4 minNase Pop is a Dutch artist based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who recently joined Art Shortlist. To introduce you to the world of this multidisciplinary artist who explores forms, we met him in his studio.
Interview with Nase Pop
Hi Nase Pop, how did art come into your life?
I grew up in a house where there was always a big interest in all kinds of art forms, antiques to contemporary and architecture, mostly my mom always explained and showed me the importance of art in our life’s.
You have been living in Argentina since 2008, why did you decide to move from the Netherlands to Argentina?
My wife is from Buenos, we met in Barcelona but she introduced me to the country. And after traveling a couple of times back and forward it was clear I had to move there.
Nase Pop working on a mural
Argentina has a kind of energy you don’t find in Europe and as a graffiti writer the freedom you have to paint on the streets was a very important reason to stay. It is a chaotic but amazing city full of possibilities and compared to the super over regulated and strict Holland it was something I really needed at that point in my life.
What is the meaning of your name "Nase Pop"?
At the moment I started to get more fanatic with my graffiti (very young age) I was in need of a new name, something that I did not want to relate with the early works. Even though I always painted different names and words because I love to play with different letter combos, Nase got stuck to me and is the red thread that connects it all. Pop came much later. Me and a group of friends I painted mostly trains with in those times formed a crew Pirates on Probation. Pop Crew. And the two just morphed into one, Nasepop!
You work with many media and artistic techniques, do you have one that you like more than the others?
I love to be all over the place and work on different projects at the same time. So having a favorite I can’t really say, I get bored easily, so I have the need to jump from one medium to another: mural, graffiti or studio works.
Circle 01, Circle 02 and Circle 03, Nase Pop, 2020
I find different kinds of exciting moments with each process. For instance with my paintings it is the preparation that I really enjoy, setting up the design and laying out on the canvas and then setting up all the spray paint. But after that moment the process is a bit dull and slow. Taping and masking every color separately and a day of drying in between, most of the time you can’t even see the whole painting in its entirety because of all the tape and paper on top of it. But the feeling at the end when it’s all done and I can see it all at once is sublime. That moment it gets dull with painting is mostly the point that I shift more time and focus on my sculptures. And I often work on several pieces simultaneously.
Working with the tools and wood is much more direct and I can find much joy in that process of building. Constructing a piece and seeing it take shape is oddly satisfying. And definitely something that the last few years is driving me more and more.
Can you tell us more about your first experiences as a graffiti artist ?
My first experiences looking back are more important than I ever could think.
Nase Pop in action
Just barely being able to write my own name at a very young age I found a can of oil for the bicycle chain (in Holland it's a very common thing to have in the house). I used this semi transparent brown stuff to write my name on every white wall in the 3 story high apartment complex of my mom's place. I got caught of course by a neighbor and he took me to my Mom. Two important things happened. I needed a tag that was not Daniel And even though I got grounded she bought me the Bible of Graffiti..this changed everything.
How would you define your artistic work?
The abstract and typographic interpretations of my surroundings, the views of city mashups and architectural collages.
What roles do architecture and shapes play in your artistic practice?
The urban lines of different cities or public transport maps traveling around foreign lands due to my graffiti background have always influenced my relationship with the world.
I have a special bond towards brutalist buildings and their use of raw materials. I once read Brutalism is the techno music of architecture, it’s hard structured components appeal to my Dutch upbringing... and these were also perfect graffiti backgrounds when these type of concrete buildings were declining during the 80s.
Do the colors you use have a particular meaning? According to you, what should color bring to a piece of art?
I have always been a fan of bright colors. the city i grew up in and the grey skies of holland had a profound impact when put in contrast.
It brings emotion and life to people, whether they like it or not It causes a reaction. I am very intuitive when choosing color and don’t usually go for coherent combinations, something I enjoy.
What are your sources of inspiration? Which artists particularly influence you?
With time the sources of inspiration change the whole time, and I think this keeps you awake. Going to museums, walking in the city and traveling are the most important to stay creative. I can’t mention just one artist, there are so many.
Back in the day there where almost all graffiti writers and timeless giants like L'parc and Frank Stella. The last couple of years its Jason Revok and Felipe Pantone for there always reinventing themselves, Richard Serra, David Unemoto and Gisela Colon for there amazing sculptures, Bev Fishman for her shapes and vivid color use but also Telmo and Miel for their compositions and eye for detail not talking about all the architectural input.
What is the artwork that has impacted you the most?
I have many different artworks as a reference that are just mind blowing. The list is growing because everyday there are incredible minds producing new ones. But here a view:
- Doug Aitken, Mirage, a site-specific installation in the Southern California
- Katharina Grosse, Kaleidoscopic installation in Sydney
- Richard Serra, East-West/West-East installation in the Qatari
- Olafur Eliasson almost everything...
What are your plans for 2022?
My plans for 2022 are mostly focussing on my sculptures, exploring the relationship between my work and new technology (AR and Web3) and just keep on building.
I have several personal projects, 2 exhibitions and a couple of public art interventions on the agenda so I am happy to work on those.
Could you give me a quote that particularly inspires you?
I'm not really somebody that lives by quotes, but there is one that literally accompanies me almost all my life.
"Always have fun" is something I believe is necessary to survive in this crazy world and why I tattooed it many years ago.
