INTERVIEW TO CLOGTWO, THE VISUAL ENGINEER

Having been active since 2004, the graffiti artist Clogtwo has been developing his artworks with gigantic steps. The illustrations of this singaporean artist has acquired a totally unique personality by portraying characters from comics through a dark and gloomy cyberpunk point of view. So, our intention is to go deeper into the contexts of the works of this representative of the crews INK&CLOG, ZNC, K2S and PHBKLK.

Style is a reflection of your interior and exterior as an artist and human being.

-Why Clogtwo?

My name comes from the graffiti dictionary. Clog, meaning chocked or stuck. When I first started painting Graffiti in 2004 I didn’t manage to finish my first piece cause we used cheap industrial paints and the caps kept clogging. It was a reminder that all works are never 100% finished. There is always room for improvement and experimentation.

-How do you define style?

Style is a reflection of your interior and exterior as an artist and human being. Recognition in a split second defines your style, your personality, your soul.

-How do you earn a living?

Through traditional & digital illustrations and spray painting works. Operating under the design and art agency, The Ink&Clog studio, with wife/partner, Inkten.

-The content in your illustrations and style has evolved a lot in few years. Can you tell us a little about the path you have followed?

Started of as a teenager who loves urban culture and street culture. Following the sub-culture of BMX and punk rock music. The people who surrounds me influence myself as a person. The conversation and ideas that they share inspires my content as an artist. It began with doing letters, then I slowly started to explore the different  platforms that Graffiti has to offer. I tried letters that transcended from simple forms to semi-wildstyle to 3-dimensional.

“The cyborg or mechasoul concept derives from the Singapore society and infrastructure system we live in. (…) The idea of human creativity and crafts has depleted, making us similar and robotic.”

After learning the techniques of can control, line works and rendering, I apply those methods into learning 2-dimensional characters and portraitures. I’ve always loved comics and animations, and found the connection with details and dynamic poses. I decided that it was a calling and self-realization of what makes me love my work.

-What importance does the cyborg concept have in your imaginary world?

The cyborg or mechasoul concept derives from the Singapore society and infrastructure system we live in. The systematic lifestyle and technologically-driven city makes the citizen dependent on the information and machine to help us produce and create. The idea of human creativity and crafts has depleted, making us similar and robotic. The mechasoul series reflects the human society of today, whereby the soul has no purpose in creating.

-I suppose the characters you choose are based on your preferences and interests in the fictional world. Can you explain some of them?

Most of the characters I choose are from my childhood years. Reminiscing the care-free life we used to have and what we ever did was for our own sincere happiness and never for others. One of the characters that I did entitled “Mechasoul Atom” is one of the manifestations of the concept.

-What ideas do you have for future work?

There are a ideas and plans in the book. I’ve always love the unity between traditional and new media works. Recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with local visual projection mapping artists, Untitled Project Research Lab and Maxlane, which  projected their animations over my Graffiti lineworks.

There are works that I would like to produce but we will always have to keep an open mind and see what the future have installed for us.

“I feel that letters are sacred. I decided to put it aside to just revisit it once in a while.”

-On a stylistic level, what artists have inspired your work?

I always appreciate people who does abstract works as they draw it from their minds, and how they see things different from others. Artists like my wife, Inkten, she sees her works in grid system and manages to balance it like a scale. Also artists like Jaba, Gent48, Hombre, Slacsatu, Spiv and Bims which are constantly going hard with their iconic styles.

-You have put the letters aside. Why?

I feel that letters are sacred. I decided to put it aside to just revisit it once in a while. Ive payed my tribute and dedication to Graffiti. I like to make it feel exciting over and over again, this way i avoid getting bored of Graffiti. Thus, keeping it safely on the shelves, I can always see it and read it again.

– What do you think about radical writers who believe that graffiti is only letters?

I feel that everything is naturally subjective. But I respect anyone who is passionately obsessed with what they do. I guess it’s a more definite way of saying that Graffiti writers are letter benders, and some broaden the field by learning new ways to enhance their art form.

“My studio works are cleaner, as my street works are drawn from rawness.”

-What differentiates your street work from your studio work?

My street and studio works are more likely to blend as the years grow by bringing my enclosed works to the public. Showing them how I work in the studio is the same as what I do outside. The focus and the determination to produce. But what differs between both works is its energy. My studio works are cleaner, as my street works are drawn from rawness.

– Who would you like to paint with that you have not painted with yet?

People with kind hearts and knowledge that no others see.

– You would stop painting if…

I feel that the piece is enough to begin on a new one.