

(HC): Pref and yourself have also joined forces to found The Typograffic Circle, an artistic collective aiming at combining the practises of graffiti and typography, which resulted in a group show this year. Was this your first experience of curation? How did you find the process of curating that group exhibition? (GS): The Typograffic Circle isn’t about trying to bridge a gap between graffiti and typography. It intends to be a collective that will naturally evolve, of artists that make interesting typographic work and also have a focus on placement, rather than just making studio work. The show at StolenSpace in May 2018 was the first time I had a hand in curation. I feel I/we may have got off lightly as we chose artists that we know and trust, which minimized risk. I think if you have a clear enough vision about the aesthetic or theme of an event, then curation is easier and more rewarding. I can imagine that as the events we have in the planning grow, then it will be a bit more like trying to herd cats. (HC): Fendi recently invited you to take part in their F is For… installation ‘The Ring of The Future’, alongside international artists such as Roes (Hong Kong), Cave (Iran) and Casper (Japan). How do you approach a commercial project such as this? How do you decide which commercial projects to get involved in? (GS): I don’t tend to take much commercial work. Fendi was a great client though and it’s such an interesting ongoing project they have there, so I couldn’t say no. There is some uncomfortable history to the building that they have taken over in Rome, the Pelazzo della Civilita Italiana. It’s great they’re having so many diverse events and installations in that building now. They’ve breathed a new life into what is an incredible structure that sat unused because of its past for so long. [caption id="attachment_333785" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

(HC): Gallery work has clearly become a key fixture of your artistic output in the last few years with multiple solo, joint and group exhibitions under your belt, as well as seeing your work featured at international art fairs such as No Commission, Moniker and SCOPE Miami Beach. How does your public artwork inform your gallery/fine art? Do you hope to continue doing the two concurrently? (GS): The wall paintings definitely do inform the studio work and vice versa. Having said that, I am becoming more comfortable with the idea that the two need not look the same. The medium I use on a wall is always going to dictate what I paint to an extent, whereas the studio work is completely unrestricted in that respect. I am enjoying experimenting with printmaking and exploring materials that have greater archival properties. Spray paint is very good nowadays, but it’s still not going to fair well over decades. I want to make work that will outlast me. [caption id="attachment_333786" align="aligncenter" width="768"]

(HC): This new release with Fluorescent Smogg is your first foray into the world of sculpture. Why were you interested in translating your style into three dimensions and is sculpture a medium you hope to continue exploring? (GS): It seemed like a natural progression to explore three-dimensional work. I spend a lot of time drawing or painting 2D lettering to appear 3D. It seems almost strange to not want to make the physical versions of those drawings. I have more sculptural work planned and in production, and I look forward to sharing that as it progresses. I plan to make some larger scale pieces and potentially find some permanent or semi-permanent homes for them in public spaces. The new limited edition sculpture and print set, entitled Lucky (You) will be released in an edition of 20, featuring a powder coated, water cut aluminium sculpture, accompanied by a screen print using split fountain process on 300gsm Fabriano Smooth. Available here.