PT
Para esta entrevista voltei a rumar à Invicta.
ARMES pertence aos NUITCREW e MQK e começou a pintar por volta de 2007, com o pessoal mais velho da zona e da sua escola.
O graffiti trouxe-lhe muitas pessoas boas (algumas das quais são hoje seus amigos), muitos desafios e conquistas, muitos momentos bons e uma maneira de ser e estar na vida.
Passados tantos anos, a razão que o mantém no graff é o seu gosto pela cultura, os momentos que passa quando pinta, as pessoas que estão envolvidas no movimento e por ser uma forma de se expressar e de fugir à correria da vida.
À nova geração de writers aconselha que desenhem muito, pois a prática leva ao sucesso.
Mais uma entrevista com pronúncia do Norte.
Qual é o significado do teu tag?
Obrigado desde já pelo convite. Parabéns pela página e por todo o trabalho que tens partilhado.
No fundo, tem mais uma história do que um significado. Na altura, tinha um amigo cuja tag era a alcunha escrita de forma invertida. Basicamente eu segui a mesma ideia. A minha alcunha era MARA - que vem de Maradona (alcunha que já era usada pelo meu irmão mais velho e que ficou comigo também) - e invertido ficava ARAM. Como não gostava totalmente da junção das letras, retirei o segundo A e acrescentei o E porque era uma letra que gostava de desenhar. Acabou por resultar em ARME. Mais tarde, acrescentei o S para dar mais ênfase à tag.
Como era a cena no graffiti quando começaste?
Quando comecei o movimento já era forte. Eu jogava futsal e quando ia jogar fora já via imensos graffs nas auto estradas e mesmo em pavilhões a que ia jogar - muitos deles eram em escolas e alguns estavam carregados de graffs. Eu delirava com tudo o que via, era tudo novo para mim.
Também conheci muito sobre graffiti e a cultura hip-hop através das revistas HIP HOP NATION que o pai do meu amigo trazia do Porto todos os meses. Na altura, éramos putos e não tínhamos grandes meios, mas aos poucos foi havendo mais acesso a conteúdo com a internet.
Quais são as tuas crews?
Neste momento tenho duas crews, NUITCREW e MQK, sendo que tenho estado mais ativo nos MQK.
Quais são os teus spots / cidades preferidos?
Todos os spots / cidades que eu puder visitar e conseguir pintar, eheh.
Como é o teu processo criativo e onde vais buscar as inspirações para as tuas peças?
Eu penso na tag como uma mancha / forma na sua totalidade e tento equilibrar a mesma, de forma simétrica ou assimétrica. Tento também jogar com os tamanhos, direções, linhas retas / curvas e o espaçamento entre as letras.
Sempre gostei da cena muito gráfica e certinha, daí ter seguido Design - que, infelizmente, não terminei.
Wall of fame, street bombing ou train bombing?
Eu não tenho preferência, gosto de fazer um pouco de tudo. Tanto passo uma bela tarde a pintar num spot tranquilo como gosto de sentir a adrenalina de pintar na rua ou train. Sinto que me ajuda a evoluir, é uma boa forma de me manter ativo e de quebrar a rotina.
Lettering ou characters?
Lettering.
Pintas com sketch ou freestyle?
É raro levar sketch - se levar nunca é pintado - porque apesar de desenhar quase todos os dias, normalmente só treino as letras e o traço. A nível de cores só penso nas combinações que vou usar e deixo fluir as ideias quando chego ao spot.
O que não pode faltar num bom dia de pinturas?
Boa companhia, bom ambiente e um belo tacho.
O que toca na tua playlist quando pintas?
Eu não costumo ouvir nenhum artista em particular. Ouço vários géneros de música, como drum and bass, hip-hop, dub ou reggae.
Qual é a tua lata preferida?
Para mim, as loop colors são muito boas. Consegues ter um bom controlo, por serem de baixa pressão, e são de ótima qualidade / preço.
Qual é aquela peça que te falta fazer (pelo seu tamanho, local, …)?
Não tenho assim grandes metas, é ir fazendo e as coisas vão surgindo.
Como descreves o panorama atual do graffiti em Portugal?
Vejo que há muita gente nova a surgir, ou seja, é sinal que o movimento é forte e que quem pinta inspira outros a fazer o mesmo.
Qual é o teu top 3 de writers portugueses?
Não gosto de pôr ninguém no pódio, porque cada um tem a sua forma de se expressar e de interpretar o graffiti. Mas temos muitos bons pintores por cá. Uns pelas suas qualidades e outros pelas suas atitudes.
Fora do país é igual, há tantos bons pintores pelo mundo.
E de writers estrangeiros?
Atualmente, com o aparecimento de cada vez mais artistas na internet, estou sempre a descobrir novas expressões e é difícil ter um favorito com tantos que gosto.
Com que writers gostarias de fazer uma peça conjunta?
Isso agora... com todos os meus amigos em especial.
Que diferenças encontras entre o graff do Norte e o do resto do país?
Acho que, independentemente da zona, as coisas funcionam quase sempre da mesma forma. Não vejo assim grandes diferenças.
Tens alguma história que queiras partilhar?
Já tive alguns episódios.
Logo nos inícios, estava com um amigo a passar perto do posto e os policias já estavam cá fora à nossa espera, porque tinham feito queixa que nos viram a "escrever" num prédio. Tivemos que ir dizer onde era e o que estava escrito. Eu tentei inventar outro nome e dei a desculpa que o muro já estava riscado antes. Mesmo assim, não adiantou e fomos para a esquadra. Perguntaram porque que fazíamos aquilo e eu disse que estudava artes e que as latas eram para a escola, que gostava de pintar. Eles nem revistaram o meu amigo, ou seja, só ficaram com as minhas latas e mandaram-nos para casa. Na altura, eu era menor de idade.
Quando cheguei a casa, o meu amigo ligou-me a avisar que os polícias tinham dito para ir buscar as latas. Fui logo a correr e, ao devolverem, deram-me aquele sermão habitual.
Houve outra situação em que estava a pintar numa rua ao lado da linha e vimos um carro a vir na nossa direção. Provavelmente era polícia, porque reparei que algumas pessoas das casas nos viram ao entramos para o spot, até comentei com os meus amigos. Como já era tarde e não se passava nada ali, é sempre suspeito. Os meus amigos esconderam-se na linha e eu fui-me esconder nuns arbustos mais ao lado, a pensar que o carro ia continuar. Mas deram a volta mesmo à minha frente, a dois, três metros, só tinha os arbustos a separar. Como não viram ninguém, foram embora e nós continuámos a pintar.
São só algumas, entre muitas outras histórias.
Quais são os teus planos / projetos futuros?
Nunca tive grandes planos para o futuro, gosto de me manter ativo e de ir surfando a onda. As coisas vão acontecendo.
Props?
Props para a minha mãe, sem a confiança e a liberdade que ela me deu nada disto tinha acontecido. Props para todos os meus amigos que me acompanham nesta viagem. Props para todos os writers com que já pintei e me ajudaram a evoluir. Props à minha namorada que me apoia e incentiva. Props a todos as lojas, em especial à Norte Color que contribuiu bastante para que conhecesse mais pessoas ligadas à cultura e ao Esod que há uns anos atrás desenrascava o pessoal em casa na altura em que era difícil arranjar latas. Props a todos os writers que fazem e fizeram com que a cultura se mantenha viva.
Fotografias / Photos: ARMES
ENG
For this interview I headed back to Invicta. ARMES belongs to NUITCREW and MQK and started painting around 2007, with the older people in the area and at his school. Graffiti brought him many good people (some of whom are now his friends), many challenges and achievements, many good times and a way of being in life. After so many years, the reason that keeps him in graff is his love of culture, the moments he spends when he paints, the people who are involved in the movement and because it is a way of expressing himself and escaping the rush of life. He advises the new generation of writers to draw a lot, as practice leads to success. Another interview with Northern pronunciation.
What does your tag mean? Thank you in advance for the invitation. Congratulations on the page and for all the work you have shared. Deep down, it has more of a story than a meaning. At the time, I had a friend whose tag was his nickname written backwards. Basically I followed the same idea. My nickname was MARA - which comes from Maradona (a nickname that was already used by my older brother and which stuck with me too) - and reversed it was ARAM. As I didn't completely like the combination of the letters, I removed the second A and added the E because it was a letter I liked to draw. It ended up resulting in ARME. Later, I added the S to give more emphasis to the tag. What was the graffiti scene like when you started? When I started the movement was already strong. I played futsal and when I went to play outside I saw lots of graffiti on the highways and even in pavilions where I went to play - many of them were in schools and some were loaded with graffiti. I was delirious with everything I saw, it was all new to me. I also learned a lot about graffiti and hip-hop culture through the HIP HOP NATION magazines that my friend's father brought from Porto every month. At the time, we were kids and didn't have much resources, but little by little there was more access to content with the internet. What are your crews?
At the moment I have two crews, NUITCREW and MQK, but I have been more active in MQK.
What are your favorite spots/cities? All the spots/cities that I can visit and paint, eheh. What is your creative process like and where do you get inspiration for your pieces? I think of the tag as a stain/shape in its entirety and I try to balance it, symmetrically or asymmetrically. I also try to play with sizes, directions, straight/curved lines and the spacing between letters. I always liked the very graphic and straight-laced scene, which is why I followed Design - which, unfortunately, I didn't finish. Wall of fame, street bombing or train bombing? I don't have a preference, I like to do a little bit of everything. I either spend a beautiful afternoon painting in a quiet spot or I like to feel the adrenaline of painting on the street or train. I feel like it helps me evolve, it's a good way to stay active and break the routine. Lettering or characters? Lettering. Do you paint with sketch or freestyle?
It's rare to take a sketch - if you do, it's never painted - because despite drawing almost every day, I usually only practice letters and lines. In terms of colors, I just think about the combinations I'm going to use and let the ideas flow when I get to the spot.
What can't be missed on a good painting day? Good company, good atmosphere and a beautiful pot. What plays on your playlist when you paint? I don't usually listen to any particular artist. I listen to various genres of music, such as drum and bass, hip-hop, dub or reggae. What's your favorite can? For me, the loop colors are really good. You can have good control, as they are low pressure, and they are of great quality / price. What is that piece you still need to make (due to its size, location,…)?
I don't have big goals, just keep doing it and things will emerge.
How would you describe the current graffiti scene in Portugal? I see that there are a lot of new people emerging, in other words, it is a sign that the movement is strong and that those who paint inspire others to do the same. What is your top 3 Portuguese writers? I don't like putting anyone on the podium, because everyone has their own way of expressing themselves and interpreting graffiti. But we have a lot of good painters here. Some for their qualities and others for their attitudes. It's the same outside the country, there are so many good painters around the world. And foreign writers? Nowadays, with more and more artists appearing on the internet, I'm always discovering new expressions and it's difficult to have a favorite with so many that I like. Which writers would you like to do a joint piece with?
This now... with all my friends especially.
What differences do you find between the graff of the North and that of the rest of the country?
I think that, regardless of the area, things almost always work the same way. I don't see any big differences.
Do you have a story you want to share?
I've had a few episodes.
Right at the beginning, I was with a friend passing by the station and the police were already outside waiting for us, because they had reported seeing us "writing" on a building. We had to go and say where it was and what was written. I tried to come up with another name and gave the excuse that the wall had already been crossed out before. Even so, it was no use and we went to the police station. They asked why we were doing that and I said that I studied art and that the cans were for school, that I liked to paint. They didn't even search my friend, in other words, they just kept my cans and sent us home. At the time, I was underage.
When I got home, my friend called me to tell me that the police had told me to go get the cans. I immediately ran and, when they returned it, they gave me the usual lecture.
There was another situation where I was painting on a street next to the line and we saw a car coming towards us. It was probably the police, because I noticed that some people in the houses saw us when we entered the spot, I even mentioned it to my friends. As it was late and nothing was happening there, it is always suspicious. My friends hid along the line and I hid in some bushes to the side, thinking the car was going to continue. But they came around right in front of me, two, three meters away, with only the bushes to separate them. As they didn't see anyone, they left and we continued painting.
There was another situation where I was painting on a street next to the line and we saw a car coming towards us. It was probably the police, because I noticed that some people in the houses saw us when we entered the spot. I even mentioned it to my friends - as it was late and nothing was happening there, it's always suspicious. My friends hid along the line and I hid in some bushes to the side, thinking the car was going to continue. But they came around right in front of me, two, three meters away, with only the bushes to separate them. As they didn't see anyone, they left and we continued painting.
These are just a few, among many other stories.
What are your future plans / projects?
I never had big plans for the future, I like to stay active and ride the wave. Things are happening.
Greetings / thanks?
Props to my mother, without the trust and freedom she gave me none of this would have happened. Props to all my friends who accompany me on this trip. Proposals to all the writers I've worked with and they helped me evolve. Proposed to my girlfriend who supports and encourages me. He proposed to all the stores, especially Norte Color, which helped a lot in helping me meet more people linked to culture, and Esod, who a few years ago helped people out at home when it was difficult to find cans. Props to all the writers who keep culture alive.
Comments