Evolution of An Octopus (or, Poulpe Fiction)
07.28.2012
One of Richard's and my favorite mutual Paris pastimes is walking around and visiting the art gallery in the streets. It changes daily; as artists emerge, old art gets covered by new, or by swaths of paint or whitewash applied by building owners and city crews, or it ages from weather and wear.
Fifteen months ago, walking hand-in-hand in the Marais, after marvelous galettes in our favorite crệperie, we spotted some new work, a spray-painted outline of an octopus, with some vertical lines scrawled to either side to signify motion. Richard photographed it for the street art database he's accumulating, and a few streets farther, we spotted another couple of octopi, these filled in with orange and green paint.
Still nothing to write home about. The octopus outlines were a step above mere tagging--marking ones' initials, the way dogs mark territory--but not particularly brilliant.
We're not big fans of tagging, even if it metamorphoses into huge, swirling, psychedelic-colored initials or names. Those are still a territory-marking syndrome, not yet over the border into art.
What's the difference? Here's a BBC article on pre-Olympics London street art cleanup that applies the "I'll know it when I see it" standard that the U.S. Supreme Court also applies to pornography. In London, as in Paris, the works of certain artists are protected, while city clean-up crews ravage others.
As months went by, the octopus artist graduated to creating creatures with a variety of colors and expressions, on die-cut plywood sheets about two feet square super-glued to the sides of buildings, mostly on the second story (first story in France). But it was hard to know if it was a single artist, or if a meme had begun to spread. One other street artist, who glues life-sized ceramic "death masks" of his face with four different expressions all over Paris, allows people to buy them and paint their own designs and decorations; perhaps these octopi (who were beginning to look more like space aliens) were a collective expression.
Then, a few months ago, we spotted new octopi with a tag, GZUP, and we had a clue to follow. An Internet search revealed that the artist who calls himself GZUP was a suburban army veteran in his mid-thirties who had just returned to the streets after a hiatus since the mid-nineties, according to this interview with a street art blog. His return was prompted by seeing a street art show at the Cartier Foundation, where he realized that what had begun as a step above vandalism had become "democratized."
(While GZUP didn't mention it, gallery street art is also attracting impressive prices from collectors, which might be a tiny, niggling nudge toward more permanent materials. Die-cut plywood is easier to curate and collect than paint-bomb scrawls.)
His influences are "those who make me dream and constantly raise the level, those who innovate. People coming out of the 'Classics' in all fields: Keith Haring, the dribbling of Cristiano Ronaldo, dialogues from movies of Tarantino…Rihanna, Shakira, the Air Max 90, DJ Quik, [and] Nate Dogg (RIP)," while his pseudonym is taken from a particularly raunchy Snoop Dogg song (if that's not oxymoronic), "GZ UP, HOES DOWN."
According to the interview, "GZUP does not like octopi, neither in the sea nor on his plate; he just liked that shape when he began drawing." When asked his favorite color, he said, "The green without hesitation. A color that made me vomit when younger." (A mythical note: in Greek myth, the goddess Athena is associated with octopi (among her many totems), and in our personal mythology, her color is green.) Obviously, these pieces of art are evolving beyond mere sea creatures.
GZUP, Marais, graffiti, street art in Paris Life
Reader Comments (14)
Yeah, sure. I'd like to see more of these octopi looking like cats, the noblest of creatures.
--Marley Le Chat, Paris
In relation to this parisplay, check out the video documentary called "Exit Through the Gift Shop", about the artist Banksy and similar street-type artists, including Mr. Brainwash.
Fascinating! Inspired and educated by you on street Parisian street art - I just told my friend who is visiting not to miss it. Maybe you can take him on a tour? I've had so much fun getting to know Paris through your eyes!
Merci, Diane:
It's a fascinating scene here, richer than Venice (California), although I was talking to a French street artist tonight who thinks Venice is Mecca.
Richard says he'd love to give such a tour, and has at least a half-day walking tour in mind, that would include a two-block-long graffiti site to begin with, a great view of all Paris just up the hill from it, a wonderful park that Parisians love and few visitors get to, and then another couple of graffiti walls that go on for blocks. Just to whet their appetites.
Love,
Kaaren (and Richard)
John:
LOVE that documentary. You think it's about one guy, then it does a mad swerve and suddenly it's somebody else. Banksy is a genius, and still at the top of his game. The BBC article we link to has Banksy work in it.
Hugs,
Kaaren (and Richard)
Marley:
We just heard from GZUP, who liked the post, so perhaps he will be amenable to doing more cat octopi. Thank you for checking in, we thought you were asleep.
Catnip thoughts,
Kaaren and Richard
Great piece! You should offer it to the Huffington Post art section or other zine.
I agree with Tristine. Offer it somewhere! So much fun! So great to look at! Needs a wider audience.
And I would think Marley would hold out for a complete whisker-to-paw chat portrait. How humble of him to settle for street art.
Parisian air must do him good.
K & R,
Here is Athena's presence, again. She's been following me ever since your last blog about your Athena encounters. Since then, I chanced upon an NPR story about the Athenian politician and poet, Solon (c.640-559 B.C.). After becoming an elected government leader, many of his reforms were initiated, including the abolition of unfair debt laws (a person in debt could be sold as a slave... sound familiar), emancipation of slaves, institution of habeas corpus, and in the representation of common citizens in courts of law.
A-ha! As I write, it's occurred to me that in the last two weeks I've been called to step up, more so than usual, even to those who are supposed to be authorities. Humor, diligence and common sense finally won them over. This has resulted in reform for the benefit of all, while bringing about greater awareness of, and policies for requiring accountability for the tyrannical behaviors of the one or few.
The octupus... Athena... justice.... As usual, Paris Play has synchronized with my life with comprehensive and practical ways to apply mythology to my life, along with delight, art and humor.
ATHENA ROCKS!
I love you,
Marguerite
Dear Tristine,
That is a great idea. Thank you!
Love,
Kaaren & Richard
Dear Anna,
Marley is right next to me purring his head off. He says MeeOW, to you, and that he misses you.
So do we, and thank you.
Love,
Marley, Kaaren & Richard
Dear Marguerite,
No one understands Athena better than you Libras. She is the true ruler of your sign, just as ancient Athens was her city and the place where all her themes unfolded, the first democracy, emancipation of slaves, and enlightened law reform. Athena stands for peace, and yet, if she has to fight (for the sake of justice), she's a greater warrior than Ares, because she keeps her cool.
If you haven't already read it, you would adore The Iliad and The Odyssey, for all the thrilling scenes of the gods and goddesses appearing among warriors and adventurers, especially the scenes in The Odyssey, where Athena speaks to Odysseus, guiding him on his adventures and in battle.
Athena rocks--yes!-- and you do her justice!
Love you,
Kaaren (& Richard)
P.S. I just noticed that GZUP paints seven arms on his octopi. And Athena's number is seven.
What an absolute delight! How wonderful if you were indeed to offer this as a "formal" guided tour thru the streets of Paris! Yes, yes! Still happily remembering my own "informal" tour with the Kitchell-Bebans... XOX
Tara!
How great to hear from you. When is the novel coming? We can't wait.
We have learned so much more in the last year since we saw you. The street art scene is so rich, and so varied. We're out four or five days a week, rain or shine, and there's ALWAYS something new to shoot. If you don't revisit an area every few weeks, a whole generation of wall art can arise and be covered up by the time you get back.
Then there are the incredible faces of people, and animals, and phantasmagorical forms carved into buildings just above the entrances. We showed a mere handful of these in the post "Angels in the Architecture" a while back, but we could do a post like that every week.
Are we happy as clams here, walking our feet to the bone? Oui!
Come back, come back.
--Richard and Kaaren