Humor, art, graffiti and civil disobedience come together with this Catalan artist who juggles different techniques (video, editing, cabinetmaking and street art), interests and professions, combined with humor and a tenuous yet forceful challenge of authority that is apparent in his videos. In the following interview Francot lets us in on his hows and whys.
We are used to others defining people, trends and experiences for us. That is not the case with the artist we are speaking with today, especially because on the one hand, it seems that Francot himself is still under construction, and on the other hand, because we have yet to analyze what we know and have seen by him. To get gain some clarity we approached this curious, restless and provocative “renaissance” artist.
Who are you?
Hello, and thanks for the interview. My name is Fran, I live in Castelldefels and I mix street art with audiovisual content and wood.
I’ve had several professions, but to simplify, most of the time I’ve been in advertising (production, recording and editing). I’ve also given smartphone filmmaking and editing classes and for the last 5 years I’ve been working in a carpentry shop and assembling furniture. And of course doing graffiti, primarily roller, pole, plastic, heights ….
But in short, videos, wood, graffiti… expressing myself somehow and when possible, inspiring, provoking and shaking things up.
How would you define yourself and why (urban artist, DIY artist, performance artist, painter…)?
The quick answer would be artist. But in what discipline? I have no idea, there are so many… Go-to-artist (hahaha). There is one that I like a lot: “Postvandalist Art”, which is defined as a type of work in which there is clear evidence that someone has expressed himself. That is to say, it has art written all over it.
I’m not really clear about how to label what I do, but I like it. Basically I’ve been mixing the three things I’ve been doing: video, graffiti and wood, and that’s where what I publish comes from. I enjoy creating these objects, but what moves me is the creative process and making audiovisual pieces.
As I create, I’m learning new techniques with wood, manufacturing, video, editing and recording, communication, scripts, storytelling and narrative … all very loqui-lloso (“crazy and wonderful”) to mix several concepts in the creative process and production.
Something that inspires me to look for new ways was thanks to something known as the Medici effect, (Google it) which is basically based on the idea of mixing knowledge, perspectives and techniques to create new possibilities.
It was easy to imagine that you have a direct relationship with the world of graffiti. Can you explain it to us?
I’ve been involved with graffiti for several years, either recording videos or in active work, but I’d made some progress in the past… I don’t feel comfortable talking about it. I will say that what is public belongs to everyone. Sorry for the short answer.
‘The images are real, but they are distorted for the storytelling of the video. I could make a trilogy on this subject. It all started during confinement with the muzzles and the curfew, but in short, I began to study “sovereignty,” which basically consists in arguments that allow one to interact with the “authorities”’
In the vast majority of the videos you post there is intense interaction with “law enforcement”. Is this real or is it an exaggeration, and can you give us any concrete examples?
The images are real, but they are distorted for the storytelling of the video. I could make a trilogy on this subject. It all started during confinement with the muzzles and the curfew, but in short, I began to study “sovereignty,” which basically consists in arguments that allow one to interact with the “authorities”; talk to and ask them questions; in other words, to know what the responsibilities and obligations of the representatives of “law and order” are.
We as human beings have no obligations, and even less before that “law” and that “order”. That is an oxymoron because a law is something immutable, that does not change, like gravity, polarity or vibration and on the other hand, that “order” is a philosophy or religion imposed by someone.
But anyway I’ll stop there, before I get started…
We are struck by your comic vision, but we understand that the message is deeper than what is seen on the surface, both in some projects and in the way you show them. Is that the fruit of your personal experience with the police?
It comes from my own little life experience, not just with the police. I try to take things to the limit with what I usually publish: that it is at least funny and at least one of us gets it and is moved by it, but as you say, there is a message behind it that is in the key of humor and love.
In this country, what works best is “Torrente” and “Aquí no hay quien viva” (Spanish Tv show), so I think that humor and entertainment is very powerful to communicate, and if you can create the opposite, some kind of “hater” … that makes a good combo and it could go viral. Politics is boring because the president is not Torrente.
@francot__ Mueble sucio. Armario silente, secretos confidentes. Power by @HAPPYINK©™ #streetfurniture #desingfurniture #aesthetic #castelldefels
Why did you decide to mix creativity and criticism in this way?
I think the best way to communicate something and wake people up is to do it with humor and love. Art should provoke, but generally, people stay with what is on the surface, that is, what they are seeing. In reality, what they are seeing and what disturbs them has nothing to do with what they see, but with themselves. In other words, we see 50% of it. We are constantly changing and in our society there is always something to improve, both individually and collectively.
“I think there could be a street art type: vandalic or dirty. Dirty but “finished”. That is to say, to take parts of the street home. This would be a short term focus.”
We know that some of your works have been sold, for example, at Canal Gallery. Is this the end goal of your projects or is there something more?
There is always something more. I consider myself to be restless and eager to do things. One of the ideas that moves me is that just as there are different types of decoration: rustic, minimalist, industrial, I think there could be a street art type: vandalic or dirty. Dirty but “finished”. That is to say, to take parts of the street home. This would be a short term focus.
And in the long term, someday I would like to create a space, or why not, a village or small town related to creativity. A kind of big co-living. I’m a big believer in collaboration and the synergy that is created when several artists work together, but that would be for the long term or whenever.
Tell us about the project in which you reproduce the shutter door of a business. And where did you build it?
The installation was made in the dining room of my house and is a replica of a facade in Barcelona. I collaborated with Happy Ink and Montana Shop. It was a project I had in mind for a while, since I had the sign “Bar Heladería” at home for a couple of years. I got it from some workers who were demolishing a building and a friend helped me to move it. It was an odyssey to carry it all over Castelldefels like scrap dealers. We transported it with a cart with plastic wheels, that could not have made more noise throughout the neighborhood. The sign was 3 meters long and getting it up to the fourth floor was a little difficult, but we made it.
Months went by. I kept looking at it, and I thought it would be cool to make a facade out of it. So I prepared the wood in the workshop, took it home and started to build the facade.
I have to say that I got the inspiration to do this kind of project from miniature artists like @henry715. Everything I’ve been doing was because I saw a miniature of a street light box that he made, and since I worked in a carpentry shop, I thought I could make a similar one for my house, life size, and a cabinet at the same time. I made one that was 1,20 x 80 cm.
The story kept coming while I was making it; one day I passed by Alberto León’s gallery and he asked me if I wanted to exhibit it. It was an unexpected turn of events and of course I said yes and someone ended up buying it.
Is there another side to Francot that we don’t know?
To add some value to the interview, I enjoy topics related to personal development or self-knowledge. Here is a video of a tool that worked very well for me on a personal level: the Enneagram. Here is the link in case there is any searchers reading this:
And on the other hand, I am interested in topics related to psychonautics: the science of navigating the mind with psychedelic substances. One of the most popular trends at the moment is microdosing with mushrooms or LSD. I recommend the Netflix series How to Change Your Mind. On a personal and creative level they have helped me a lot.
2 What do you think?
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