DARK SNOOOPY

DARK SNOOOPY – CALLIGRAPHY, A UNIVERSAL AESTHETIC

October 2018 – 1217 words

URBAN LETTERING DIFFERENT FROM GRAFFITI

Since your work is essentially calligraphic, how do you distinguish this form of expression from Graffiti as it is usually understood?

Dark Snooopy appeared when I used to go to abandoned places with friends to tag my name on the walls, before I started practicing art. I often added a character, which led to me being called Snoop, ...before it gradually became my signature. I then enrolled in a graphic design school where I spent three years, and during my second year, I was able to take calligraphy classes. Using quills, we wrote texts and compositions based on the most classic alphabets. This inspired me to let loose, and it was by stopping the classroom practice that I began to delve deeper into my study of calligraphy, practicing very regularly, sometimes for entire nights, with markers in notebooks.

Why did you become so passionate about lettering?

I'm first and foremost a fan of writing. When I started doing graffiti, it was more about researching letters than about putting up my tag. My goal has always been to highlight the letter through an aesthetic dimension. Calligraphy allowed me to continue down this path, picking out fragments of forms, mixing them, and developing my own style. Since the dawn of time, humankind has sought to express itself in countless ways, ultimately always trying to say the same thing. Thousands of languages have thus been created to evoke the same feelings. By bringing them all together, I'm trying to create a kind of... melting pot which symbolizes these similarities and testifies to this search for common communication. Yet, I am still at the beginning of my journey and I cannot be certain that I will always want to do calligraphy: I have been painting Snoopy on walls for three years, and I have been trying to integrate a new character for six months.

What does the repetition of shapes and their stylization evoke for you?

At home, I have a wall covered in shapes I have in my head, trying to transcribe everything and keep them constantly in view. In this abstract language, everyone can read whatever word they want. I think it's cool that people, seeing these symbols, can imagine that I meant a particular word. This diversity of interpretations is important in my work.

Furthermore, I can push the stylization of these letters very far, because, being abstract, I'm the only one who can set a limit. Niels Shoe Meulman is one of the artists to whom we owe this. While the art of writing has existed for millions of years, he transformed writing so that it transcended its initial function, and spawned this wave of calligraphers who now write everywhere, wanting to see beyond—and bigger than—the sheet of paper. A letter is a powerful motif: the larger it is, the more impressive it will be.

ABSTRACT WRITING IN THE STREET

What does creating in the street mean to you?

At first, I acted mainly out of curiosity and a desire to let loose. But by doing it regularly, it became an addiction and a pleasure to be able to share it with people. Where the night offers you creative freedom, without anyone telling you what to do, the day allows for this worthwhile contact. I create for myself, because I enjoy it, but also because I find it interesting to be able to spark interaction and reflection with passersby. Codex Urbanus says: «"If we write on the walls it's because we're locked up between four grey walls and it pisses us off.". There's a lot of truth in that statement, even if not all artists see it that way. We live in a pretty bleak world; if we can bring a little life into it, it's worth it.

How will you define your own frame on the wall? Is that why you're using geometric patterns?

At first, I struggled a lot with it, having a very structured, academic approach to making everything work, especially in terms of composition. A single shape would close off the drawing, leaving no room for exploration. Starting with a composition of three circles—or triangles—creates a barrier, knowing it will work. Practice and repetition help you project yourself into the final result, to better visualize what you want to achieve, and now I sketch the shapes more often before completing and filling them in.

Do you consider that there is a contextual aspect to your work?

My work is so abstract that it's difficult for me to say I'm creating something contextual. Nevertheless, I still try to create in relation to the place I'm in. Therefore, I like to ensure that the colors I use evoke the tones of the surrounding surface, so that people can visually perceive an interplay between the space and the artwork. I also use shading to give an impression of depth, which lends coherence to the whole, anchoring the work in a place and indicating that it has lived, lives, and will continue to live.

How do you react to the ephemeral nature of your creations?

Once you put something in the street, you accept that it won't stay there in the medium or long term. Therefore, it's best not to overthink it: once the artwork is there, it's where it belongs. I'm not doing it for posterity, to be able to see my work on this wall for twenty years, but because I enjoyed doing it, sharing this moment with friends and then, later, with future passersby. As for the rest, life goes on.

RESEARCH AND SHARING

Which of your research avenues will you prioritize: shapes, colors, or techniques?

I try to use everything so I'm not limited to a single technique. For example, I might draw a wall with chalk or spray paint. I do a lot of tests to see what works and what doesn't, which allows me to be flexible enough to adapt. It's also possible to create layers of calligraphy by playing with the different possibilities offered by color combinations.

Do you feel like you've belonged to a movement since the beginning?

I feel like I belong to a group, which I would group under the label Street art. It's a group in its own right, generating a lot of things. I've discovered many friends there, and it's an interesting opening onto an extremely open world.

Your work lends itself well to collaboration.

Collaborations allow you to learn a lot and step outside your comfort zone. It's about bringing together two sometimes diametrically opposed worlds. With Codex Urbanus, this works very well because my abstract, imaginative language blends well with his fantastical animals. But it's also the case with TocToc and his Duduss characters, or with other artists I've had the pleasure of working with.

This archive project is independent — Offer a coffee