Stormie is one of the cornerstones of the Perth Street Art scene. His dark and brooding work has appeared on a number of commissioned murals (think the back of the Flying Scotsman) and has been exhibited nationally and internationally numerous times to much lauded critical acclaim. He has been a major influence on many emerging artists, championing a bus shelter and mural project in the northern suburbs which defined a generation. He’s also recently released a book, Proximamente, which documents his 25 year old career to date.
Define street art… In its broadest possible terms; Art created or found on the street, but it can encompass so many things. For instance, graffiti is just a small part of it, think along the lines of the following circa 1979-1984 in New York alone: Christy Rupp’s 4,000 billposted rats, Keith Haring’s subway drawings, Freedom’s portraits in the ‘freedom’ Tunnel, David Schaefer’s posters & stencils, Richard Hambleton’s diazo prints or shadows, Jenny Holzer’s series of ‘inflammatory essays’, John Fekner’s stencils… it goes on and on.
Where does your name come?
It’s a nick-name from long ago, when I was younger I could be a little wild!!!
What’s your earliest street art memory?
My earliest memory was of a movie in the ’70s I saw on TV. It showed a bubble lettered piece that a kid did on a wall in a park to impress a girl. I drew bubble letters for years after that!
When did you get into street art and what was the scene like?
My first time out painting at night was in 1984. It was pouring with rain, experimental & exhilarating, of course in the cold light of day it wasn’t so good but it was about the making of art nothing else at that point. There wasn’t a scene, there wasn’t anyone else doing anything, I think around that time the only other street things that were happening was someone in Fremantle that was writing ‘No Nukes’ on walls. I didn’t meet anyone else that was interested in painting graffiti on walls for 6 months or so.
Who would you say are your contemporaries?
In 1989 I was in the UK at the world Street Art Competition. I met Slick & Risky [who won the competition] there. Risky’s a good friend of mine now – we hung out in Barcelona the year before last and last year in Miami. Slick was the character king back then, still is. Those guys changed the way graffiti was done all over the world, the reverse colour highlights on characters, cutting back to clean up lines – it’s all down to them.
The bus shelter project you were involved with in the ’90s transformed the urban landscape of the northern suburbs and defined an entire generation of emerging street artists. What can you tell us about it?
I saw a position advertised for a Mural Arts Officer at the City of Gosnells. I got that job, did it for a while, then went back to the UK for a minute. When I came back John McCumisky at the City of Wanneroo asked me to come start a Bus Shelter Mural Programme for him. We set up walls and bus shelters, painted them in murals or didn’t paint, them just monitored them and watched what happened over 3 months. The statistics showed that to remove graffiti from bus shelters over 12 months it would cost $141,000. To paint murals on 60 bus shelters in 12 months it would cost $12,000. In five years the City would save nearly a $1,000,000. The maths were too good not to do it, plus the community would be creating artwork in their own neighbourhood. I had everyone from artists, kids that did graffiti, the mums of kids that did graffiti, primary school and high school students to a ton of people doing murals. The ground swell was massive.
How do you perceive your work?
My work is the examination of the human condition, it’s about people about being isolated, feeling alone, it’s the dirt underneath fingernails, the beauty within decay, but its tinted with the strength that comes from adversity, I’m creating depictions of the superhero inside all of us.
What’s the most you’ve sold a piece of work for?
I’m not sure. I’m signed with LK Galleries. Money for me is an abstract concept it’s the exchange of pieces of plastic as a representation of treasury gold, I’m only interested in painting.
Proximamente is available now from Planet Books and Dilettante. For more information on Stormie, go to www.stormie.com.au.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
