An interview with Miroslav Lucan

Louis Pulford met Miroslav Lucan, who signs his work as LucanArt, an artist whose pieces can be found around Bournemouth and further afield. Originally from Czechoslovakia, he has lived in the south of England for the last 20 years.

Did you study art and, if so, where?

Most of my studies were done on the Continent. There I studied architecture, and then fashion design to ‘loosen up’ a little, get bit more flow and colour into my work after all of the technical stuff.

Your style is very bold with definitive shapes and lines, do you have a name for the style?

It’s coming from an illustration background, together with love for wood block printing and applying it to large scale painting... so, you can call it street art illustration perhaps.

Tell us a few of your favourite places/people you have worked with that have your artwork on the walls?

There are some big names on the list, from drinks to telecom companies, railways, councils, and universities. I always like to do anything with skateboarding, so an exhibition with Vans a few years ago was a definite highlight.

Do you have a favourite piece on display publicly?

The outside of 60 Million Postcards, still one of my favourite street art pieces I have painted, and at around 100 metres, one of the largest too.

Tell us a highpoint in your career as an artist.

That would be the wall I have just mentioned. Nothing like to paint one of your favourite places, but it also opened up the doors to more large-scale public work.

And a challenging point?

Most people don’t know it, but I am colourblind, so that comes with a whole set of challenges being an artist, especially trying to match the colours to clients’ requirements. Sometimes, you just have to ask for help.

How do you keep motivated?

Well, I wake up doing what I love, so am truly blessed to find myself in that position. But also, living in this beautiful place, always full of inspiration.

I also notice you are into photography, what got you started on this pursuit?

Photography was always with me, from documenting the graffiti works around the train stations as a teenager, to capturing my travels later on.

What is your favourite subject to photograph?

I love mountains, seascapes and lighthouses. And if I can find a sunset (or a dramatic storm) happening alongside any of these, even better.

Do you have any advice for local artist/photographers in the local area?

Get out there. If you are a photographer, make sure you have your camera on you as much as possible, as moments happen and you don’t want to miss them. If you are an artist, create. As much as possible, not to please anyone else, but for yourself. Do what makes you happy.