Artist Proof: Tilt is an internationally recognized traditional graffiti artist, originating from Toulouse, France. A self declared “graffiti fetishist”, he learned his trade in the streets and on trains as a youngster. In the time since he did his first tags on a skateboard ramp back in ‘88, his ensuing career has been nourished and influenced by extensive travel. Inspirational journeys have seen Tilt exhibit and leave his mark as far and wide as the U.S.A, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Canada, and in excess of 10 countries throughout Europe. TILT is currently chilling in the Philippines.
Artsprojekt: What inspires your art?
TILT: The streets of the world, Graffiti, travelling a lot, sex, people I meet on my trips but I think everything can be insparing even lonelyness. It s just a matter of time. Those days in the Philippines and they have here those kind of public buses called Jeepneys that are customized by their owners. They are beautiful and really special because its a mix of crazy typography and incredible colors on them. I think they will influence my next paintings.
Also cause I m into photography a lot now, I have to say that travelling the world with my obsessions is part of my work today. I always try to stay close to the street because that s where I m from but most of all cause that s where I feel confortable.
AP: What is the relationship between technique and content in your work?
TILT: I try to get rid of the technique as much as possible cause starting as a graffiti artist I think I had to follow too many rules. When you do graffiti like I did and started in 1988 means that you have to go through a classic way to work, being clean with your outlines, have your letters complicated and perfects, work with a certain idea of continuing the classic way of doing graffiti. Its hard to escape from all those rules. I think thats why I decided to go closer to something dirty, primitive in my paintings. I also choose to do something new like photography to be more free in my art.
AP: Describe your first experience of making art and how it affected your life’s journey
TILT: The first time I did a graffiti, that was probably an ugly peace in my project in France in 1988. I remember roughly how the piece looked like but I will never forget the what I felt seing those colors going on the wall and those smelings… Even if it was really stressful cause I wanted to do something nice and I couldn t the sensations were undescriptible, that was like knowing that it will be something I will do the rest of my lofe, even stronger as love…
Now 21 years later i know that this feeling was true…
AP: Describe your most recent experience of making art.
TILT: This morning I woke up in a in a small bungalow in from of the beah in a very small place in Philipinnes called Anilao cause I traveling the country trying to do paintings and do pictures. When I open the window the view was beautiful and i tried to have a nice photography of that moment. I hope I succeded!
AP: Take us on a guided tour through a day in your life as an artist
TILT: My perfect day would be waking up with a giant fresh fruit salad and finish a painting in my studio cause that was what I was thinking about the whole night then meet a beautiful girl that I just met a couple of days before to go in a dirty hotel room to have a photo shoot and have her becoming my new BubbleGirl and then go with my partner Mist to do an illegal painting on some roof tops in that city that we just try to make ours…
