An Interview With Kris Trappeniers
Interview: Volksradio Moos
ABC: Tell us a little bit about what you do.
KT: I’m a stencil artist based in Belgium. My work is based on ballpoint drawings which are converted into intricate cutouts. The workflow is analogue to get more organic results. I work on media like vinyl, canvas, cardboard, wood and walls.
ABC: What was the worst critique/review/feedback you were ever given and how did it make you feel?
KT: The worst critique is no critique at all. Lack of response whether positive or negative is the worst enemy of creativity!
ABC: How did that experience change or not change the way you feel/felt about your art?
KT: I’m very sensitive to critique, and I use it as a guideline to continuously change things. That’s why online platforms are very important to me because you get very objective comments on your work as opposed to a real life gallery where people come and shake hands and tell you how brilliant it is. The best gallery however is the street, because you can see the direct impact of your work on people living their daily life, it’s like an unfiltered selection of the population.
ABC: Whats your relation with vintage magazines?
KT: I’m obsessed with them. Since my childhood I’ve always been interested in old photography to see how usual things around us change throughout time. It’s definitely not the glamour side of the magazines I’m interested in, more the common ‘fait divers’ side like. I can spend hours looking at old photos of cities I know, it’s a born aberrance I guess. I have the same obsession for old record sleeves, toys and movies (film noir). The reason I don’t use vintage graphics directly is copyright issues. I’ve done some stencils right on thirties and fourties newspaper spreads though and in the near future I would like to experiment with collages.
ABC: Can you say more about the style/design you use in your stencils?
KT: In the past I’ve been doing some multilayer work but since I picked up drawing again, I prefer single layer work, quick and a little dirty. The drawings are done in like 10 minutes of intensive scribbling. The cutouts can take me more than a week.
ABC: Do you have artists that have inspired you and your work?
KT: Ernst Pignon-Ernest, Swoon, C215, Pollock and baroque painters like Caravaggio and Velázquez. I’m also inspired by Henry Rollins and Jimi Hendrix!
ABC: What are your plans in the future?
KT: I like cutting paper very much so I’m doing some research on kiri-e (Japanese paper-cut art) and hope to use elements in my designs. I would like to experiment as well with photography, like hanging my stencils on windows in abandoned factories and photographing the light/shadow they generate.
ABC: Please share some upcoming projects and gallery shows?
KT: This summer I’ll be painting at Upfest (Bristol), Vitry Jam (Paris) and Teamworx (Belgium). I’ll be doing street work in Lille, Paris and Prague. Further there are contacts with galleries in the UK and NL.
ABC: What would you like to say to the other underdogs out there?
KT: Get your hands dirty, don’t chase success, be patient and take plenty of time to reflect upon your own feelings and emotions.
To see more work,http://www.flickr.com/kristrappeniers
