"Street art works like advertising" - interview with Mark Gmehling: Part 1

On June 16th 2011, an exhibition by Mark Gmehling opened its doors at the 44309 street/ art gallery in Dortmund. We talked to the sought-after artist about the limited options to meet artists in the region and about his role models and way of work.

Christian Caravante: You call yourself "illustrator" on your website. This refers more to books, doesn't it?
Mark Gmehling: That's the name for the type of work that I mainly make money with. I get asked to visualise something in a certain style or tonality. Then, I draw up works for advertising or books. Back in the days, this happened with crayons or pens - today on my computer. This is how you can finance the "guerilla fight" in the streets. One can always discuss if you may work for the advertising industry since you are rather against them as a street artist but views differ on that.

Unpopular question: Do you have any artistic or creative role models?
My aesthetic roots are the Graffiti artists of the 1980s from Dortmund such as Cole, Chintz, Shark and so on. I grew up with their style which is called "Old School Graffiti" nowadays (laughs). I own a lot to Wolfgang Krell in particular. His unaffected way and how he dealt with the different forms of today's graffiti shaped me in many ways.

The programme you're working on is called "photo-realistic design" in you self-advertising. Are you influenced by photography or photorealistic painting?
I started with oil painting and then discovered 3D programmes because they served best to work out surfaces the way I expect them to be for my purposes. In the exhibitions, I mainly present prints and you have to face the same prejudices as photographers when people say: "You can make hundreds of 'copies' from it." That's why I exhibit limited editions. I could probably do this with oil or airbrush but it would cost me way more time. The programmes are simply a matter of efficiency.

Some of the figures are made from plasticine, others nicely-shaped toothpaste and others yet again look like porcelain. Many haptic associations.

People often ask me if they are photos from porcelain figures. That's when I say: "It would be nice but I cannot afford that." I can only realise them virtually at the moment. However, I will show a few "real" sculptures at the exhibition in Dortmund. I would love it if they were made from bronze or carved into stone and were as large as possible. Yet I would face production and static-related restrictions. Insofar, this photorealistic way offers more freedom.

You studied Graphic Design and Marketing and went to art school. Are there any university places or study programmes for your type of art?

I think the way to go is through Advertising and Graphic Design. At an art school they told me they preferred people who don't have that many skills yet so that they can develop them. Nevertheless, I studied Art in Dortmund and Osnabrück and then moved on to Graphic Design. My way from graffiti came from public space but people in this scene primarily communicate with and among each other. With wild-style writing that only the others can read or understand... They don't cater to the general public.
I wanted to be able to show my works to a grandma or a child though. That's when street art makes it easier because it's easier to decode. Street art works much like advertising: you want to achieve that people recognise and remember your name or logo and that your message is clearly understood. You don't want to sell anything, however - you offer visual alternatives to the large spaces full of advertising campaigns.


Part 2