C215: master class

I cannot be a teacher for others. I can’t impose my creativity. It is unique for everyone and subsequently what we usually call style is born from it.

His works are real masterpieces, and I don’t even want to compare the artist himself with anyone. His style is unique, because he is a French street art artist - Christian Guémy, better known under the pseudonym C215, and also a member of the jury of the Erarta MOTION PICTURES 2016 film festival.

What is so unique about street art? Of course, I’m not talking about three-letter inscriptions on the fence, but about real subject or portrait paintings. C215 himself decided to draw on buildings, doors, and sometimes fences, however, because he did not want to force his impulse, his creativity into a framework. Honestly, I had an association in my head: I compared him to Jackson Pollock, but only in terms of the way he expressed his creativity. He also rejected the artist’s usual blankness and created on paper the size and length of wallpaper. Our artist went further, deciding to give his art to the world. C215’s paintings are known not only in their native France, but throughout Europe as a whole, and now also in Russia. According to him, every corner of the world has its own street artists who are creating a cultural revolution in painting. They experiment with technology, colors and, of course, the concept of future creativity. photo

“I was bored at school. I lacked creativity..."

Everyone came to the master class, but instead they received a charge of creative mood. Christian told a little about his biography and moved on to his main idea with the help of a rather interesting, but understandable allegory. Maybe because it was somehow connected with food? And it is impossible not to understand food - you can only swallow it boorishly or calmly experience it (it seems 30 times) for better assimilation. All those present, however, belonged to the second category. The main credo of an artist should be his creativity. It is this that gives rise to the foundations of a future unique style.

“What art school teachers usually call a mistake or inaccuracy is most often your creativity, your creative sensation”

Then there were questions and bets could be placed. Moreover, the probability of victory was 100%. Why am I doing this? So to the question about Banksy. Many people compare the C215 to Banksy. And there is some truth in this - the artists are similar in expression, skill, originality and the fact that they choose the street as their main platform. However, there are also significant differences. Firstly, the French artist is not anonymous. Secondly, his working technique is primarily stencil art or stencil painting. And our French artist has a more optimistic view of the world than Banksy. This is expressed in colors and, of course, in the concept of the artists’ works.

Finally, Christian spoke about his upcoming plans: about the portrait of his idol Wassily Kandinsky, who will soon settle “in” or “on” Erarta, as well as about the upcoming exhibition. This will be his first exhibition in Russia, and he wants to organize it in St. Petersburg. After all, it is here, as the artist himself noted, “everything breathes the freedom of art.”

Anna Starkova

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