starts in the sketchbook, no matter what the final outcome, it’s sketches in my sketchbook, I draw at every spare moment I have, it’s my first language!

Before I start, the subject usually dictates to me the medium, I guess having experience in a diverse range of mediums and techniques allows me to make intuitive decisions, without really thinking, I can play through in my head which will work best and then adopt that approach.

I guess my art has developed over my lifetime and brought me to this point. It’s strange when people asked how I got into art, it’s not something I ever consciously got into, it’s just something I have always done, ever since I can remember, it’s such a part of me, who I am and my life, I don’t see it as a standalone hobby or pastime, it’s just what I do. Today, I am pleased with my work as I feel I am progressing in terms of diversity, I am also pleased with some of the more major projects that I have got involved in, such as Kylie and Paul McCartney’s stage visuals. Having some of my stop frame animations played out behind Paul McCartney at the Queen’s Jubilee concert outside Buckingham palace was a really proud moment for me and a definite highlight of my career.

Painting outdoors doesn’t affect the way I paint really. I like to adapt to different surroundings and environments and that’s why I choose pure spray paint for outdoor work, it’s essentially allowing me to be responsive to unforeseen circumstances or situations, it allows for total creative flexibility, unlike stencils for example.

Painting at Upfest this year was quite memorable, I managed to paint 40ft boards and one huge set of doors as well as some shop shutters, so for the amount of painting alone, this was quite memorable, but I think it was the reactions of the people who were at the event that was the best thing, so much enthusiasm and positive comments, it really does make it all worthwhile, when someone stops and has a chat about you and your work.

Painting with my new found crew, IM Crew, alongside Noir and Flem, two real talented old school writers, has also been really memorable, we all seem to work really well together, and all love to paint HUGE! Myself and Noir just painted at the Chelmsford gas works, covering a 60ft x 7ft wall in one session, a top days painting!

I paint in London a lot, it has some great spots, and also has great public exposure for my work, I love the vibe of London in particular, and the way people have really embraced street art here, I always get such positive comments from people. A few haters, even from other ‘artists’, but that goes with the territory! I only paint legal spots, so have no issues with the police.

I have painted in Amsterdam, at Villa Friekens, a cool traveller type community just outside Amsterdam. This was a great experience with some really laid back and open minded people. I have also painted in Barcelona, but not really painted that much outside the UK, definitely something I’d like to do more, getting time to travel is few and far between, I have so many projects on the go all the time, I just don’t have the time!

I’d like to continue with what I’m doing and see what happens, I am quite a strong believer that good things happen to those that wait, and are persistent. I would however, like to have some form of book or published work for my illustrations, maybe this illusive graphic novel or comic that keeps not happening! And my wall works, I’d like some bigger walls to paint, to a wider audience.

dankitchener.co.uk

Based in Dusseldorf, DXTR is a member of the German-Austrian crew The Weird, a talented international street art / graffiti group known for their warped and imaginative characters… Members of The Weird don’t seem to distinguish between large walls and smaller illustrations; their imagination runs wild in any available space. We talk to DXTR about his art and the art of not getting arrested.

Inside Dxtr’s Laboratory

My flat always looked like a laboratory, paint kettles and cans everywhere. So some friends called it Dexter‘s Laboratory, thats where the name comes from.

I have been drawing since my childhood. In 1999, at the age of 16 I got into illegal graffiti, introduced by some friends of mine – classical stuff. I really liked painting at night, but I also always focused on sketches and character based things since the beginning. Hanging out at my friends house and sketching in blackbooks was my daily routine.

In the early years I had several problems with police and at that point I focused more and more on characters, sketches and canvases. In 2006 I moved to Dusseldorf to study Communication Design at the University of Applied Science. I finished my diploma in 2010. I’m still living and working here as a freelance illustrator alongside The Weird’s mural projects.

Studying helped me to concentrate on what I’m doing all the time. I think studying was the right decision for me; it gave me the time to define my style, build up my freelance business, learn techniques, etc. It was just a playground to try things. I try to work on different things, always something new and fresh: Illustrations, canvases, screenprints, murals, etc. It depends on the project.

Dusseldorf is a nice place and I have met a lot of really good friends here, but I have almost nothing to do with the scene here. Because I’m travelling to paint a lot, I need to spend most of my time in the studio when I come back home. It seems likely that I’ll move to Berlin since most of my crewmates now live there.

I’ve painted in countries like Albania, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Russia, England, Luxembourg, Spain and in a lot of cities all over Germany. Tirana, the capitol of Albania was pretty crazy. There is almost no graffiti anywhere and after a day of painting in the streets everyone wanted us to paint their houses and gave us something to eat or drink. We felt very welcome over there. It was a really crazy and new experience regarding the police/authorities and the acceptance of graffiti compared to Germany. I really like to travel, meet new people and see new places. Painting gives me the opportunity to see these kind of places I would have never seen perhaps.

I mostly try to be positive with my art and make people smile and think. There’s a lot of myth, irony and provocation included but the most important ingredient is the fun that I’m having while I’m doing it. I create scenarios influenced by hip-hop in the 80s and 90s, Robert Crumb, Ren and Stimpy and Fritz the Cat.

A few of The Weird members have been good friends for years. In the summer of 2011 most of us met in Vienna to paint at a festival and we stayed at Nychos‘ place. It was a very weird week and it just felt right. A few months later I had the chance to bring all of them over to the Ruhr Area here in Germany for another festival – The Weird was born! The Weird is a family of 10 “urban Illustrators / pop surrealists” located all around Germany and Austria. The members are: Cone (Saarbruecken/Munich), Rookie (Munster), Low Bros (QBRK and Nerd in Hamburg and Berlin), Herr von Bias (Berlin), Peachbeach (Look and Vidam in Berlin), Frau Isa and Nychos (both Vienna) and me.

There’s a lot of stuff coming up with The Weird. The fact that we all work together more and more often has a huge impact on all of us. Let‘s see where this is going: I predict fun times. I hope to have the chance to travel more in the future. Thanks to all for the massive support in this first year of the Weirdos! Stay tuned!

flickr.com/photos/dxtrs
facebook.com/theweirdcrew

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We’ll throw all the names into a hat at the end of the month and choose a lucky winner. Two runners up will win some of our postcards…

Replete is a 15 year veteran of the street art scene, based in Leeds, UK. His works often incorporate old school writing styles with newer techniques such as cling film to create mind blowing anamorphic 3D optical illusions… His pieces are extremely highly detailed, using menagerie of different painting styles and materials. Utilising derelict, industrial backdrops, he makes his pieces jump to life with an extraordinary eye for detail, not missing any intricacies. Replete is a street art maestro; his 3D optical illusions are second to none, in this regard, truly one of the finest artists on the UK scene.

Replete is More than Just a Name

I have been painting on and off for around 15 years, during the second era of the hip hop movement starting back in 1992. Everything began with the creative process, I always found myself writing and drawing on every surface available, and this was apparent throughout my childhood. The themes mostly during the younger days were usually associated with sci-fi movies or television shows such as Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica much of where my inspiration comes from even today.

My name came from a series of vivid dreams where I embodied an ant, to cut a long story short, a few days later I had randomly came across a species of ant called the Replete or Honey Ant, this species of ant selflessly make themselves into living honey pots by storing honey in their abdomens, which then in times of drought give sustenance to other ants in their colony, this is how I see myself, the purpose of my art is to give nourishing imagery to those that have hungry eyes.

I have not had any formal training or education. I left a school at 16 with many of my art teacher telling me that graffiti was not a form of art, as they did not see it as part of the usual idealistic constructs of “art”. All my techniques have evolved from trial and error. Over a period of time new techniques have come to exist, one technique in particular involves using my hand as a moveable masking template or brush to smear and alter paint to create a desired effect have become a permanent part of my range.

Locations range anywhere from the side of an apartment block to the husk of a factory; dirt, rust and decay fascinate me, as does heavy machinery, which explains why I feel most at home painting in derelict factories.

I would describe my style as incorporates what I call insectile forms – figures which have close likeliness to creatures in the insect world, to origami styled figures and 3D illusionary pieces. The ability to create something from thin air has always fired my imagination. Walls were the initial launch pad but I have now spread my artwork to floors, and suspended imaginary structures using strategically placed multiple layers of kitchen cling film and tin-foil.

My main motivation is to push my boundaries and hopefully to baffle anyone who would stumble upon my artworks.

Leeds is quite an active scene and quite friendly as opposed to places like London, the northern cities tend to be much earthier and warmer in outlook. Leeds has a strong DIY ethic, this is due to the flow of funding you tend to find in the capital is completely lacking in Leeds, so getting out there and creating your own scene from whatever you can scrounge and gaffer tape together seems to be the best mode of attack.

I’ve dabbled in the gallery scene for around 5 years and been involved in some group shows, but so far I haven’t found any that really stood out. My main priority at the moment Is to do more installations rather than the straight white wall approach that’s favoured by many galleries.

Travelling to various spots is something I crave to do more but being the archetypal starved artist such opportunities are frustratingly few and far between. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to paint around various countries in Europe including the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Croatia which all have their own distinct flavour compared to the UK. My current location love is a derelict print works in Leeds, which, unfortunately is currently being raised to the ground to build new homes. This locale was the birthplace of my multi-layered Clingfilm/anamorphic illusions so it’s ground zero of something unique in the world.

I want to try out several different styles, some simplistic, some taking 3D art further by using many different techniques to enhance the illusionary effect. My future works will incorporate mostly commissioned mural pieces which have been the focus as of late.

repletes.net

Spain’s Belin is well-known for his rosy-cheeked graffiti characters, which have a strong fine art quality to them…Belin is equally adept at painting huge murals, canvases and making sculptures, all of which carry his distinctive style. His broad technical abilities and sense of humour make him an artist, like many of his peers, that the World should be paying a lot more attention too. We painted our cheeks and caught up with Belin.

The Brilliance of Belin

When I was very little I made clay dolls and drew a lot on paper. I was always interested in drawing, but it was just as a hobby. Around 1995 I first picked up a spraycan; that’s when I became more interested in painting and graffiti gradually became part of my life.

My art was born in Linares, the place inspired me. I’m still living in Linares, but now I travel a lot, and I feel at home everywhere. Belin comes from my last name Belinchón; so simple!

My involvement in graffiti was purely illegal, but then I started painting murals and doing legal work to pay for my paint. I’ve had some problems with the police, and even today I paint murals and graffiti illegal when I want. Also in 2011 I painted a mural for the national police [force] inside their building on request.

When I first started painting graffiti I painted a lot of letters, but almost always I used a comic character alongside my pieces. I started doing more characters when I started hanging out with other graffiti artists who painted letters; I decided to paint more characters to entertain the murals. I still paint letters occasionally.

I’m self taught; everything I’ve learned has been on my own accomplishments. I have always worked hard to have a good and proper style. When I create something, be it a painting or a sculpture, I try and let go of preconceptions, I use any material and shape to create a good work. I do not know which major artists have influenced me, but I think all of us are influenced by every artist that we see throughout our lives.

My canvas art was born naturally, by the need to keep my work alive. Street art is ephemeral, so I started to paint pictures. I’ve loved working in three dimensions since I was very young; I always liked toys so one day I decided to make one of my characters in 3D; my sculptures were born.

I painted in countries that I never would have imagined, like Israel, Croatia, Italy, France, Germany, England, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Mexico, Brazil and the United States. In each country I felt very welcome.

I have had many experiences, always good, and I’ve met amazing people. I have friends now across half the world. That’s so important and it’s something that I never imagined. I prefer to paint in abandoned places, lonely places that provide an inspiring space to paint in peace; that’s what I prefer today.

I hope that I won’t stop but live for many years to produce countless works. When I die I hope everyone will still have the opportunity to enjoy what I enjoyed: art.

belin.es/graffiti

She started by painting murals with brushes and acrylics in her hometown and also had a few exhibitions of mostly traditional portrait paintings and still life…

She moved to England in 2007 to learn the language, meeting SkyHigh who inspired her to paint on walls again. She enjoys painting collaborations like the ‘Orange Hair Girl’ with Skyhigh (first picture) and with other graffiti artists.

“I am having so much fun while I’m painting and just LOVE making people happy with my artwork. I have just sent my first canvas to
NYC and also some sketches to Australia to a surf board company. I have a few jams and sessions planned for this year, so look out for my sexy ladies. X”

Check out SZYLK WANE’s website for some sketches szylkwane.see.me and her FB page facebook.com/szylkwane