It hasn’t been long since I ran into the works of Parisian graffiti artist ASTRO. ASTRO’s style has been captivating me from the start. His graceful typography is unlike any other, and the same goes for his innovative ways like Cellograff. Time to ask the good man some questions!
Astro started out with graffiti a little more than 10 years ago. Astro: “Back in those days I was more into tagging than into graffiti itself”. Wisdom comes with the years though, and over time Astro developed his unique, time intensive style. “I obtained a diploma as a decorative painter and I learned a lot by painting so much over the years. Nowadays I even prefer doing my work legal, as it takes a lot more time than it used to”.
That Astro’s style stands out to us, means a lot. We think the French Graffiti scene might be one of the most diverse scenes out there. Astro: “Our French scene is very rich with different styles of graffiti art and indeed the scene is huge, with all those artists painting every single corner of our cities.” Still his inspiration does not necessarily come from the rich French graffiti scene: “I’m inspired by Alfons Mucha, modern art, all kind of Calligraphy and ornaments”, Astro continues.
A unique product in which Astro is involved is Cellograff. Cellograff makes use of cellophane wrapped around objects to create a legal surface just about anywhere. Together with his friend and colleague KANOS he travels the world promoting this awesome concept. Astro: “The cellograff project permits us to paint where it’s normally impossible, for example in front of our well known Parisian monuments!”
When we ask Astro about his favorite place to paint he doesn’t have to think long: “Venice beach, for it’s the perfect location!” Astro and Kanos went to Los Angeles not too long ago to suck up some of the LA atmosphere and definitely left an impression, even though things got weird at times. Astro: “I thought I was hallucinating when we had to give our ID’s to some guy in order to get permissions to paint a wall at Venice Beach. We already heard about it but it was still very strange to show an ID to get a permission to paint. That was a first for me!”
Of course we have to ask Astro the mandatory question: ‘If you could fill a swimming pool with anything you’d like, what would it be?’ Astro: “Weed, girls and spray-cans.” Hah we dig. And what can we expect from Astro in the future? “You can definitely expect an exhibition, things are already in progress. Expect international festivals, videos, prints (serigraphy) and a lot more! And I want to thank everyone who I met and painted with from all around the world during my travels, my friends, all my Crews( ODV, SPC, DKA), my sista LOCA and ARDEN.” – Astro
