MARE 139 is still known to many Graffiti aficionados because of the legendary Style Wars documentary. He originates from the golden era of the New York Graffiti movement and has kept up the dynamics of that era until today. MARE 139 still intensively deals with the expression of form in Graffiti pieces and also their relationship with the expression of B-Boy moves. He also translates his observations into sculptures. In Wuppertal he looked for a place where the strength of his sculptures would be able to come across best. With the podium in Deweerthscher Garten he found a place which, with its active and calm components, provided an ideal surrounding for his work.
artist opinion
Project description:
The goal was to successfully place a sculpture in Deweerthscher Park as a presentation to the city. The strategic placement was a critical factor, as it was to be in an accessible environment where citizens could interact with it. Once in position, the documentation of the sculpture’s life in public begins. The sculpture was inspired by the city’s Monorail and landscape, in how it weaves through the valley in a swift and fluid motion.
What’s the idea behind your project?
The idea behind the creation of the WU/Stylewriter was to interpret my impression of the city, yet keep the energy and character of Graffiti style writing. Placing it in public unexpectedly would provoke a dialogue about where it came from and whether such a refined piece of work was placed by the city or an act of vandalism.
How have you developed your project?
The project was developed from my visits to Wuppertal and the discovery of the public Park Deweerthscher Garten. On a scouting mission my associate producer introduced me to the location on a day when a snow blizzard was blanketing Wuppertal. We discovered the circular stage which was covered with snow and I began to draw on the top of it. I walked around it and looked at it from all distances and angles to consider the environment where a sculpture could exist. Once I photographed the location, I studied it and gave thought to what the sculpture could be. When I created the sculpture study I photographed it and made a computer montage of what it would look like. Then the study was shipped to the fabricator with size and material specifications. He then proceeded to fabricate a larger study and then a fully realized version. Upon arrival in Wuppertal, again I reviewed the sculpture’s progress and was impressed on how well it was executed and articulated from my model. Once we discussed the final steps of fabrication I would not see it again until it was completed some weeks later and prepared for installation. When I did see the final version I was pleased and felt that it would make an impression on those who would view it.
Why did you decide to be part of the project?
There are many factors to why I got I involved. The opportunity to realize a large sculpture was hard to pass up for sure, but to a larger extent the opportunity to take part in an art event that would have social and historical implications was just as important. To be a part of an illegitimate collective was reminiscent of my days of painting subways in the 70’-80’s in NYC. I was drawn to the idea of meeting artists from all over the globe who shared the concept of creating unauthorized public art for the city of Wuppertal. The city itself also provided me with a concept that I felt had to be made, once it was conceived I was committed to it. Another important reason to be a part of the project was driven by ego, to be able to represent the best art from the New York City was also a factor. For the genre of art we all share in there is a competitive nature that drives our creativity, especially for style writers like myself. To have the opportunity to bring an innovative and progressive sculpture to Germany was important, as I knew it would have great influence on the street culture once discovered.
What was special about the project?
Without hesitation the collaborative effort to realize such an ambitious project, from the management, support teams, artists and sponsor. Collectively all these things presented very unique issues that provoked intense dialogue about how and why we were going to do this project. For me, my most rewarding experience was the long and continuous dialogues with the younger artists, they were ambitious conversations about art, history, culture and purpose. We all were very much in the moment and shared our ideas our art history and exchanged important information about those whose legacy we continue through our art. Although New York City created Contemporary Street art and culture our influence has given birth to a whole new generation of artists globally that practice and innovate on what we started. For me it was a personal education of the world at large that shared in a common interest. About the hideout, imagine living in a really special house, one that was created in the most artistic spirit by an art historian, a home that had many rooms, that had no sharp corners, nothing but fluid curving architecture and was tucked away in a forest setting, imagine that and being surrounded by young artists, photographers, film makers, young art critics from all across the globe, how was this possible? Why do such a thing? For me it recalled the early 1900’s of old Europe in how artist and writers came from all over the world to share ideas and shape the new world. But this time it was a gathering to shape popular opinion, to evoke a dialogue with the public about what is legitimate art. Now consider that it was a sponsored event, by a corporation no less. This was a heated and contentious issue, which I participated in. Two very well respected artists addressed it best, they were from Berlin and were concerned with the branding of such an action and how the branding would affect the overall perception of the project, more importantly their standing in the community. The issues of artist rights, compensation, corporate identity etc. all was dealt with and the artists had a really strong position, and on the other hand the sponsor representative also had a position to hold and was firm on it, still sympathetic to the artist yet loyal to his brand.
What do you think of Wuppertal as a location for this kind of exhibition?
Wuppertal was a perfect city for this action I think. It has a very beautiful landscape its very diverse, urban, suburban, valley, its a lot of things at once and still it’s a sleepy small town with a rich history in the arts. The monorail provides a central point of interest but once you travel around a bit you can see how beautiful the city actually is. One of the things I enjoyed about following the art installations, is that it allowed me to see more of Wuppertal. Since it is a small, quiet city our installations had a chance to be noticed, which proved to be a successful choice for the project.
How much was your project affected by Wuppertal?
I think its more like the affect I had on Wuppertal. One of the best and most moving moments was the installation of the work at the Deweerthsche Garten, but even more so was returning that afternoon to photograph it only to see children playing on it, climbing it, and discovering it. I had no idea it would find such an inquisitive audience in children. It was awesome. There was one child who threw his ball off of it; there was a girl who took refuge in it so she herself can create her art, the best was a 16 yr old boy who rode around it on his bike, parked the bike and climbed on it and sat down with the authority that this was his throne, from that position he observed all the other kids in the park. Adults too were taken in by the work, they would stop and examine it, I could see how the shapes of the sculpture made their bodies move as they observed and followed its arcs and lines. One woman felt it really had the character of the way Wuppertal moves. In the end the city council discovered it and felt it was too dangerous to leave in public and had plans to remove it.
Do you think the frame of OUTSIDES can be a role model for further projects?
Yes. I can see this reaching out to many parts of the world with many different artists. It’s a calculated risk but risking nothing is offering nothing and what is better to give a city than art?