A team of graffiti artists will decorate Vitebsk with new works
Relatively recently, realistic portraits of Bob Marley, Steve Jobs, Marilyn Monroe, and other famous people have begun to appear on transformer substation buildings in the courtyards of Vitebsk. As it turned out, the author of the works is a young team of graffiti artists "HoodGraff". We managed to talk with the founder of the project, Artyom Burzh.
– Artyom, tell us who you are and what you do?
– "HoodGraff" is a Vitebsk art team that creates street graffiti in the style of street photorealism. The first portrait was painted in October 2013. Initially, the core of the group consisted of graduates of the art and graphics faculty of VSU named after P. Masherov. All graffiti is the result of the team's collective creativity, and their distinctive feature is a motivational quote.
– How did the idea to draw in this particular format come about?
– Through brainstorming. I wanted to bring accessibility to street art culture. When Snoop Dogg came to mind (our first portrait), I continued to list who I would like to be photographed with and who inspires me with their statements. And black-and-white images look very simple and quite laconic.
– What do you want to convey with your work?
– The project is largely focused on improving urban courtyards, as it is more pleasant to look at Gagarin than at the well-known three letters on a fence. Nevertheless, there is a deeper meaning in this – motivation for both the artist and those who look at his work. In the future, we would like to train children aged 10-15, aspiring artists.
– Are there any sponsors for the project, or is everything on a voluntary basis?
– I am the sponsor myself, there are no other patrons yet. Although if one appeared, the pace of work would double.
– How is the choice of a particular character made, what is it based on?
– It’s the same brainstorming. This is probably how tasks are solved in all industries. Initially, we try to tie a character or place to a memorable date. For example, where a person was born, died, visited, what trace they left in history. In general, it’s hard to give a general answer, each portrait is created with an individual approach.
- How was the team formed, and who is currently in it?
– The core team consists of two artists and myself, with 35 graffiti artists from Belarus and Russia on call. I and a couple of other people are in charge of the conceptual part of the project, while the reserve team handles all commercial orders.
– How soon can we expect new works from you, will they be in the same format or will they acquire a new look?
– I think we will surprise everyone with a new concept soon. Portraits will take a backseat in the next season, and the works will attract tourists from all cities, and possibly even countries…
– What would you advise young aspiring artists?
– Get up earlier, get a notebook, and draw for people, not for yourself.
Artem Yakushev, a student at VSU named after P. Masherov.