Q & A WITH ARTIST UFO907 & LEAGUE OTO MEMBER SAUCE

Today, we have the pleasure to share with you a great Q & A session between League OTO member Sauce and the amazing down to earth Brooklyn based artist, UFO907.

UFO907 second solo exhibition with Avenue des Arts opens up today at 6:00 pm. To RSVP and inquire make sure to email contact@avenuedesarts.org

1.What was the theme and inspiration behind this upcoming show?

 “NeighborHoodlems” is a tribute to the soul and vitality of my hometown, NYC. I’m sharing an honest glimpse into the gritty, raw cityscape that me and my friends call home. In these paintings I’m  recreating these seemingly ordinary scenes or moments in time, like a graffiti covered truck whizzing through Manhattan , the stoop full of kids in the Bronx, or the ever present green waste management dumpsters of Brooklyn, with hopes that each scene is made vital and alive, through the layered stories being told. Throughout history New York's most revered icons have gone against the grain and experimented on the edge, at the boundary of what is currently acceptable. These paintings honor those experimenting on the edge, the “hoodlums” of our time, some legendary to the wider world, others simply legendary within their neighborhoods. I’m proud to call many of these “hoodlums” my friends.

2.Where do you find your inspiration for these amazing characters that are found in your work?

I began writing graffiti on the streets of New York in the early nineties. I took on the moniker “UFO” but quickly began using a simple spaceship as my tag. Over the years this ship evolved slowly. The glass dome grew into a head and the fire became tentacles. Eyes appeared and he began walking on legs wearing hats and hoodies. Funny hair styles and Nike high tops. Now we are seeing arms wielding the tools of his trade. This character has become a type of encompassing armature for me. I express my love for the act of painting by layering paint and other materials on him. I depict and celebrate my favorite friends throughhim, tell stories and express my options through him.

3.If you could pick one character out of your paintings which character would it be?

Ok, Let’s talk about Kilroy, a character I’ve grown greatly fond of and seems to pop up in my paintings time and time again. Historically the “Kilroy was here” moniker was an early phenomenon of civilian graffiti used among the soldiers of World War II. The words “Kilroy was here” were often accompanied by a quick line drawing of two hands grabbing over a ledge and between them a head droned with a characteristically large nose peers over. I won't elaborate on the interesting story of Kilroy’s historical routes. (A story worthy of some research if you find some time) But I’d love to share my take on the Kilroy character and what he means to me. At its most basic, The Kilroy moniker represents humans' innate urge to mark their territory, leaving something behind that says, “I exist” I think my favorite whimsical take on the Kilroy character depicted in my paintings is when he is representing the artist himself peeking out from behind the work to observe the viewer. Checking in to see how he feels about the work being presented to them. Are they smiling or scoffing at Kilroy’s efforts?

4.What is the process that goes into making some of these unique pieces?

Each piece starts as a quick sketch in my sketchbook, on a scrap of paper, or on the dry erase board in my studio. This sketch is then put on to a larger canvas becoming the framework or armature for the journey of painting. Painting for me has always been an act of exploration and discovery. Physically it's a celebration of materials. Laying them down and seeing how they interact on a canvas. But more importantly to me painting is a kind of spiritual journey. Sometimes it seems like an act of divination. As I paint the true nature of the subject slowly reveals itself to me.

5.What is it like dealing in shape canvases instead of the traditional square or rectangle pieces?

There’s something magical about the shaped canvas. It brings the subject out of the frame into the viewer's immediate space. I always daydreamed about my paintings jumping off the wall and walking around. This comes pretty close. The canvas itself becomes a mind-bending work of art and the painting crosses into the realm of sculpture. I have a long background as a woodworker and fabricator. Half my studio is filled with woodworking machines and hand tools. So, these shaped canvas pieces afford me the opportunity to show off my high level of craftsmanship while playing with my fancy tools.

6.How do you know when a piece is finished and ready to ship off for a show?

It’s usually very apparent. The piece lets me know when there is nothing left to be done. Each piece follows a pretty similar arc of energy and process from start to finish. Beginning with a quick sketch containing gestures laying out ideas. Next follows a slow steady blocking out of colors and form. From there it progresses with alternating bouts of frenetic energetic painting bursts and long thoughtful contemplation. It’s in these quiet spaces where I listen to the stories a painting has to tell; I discover what or who it really wants to be. Bringing things forward than painting them back. Finally, it's time for my favorite stage, where I slowly add the powerful and tasty details. A mist here and drip there a splash over the top corner. Moving the eye creating rhymes. Loading the painting with the surprises that reward the patient attentive viewer. These smallest of details create the harmonies and balances or the discord and punch that the painting asks for. Finally, I've reached the point where the moves are far and few in between, I put a dot of green here or a few yellow lines there and WHAM. I step back smiling knowing this piece is done.

7.Can you share a story about one of your favorite pieces from the upcoming show?

I've told so many already but as you can probably tell I like talking about my paintings. So, let's pick one more. How about….. “Waste Management”, this is a painting of the classic green dumpsters one finds scattered throughout New York. I've always found the simple bold shape and glossy green color of these beasts to be beautiful. To a graffiti writer these beasts are the perfect place to leave a tag. Funny thing that happened to me more than once, As I'm leaning over to catch a tag, out pops a grinning treasure hunter-- a dumpster diver with an old discarded chair in one hand, a loaf of day-old bread in the other. Sometimes standing back pondering this piece I like to Imagine this giant Kilroy head popping out from this dumpster to be a mythic urban creature; New York city’s own elusive Loch Ness Monster, reportedly seen surfacing from these green wells. Never confirmed. This brings a smile to my face. The iconic simplicity of this painting makes it one of my favorites in the show.

- SAUCE

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