Together with our former art collective, I went to the Artbase Festival, an urban art festival held in an abandoned psychiatric ward in Neustrelitz.
When we arrived, I was lucky enough to get a whole wall to myself. After checking out the premises, I got the idea to paint an octopus and create a connection between the animal and the hole in the ceiling.
For the octopus, I chose to work with the darkest shades and brightest highlights. I layered different transparent colors in order to create a realistic effect. On top of that, I decided to play with some surrealism and tape a picture frame in the grasp of the octopus’ tentacles. And of course, I also wanted to bring my signature houses to this artwork.
I’ve always been a huge fan of M.C. Escher—he had the biggest impact on my artistic style. As a kid, my parents had prints of M.C. Escher that I stared at for hours. I always wondered how a human being could create art that was artistically perfect as well as mathematically correct. Ever since I can remember I have been in love with Escher’s surrealist work (for example, the famous staircase piece). It has also inspired me to combine my graffiti style in different and more complex ways.
For the octopus, I chose to work with the darkest shades and brightest highlights. I layered different transparent colors in order to create a realistic effect. On top of that, I decided to play with some surrealism and tape a picture frame in the grasp of the octopus’ tentacles. And of course, I also wanted to bring my signature houses to this artwork.
I’ve always been a huge fan of M.C. Escher—he had the biggest impact on my artistic style. As a kid, my parents had prints of M.C. Escher that I stared at for hours. I always wondered how a human being could create art that was artistically perfect as well as mathematically correct. Ever since I can remember I have been in love with Escher’s surrealist work (for example, the famous staircase piece). It has also inspired me to combine my graffiti style in different and more complex ways.
ART — MORE IN COLOR
LOCATION — NEUSTRELITZ, GERMANY
EVENT — ARTBASE FESTIVAL
YEAR — 2019
MATERIAL — WALL PAINT, SPRAY PAINT, TAPE
PHOTOS BY LAMIA MICHNA
