5 Minutes with Artist Felipe Pantone
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Ceilings are often overlooked elements found within a space, in particularly within a store environment. We commissioned Spanish graffiti writer and fine artist Felipe Pantone to create bespoke artwork to fit within our new location, making use of his latest ‘Ultradynamism’ work which he’s been spreading globally. We sat down with Felipe briefly to find out how each of his artistic practices informs the other, and how his progressive work his helped him exhibit around the world.
Hi Felipe! How long have you been painting graffiti and which crews do you represent?
I started painting graffiti when I was 12. I’m part of UltraBoyz and Corbeta Halcón.
How long have you been creating artwork without the lettering element involved?
In 2013 I started to get rid of the letters of my name but I kept working on the same style that I was doing in my graffiti.
How would you describe the feelings you want to convey from these works? There’s obviously a lot of chaos involved with the layering of effects, but it’s created in a very orderly manor.
The amount of information contained in cyberspace is enormous. Overwhelming to some people, all-important to others. The free access to information and the ability to easily disseminate content is promoting an extremely quick development in every aspect of culture and society. This work proposes these questions to the viewer that debates between the overwhelming and the plentiful.
Does this practice come with a lot of experimentation? Are you able to visualise these abstract pieces in your head even before you start painting?
Yes, totally. I barely sketch, or if I do I do it on tiny pieces of paper, I pay attention mostly to the main composition elements. I think this is something you get from graffiti. When you’re traveling and you paint every day you get used to improvising because if you’re always painting, you never have time to sketch.
Your current ‘fine art’ works seem to have stemmed from effects first found within your graffiti. Do you still find that each practice helps inform the other or do you try to keep them quite separate?
I go through phases. Sometimes I try to keep them separate, to be very orthodox when it comes to graffiti, but in reality everything I do influences the rest.
Do you find much time to paint walls nowadays with the popularity of the canvas/sculpture works taking off?
I don’t really find a lot of time to paint graffiti lately (it’s hard!) but I do paint murals all the time. I really enjoy this too.
What’s the most interesting country you’ve ever painted in? Is there anywhere in the world you’d still to get some work up in?
Probably one of the most shocking places I’ve been to is Suriname. I really didn’t expect it to be so different from the rest of the South American countries. I also find Asia very interesting, and I love to spend time there. I’ve never been to many places but probably the top 5 is Brazil, New Zealand, Vietnam, Iceland, Tahiti…
What have you got coming up in terms of exhibiting your new work? You seem to be popping up all over the world at the moment!
I’ll have another group show in New York soon, and a new solo show in Montreal in June.
Tell us a bit about what you’ve created for size? Brixton. Is this the first time you’ve painted a ceiling? It’s obviously a very different surface to paint on compared to a standard vertical wall.
I’m really happy with the result. I’ve painted ceilings before, but always on big scale projects. The main challenge was to make the design fit all the obstacles on the ceiling such as lights, air conditioners, etc. Eventually all these elements ended working in my favor so I’m extremely pleased with the work.
Get down to size? Brixton to see the impressive artwork in person, and in the mean time take a look at more of Felipe’s Ultradynamism work on his website, and follow his Instagram for a closer look behind the scenes.
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