StickerNation :: International Sticker Network

Feature by Roller :: Tuesday, December 30, 2003

"From Sao Paulo Brazil… a group that involves different people with the same cause - one architect, one history researcher, one graphic designer and one independent musician." - SHN

Introduce yourself... Where you from? How did you get started with street art/graffiti? How long have you been doing it for?
SHN: From Sao Paulo Brazil. We started doing some based graffiti/stickers works with pictures. The real interest by doing that for the street appeared cause we did not have the answer we expected from that work .We found out that the street was the only place that our art really owned. It was a pubic domain. We were not very good with the graffiti (we still not very good in that). With posters and stickers we had a better relation!! We’ve been doing that for streets since 1999 before that we did works only for friends and small events. Today we became fixed in a group that involves different people with the same cause - one architect, one history researcher, one graphic designer and one independent musician.

Sao Paulo is getting world recognition for its graffiti scene with artists like Os Gemeos, Nina, Vitche, Herbert etc. How is the sticker/poster scene in Sao Paulo? Who is really representing over there?
Yeah! The Brazilian graffiti scene is getting bigger and bigger not only worldwide, but its getting stronger in the popular urban culture, these artists you said (gemeos , nina vitche, herbert) are the headlining not only here, but all over the world. We think they’re from another reality! They are so good, a real influence for many people! The sticker/poster scene still doesn’t have the attention and the support that the graffiti scene already has, but in the last years too many artists are blowing up at the city space - and we’re getting involved more and more at this time. People do not understand the function and meaning of street art and the contemporaneous urban configuration. We have to work with it and for it. Today’s representing Sao Paulo posters/sticker scene are that we know are: FACA, SHN, ASA, GAZE, CALMA, ZNORT, SILVASTREET, BASE V, BRUTAL MUNDO CAO, and so on.

How do you make your posters? Any favorite materials/products?
We’re about to express our work by the way we like and by what we know. We’ve had an ecological approach since we have started. We do work, basically, with things people call trash! Old newspapers, magazines, comic books, telephone lists, pieces of old stickers, political propaganda, etc…. When we find a good material we make some thing of it!!!! We print most of our material with silk-screen technique. We use solvent-based ink cause the work gets prompt faster!! Different techniques always run together, cause sure we love experiences with the most methods of graphic representation, we have works with stencil, xylography, hand made, computer, brushes, mixed techniques, etc....

How would you describe your style?
Less is more!!!
We always have different and simple ideas! We cannot say that we do something unique (a style, a label) cause we love to have different influences and we do not like to be locked at some name. You describe it as you want. That’s the intention.

Do you do any commercial work?
Sure we do! We need that to pay some bills, cause that’s the way the humanity walks!!! And working feeds our minds, we do; concert posters, CD artwork, cinematography (events/parties/videos/shops/shows/ “trio-eletrico”), installations, happenings, photos, tattoos, videos, music, articles, etc... We’re always waiting for new challenges and any work!

What are some other artists you collaborate with?
Like we said before. The scene here is not too strong. We with many people are working together to change this situation! We had already collaborated in collective expositions with: CALMA, SILVA STREET ASA, FACA, GAZE, BRUTALMUNDOCAO, VITORIAMARIO and others

Tips and tricks?
1. When we do some collage work indoors, for places that the work has to be taken out after, we make a glue only with water and flower, it stays easier to take out after!
2.solvent based ink gets ready faster.
3.we put up our posters with the hand! It’s dirtier but faster.
4. When we do some silk art we always think in serial production, and how we work with..

Any Shout Outs?
We would like to thank stickernation for your recognition at our work and thanks for the space you have given for our voice. Congratulations for feeding the international scene relation of urban street art.

Thanks boys. Keep up the great work.