Reka is an Australian art icon, both on the streets and as a commercial illustrator, designer and exhibitor of his unique, sureal and constantly developing style. He pretty much covers it all, and as curator of the LTRHDS exhibition i think the depiction of his Renaissance charm is undeniable and complete.
In exploring illustration styles Reka uses symbolism to tell complex stories within his art. Drawn inspiration from his Melbourne street roots, as well as Ancient cultures and elements of nature. He joined the LTRHDS exhibition with his re-interpreations of the letter H.
For more info check www.REKAONE.com
Your work seems to be heading in a more surreal direction, dipping into absurdest cool. What are the influences guiding this progression?
I am constantly trying to re-invent my style and direction. For a while I was finding that my content matter was getting a bit stale and even somewhat generic. I feel that I have done all I can do with painting just characters. It’s time to flip what I have taught myself on its head and become more abstract with my technique and approach.
I can see myself phasing out the character elements altogether in the future, but at this stage I’m finding that a happy medium between the two is a good stepping-stone. As of late I’ve been looking at a lot of surrealist works and have been inspired by their composition and approach.
For years I have taught myself to be anal in perfecting my line work and technique. Only in the last couple of years have I been trying to forget the restrictions I’ve put on my work in favour of a more loose and dynamic approach.
Pushing myself to be spontaneous and somewhat abstract has generated some good ideas and direction for future works. It just feels right.
Tell us about the weird creatures that inhabit your creations. What do they represent? Do they stem from a personal affinity with the natural world?
My characters are my representation of the human form. They are beast like creatures that wear masks to portray the animal and monster inside all of us. I’m trying to explore the notion that humans have many persona in their subconscious of monster-like personalities.
These somewhat tribal and decorative masks help them cover up their true identities. We all have this darker side that we don’t often show. These characters are my view on human life in the most brutal and honest way. I have a deep subconscious connection with animals that I can’t explain. I close my eyes and feel this primal instinct that wants to break free. My art is the first step in the evolution of my inner beasts.
Recently you produced a series of artworks dedicated to the outlaws of Australian history. Do you think that society has become so insipidly trivial that any profoundly honest, uninhibited expression (artistic or otherwise) brands you as a pariah or outlaw? Or are the boundaries of people’s consciousness constantly being expanded outwards?
Doing illegal work on the street I would be classified as a contemporary outlaw by society. I have this subconscious connection with bush rangers and I’m interested in what classifies one as an outlaw and why Australians celebrate outlaws both old and new.
I expect that future society will look back on what I have done and celebrate the fact that individuals stood up for what they believe in and expressed themselves without any constraint. Society will initially look at these “creative outlaws” in disgust but then praise them as time passes. It’s only natural.
Tell us about your transition from ‘street artist’ into the formal art world. Was it tough cracking the gallery scene? Does it demand a different mind set from you?
I started street-art without the thought of ever exhibiting my work in galleries. As time passed I felt the need to push my work in a different direction that my street-work couldn’t go.
Demand and interest increased in my work so I started to exhibit it. It is now my main source of income. For me, exploring new techniques and mediums is an important aspect of being an artist. Doing gallery-work was a great way for me to branch out and explore new avenues of creativity.
I like the idea of creating different styles and directions for the different areas that I express my art in… Both street-based and gallery-based.
Even now, I’m finding it hard to crack the next level within the gallery scene. Putting in time and gaining recognition on the street doesn’t mean that you be successful in the art world.
Creating hype and marketing yourself intelligently will. It is a totally different mind set.
I am constantly learning.
[...] interview for the letterheads book has been recently uploaded as a preview on the ltrhds blog. Its under 2 weeks away from the opening. Im pretty busy promoting and organising the event. Should [...]