A contemporary Parisian lesson in style
After a successful feature as a Montana BLACK Limited Edition artist and a couple of years of painting since our last Montana Blog wall update, FUNC88 from Paris France has again graced us with an update of images of his recent work. And as expected, it was an amazing lesson in contemporary Parisian graffiti style writing development.
FUNC’s current approach to his graffiti practice is unmistakably his, regardless of if you can read it or not
Coming from Paris, one of Europe’s graffiti style writing capitals, it is not always easy to stand out from the crowd. But FUNC88 does and has been doing so for many years. The prolific member of the ULTRABOYZ crew constantly pushes the envelope to arrive at new stylistic destinations on his graffiti writing path. Since our last wall update, FUNC88 has kept going with his tasteful mix of clean and dirty color application but made a unique transformation to the heavy use of rounded shapes as opposed to the former geometric ones. It can be considered a difficult task to completely change your style but at the same time not change it. Just like the swoosh on a pair of sneakers that communicates a brand name known all over the world, FUNC’s current approach to his graffiti practice is unmistakably his, regardless of if you can read it or not.
With a little help from the Montana BLACK and GOLD can ranges and his unique use of the ULTRA WIDE cans, FUNC88 has created a unique visual space where color creates letters that are not always defined by outlines. Nor are they dependent on them. With the careful linear placement of the Montana BLACK black color, outlines are often as much of the background as they are the foreground.
It is not always easy to stand out from the crowd
FUNC88’s work s best interpreted by the viewer themselves, as anything else is a closure to its possibilities. In a world where traditional graffiti becomes contemporary art without any undermining of its origins, FUNC88 again is a pathfinder to a future graffiti we are just getting to know, with elements of the one we have just left behind. When it comes to visual funk, FUNC88 has surely chosen the correct name for himself!
All images by the artist FUNC88