INTERVIEW WITH ASTRO
Astro’s murals pull you in with geometric precision, then hold you there with optical illusions that seem to bend the wall itself. Born in France and shaped by graffiti culture, Astro has developed a visual language that is immediately, unmistakably his own: sweeping calligraphic curves locked inside strict geometric planes, all pushing and pulling at the viewer’s sense of depth and dimension. The artwork he made for Rotterdam Street Art Museum (RSAM) is no exception. The result is one of the more quietly hypnotic works in our open air collection.
Unfortunately an interview with him in person was not possible, due to his very busy agenda. But, happily for us, he dedicated time to answer our questions by email, and his replies have the same quality as his work: considered, direct, and a little surprising. He also explains what it means to “break down walls”, not metaphorically, but perceptually.
Cláudia Freitas: Your drawing style has a lot of unique characteristics that everyone can immediately recognize as yours, like the curvy calligraphy and intense geometry plans. How was the process of constructing your own personal style during all these years?
ASTRO: It all started with graffiti in the early 2000s. For more than 15 years, I have always painted very complex Wildstyle graffiti in which we could already find these calligraphic forms that characterize me. Then I freed myself from the letter and for 3 years, I developed these letterings to make abstractions based on my calligraphy. After this period of research, I went to Charleville-Mézières for a project call “Home 2” and during the realization of my in-situ artwork, I had the revelation and the idea to put my forms in perspective.
CF: You were born in Paris, which is a place that saw emerging a lot of new artistic trends. How do you describe the Street Art scene in the city?
ASTRO: To be exact, I was born in Sarcelles and grew up in Villiers-Le-Bel in the northern suburbs of Paris. From a very young age, I have always been interested by the graffiti that surrounded me and that I could discover along the railway tracks. The current Parisian scene is very rich and diverse in styles. There are a lot of different things happening.
CF: I know that you started doing graffiti/street art during the 2000’s. Why did you start to be interested in art and why graffiti and not another type of art?
ASTRO: I have always been a creative person. Before painting graffiti, I was playing music as a beatmaker and also rollerblading in the “street” category at a high level. To train myself, I spent a lot of time in skate parks where I was surrounded by graffiti that I admired. After a serious leg injury, I had to stop rollerblading, which is when I naturally turned to graffiti. A friend handed me my first spray can and since then I have never stopped painting.
CF: I also read somewhere that your style is inspired by Mucha, Vasarely and Hartung. Is that true? Why these three different artists influence simultaneously your work?
ASTRO: Yes, it’s true. These three artists are great classics of Art. They inspire me at different times of my creation and for different reasons. Mucha inspires me with his curves and arabesques, Hartung inspires me with his clean lines and his efficiency in simplicity, Vasarely inspires me with his geometry and his optical illusions. Currently, I am mostly inspired by the architectures that surround me and those that I encounter through my travels for my artistic projects.
CF: The artwork you have in our RSAM collection is done in a Mecanoo building. How was the experience of painting in a building that was done by a well-known architect?
ASTRO: I really appreciated the specific and unique architecture of the building. I liked its rounded and vintage aspect but I especially appreciated the symmetrical configuration of the two facades which was very inspiring for my art.
CF: The division that is on the wall of that building was something that allowed you to be more creative or was a struggle for the process?
ASTRO: With my art, I usually adapt to the architecture of the wall given to me. For example in that case, instead of taking this division as a constraint, I used it as an asset. It indeed reinforces the effect of symmetry of the optical illusion.
CF: How do you remember the experience of doing this mural in Rotterdam? What are your thoughts on the artistic scene here?
ASTRO: I have very good memories of my residence in Rotterdam. The realization of the mural went very well. The setting was ideal. I enjoyed working surrounded by buildings with design architecture, in the heart of the city and in a lively district.
CF: Your work emphasizes optical illusion, and I can notice that on the profundity you gave to the wall. But is there any conceptual meaning behind this artwork? Or is it just an aesthetic experience?
ASTRO: I like to deceive the viewer’s eye through my optical illusions. It’s also a way for me to interact with the world around me. There is indeed an interaction between the mural and what the spectator sees or can imagine when he looks at it. I also attach to put depth in my works because beyond the aesthetic side, the depth changes the perception of the wall. For me, it’s a way to open up and symbolically “break down” the walls, it brings new perspectives.
CF: What materials/techniques did you use for doing it?
ASTRO: To paint this mural in Rotterdam, I only used acrylic paint and aerosol sprays.
CF: I can see that you normally use the same color palette, like black, white, blue and purple. Is there any special reason for that?
ASTRO: I paint with all colors but the turquoise color is indeed my favorite color. I find that this color suits the urban space very well because it is bright, fresh and modern. However, for my more recent murals, I also used the other colors from the chromatic circle.
CF: What is your opinion on our open-air museum and how do you feel making part of it?
ASTRO: I am very honored and happy to be part of the RSAM. This open-air museum is very qualitative and very well located in the city of Rotterdam. The artists present in the open-air museum are internationally well-known artists and they have their own style, which makes the museum very interesting.
