Beware of the buff! One key element of graffiti is the re-appropriation of existing things for your own artistic purposes, which can be seen as an empowering act. Our longtime friend of the brand, Thierry Furger, loves to play with ephemerality and beholders’ expectations. Somewhere between creation and destruction, works by the Swiss artist utilize elements usually disliked by both society and writers. While society wants unasked works to be gone and writers work hard to stay visible, Thierry merely observes and takes a neutral stance. Applying layers of paint and cleaning them off coexist in his pieces, creating fresh, unexpected output. So, let’s jump right into it!
MC: Hey Thierry! Your work appears to take a somewhat neutral stance in the field between fine art in gallery spaces and vandalism in the streets. I understood it as a status quo between vandalism and society’s urge to clean up. Writers usually hate the buff, but you consciously play with these aesthetics. How did that come about? Did you accept the ephemerality of the culture after all? Or do you try to find beauty in spaces that are overlooked and despised by society and writers as well?
TF: Your question is really spot on. My goal was truly to capture and depict the fleeting nature of graffiti in public spaces. For me, there’s an incredible power in the raw aesthetic of poorly buffed tags and pieces on walls and trains. I try to depict this power in my painting. When I started making art in the early 2000s, the ephemeral nature of graffiti wasn’t yet a major topic in the art world. This exploration of graffiti’s transience has always been part of the experience, which is what makes it so fascinating. But it’s still a shame that so much of it gets cleaned up. When I walk through my city, I still know where certain pieces used to be; today, everything is just uniformly gray. When I see the colorful footboard on an S-Bahn as I’m getting on, I wonder what kind of piece was probably on it years ago.
MC: I know that feeling! How important is the procedural element in your work, and when do you decide a piece is finished, as a lot of your works convey a feeling of being in between? Tags are neither fully visible nor fully disappear. Do you want to achieve a feeling of non-finito?
TF: The process is important to me; it has to be. The finished piece has to feel like a stroke of genius and not look contrived. It’s not always easy to tell when a piece is finished. I usually work on several pieces simultaneously, and I like to set them aside for a few days. That way, I can evaluate a piece more effectively if it’s finished. What’s important to me is that nothing is legible anymore. I’m concerned with the whole work; that’s how it should affect people. As soon as some details are still legible, it draws the viewer’s gaze too strongly towards these letters.
MC: Makes sense, I was always trying to decode your works. So what is more important to you, covering or uncovering, applying paint or taking it off after? Or is it equally relevant to achieve a balance between creation and its destruction?
TF: For me, the act of destruction is more important. Before that, it’s just graffiti; for me, my actual artistic act begins when I start removing it. I once did a series where I buffed out pieces by other writers. The act of cleaning them off was very special; I really felt like I was destroying something. For the “Sgraffito” series, it really is hard physical labor to scratch many tags and texts into specially painted metal plates. That’s when the act of destruction really becomes palpable.
MC: Speaking about destroying or creating – do you have fun while creating your art, or is it work?
TF: Of course, it’s great to set yourself a challenge in your own studio and create paintings for it without anyone telling you what to do. It’s actually perfect. But really immersing yourself in the creative process and putting together an entire exhibition also takes a lot of energy.
MC: How do people react to your works? Is there a difference between innocent bystanders and full-on writers’ reactions? Does external feedback even have any significant relevance for you?
TF: Feedback is really important to me, especially after spending a long time in the studio working on my own. I get to hear a wide range of perspectives and ideas from people that I hadn’t considered myself. The feedback I’ve received from writers in particular has always been very positive, since I didn’t just hang graffiti in the gallery.
MC: Do you think the context determines how the value of a work is perceived, lets say opposing the streets or Galleries?
TF: A good street piece is just as valuable as a beautiful studio work. I think both are incredibly important to culture, and I don’t want to pit one against the other.
MC: Talking about context, how about yourself, do you still go out to bomb in the streets, or is this more of a space to gather inspiration? Do you consider yourself to be a writer? Do you paint classical graffiti?
TF: I liked classic graffiti long before I started making art, and I still really like it. I like all those no-man’s-lands, like abandoned places, where graffiti can still exist. That’s where you’ll often find me, along with hares, foxes, and copper thieves.
MC: Are your works usually structured around letters, or do you sometimes just go with color schemes?
TF: Both, but mostly I buff pieces or tags. And I always layer them in lots of coats on top of each other. There are also some works, though, where I just buffed areas of color.
MC: What are your favorite tools to work with? Do you like specific Montana colors or paints?
TF: I’ve worked a lot with Montana WHITE on my paintings over the past few years. The glossy paint worked really well with solvents. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available. Now I work with Montana BLACK. I like the cans and the color palette. As for my favorite shades, my colleagues say I especially like Juice, Koi, and Lollipop… But these days I prefer colors with very good coverage, like Pear. For the ink works I make, I use Corio from Paris. That stuff is really strong.
,,The process is important to me; it has to be. The finished piece has to feel like a stroke of genius and not look contrived.,, – Thierry Furger
MC: Who influenced your creative output? What inspires you?
TF: Inspiration comes from all sorts of places, like old, poorly buffed trains in Italy. Inspiration is literally right there on the street or in the air in the form of some cool beat. And there are so many great artists and writers out there that I don’t want to reel off a long list right now. Keith Haring was an artist who made a huge impression on me when I was a kid. There was this documentary about him; when I saw it, I wanted to become an artist too. My first graffiti books, like “Subway Graffiti”, “Subway Art”, “Da Kukse wa”, or “Die Züge gehören uns” also had a huge influence on me. So, here’s a list after all. That stuff was out of this world.
MC: Totally agree! Another question that is on my mind is how you deal with identity, which usually seems a bit tricky within the realm of graffiti art. Was it a freeing moment to come forward with your face and real name, as I suppose you had used a conservative pseudonym prior?
TF: From the very beginning, I wanted to make a clear distinction between art and graffiti. And in the art world, it makes sense to me to put my name out there and be able to engage in dialogue. That’s also important if you want to sell your work.
Foto Credits: Martin Delco, Kolly Gallery, Thierry Furger
MC: Thank you! Maybe a last question, how do you feel about finally working with us?
TF: I have had a relationship with the brand’s founders since the mid-90s. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to provide feedback on test products and to visit the factory. Now I am incredibly happy that one of my T-shirts is being released by you, almost 30 years later! Thank you so much for that!
Montana Cans x Thierry Furger – Graffiti is here to stay!
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