Exposition Speedy Graphito Opera gallery Paris

Opera Gallery has been committed to promoting Street Art for more than ten years, thanks to its worldwide network of art galleries and the excellence of its international collection. Having established itself as a major reference with artists and collectors around the globe,

Opera Gallery Group continues to pursue the promotion of one of the most dynamic artistic movements of the late 20th Century, thanks to the varied programming of yearly thematic and personal Street Art exhibitions and the editorial production of international projects of high caliber.
The purpose of this latest exhibition, “Happy Street Art”, is to give carte blanche to one of the stars of this movement: Speedy Graphito.

Having started his career in the 80s in the world of advertizing, Speedy Graphito continues, with humour and panache, to put into his own perspective the specific relationship people have with the images that saturate our everyday lives. His sources of inspiration are taken with immense enjoyment from the popular iconography that surrounds him.
This series is composed of five ensembles: Atomization, Urban Pop, Movie Star, Pop Reloaded and City. Together, these ensembles represent about thirty works of art created specifically for the occasion. With an iconographic style that is instantly recognizable, Speedy Graphito likes to consider art like the individual sections of one very personal creation that’s constantly evolving.
We sincerely hope that this exhibition will allow you to better appreciate the richness of Speedy Graphito’s talent and to follow the artist while participating in his desire to offer an affectionate and playful interpretation of our times. “Happy Street Art”…or how to escape the doldrums!
Gilles Dyan
Founder anhairman, Opera Gallery Group
Fatiha Amer
Manager, Opera Gallery Paris

 ART DE VIVRE

Le paysage urbain a beaucoup évolué.
À quel moment le public a-t-il suivi ?

Le public a toujours aimé les fresques urbaines même si les médias ne commentaient que le coût des dégradations et le côté hors-la-loi de cette nouvelle pratique. Aujourd’hui le courant s’est inversé. On vante la côte de ces artistes qui enflamment les salles de ventes aux enchères.
Vos tableaux sont très datés de par les marques et éléments connus que vous utilisez. Est-ce important de représenter votre (notre) époque ? L’art doit faire partie de la vie. C’est un miroir de notre monde. Rien ne
représente plus l’époque que l’art. Mes oeuvres sont comme un journal intime où je filtre et traduis le monde qui m’entoure.

Vous télescopez des références en matière de dessins animés, jeux
vidéo et bandes dessinées. Pourquoi détournez-vous ces images fortes de l’enfance ?

L’enfance est la période de la vie où les émotions sont les plus brutes.
L’instinct a encore le pouvoir sur la raison. Les impressions ne sont pas encore formatées. Revisiter les images de notre jeunesse, c’est plonger l’observateur dans un état oublié. Les personnages de dessins animés sont utilisés comme des éléments de langage universel, des liens qui unissent les hommes entre eux par le partage d’une mémoire collective.

Vous traduisez ce que vous ressentez, ce que vous vivez, dans vos peintures. Quelles ont été vos influences, vos sources d’inspiration pour cette exposition, qu’avez-vous souhaité mettre en avant ?
 
J’ai voulu créer une exposition positive et joyeuse. J’ai donc pris beaucoup de plaisir à peindre ces toiles. J’espère que cela se ressent dans l’exposition et que l’ensemble de ces oeuvres rendra le monde plus heureux.

Le Street Art est aujourd’hui un mouvement international, quel impact cela a-t-il sur votre quotidien, vos voyages, vos projets ?

L’internationalisation du mouvement a permis d’ouvrir les frontières de l’art.
Je suis invité dans de nombreux pays pour exposer ou faire des performances. Les rencontres faites lors de ces voyages ont enrichi ma production artistique de nouvelles influences. Je passe aujourd’hui la moitié de mon temps à l’étranger.

 STYLE OF LIFE

Each artist has a unique path.
I’ve been painting forever. After studying art in school, my Parisian studio was quickly invaded by canvas…my works even covered my bed! I needed more space and the streets offered me a playground that was perfect in size.
What followed were several encounters with other urban artists, which led to group exhibitions and, very quickly, art galleries started paying attention to me. I’ve been living my passion for thirty years now.

The urban landscape has changed so much. At what point did the public start getting interested?

The public has always loved urban frescoes, even when the media only talked about the cost of the damage and the “outlaw” aspect of this new style. Today, the trend has been reversed. Now everyone speaks highly of street artists who set the auction houses on fire.
 
Your paintings evoke specific time periods thanks to the well-known brands and elements you use. How important is it to represent one’s (our) own epoch?

Art must be a part of real life. It’s the perfect mirror of our world. Nothing represents a specific era better than art. My works are like a private diary where I filter and translate the world that surrounds me.

You telescope famous references from comic books, video games and cartoons. Why do you like to manipulate such powerful images from childhood?
 
Childhood is a period of life where our emotions are the rawest; a time when instinct still prevails over reason. Our impressions aren’t totally formatted yet. By revisiting the images of our youth, I plunge the onlooker into a state of forgetfulness. The characters from cartoons are used like the elements of a universal language; they form bonds between us by sharing a common collective memory.

You translate what you feel, what you experience, right onto your canvas.
What were your main influences, your sources of inspiration for this exhibition; what did you really want to promote?

I wanted to create a positive and happy exhibition. I really got a lot of pleasure out of painting these pieces. I hope that can be felt during the show, and that all of my pieces will make the world a happier place.

Today Street Art is an international movement; what impact has this had on your daily life, your travels, your projects?

The globalization of the movement has really widened the horizon of art.
So many countries invite me to exhibit or perform. All of the encounters made during my travels have greatly contributed to my artistic production, adding new influences. I now spend half of my time abroad.