The eye-catching graffiti art at The Club and The Village gives the Old East Precinct a very distinctive visual appearance that truly supports the slogan “Art of development – Inspired by Atterbury”. We spoke to artist Brent Black from Spaza Studio, who created the striking bird mural.
It’s unusual for a corporate to commission graffiti! How did your connection with Atterbury come about, and what was the brief?
It is! Spaza.com has a good relationship with the marketing company Emerge, as we have done work with them before. They asked us to come chat about possibilities in the area. We really love working with them as our briefs are quite open and they allow us to express creativity.
Tell us more about your bird mural on the wall across from Dis-chem – what was the inspiration?
We wanted to create something that would gel with the surroundings, but stand out at the same time. We worked closely with the client to create a very natural-looking artwork that would complement the area. Our inspiration came from natural elements, and we aimed for a work that would look more like a wallpaper rather than something disruptive.
How did the location for the work inform the subject matter?
The surrounding architecture is very structural, and the idea was to complement the striking architecture, as I’ve said, but to also add a touch of natural, loose lines to break that up.
Did you create this alone, or do you work with other artists?
I work with a team of artists, and we all specialise in different aspects – for example Nathan Mckay is all about detailing, and Luck (Mr Empty) specialises in typography. I have a good network of illustrators, artists and designers, and we bring in others if we feel that they can add to our ideas.
Why do you reckon graffiti is important as an urban artform?
It’s a vital part of art in my opinion; it moulds certain areas and beautifies dilapidated buildings. Graffiti allows street artists and writers to express their ideas to people that wouldn’t usually even give them the time of day.
What was the very first bit of graffiti you ever snuck on a wall, and is it still there?
My first one was in a small town called Komga in the Eastern Cape – I “borrowed” a few cans of industrial spray paint from my grandfather’s workshop and walked up the train tracks to go paint pretty pictures! I think I was nine or 10 at the time… and I’m pretty sure it’s still there.
If you could take a spray can and add your work to ANY wall, where would you go – and what would you create there?
I drive past spots every day that I think would make great pieces, but Pretoria in general does not have a lot of graffiti, so anywhere in town, really. Subject matter changes per site, but I really enjoy creating characters and I am heavily influenced by the early Disney style and the low-brow art movement.
Is there more to come at The Club/The Village? What should we look out for?
There are a bunch of exciting artworks on the way, plus a few secret ones if I get my way, haha! We’re hoping to make enough pieces in the area to eventually form an open-air walk-through gallery.
