{"id":184,"date":"2019-07-01T11:57:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T11:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/?p=184"},"modified":"2026-06-18T11:58:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:58:04","slug":"beerens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/beerens\/","title":{"rendered":"BEERENS"},"content":{"rendered":"

BEERENS \u2013 DIVING THROUGH SCHOOLS OF WALL FISH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 2019 \u2013 2917 words<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COURSE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your career has included some pretty strong breaks, notably the shift from Graffiti to figurative art, which you explain by the viewer's growing awareness.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started doing graffiti in the late 90s, a bit by chance, having grown up in the suburbs in a pretty hip-hop environment. A friend and I would go to the flea market to buy cheap spray paint, and on the way back, we'd tag walls and railway tracks. We were so happy to see our names, our neighborhood, alongside other neighborhoods. As I got older, I took my graffiti to a more advanced level, pure ego trip, without thinking about the public who would see the work, or even about other graffiti artists. Anyway, it's impossible to think about people, otherwise you wouldn't do graffiti, knowing that most of them see it as vandalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I matured a lot after a pretty serious motorcycle accident in 2007. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, wondering what I was going to do, because I didn't know if I'd ever walk again. It's in those moments that you take stock of your life and realize that you have to make the most of your time on Earth by doing what you love most. I realized that I had made some bad choices, that the graphic design career I was starting to pursue wasn't right for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I've always had two distinct styles. I was always drawing, without necessarily showing my work, and when I did graffiti, I adhered more strictly to the rules, drawing inspiration from the style of older graffiti artists like Bando or Nasty. When I left the hospital, several people I painted with had been arrested. They sometimes had to pay enormous fines, which can ruin a lifetime. That wasn't what I wanted, so I slowed down to retrain and become an underwater cameraman. The sea had always been a passion of mine, and I wanted to experience those magical moments I'd seen in wildlife documentaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has your relationship with the street changed over time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, graffiti wasn't art to me, but rather a kind of extreme sport. What we were looking for, beyond the piece that would leave a lasting impression, was the adrenaline rush and the sense of discovery. It's like living an adventure movie, where you have to overcome obstacles\u2014fences, dogs, security\u2014until you finally reach the network and can paint. It's addictive and draws you into a spiral where you always want to paint more. We didn't always create beautiful pieces, but we shared a passion for adventure: that's what appealed to me about street art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was quite difficult to stop painting. My passion for cave diving also stems from the fact that it's the closest thing I have to graffiti as I practiced it: a significant amount of equipment to carry in duplicate or triplicate because it's impossible to return to the surface in case of a technical problem. Everything has to be organized to access the pool or the siphon. But there's also the fear, the intense mental preparation. And that adrenaline rush that gradually gives way to pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I realized I couldn't stop painting in public spaces. So I started doing my animal drawings in the street. It wasn't really a problem anymore, either because the wall was constantly being vandalized, or because people felt the painting enhanced their surroundings. Once, I painted a panda in Belleville. The people in the building liked it and asked the city hall not to erase it. For me, that was a reward and a pleasure to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where does your motivation lie today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There's no adrenaline rush at all anymore. The pleasure now comes from making my painting visible, seeing it photographed and circulating online. This creates a kind of cycle, generating feedback and exchange that I enjoy. Personally, I also really love abandoned places and exploration in general. I sometimes go wild camping to find locations in France or Belgium. Some are truly inspiring, and I always try to keep a ladder and paint in the trunk just in case\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AN EVOLVING STYLE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has your style evolved since your graffiti days?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I actively did graffiti until 2009, though I slowed down after the accident. It was also around this time that my style first evolved. I mainly painted trains, and I envisioned a dialogue between the passengers and my piece as it moved through the streets, breaking away from the traditional codes of tagging. A painting about current events would thus be seen differently than my tag, and would elicit different reactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gradually, my drawings moved away from graffiti, to appeal to a wider audience. I addressed themes related to ecology or modern society, using animals to tell stories and convey messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the wall in Oberkampf, for example, I had painted an old mouse sitting on a large cheese, surrounded by walls and barbed wire with other hungry mice around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did you choose to represent animals?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel like I understood quite young that the Earth is precious and that there's a balance to preserve, because it allows us to thrive. In my opinion, one species is no less valuable than another, and I'm trying to understand what balance must be maintained so that everything doesn't end up being decimated by humankind. The freedom offered by painting allows you to act wherever you want, even in the most remote place, while still gaining visibility thanks to the internet. Rather than painting a cute character that will appeal to many but serve no purpose, I wanted a painting that would make the viewer think. So I started depicting animals to tell stories that resonated with me, sometimes with a touch of humor. Like many, I grew up with La Fontaine's fables, and I found it interesting to use animals to convey a message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did you choose to evolve your style once again at the time of COP21?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was starting to get bored with painting; I wanted to move towards something else but didn't really know in which direction. Then I had a sort of epiphany: my passion being the sea and the oceans, I had to focus on that so as not to spread myself too thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ocean is the primary regulator of the global climate: covering 711,000 to 300,000 tonnes of the Earth's surface, it produces over 501,000 to 300,000 tonnes of the oxygen in the air we breathe and absorbs approximately 301,000 to 300,000 tonnes of CO2 generated by human activities. It goes without saying that its well-being is crucial!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It therefore seemed logical to me to create a painting on this theme for COP21. My research led me to these fish, and the repetition of the motif struck me as interesting, creating the effect of a school in motion. While the COP21 painting was only the beginning of this exploration, the result was quite satisfactory. I then considered how to improve this initial sketch to make it more vibrant and luminous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I've been diving since I was about ten years old, and since I also love caving, I eventually discovered cave diving. In France, particularly in the Lot and Ard\u00e8che regions, there are many places with flooded cave systems that allow for this activity. When you dive underground and approach the exit, you perceive a glow coming from the outside, even though you're still in the dark. This vision fascinates me. Emerging each time is like a small rebirth; it's this feeling that I'd like to capture in my paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SCHOOLS OF FISH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the fish are recognizable, you are nevertheless moving away from figurative work to focus your research more on movement and light.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I've always loved abstract painting, but for a long time it was a personal pleasure I kept to myself. Gradually, my work as a public artist became built on drawing and line. Then, I felt the need to turn the page and explore other mediums. Fish paintings approach abstraction because the composition is random; the forms resemble each other while remaining vibrant and recognizable. It's not just a drawing of a fish, but a shadow seen in the distance that the mind imagines in motion. It's then interesting to simply play with the composition of the motif and the light. I've moved away from drawing, focusing instead on nuances of color, to concentrate on these two aspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you work in successive layers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I'm actually trying to create perspective by playing with the scale of the fish and the gradient of colors; it's an exercise in balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I started working this way, I was mainly trying to find a form that integrated well into the space I was in. For me, street art is first and foremost about adapting to the space, not necessarily creating a model that you then try to reproduce exactly. Once I've found the right space, I use the shape of the fish to play with it. In a vacant lot, for example, I look for an interesting spot to place my light, then I install fish that extend onto the ceiling, walls, and floor. They occupy the space with just a few touches, and the whole room takes on a new dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you choose your color palette when you start your piece?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have to do this because I need to know what materials I'll be bringing to the site, to ensure I have the right amount. I do color tests at home, starting with the brand references, before improvising once the gradient is working. Indeed, the hardest part is often finding the right references, because not all spray paint color charts are created equal. At Montana, even with 280 colors, there are ultimately only a few predetermined shades to choose from. It's sometimes tricky to find the right matches, because if an orange is too red or not red enough, the piece won't work. Mixing the colors myself, so I can paint gradients exactly as I envision them, is a real goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should create spray cans where you can choose your own dosage. In the meantime, I'll try painting with a compressor and spray gun, but mostly in the workshop because you have to admit that spray cans are much more practical outdoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PAINTING AND DIVING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your painting reflects your activist commitment to defending the oceans.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I dive a lot, always searching for the biggest school of fish or the best natural cave. After observing the movements of these schools for so long, I decided I had to paint them. Today, my goal is to depict small pieces of the ocean in various places to show the public this beauty that fascinates me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you see my paintings, you don't immediately think of environmental issues. But I believe we need to try to speak in a gentler language. Before, I was confrontational, wanting to show how horrific it is to imprison an orca, to kill a bull. I used trashy imagery, thinking it was impactful and imagining it was the only effective way to get someone's attention in the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, the priority is paying the bills. Saturating their daily lives with violent images doesn't help matters and would likely only depress them. I've come to believe that beauty can exist everywhere, remaining politically correct while still raising questions. A discourse then emerges from this. When I prepare a workshop in a school, I'm particularly interested in questions about the Why<\/em>, Because I'll be able to talk about ocean conservation, to tell the students that they can have an impact on the future if they make the right choices. Painting then becomes a gateway to addressing a more important topic. My message may not have a huge impact, but if it can work even a little, I might as well take advantage of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You mentioned earlier that your painting comes from the visions you have while diving.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absolutely! For example, in the Lot River, the water temperature inside the caves remains constant throughout the year. However, at certain times of the year, the river water is really cold, and all the fish return to warm up. They don't go very far so as not to get lost in the passages, and when you enter (or exit), you pass right through the middle of this teeming scene. It's quite magical. Incidentally, it's surprising to note that while most people see my paintings as depicting a vertical plane with a swimmer looking upwards, for me it's a horizontal plane, because I'm looking towards the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you feel that your paintings can have a meditative dimension?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I realized that painting fish gave me a little bit of that feeling of diving. Underwater, you experience that meditative state, where the only sound is the bubbling of the air. You feel weightless, in another dimension. When recreational diving, you let yourself drift, you admire the view, and sometimes your mind wanders to other thoughts and escapes. When I paint, I rediscover that feeling of automatic writing: the placement is guided by observation, but there's no real thought involved; everything is instinctive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATIONSHIP TO THE STREET<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you like people to view your work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People consume a lot, but they don't necessarily see things through: if a video is longer than a minute, it won't be watched in its entirety. I've learned to detach myself a little from the public's opinion. If people like it, great, but the important thing is that the aesthetic reflects what I want to convey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love discovering new techniques and painting on new surfaces. This year, I was legally able to paint a tram in Grenoble: it was incredible to be at the depot, painting on the platform and playing with the canvas. I also created a stained-glass window in Chartres with a school during workshops, and participated in a festival in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think I would get bored doing the same thing all the time. Maybe one day I'll even stop painting fish, but for now I feel like I still have a lot to experiment with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your relationship to the ephemeral nature of urban art?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We accept this aspect from the moment we start painting in the street. It's part of the rules, even if it's always painful to see a piece, on which we've spent time, covered in chrome tags when there are walls all around. On the other hand, I have found some that have remained in a place for years. For example, I had a painting at the Dreux sanatorium, a very large former wasteland, which depicted Master Crow retrieving his cheese. Many people frequent this place, but it has never been painted over. There's a kind of respect for the environment that implicitly says: We agree to leave this room here.<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your relationship with photography?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, photography is part of the artwork. Obviously, it offers a partial view of the piece, which could be seen from several different angles. But when I take a photo, I try to think about the aspect I want to emphasize, which will depend on the location and how I've arranged the space with the fish. It thus immortalizes the desired staging, freezing the vision of a moment, and therefore plays an important role in the creative process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet photography is primarily intended for others. Once you save it to a hard drive, you no longer look at it because you already know it, having spent a day working on the piece. It thus becomes a memory, like a childhood image. Thanks to the internet, a painting created in a forest in the Auvergne region of France can be seen by people in Oregon, creating a snowball effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your view on Street art as a movement?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe that urban art is a fully-fledged contemporary art movement, just like any other movement in art history. But what's incredible is that the development of the internet has allowed it to cross borders and spread to all the major cities worldwide. I think, however, that it's important to differentiate between graffiti, street art, and muralism. Some artists practice all three, but they are far from the majority. Many of the walls we see on the internet are commissioned: the artist has permission and is paid for their work; therefore, it's muralism. In my opinion, this cannot be compared to a free and illegal act like graffiti or street art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, this over-exposure in the media has allowed a large number of artists to make a living from their passion and to make it the greatest artistic movement of all time (until the next one\u2026)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BEERENS – EN PLONG\u00c9E \u00c0 TRAVERS LES BANCS DE POISSONS MURAUX juillet 2019 – 2917 mots PARCOURS Ton parcours comporte des ruptures assez fortes, notamment le passage du Graffiti \u00e0 la figuration, que tu expliques par la prise de conscience du regardeur. J\u2019ai commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 faire du Graffiti \u00e0 la fin des ann\u00e9es 90, un […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184\/revisions\/185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}