PM3

For followers of the 2095'ers ramblings, it would be difficult to not to acknowledge the fact that PM3 had a major impact upon her life as a streetart photographer.

Prior to first visit she had heard various comments by some that it wasn't "their scene" in that it wasn't "street" enough for them.  Being a fairly philosophical person, the 2095 chick did not let this influence her at all: in fact it was the opposite.  And besides, why would you not want to to see something that was street, with its stage being a world heritage listed island in the middle of Sydney Harbour!

Undeterred, the 2095'ers maiden voyage to Cockatoo Island was on the official opening day.  While she had been aware that installations & PM3 starting before the official start date, for some inexplicable reason the chick elected to not go and upon reflection she still is unable to pinpoint exactly why.

No need to dwell or attempt self-analysis (cause this could go on for eternity!) the main point is that she got there.

After exploring the exterior and needing to have a breather, the 2095'er swivelled her head and there it was.  In ya face, drowning with layers, an explosion of colour, HUGE pasteups and in the midst of it all it was.....total silence.  

A complete contradiction of the senses in an almost blissfully suffocating way.

As with most experiences the desire to share via slideshow was a no-brainer. Inspired, feeling incredibly excited and proud that the Aussies were showing the world "how it was done", each sound bite expresses the 2095 chick emotions at time of "production" (or reflection as the case may be).

One must be patient given there are 4 in total and even then they do not cover every frame captured.

Inside came a need to capture as many images of PM3 as humanly possible in an almost obsessive nature.  

Perhaps deep down the 2095'er understood that this may be a one time experience and as it was quasi-street, where things can change daily, such was the desire to capture these changes: hence multiple returns became almost a way of life for the chick.

An intense feeling of sadness and grief overcame the 2095'er at the end of this amazing experience.  Initially excited that the new date had been released the 2095'er could barely contain her excitement at what would be on show at the next Outpost.  Sadly this was not meant to be.  

For reasons that still perplex her, the 2095 chick "got" that the honchos (or those with the moula to fund such an 'exhibition') felt it was time to take away from the artists and transform this "test" to how THEY perceived it should be thus removing entirely what street and art is really all about.

The 2095 chick remains incredibly sad as it seems (or at least in the 2095'ers humble opinion) that the arts are once again left on the side burner by those with the dosh who have some inane feeling of "ownership" and remove the opportunity to educate those who may not fully understand what street art is all about.

On a personal level they have removed the opportunity for the 2095'er (and others) to explore, admire and become hopelessly lost within the world of streetart in a single location.

As such we must thank Ben Frost, Konsumterra and all that contributed to PM3.  The 2095'er must also personally thank each and every artist that she has now become familiar with on a more personal level for without PM3 she may not be able to do her blogs.

As she has a ridiculously high number of images (and even now, they are still not all uploaded) feel free to check out the 2095'ers PM3 set "here" but be mindful that while images remain the property of the 2095'er the actual paste ups remain the property of the artist/s.

5 Questions with Citizen Sweet

Mr Sweet aka Citizen Sweet....whichever moniker you wish to use, whichever way you choose to look at it, his works are incredibly detailed, instantly recognisable and above all else masterpieces of the pasteup.

The 2095 was able to get just enough of one his pieces at PM3 and when reviewing the image realised that whatever it was she was looking at, this artist was going to play an enormous role within the street art movement.  

When it came time to say goodbye to PM3 and return to the streets as it were, there is always a moment in every photographer's life when you discover a new piece that takes the breath away, gets that adrenaline pumping and where the inner self is saying 'got it! ooooh it's frrrrresh as.....I got it!  Reckon I might be the first' as there is always a somewhat friendly rivalry amongst fellow street art photographers.

What prompted Citizen Sweet to make his debut in to the world of "street art"

I never really over thought it and considered it a debut, it was just a lead on from piecing and tagging as a kid.  I wanted to explore something with a bit more context to it and found the drawings started to do that for me. Of course I like the freedom of the process and the framework it gives each individual work.

The intricate nature of what appears to be a single paste up is astounding.  Are you able to outline the process from start to finish including the decision on which wall in which suburb the final piece is to be adorned

The intricate nature of the work is away to give the viewer a more unique experience when they come across a piece.

The hours of detail redefines a person's opinion about its existence.  Through reactions to my work, I have discovered the more time you spend on something, the more acceptable it becomes and the less about graffiti or vandalism.  Also the cross-over between labour-intensive preparation and culture of fast installation interested me.

I don't always have a spot in mind when I make the work, but most of the time I do. Since the wall becomes an integral part of the work, it has to have a certain character to it.

Are works influenced by your immediate surrounds (both personally and professionally), or are they simply derived from a thought, an observation or an experience

I  don't have a solid hold on what it is that inspires me exactly.  I think it is a number of all of the above. We are influenced by everything that we come in to contact with in the world, so I guess it's a melting pot of my experiences in general.

I like to work in a certain tonal range using layering techniques that are more preference based.  Overall the work is a part conscious and part subconscious selection.

How much of a sense of satisfaction (or validation?) do you get when photographers start capturing your pieces and posting them in fibre-optic land

I am always humbled by those individuals who go out looking for my work and amazed how fast they find them.  It is the photograph that documents the work before it disintegrates in the elements.

While the experience isn't quite the same in person, it is the photograph that allows wide accessibility to a new audience.

The photographer plays an integral role in the work due to the ephemeral nature of street art.

Can you describe the world of Citizen Sweet in 5 words

Paper, glue, marker pens....hours

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With thanks to the artist known as Citizen Sweet for giving a little bit of insight in to his world and allowing photographers to capture and share his images (including the 2095'er)

5 Questions with Asio Gidup

For my encounter with Asio Gidup was at .......(insert obvious).  The piece somewhat confounded the 2095'er as it appeared to be a paste up which comprised of mini-pasteups but then presented as a single paste up (and if you can follow that thread then you are obviously well entrenched and familiarised with the 2095's "expressionism"s).

Ironically it would also be the day that her ISD was full by full, I mean 4G full AND she had left the second in the confines of her abode for reasons yet to be identified.

Aarrrrghhhh....total frustration, given that the nature of PM3 was to be a (at least this is how the 2095'er wanted it to be) quasi-street-art-hunt where it's a case of "here one day, pasted over the next".

Fortunately the artist in question has provided the 2095'er with a photograph to include in this somewhat rambling intro.

How long as Asio Gidup been part of the 'street art' movement

I started pasting in 2010.  I began making photo collages a year or so beforehand.  I was a toy at tagging in high school but always loved going on missions.

Your technique is incredibly complex yet when one sees the final "product" it has the appearance of being deceptively easy.  Can you explain the methods used from start to finish for these incredibly impressive masterpieces.

Well thank you!  What a lovely thing to say, you're very kind.  I take lots of photos from multiple perspectives and angles of the same object (a landscape, object, person etc).

I don't use a tripod (to which the 2095 cheers loudly!) I try to take photos in the same sitting because I find I take the photo sets differently depending on my state of mind.

The task involves concentration, so if I am in a depressed mood for example, I'll possibly experience anhedonia (slowing of the thoughts) and I'll take a set of photos differently compared to when I am in a state of joy or love.

I sort the photos out and take them to print. Depending on the location I have in mind, I will make the poster in to segments or at times will put together on the spot.

What has been your largest installation to date

Largest to date would probably have been a beach landscape at Holloway Eye-ware warehouse in West-End (Brisbane) for Lost Movements in December 2012  (4.6 x 5.2)

What drives you to create

I'm driven by torment from obsessive thoughts and compulsion to realise them.  Music and women inspire me most.

Do you Asio Gidup as having a certain "shelf life" or will you continue to create for as long as the desire to do so exists

I guess I don't really understand the question.  This is the way I have found to express my ideas and feelings that comes easily to me and brings me joy, peace of mind, satisfaction and much more: all as essential forms of introspection and self-healing.

So to say "shelf life" implies I will only want to continue to visually express myself for a short period of my life, which is not the case.

It's possible that your philosophy of self expression differs slightly from mine, and if so that's ok (nb: as a personal aside the 2095'er believes that as long as there is a person there will always be self-expression in whatever form it may take)

An element of disagreement in any conversation is a good thing.  It means everyone's paying attention and participating.

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My thanks to Asio for sharing part of his life with the 2095'er and allowing photos to be reproduced for this article.

5 questions with OX

As the 2095 became more confident in her exploration of the Inner West, yet maintaining the "if i can hear a train or a bus I know I'm not too far from safety" thought process as it were, she chose to walk through Camdenville Park to get a shot of a wall on the other side of a train track she had previously seen.

What she spied instead was a funny little pasteup that required IMMEDIATE investigation.  

Still not terribly familiar with the area and having already done the unthinkable (racing across the train track) she felt duty bound to take the long way around in order to get a closer view of the paste up in question.

Fast forward to (yep....here it comes again...) PM3 and  the first incredible image the 2095's eyes clamped on was not just hypnotic but made SUCH an impact, upon return to the confines of her abode, she simply stared at it admiring it in all its intricate political seductiveness for an indeterminate amount of time.

It was also due to this piece, that the impatience to return to said Outpost and discover more by this artist drove all around the 2095 up their own walls which in itself is an enormous achievement even by her standards!!

What was your initial entree to street art and can you give a rationale in regards to your tag name

I guess I started a few years ago when I was doing a bunch of live art shows around Sydney for free drinks. I enjoyed the speed of it all and wanted to start playing around with spray paint so I could start using more colour at speed.

I met Bafcat and Resan (a couple of painters) earlier that year and ended up going to some abandoned factories to hang out and have a paint.  I really enjoyed using cans, learnt a bunch of little tricks pretty and have been hooked on painting since then.

OX comes from the fact that I always had a hard time telling people my last name.  Not that's it particularly long or weird or anything; just having a semi-English/Australian accent people seemed to get it wrong in a variety of bizarre ways.

i wanted to go by something incredibly simple and something that was symbolic above just letters.  I like how both the symbols O and X are used in so many different contexts other the letter format.

I have always preferred images over the written word, so I think OX represents my work well.  There are a bunch of other reasons but I won't go in to them as they probably equally as boring.

What drives your creativity

Not sure really.  It's just something I do, something I enjoy working hard at and exploring new ways to create.

Art in whatever medium has always been attractive to me.  There are no rules, no wrong answers and on one who can stop you from doing it.  It can be incredibly difficult and especially financially unrewarding at the best of times, but no matter what I do, there is always an element that is predominantly positive.

It's important to me that I'm never going to be able to master what I do, I'm never going to reach 'that point' where I'm finished.  I'm always learning and there will always be something that I'm just going to suck at.

I think that probably what drives me most: just trying to do work that's better than my last piece.  I want to be a grizzled old man one day who still worries over his filthy painting.

Some of your work is incredibly complex with specific reference to the first shot I took at PM3 (as seen above).  

Is there a specific "story" for each creation, or is it almost a continual work in progress to the point that while you may personally never be 100% satisfied with the finished product ("it needs a tweek here"), others perceive it as a perfection 

Improving my techniques is definitely what drives my work, but in each piece I try to tell an ambiguous story I guess.

Most of my work is character based and I have a background in animation which is where the story-telling element of my work comes from.

I like to give people a character that they can imagine a story for: in that way the viewer has a role in the creation of the work as well.

Do you prefer the freedom of wall or the restrictions of design

I like elements of both.  I enjoy being able to take as long as I want in the studio trying to perfect whatever I am working on at the the time getting lost in illustration really chills me out, but after a few days I start to get some serious cabin fever.

So that's when I really like getting outside and painting with some mates for fun; it's really the only environment I can make art and be social at the same time.

It's fast and takes me to new places that can only be compliment endless hours in the studio.

In a perfect world where do you see yourself as the artist being within (say) the next 5 years

I would like to be illustrating and painting full time.  Having enough clients that I can life purely off selling my own art and doing illustration work that I really enjoy.

The freedom of that kind of work would allow me to travel around and do more mural work than I am capable of doing at the moment.  AND the opportunity to exhibit my work overseas more often

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My eternal thanks to OX for sharing a bit of his life with the 2095 and allowing reproductions of his work for this blog.  

Love the work, and hope to see it hit the international heights it deserves my friend!

5 Questions with SWERFK

Where does the 2095 start....does she dare mention the PM3 or do we simply use that as the "given".  For the sake of this particular piece, let's use the "given" as there will be a full blog dedicated entirely to PM3 and it's impact upon the 2095's life later down the track.

What was confounding to the 2095 was "how the hell do I pronounce this".  Having no other point of reference other than the obvious, Swerfk it was, remained and thank god was correct!

It was during the 2095's trip to our nation's capital where after all but giving up hope, she spied that SWERFK moniker and just KNEW where there is one there will be more.

Granted, it took a teeny bit amount of time to find more given that it's not the 2095'ers "hood" and after a hell of a lot of patience and frustration she was richly rewarded (as an aside: had the 2095'er elected to simply turn her head right the self-imposed angst could have very well been avoided, but she didn't and it didn't...what do ya do)

Here are my 5 questions with SWERFK

SWERFK: only cause I can, what does SWERFK stand for (or would you have to kill me before answering)

Swerfk means "sweet with things" in lazy talk.  It kind of developed as a little saying between some friends, then one night the opportunity was there...the marker was in hand....and so it began

Can you give a bit of background as to the development of your style.  What is it about "positions, shapes, shades things and adjusts lines regularly...." that keeps you doing what you do

Every artist makes compositional choices "position shapes" and likes to add colour or tone "shade things" and we all know about adjusting lines...

It's hard to say why it is that I keep doing what I do and have always had and probably will.  I think it's for the same reason I am a cartoon addict: because it amuses me and sustains my brain.

I look at a lot of art all the time from fine art to Ren & Stimpy imagery and I suppose it subconsciously melts in to my thought process.  I take what I like and what I can picture in that moment and let it spontaneously flow onto paper, a wall etc

Do you prefer the freedom of street or are there times where working within boundaries/constraints (eg: commission works) that can be somewhat of a relief

I always prefer working on the street in my own style pretty much for myself.  Doing it for yourself and not taking in any advice or input is best.  

I absolutely HATE it when people ask you to do a commission cause they say they like your work and then ask you to paint a 7 foot single colour yellow tree inside their new building...WTF

The only reason I do commissions most of the time is I need to get paid and then pay to get stuff somehow!

How do you perceive yourself both as an artist and an individual, or are the two simply entwined and unable to be separated

I don't really give it too much thought really to be honest...but I am pretty much a slave to the paint.

While street-art is a "movement" of sorts, where do you see it heading and will there ever be an end point

I think 'street-art' is a stupid name really...characters were running on trains as far back as when graffiti started to gain momentum in the late 70's.  Street art is just a development of graffiti and I see it all just as a type of art marking.

I agree street-art almost seems like a popular fad the moment, but time will show who keeps it alive

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And with that my thanks to Swerfk for sharing time with the 2095'er and allowing images to be reproduced in this blog.  

Seems this chick needs to get herself back down nation's capital way sooner rather and capture the "live", although living vicariously through the artist's photos do have a sense of personal satisfaction if nothing else than to say "yep, been there, know that place!"