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Endless and how to reinterpret a brand



HE GOES BY THE NAME “ENDLESS” – A WORD WHICH EMBODIES HIS LIMITLESS CREATIVITY, PASSION AND DRIVE. ENDLESS IS A LONDON-BASED ARTIST, WHO INFUSES STREET AND CONTEMPORARY ART TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES.



 

 What is the main basis of the reinterpretation of brands, celebrities and in general the world around us in your work?


I have always been interested in humanities interactions with the everyday world around them, manipulation and how people are influenced through advertising and media comes into this. Celebrities have become brands and brands have become celebrities, the general public worship these symbols to give themselves an inner purpose, signalling status and self worth. It is the human condition that effects us all. 


Looking back on your journey as a street artist, how do you feel your style or approach has evolved over time?


I think I have honed my skills to produce more complicated works that are faster to put up on the street, this has taken me years. I am always experimenting and don’t want to become an artist that repeats without trying new techniques. For me, street art at its most powerful is illegal. Larger murals that can take days with permission don’t appeal to me in the same way illegal work does, I think its the freedom and passion that comes through that speaks to the viewer in a special way when the artist didn’t ask permission and chose to act.





In your opinion, what role does street art play in shaping the cultural identity of a city or neighbourhood?


Since the popularity of street art and mural paintings, art has reshaped many cities, taking areas that once seemed poor and run down and giving them a cool creative feeling that often means coffee shops and businesses want to move to these areas and house prices sometimes go up. I prefer the areas of the city that have less street art but the art you do see stands out more and often is more thought out in its application.  

 

Could you share an anecdote or memorable experience from one of your street art installations that left a lasting impact on you?


While doing illegal work on the street I have been in many strange and risky situations, hanging around the dark streets of London at 4am you see a different side to the city. I have been putting up artwork on wall while a moped with two helmet-less riders crashed next to me, they had stolen the moped. They leaped back on and drove off down Regent Street in London, I continued to put my work up feeling less stressed about the legality of my actions compared to what was going on around me.

 

How do you see technology influencing the future of street art, whether it's through digital installations or augmented reality?


I think this is already being used by some artists and I think its a good thing, artists should always experiment with technology and new ways of creating. I don’t think the essence of reality and the physicality of art will be lost, however technologically advanced we become. 

 

What steps do you take or recommend to ensure the longevity of your street art pieces?


Once my work is finished on the street I have no control over it, some works have lasted years and some a few hours. I have even had a security guard rip my work down just after I had finished it. As an artist you have to learn to let go, and as a street artist you only control your next move not what you have previously done.




 

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations or goals as a street artist, and how do you plan to continue pushing boundaries in your work?


I have never seen myself as a street artist, although I display my work within the street, I also spend a large portion of my time in the art studio creating canvas work. For me, it’s all the same, my ideas shown in many situations, each situation with its own set of rules and aesthetics. I am always trying to push ideas and ways of making my working hopefully my work on the street becomes more individual and less what you expect from the genre of street art. 

 

In an interview you said that "when art is on the street, people call it street art or graffiti" and that "working with a gallery is the best way to make giant strides in the art world and gain credibility”. As I write to you, Banksy has recently announced a new work that is making the rounds on the web and in the media. Yet in his case his works are not considered just "graffiti" but real works of art. Do you think that his is one of the few isolated cases?

 

Yes his case is one of a kind, he managed to use the media and springboard off political and social issues that made the news, he also made stencil artwork on the streets well known. His work still gains massive media attention, often from media that know little about the art world as its an easy cultural story to tell and Banksy has become an accepted household name.

 

 How important is it to explain your work to the public?


I enjoy explaining my thoughts and giving insight to the work but at the same time I like to hear what others get from the work, people have their own interpretations and none of them are wrong. My artwork has many meanings and I don’t create to tell people what to think, I create to make people think for themselves. 

 

 In the art world it is very important to have your own identity and style, but do you sometimes feel repetitive and a bit kitschy in what you do? How do you try, in that case, to give a new freshness to your work?


Repetitive and Kitschy is a strong style in itself. It's not the job of an artist to overthink or play to a market. I go by my ideas and what I feel is right at that time. Every day  I create something but I am not looking to be popular or fresh, I am trying only to be true to my thoughts and ideas. 


Endless is represented by Cris Contini Contemporary 





by FRANCESCO SARCINELLA



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