impaktesvisuals•GaleriaXupetA

ROCK THE WALLS
El XupetNegre
From june 5th to 28th 2008

Elxupetnegre is an icon that represents a dummy of black color. He appears to the streets Barcelona in 1987, only he at first paints with felt-tip pen, and for two years he paints for all the city and the voltants. They are the first years of the graffiti in BCN, although this word is almost not known nor he uses himself simply it is said: we go to paint... in the street. If the police caught you painting they believed that it was about a question political or even of terrorists! Between 89 and 91 people start to paint with aerosol (spray), they are the first contacts with this tool, which allows to carry out works bigger and with many colors. At first, there was only a range of colors basic, of painting for cars. In 1992 Montana (MTN) turns up, that he allows to the artists to have many more possibilities to create almost perfect works to the to produce a painting in spray perfect to paint graffiti, with a great diversity of colors and of valves. Every time bigger walls are painted, and there where had a painted wall is made every a wall, and where have a big wall is painted everything a zone, like Lesseps, Grace, the Barceloneta, the Outskirts... moreover, naturally, of the zones of factories like the New Village and the outskirts of the city. Is also painted on the underground and on the ways of the train.... and even the trains, which I only made twice because he seemed me too dangerous, but very thrilling! Slowly ancient|antique walls, doors walled up, abandoned walls, blind, keep on being painted... Orders and some exhibition start to be carried out, and he makes himself to know this art of the people. The graphite is the art of the street, for the people of the street, and this is his reason for being, this is the revolution.

In the following years Elxupetnegre dedicates himself to traveling and drawing his work for all Spain and part of Europe: France, Holland, Germany, Italy... and he|she|it arrives even in the United States (94), in the Morocco (99) and in Chile and l'Argentina(00 and 02).Also starts to turn up in television programs and radio, in interviews in the press and in magazines being specialized in contemporary art and trends. Along these years there is a height of the culture of the graffiti, and the big industry and the mass media start to take it like a more serious thing, is used in many campaigns of advertising and is recognized as an artistic avant-garde. Elxupetnegre comes of the graffiti, but, an icon, a logotype, is not a signature, but a simple drawing... a step beyond the art in the street. The artist creates a logotype that is always the same one, a lot of reconeixible and easy to remember for the people of the street. A signature or tag is difficult to understand, since a very personal typography is used, and the people end up saying in many cases that it is simply about a scribble. However Elxupetnegre, in being a drawing simple and easy to remember, stayed more in the memory of the people and they started to ask themselves what it was or what it meant, which they would discover later with the interviews... However, some urban legends concerning the subject can still be heard: that it is a gay artist of New York that he lives in Barcelona and...

In the last 10 years it|he|she has not stopped working in own projects (DVD, documentary, book), and he has made exhibitions to Barcelona, Paris, Berlin and Milan. Also he has worked for brands|marks of footwear, in fashion, of sports, of vehicles... and other that request the graffiti for their commercial ideas. Also he has carried out mural decorations in trades or houses of individuals, and he has naturally continued painting in new places from the city, on the roads and everywhere.

For more information visit the web page: www.elxupetnegre.com