According to Madrid county, there exists almost 300K acres of natural green areas in the region. However, some of those protected spaces are vandalized by graffiti writers every year. Here’s where the figure of a nature street art artist shows up!
Today, we will show you the move that a former whole car Spanish graffiti writer did a few years ago. For those of you who are not familiar with the ‘whole car’ concept, this term refers to the action of painting a whole metro wagon or bulk freight haulage.
Cooltourspain’s CEO Javier Garcia, interviewed over the phone Sea162 while he was painting another wall in the country side. This time right by a pond in Madrid’s northwestern mountain range.
Who is the artist that creates nature street art?
Sea162 is a professional graffiti muralist who decorates different organizations with decorative walls. He does it both indoors and open air. Similarly to what happens with many other artists, he has a different alter ego.
That’s where Sea162 appears. The idea behind this creator is to use nature street art in his decorations. In addition, he takes it as a hobby. He loves repairing what others have damaged.
Does he receive any funding for creating this?
No, he doesn’t receive any money from public institutions. What Sea162 actually does lies in a legal limbo. In other words, city council officials don’t grant him the permission to paint, but if rural police suddenly shows up where he is painting, he explains the situation and let him finish it without writing a fine.
For him it is no problem to deal with this situation. They only ask him to take his rubbish when finished. However, he complaints that local governing bodies don’t allow him to repaint paint what others have damaged.
“In case you want to want to ask for permission, you’ll receive a no.”
Sea162, nature street art artist
What’s been his biggest challenge when working with nature street art?
We have seen his artworks in French and Italian quarries. Depending on each individual wall, he may use ladders to reach on low heights or climbing gear to practice rappelling.
Taking into consideration that Sea162 is not a professional rock climber, he always need somebody to prepare the materials. According to this words “the most important part of my artistic process is to be safe while working”.
The maximum he’s ever rappelled is a 15 meters wall. Every time he develops this kind of projects, it’s a new challenge for him.
What’s Sea162 biggest dream related to nature street art painting?
Traveling with his van, discovering new places, producing artworks created with materials obtained from the ground. Above all, working with nature. That’s the way he tries to connect with the landscape.
Sea162 is currently working on the next project, which will hopefully take him to visit caves in the north of Spain. Cooltourspain team wishes that he receives institutional support to paint in caves, developing rock art. No sketching. Just what our ancestors did millions of years ago.Furthermore, he already has a van prepared.
Are there are any fundings for investigation? Yes, there are! According to his project, he wants to study the relationship between humans and nature. How does environment affect our health? What’s our connection with these kind of places?
What’s ‘nature street art’?
The term refers to those urban art paintings developed in natural landscapes. Although we may be familiar with graffiti in an urban setting, there exists writers who use the mountain walls to paint their tags and throw-ups.
Should it be prohibited? We believe that if it damages the environment, it should be banned. However, we think that the way in which Sea162 uses nature street art represents a contemporary art version in a complex dimension.
Do artists use special paint?
Some of them do, some others don’t. On one hand you may find artists who regularly use spray cans containing toxic elements. They could easily damage the stone. On the other side, artists such as Sea162 investigate in developing their own natural materials.
Alonso uses ochre to develop pigments that are later used for painting on rocks. He also uses organic paint from plants , but only on paper.
The first time that the artist recalls using pigments from minerals in outdoor walls was in a trip to Salamanca. He was invited to paint for an event. They offered him spray cans. By that time, he realized about the issue and requested natural paints. Sea162 started using this new technique by then.
Who are the most famous figures for nature street art?
Andy Goldsworthy is a British artist, currently living in Scotland, who creates ephemeral artworks. His permanent installations draw out the endemic character of a place. He has been making art in the environment, both rural and urban, since the mid-1970s.
Although the physical survival of his sculptures is rarely ensured, Goldsworthy photographs his sites before, during, and after he has created his structures within the landscape. In other words, these photographs serve as permanent records of each piece.
In which international rock art events has Sea162 participated?
- Street Art On Roc festival (France)
This festival takes place in Villars-Fontaine (France). 2019 edition counted with the participation of Sea162. They invited him to decorate a quarry near Dijon area. Other invited artists were Futura2000 (NYC graffiti legend), Delta (NE) and Hopare (BE).
What was the interesting part of that project? He was inspired by the animal present in the region. This work refers to European rock art and its communication routes, integrating with the environment as another landscape’s element.
- Cava Rosso Rubino (Tuscani, Italy)
At this time, Sea162 used the engraving technique. The setting was an incredible abandoned quarry of pink marble. Without previous intention, he began to rub the floor’s stones against the wall.
Cooltourspain’s opinion about nature street art
Cooltourspain proudly sponsors Sea162. He collaborates with our street art workshops and the professional graffiti decorations in Madrid. Moreover, we think that the way in which he restores natural elements from vandalism is the best possibility to create art.
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