From the streets to the galleries to the corporate hustle, EWOK ONE has been there and done that… well. Now into his second decade on the scene, the increasingly elusive graffiti legend presents In On the Secret an intimate show of drawings, sketches and models, exposing, for the first time ever, the creative process behind his iconic imagery. Ahead of the show, our man Liondub took a moment to sit with the artist and see what’s in store…
Liondub: Tell us about your new show at halcyon the shop in Brooklyn.
EWOK: Well I’ve wanted for a long time to show my work in a venue that was more personal…Something where my close and personal friends and supporters who wouldn’t normally go out to a gallery opening, can come and enjoy a good showcase of the blue print/ raw side of my work. The very first stage of a character or an idea on paper, where it was born. I think that side of the creation process has a special beauty unlike a finalized finished canvas. I think it’s almost a window in the mind of an artist; to be able to see this intimate side of their thought process.
LD: Why did you decide to do a show at halcyon?
EWOK: To be honest, I get offers from time to time to do something like this, but it was only because of [Liondub] and I building on doing something small and personal in the vein of a grass roots, back to basics of fun art. A VIP feel for the audience that actually appreciate the art, and not just people who want to go to an event and get drunk and bump into the art. That’s been the reason Ive been reluctant these last 5 years to show my work in NYC. The type of crowd that comes out during openings is only there for free drinks and to stumble into paintings… I think Halcyon is personable, has a good vibe, unique and its in Brooklyn. It just feels right, and Im all about that.
LD: What’s the story behind these pieces that you are about to show at halcyon?
EWOK: There will be showcased originals of ideas that have gone on to become three dimensional figures, or original album cover work, or character design type of things I’ve made into iconic trademarks. These are pieces of work that have never been seen by the public.
LD: What are your thoughts on the connection btwn graffiti, graffiti writers and galleries currently?
EWOK: Well I can’t really speak on other people’s experiences but I think there was a flood of low quality artwork doing shows for a while, which I think with the economy being the way it is lately, it seems to have sorta weeded out a lot of the “Johnny come lately” types who just wanna do a stencil and call themselves an artist with a show. Especially when the work is just a bite or copy cat of someone who was published last month in Juxtapoz. Im sick of it. So, for myself, I’m in a strange place right now, because I don’t need to do shows to be known, my work already has a huge underground following, so in some cases it does more damage doing things that are predictable in a sense, unless I’m being put in a venue that is a step up. I really have to be cautious about what choices I make now. You can’t run in a circle forever – if youre out there just trying to be in every single show you can be in, and that’s your thing, more power to you, but for me this is not how I work. I would rather do one show a year, that everyone wants to go see, then be in two shows a month, where if you can’t make it, it’s no big deal because people will try to make it out next month. When I have a show I want people telling their own mother’s they cant make it to the annual taco night family reunion in Mexico because Ewok is having a show on the helicopter pad of the new Trump building. You know what I mean.
LD: What are you currently working on? Whats been happening for EWOKONE lately?
EWOK: I just completed a piece for Art Basel Miami this December in cahoots with the NBA which was an official backboard, [click] check that blog for some of the other pieces being completed. Here’s mine [click] I just got back from Norway with Cope last month, we did 2 cities in a week and filmed a new video blog of the trip…
LD: How does music affect your work?
EWOK: Music is incredibly important to my work, it sets my mood, and allows my mind to work and be creative in a relaxed environment. Good music can cause hours and hours to pass without my realizing.
LD: What are some of the inspirations for creating your work?
EWOK: I enjoy developing these patterns as backgrounds at times, and in those cases they somehow dictate to me what the foreground should become, other times I like to fill a space of the foreground with these patterns of collaged materials. A plane where both rendured painting style meets the two dimensional pattern of collage. As far as content of the work, it can be derived from anything happening to me in my daily, or a certain message I want to convey, or in two cases now, a commissioned concept I’ve been given to do whatever comes to mind based on. Normally I wouldn’t be into [working on someone else's concept] but in a fun way, its caused me to think outside of my own comfort zone and made we walk down a path I wouldn’t have normally walked.
LD: Where can people find your work, do you have a blog or website?
EWOK: I do have a site, which is going on its 10th year this winter, and I am going to have a relaunch update of the whole site, you can swing over to http://mr-ewokone.com/ so you can see what it looks like before it’s changed; and of course the blog http://blog.mr-ewokone.com/
Check out EWOK’s iPod playlist he listened to the last time he painted:
