Street Artist Interview

Street Artist Interview - UiU

Artist name: UiU
City of Birth: Bairro do Junqueiro
City of Choice: Sao Paulo
How many years have you been painting: many rivers crossed and many rivers to cross
Website: www.uiu-uiu.com

Likes: sex and drugs and rock’n'roll, sounds cliche, but what can i do, i love this game!
Dislikes: imperialism, prepotency, lies, jails

What do you want to express at the time you are painting?
just express myself, and each day is different…and also try to don’t lose some childhood innocence, being leaded more by fantasy and for the joy of painting…a painting experience can be accomplish.

What about your relationship with Barcelona?
i fuckin love this city that why moved here. BCN it’s unique, i love each sight, each smell, each corner…many cultures mixed, living together, sharing the same city (and BCN isn’t so big city)…of course since 2005 (and that was the year i come to live here) many things changes with this imperialist civic laws, and graffiti was 1 of their main targets. So i can’t complain about the past, how easy was to paint in BCN, i came after that, and i keep painting…will be perfect everybody could paint everywhere, giving a true meaning to the public-spaces, but this is a remote scenery every day more far from happening, so if you really wanna keep doing it you have to be smarter then them, any trying not be caught.

Do you think there is a Barcelona style? What kind of particularity do you see on it? Has it got any parallels with the culture?
i don’t know if there is a BCN style or not, and it’s not up to me to judge that… there are a lot of fine graffiti artist in BCN, with very different line of work, so i don’t know what can be BCN style or not…if that exists can be only a result of all that styles mixed together…but of course, i’m not from here, and i only came 3 years ago…

What do you think about the legal situation for painting in the streets of BCN? What changes can you see? What about the future?
the laws are the same of other major cities of the supposedly more civilized countries, and there’s no turning back…maybe you can find some graffiti paradise elsewhere but here, and not for a long time. but this isn’t only a BCN inside issue, it’s global. graffiti will never be legal that’s a fact, clear as water, so you quit or go guerrilla mode (lol). the more forbidden something is, better the challenge becomes. (and i’m on it)

Where do you think is the street art capital now, if there is one?
could be Berlin, Sao Paulo, or maybe Caldas da Rainha, or Toulouse, or Melbourne…that’s not a big deal, i’ll never went to live in one city only because of that…but Sao Paulo is one place you should visit.

What other places, or people do you enjoy most?
Hot places (with beach), true people (with laughs)

Which kind of graffiti do you enjoy more? Which style do you enjoy the most?
real free style, rocking and enjoy it… and you can see when people do that

What impact do you think the Internet has had on graffiti styles?
the influences spread fast and faster…but that’s a wonderful place to bomb! (global tagging) B;)- one good thing about internet it’s the possibility you have to edit contents (for free) and reach all the connect world, now you can’t complain no more that nobody edit you a book or a record. is another DIY tool, so why don’t take advantage of it?

If graffiti is a fight for the freedom of expression…do you think every kind of graffiti is able to exist, or do you think some types are bad and inappropriate?
i go for plurality… every kind of free expression should be able to exist, graffiti or not.

As BCN has many books about the street art, what do you think about the people who don’t feel the movement and publish books, only for their own profit? Does this mean that the art you give to the street still pertains to you?
i have profit with my art, before i had a lot of stupid jobs for a lot of bastard bosses, when i realize i can live with my art i don’t think twice. i came from low middle class, that’s the movement i know best, and isn’t graffiti, it’s the movement to survive… i always express myself better with some food on my stomach.

What do you think is the soul of Barcelona street art if it has? Or is only shape and colour?
i think the soul of BCN art, is the same soul of the city itself, and that’s the MIX.

Do you think the strict laws makes proliferate the products of urban artists? As they cannot be on the street, they have/must/need to be in galleries, commercial spots, or commercial brands?
i think that’s the logical consequence of things, look what happened before with the muralists, and artists like Keith Hearing, or even Banksy, who ended working for the government, big companies or dealing with big art galleries and museums. everybody do their choices, even when you have someone who represents you and take the calls. but i don’t think the laws have anything to do with that. i’m more concerned with the streets, with public interventions, but we all have to feed our Frankensteins.

What do you think about the future of Barcelona style?
in the neighborhood i grow up, i learn with important thing about territory and territorial ties, and that was: if you look for fights, seek them outside, never with your own neighbors. that the advice i give to all barcelona stylers. future is the mix! and this BRUTOPIA the mix place

Can you tell us some interesting places to visit in Barcelona? What places do you enjoy most?
i think the best way to enjoy it, if you don’t know it, it’s to get lost… get lost in BCN and you’ll have a lot of surprises, specially how things could change when you turn the corner… amazing crazy city