Alexis Diaz

PERSONALLY CONDUCTED INTERVIEW WITH ALEXIS DIAZ WHICH INFORMS SIGIL PERSONAL STREET WORK

Where did it all begin for you? What lead you to street art initially and who inspired you to get to where you are today?

I began to work murals in 2010 under the name La Pandilla alongside my friend Jaun however two years ago we split to pursue our own interests. I have been drawing from a very young age but street art always caught my attention above traditional methods because I felt that traditional, paint-on-canvas style had its limitations. I could create a piece and have one person purchase it, put it in their home and they’ll look at it, their family will look at it, even their friends might look at it, but in the end they will be the only people to see it. This wasn’t enough for me as I had always dreamed of creating art for all people to enjoy. I wanted to create art that was accessible and not linked to economic status; from the poorest to the richest. That's what led me to work in the streets.

At the time in Puerto Rico the street art scene was very limited, only really realized using typical spray cans, any other mediums were generally either completely missed or even frowned upon so I felt quite limited. This was until I first began to experience works by Keith Haring who was a big inspiration and encouragement which finally me to step outside aerosol and begin to paint the street using other means. This allowed me to get comfortable within a style of my own and develop a personal technique.

As you spoke about using personal techniques, what methods do actually use to create your works? And is there meaning behind your carefully considered combinations of completely different beings or are they aesthetically based? 

I work with small brushes and ink to create a mixture of realistic representation alongside a surrealist concept with bright backgrounds. The subject is always important to me as I create combinations of animals according to the ecosystem of the place I am working. I use local stories, feelings and my imagination alongside evolution and impulses of the times to create a personalised response to wherever I am. It is a pretty exciting way of working and means that every place I go I produce something really individual.

What is the street art scene in Puerto Rico like at the moment and where do you see it headed in the future?

As of 2010 unfortunately the art scene has been diminishing. Some friends and I set ourselves the task of taking back some wall-space left by the decline in both art and economy in Puerto Rico, especially in neighbourhoods around the Santurce area. We began filling these abandoned spaces which began to kick-start local artists also.

By 2012 I had begun to travel with my work, visiting many different countries. During this time I saw how the rest of the world had developed and recognised the ways in which everywhere else street art had begun to embed itself as a huge part of artistic and social culture.

 

I set out to create a festival of street art in Puerto Rico as I had seen be hugely successful elsewhere, calling in some international friends to help me plant the idea of street art as a seed and help it grown, encouraging an international focus and thus attract other artists to paint in Puerto Rico.

 His work inspires my practice not only because of his use of crosshatch to create tonal depth and texture, but also the way he uses geometric shapes and linework to bring emphasis to certain areas of his work. He also uses animals and imagery which is native to the environment where it is placed, in the same way I use foxes and starlings which are native to Britains urban environment.