DIGBETH AREA IN BIRMINGHAM
INTERVIEW
WITH JUSTSOAP
INTERVIEW WITH MADWEW
MadWew began creating small music video animations for friends and soon a few up and coming customers whilst studying art and design in college / University. After a small break from his creative side and being inspired by friend and street artist 'LiskBot' MadWew began drawing, developing and creating illustrations, Stickers and small toys as part of a new personal project. This was based on protesting various different rights and political views. These stickers and illustrations shortly went from just a good idea to a great series of small animal characters all carrying signs of protest. Just 6 months later and now we can see MadWew's work all around Birmingham. MadWews favourite place in birmingham to place his political artwork is 'Digbeth' just outside Birmingham City Centre. When asked why 'Digbeth', he said he as
believes that street art whether legal or not is widely seen in the younger modern generation as bringing colour, life and a generally better look to an area that is not in the best of conditions. Digbeth being a place of old and now modern architecture, still isn't one of the best looking places to look at but with some creative designs in place it creates a better visual environment. MadWew, having friends within the world of street art was always motivated quite a lot by those around him, this flowing inspiration also led to girlfriend and Street Artist 'Just Soap' to start creating stickers and paste installations. I thought it was very in interesting to hear the way the both of these creative individuals come up with such innovative and complex concepts for there street art and illustrations. When asked MadWew said he always has ideas floating around in his head, inspired by various things he may see or hear.
He also likes to put pen straight to paper as soon as he gets a good idea in his head and continuously draw and redraw this idea developing the concept and visual look of his idea until he feels its ready to produce it into various street art media. in Madwew also enters a lot of competitions and illustration events in Birmingham. The most recent had been 'Street Spotted' this was held in 'Digbeth' and various artists, illustrators and creatives were able to come and cr create stickers or illustrations to be judged at the end, artists are able to build connections and friendships, they are known to swap a lot of stickers and with more developed street artists, they can come and have small sales of there work and give-aways. Advise to other creatives and street artists and people who are newly interested in art and design is to constantly practice, repeatedly drawing an illustration will allow you to draw it quicker and neater, also imp improving your creative thinking as you get new ideas inspired from developing the original. Madwew would love to work with artists he's inspired by but would also encourage new people who are interested in this field of art to get involved.Â
The Digbeth area is well know for its graffiti ,Created by an Unkwon Artist, spray can use and using paint . This graffiti was found in Digbeth on a old garage shed. Bigger than 10 ft. Think about the time to create this piece would of been risky ? . The Bold Black lines makes the street art visually powerful staring straight at you!!
STREET ART IN BIRMINGHAM
BIRMINGHAM CITY WHAT IS STREET ART? STREET ART IS A VISUAL WAY OF COMMUNICATING MESSAGES TO THE COMMUNITY , WANTING TO BE HEARD, SEEN OR UNDERSTOOD? IN TODAYS GENERATION STREET ART IS MUCH MORE POPULAR NOW THAN EVER. IT IS ALMOST ONE OF THE URBAN TRENDS FOR ARTISTS AND YOUTHS IN BIRMINGHAM TO TAG THEIR IMAGE NAME OR LOGO TO BE SEEN, TO BE RECOGNIZED TO BE UNDERSTOOD.
CITY CENTRE
HOW IS IT CREATED STREET ART CAN BE VARIOUS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE AND STYLE OF ART. GRAFFITI IS VERY POPULAR THEIR ARE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES INVOLVED INTO PRODUCING A PIECE OF STREET ART , DIFFERENT ARTIST MAY TEND TO USE DIFFERENT STYLE’S SPRAY PAINT ARE THE MAIN KEY WHEN TAGGING.
CITY CENTRE
UKNOWN STREET ARTIST
WHERE IS THE BIGGEST PLACE YOU PASTED? The biggest place i have done isn’t that impressive. just a series of a1 prints , an all seeing eye type design that i passed a few of around Birmingham. The piece i am most proud of are my owls i think i pasted about 30 of them around in one WHAT STREET ARTIST INFLUENCE YOU? Every street artist i have the pleasure of knowing are who influenced me . Those who ive just mentioned as well as Obit, The Heres, G87, Ewa Mos, Zoot79, The list goes on. INFLUENCE’S
IS THEIR A MESSAGE? I wish i could say theres a messege behind my street art as it’d sound much cooler!But no,
STREET ART INTERVIEW
JASMINE DANKS is a Female Street Artist from Birmingham , 20 years old and currently studying Art at University What is Street Art To You? Street art to me is just a late night walk around the city. It’s a way for me to get my art work out there if it brightens someone day then so be it. Wondering around different city’s , i always notice the little things. I first started to notice little ducks pasted around Birmingham who i later found out to be by PTP323 .I then started to notice liskbots robots around and from then i found myself searching for them. After that , I picked up loads of other street artist such as Tempo, C3, Wah,Coys,Exclusive, I’d notice them without looking out for them and i liked the idea of giving someone else that impression I Was 18 when i suppose i became a street artist. I was doing a college project based on Street Art and researching all the guys i looked up to. Its pretty sweet that i now go drinking with them! I got some stickers made, slapped them all around ‘Digbeth’ and haven’t stopped since
JASMINE DANKS
MILLENNIUM POINT MILLENIUM POINT CAR PARK IN BIRMINGHAM CITY IS FULL OF GRAFFITI , THE WALLS ARE FULL THE CREATIVITY IS EVERYWHERE. COMING INTO BIRMINGHAM CITY TRAVELING ON THE TRAIN THE MILLENIUM POINT IS ONE OF THE FIRST VISIONS THE EYE GETS OF BIRMINGHAM & ITS STREET ART IN BIRMINGHAM . IT HAS BEEN KNOWN THAT VANDALISM AT THE MILLENNIUM POINT COULD BE ONE FOR ARTIST TO USE AS A HOT SPOT FOR GRAFFITI . THE CREATIVE VISUAL PIECES OF GRAFFITI ALL HAVE THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIONS TO THE ARTIST BEHIND THE CREATION.
THE IMAGE ABOVE WAS CREATED BY A STREET ARTIST UNKNOWN IN BIRMINGHAM THEN RE EDITED BY ANOTHER ARTIST WITH LONG EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHY USING LIGHT TECHNIQUES
LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAFFITI
PAINTING WITH LIGHT LONG EXPOSURE TECHNIQUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY ARE USED THAT IS HOW THE LIGHTS MOVEMENT IS CAPTURED . LIGHT GRAFFITI STREET LIGHT PAINTING. PHOTOGRAPHY COMBINED WITH GRAFFITI BRINGING & LIGHTING UP THE GRAFFITI
ORIGINALLY CREATED BY AN UNKNOWN STREET ARTIST THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN MANIPULATED AND CREATED WITH LIGHT EFFECTS AROUND THE GRAFFITI. LIGHT PAINTING IS EASY TO CREATE. IN PHOTOGRAPHY ITS CALLED LONG EXPOSURE USING SLOW SHUTTER SPEEDS CAPTURING THE LIGHTS MOVEMENTS WHICH IS WHERE IT FITS INTO GRAFFITI , GRAFFITI IS AS MOVEMENT THE PROCESS IN CREATING YOUR VISUAL DESIGN IS ALMOST A JOURNEY OF MOVEMENT AS YOUR HANDS ARE MOVING WITH YOUR IMAGINATION ALONGSIDE THE SPRAY PAINT
LONG EXPOSED SHOTS OF STREET ART . COMBINED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC EFFECTS CAPTURING A DIFFERENT CONCEPT OF GRAFFITI USING MOVEMENT AROUND THE STREET ART PIECE
PLAY SPRAY IT WAS FIRST GRAPHICALLY CREATED BY CHERRI-BLOSSOM A ART AND DESIGN STUDENT FROM RUGBY STUDYING AT BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY ,THEN IT WAS PRINTED AND WALL PASTED IN THE CITY AROUND BIRMINGHAM . USING WORDS AND COLOR AS SEEN IN STREET ART TO BUILD THE IMAGE OF A FACE, IT HAS BEEN USING PHOTOSHOP , AT FIRST YOU SEE A FACE THEN YOU SEE THE WORDS . IT WAS CREATED BECAUSE ST ART VARIOUS IT CAN BE IMAGERY TO TYPE THIS ASPECT WAS TYPE TAKING THE STYLE OF TAGGING BIG BUBBLE WRITING SELECTING WORDS AND PUTTING THEM INTO PLACE SHAKE,SPLASH,TOUCH,PRESS,MOVE,URBAN STREET THESE ARE ALL PROCESSES WHICH YOU GO THROUGH WHEN CREATING STREET ART
STREET ART WALL P[PASTED CREATED BY ART STUDENT . THESE IMAGES ARE PASTED AROUND THE CITY CENTRE OF BIRMINGHAM. IN THE CITY NEXT TO THE BULLRING THERE ARE TO SUBWAY WALKS ONE LEADING TO THE STATION AND THE OTHER LEADING TO MORE STREET STATION EACH WALK WAY HAS PASTES OF THESE DESIGN .
CHERRI B HOPE A piece created by a art & design student inspired by Street Artist ‘Banksy’ Using Stencils spray paint and painting onto wall the piece was originally designed, it was then printed for a wall paste. Pasted around Birmingham you may be able to find this paste WHY WAS IT CREATED I decided to work in the style of banksy because the way his work could be worked out, their are messages behind the piece y eye was drawn to the way banksy was using black and white. Stencils not that all of his work is black and white but his distinctive stencil techniques are often involve white black and white contrast
ORIGANALLY CREATED ON A WALL AT BRADBY BOYS YOUTH CLUB IN RUGBY USING PAINT AND STENCIIL THEN PRINTED OUT AND PASTED IN ONTO 8X6 PRINTS IN BIRMINGHAMWALL .
IN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM THERE IS SOME INTERESTING STREET ART WORK ALL CREATED USING THE TECHNIQUES GRAFFITI. THESE PIECES ARE MASSIVE SPREADING A HUGE MAJORITY OF THE WALL WALKING THROUGH THE CITY YOU WILL SEE WALL PASTE OF SOME OF THESE ARTIST WORK ESPECIALLY THE ROBOT PIECE WHICH HAS CAN BE FOUND ON THE CITY’S WALL BELOW WALL BY WALL THIS CITY WILL BE OURS!
GRAFFITI GRAFFITI IN BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE AREA
THE CITY CENTRE - GRAFFITI
I
n the modern Birmingham, street art is ubiquitous. Many of the blank walls left unattended for too long are likely to break out in a riot
of tagging, paste-ups and scrawling.
T
his form of public artwork is on show to all; used to mark territory, influence, opinionate and above all get a reaction from people. But what is
street art and why do these Picasso’s of the city carry out this rebellious task?
street art.
of what we see as
the real picture
tions to paint
the ques-
T
be asking
Lines will
of Drawing
his Issuu
ST REET H E A RT...
W
e will also be looking at how this form of ‘territory marking’ can push the boundaries of the law, just to portray a message by a disguised personality.
B
oasting experience in major cities including NYC, London, Lisbon, Berlin, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Dublin and Amsterdam, proves that there
Terry Guy, founder of Secret Walls wasn’t content with carrying on with the same original one on one concept. Al-
really isn’t a stage big enough for the
ways wanting to push
groundbreaking and award-winning event.
the limits and give the
This event has also taken place in the
public something bigger
second city, Birmingham, where Ryan Ste-
and better, he decided
venson has fought and came out victo-
to make it his mission
rious (see the the interview between Drawing Lines and the talented Ryan Stevenson).
to create a global competition that would be recognised as the Super Bowl of live art shows!
S e c r e t Wa l l s . . . What is Secret Walls? Secret Walls is the World’s premier live art battle. Simular to the film Fight Club, these battles are setup and promtoted through word of mouth and also with a little help from social media.
RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE COMPETITION -90 minutes on the battle clock -Only black SW special markers and black acrylic paint can be used as battle weapons -No pencils / sketches should be on stage or used as reference -Each artist has to stay within the allocated space, if they creep over then there will be a 1 point deduction -Battles are judged by 2 nominated and neutral guest judges + crowd vote -Hosted on giant white walls
2 individuals or 2 teams
serve.
tion they de-
the recogni-
scale, gaining
on a global
their work
to showcase
them a chance
– allowing
ative platform
artists a cre-
and aspiring
offers young
Secret Walls
S e c r e t Wa l l s . . .
These captivating battles secretley began back in 2006 in a small bar in East London, it was small, and intimate yet had the potential to be so much more; which evidentally it has become.
Years of hard work,
dedication and a strong following has meant Secret Walls has pushed the boundaries and raised the bar for artists and promoters alike on an international stage.
DL: So Ryan how do you start your day like, what did you have for breakfast? Ryan: Mmm toast, a lovely bit of toast. DL: Haha gotta love it. Tells us, how did you get into this scene and taking part in secret walls? Ryan: Friends of friends, networking the people I grew up with who were into street art and progressing with them. DL: Have you ever been caught doing street art? Ryan: Nope, never been caught. I don’t really do any illegal stuff. DL: What do you look for when battling your opponent on secret walls? Ryan: I look for any one of their weaknesses, in what their wearing, previous characters they drew in the past, anything really that sparks a good idea for a battle.
D
L: Hey Ryan, how you doing? Ryan: Yeah im good thanks, you got lots of questions? DL: Ooh yeah, is it cool if you draw us something while we ask you the questions? Ryan: Haha, ooo the pressures on.
cheesy.
know it sounds
ing, crying, I
most, laugh-
inspires me the
everyday life
Ryan: I guess
your work?
ally inspires
tions, what re-
any inspira-
DL: Do you use
5 minutes with Ryan Stevenson… Ryan Stevenson is a young and up and coming artist who is associated with monorex; an innovative and successful global creative network which creates original and visionary ideas and solutions for both new and established brands. He is also an artist who has taken part in numerous secret walls battles that take place undercover in secret locations. Drawing Lines was lucky enough to get a five minute sit down and chat with Ryan. So here go’s…
DL: What pens do you use? Ryan: I use Montana 94 pens because their the stickiest and have a low pressure. DL: Any tattoos? What do they mean to you? Ryan: I got a diamond on my wrist which is kinda like my symbol, so like people have a certain tag, I have the diamond. I’ve also got three spray cans on my back. DL: Well it looks like our times up, thanks Ryan and we wish you the best in the future. Ryan: Cheers, you to.
I
nspired by the interview with Ryan Stevenson, secret walls and the multiple rebellious examples of artwork around Birmingham, I decided I’d have a go at producing some of my own street art for Drawing Lines and damn was it nervy.
THE STREETS BEHIND THE ART...
For a few weeks I thought about where would be safe enough for me to carry out this task without being caught or seen. Then I reverted back to where all street art and graffiti originated from before it hit the main streets, the canal. Then for quickness and for the advantage of being able to move in the shadows I chose the technique of paste-ups.
The paste-up would be of the Drawing Lines logo, a territory mark for our magazine. Choosing the right day and time was essential, rainy and at night was perfect, besides how many people would out in this kind of weather. Walking along the canal, trying to act normal, treading carefully past canal boats not to wake those inside. Until we came to a bridge, just tall enough to duck behind amongst the weeds and shallow murky puddles. I started the task. First pasting the wall and then carefully placing the logo on. Finally smoothing it over with another layer of thick paste.
This was infectious.
THE STREETS BEHIND THE ART...
I felt as if I had claimed a piece of land, a monument that only some looked for. The deed was done and it was time to revert back to a normal person who exposed themselves from behind the shadows back to blending in with a crowd who lived closer to civilisation and away from a canal.