Graffiti Pop – An interview with Antonio de Felipe

As one of the most internationally renowned Spanish artists, with 25 years of professional success during which he has displayed his work in multiple countries, Antonio de Felipe landed a triple somersault with his Graffiti Pop Exhibitions, with an artistic approach that has put him in the lead of Spanish contemporary art and which has connected with the greater public. He welcomed me to his New York-style studio in the center of Madrid, Spain.

Tell me how the project came about to collaborate in the street art project for the Miami Marine Stadium.
When I started to work on the series about music, I had already had it in mind to do one about graffiti. I had been working on it for 2 years, and I went to Miami, where I went to Wynwood, the Sistine Chapel of graffiti, and the possibility came about to do something there, through the Stephans who wanted to prevent the Miami Marine Stadium, a work by a Cuban architect, from getting knocked down. The possibility came about to participate in a renovation project for the stadium, making it into a maritime center, a museum, and a sea-front park as a public space for all kinds of events. It was a great experience, a wake-up call to work harder, having worked with artists from around the world and having left my footprint using graffiti concepts with a pop style.

You are a renowned artist with more than 25 years of experience in the field. What drew you to urban art and to participate in a project like this?
Today, Street Art belongs to the collective imagination. I am interested in its topics and I give them another reading, my own personal approach. It’s also a way to assert that there are big artists in the world of Graffiti and Street Art.
What new subjects have you tackled in his exhibition?
I feed off of everything that has caught my attention in the last 4 years. At the same time, this is an homage to a kind of art that is sometimes underrated. There are people who are geniuses like Banksy, with a very coherent and interesting artistic discourse, but his work also is highly valued in the art market. This could be seen as contradictory. On the one hand, you’re making social criticism and criticizing the system and at the same time you are part of that system.

In your Graffiti Pop exhibition, we have seen that you reinterpret urban artists, some with recognized international prestige such as Basquiat and Banksy.  Are you in contact with the world of Spanish urban art?
Not very much. I am not in contact with many graffiti artists. I didn’t see it as necessary. I have taken from urban art what interested me for my work and I have interpreted it from my own point of view. On the other hand, they are also a somewhat closed group. Many artists in urban art see me as kind of a novice. I don’t really understand their point. I’ve made tributes to street artists and they have been bothered by it. It’s a way of paying homage to them. It is a reinterpretation of what I am constantly seeing; it isn’t copying. Certain urban artists have seen it as an intrusion. I am one of the most copied artists in this country, and I take it with a good sense of humor. If they’re copying me, it’s because what I do is good.

Would you like to participate in a similar project here in Spain?
Of course, I would love to. I think that the way to promote urban art is with the dividing walls, to increase the esthetic of the cities and improve them. It’s a plus. Yes, I would love to participate in projects that are accessible to everybody.
If the local governments promoted this type of project, it would be an option to get to make the cities more beautiful.

Where does your nickname, The Beast, come from?
Hahaha, when they saw me working in Miami, they told me, “Your work is fucking amazing! You’re a beast!” They saw me as a dude with a lot of energy when I work. It was a nickname given to me by others. The phrase was really funny to me, so I created the image of The Beast, which is like Wolverine, but instead of claws, I have brushes.
I read in an interview that as a Valencian, you create in order to destroy, and urban art is often fleeting. Is this related?
The concept of Graffiti Pop was more than an exhibition of paintings. I did short-lived works and once they were finished, they were covered up. This is very much connected to the spirit of the Valencian festival, Les Falles, something created in order to be destroyed. It was interesting to me to play with the duality of exhibiting works that touch on hyperrealism, combined with short-lived works.

Was it comfortable for you to work with the Street Art materials themselves?
Years ago, I worked with airbrushes, and I worked as an idea man in an advertising agency in the pre-computer era. We did everything by hand. I had been using an airbrush since the 80’s. And I haven’t used it since, and neither the spray. I’ve had to get with the times, to use different nozzles, stencils, and use masks. I’ve combined it with my visual language which is acrylic and paint brush on canvas, so it’s been very enriching. An interesting experience. I think this is the series I have created with the most energy and drive.

What impact do you think the digital revolution and the Web 2.0 has had on urban art?
I know that some graffiti artists make graffiti in order to put it online, once they have the photo, which is permanent, they forget the work. It certainly has been useful in popularizing graffiti and urban art.
My favorite social network is Instagram, because it is the most visual. I use it like a travel journal, a logbook. It gives access to people so that they can follow you.
You have exhibited your work in many cities and countries. Which countries would you like to exhibit your work in where you haven’t yet?
Many. For example, New York is like the golden dream in terms of Pop Art. My artistic idols are Warhol and Velázquez. The classics constantly appear in my work, along with the playful nature of pop.

What projects are you working on currently?
This catalog with a very urban esthetic, like a newspaper. I’ve done books before and this is a fanzine. I have given the design painstaking care up to the last detail. I am very meticulous. It comes from my time spent working at the advertising agency. I don’t limit myself only to the work, but to everything, the image, etc.
I’m also doing work on paper for collectors who are starting out. In this way I can reach a younger audience, so that they can have access to an original work at a more accessible price. This allows me to be free and they work really well. I realized that Graffiti Pop was attended by people from different generations. This was fascinating to me, because this series is very visceral. It has connected the most with all kinds of people. With this exhibition, I have lost my fear of excess, something I learned in Miami. The exhibition has to be excessive. I tried it and I think I succeeded.

Well precisely this, excess, is what Antonio de Felipe showed me at all times, an excess of generosity, friendliness, and professionalism. Without a doubt the features of any great artist.