Published: 8:25 a.m. – Modified: 8:28 a.m. by Tom ROSSI
Credit : Editions Ouest-France
This is a great gift idea: WAR! Rennes’ favorite graffiti artist published a book this fall in which he looks back on his greatest works and behind the scenes of their creation.
Its immense meerkats, wolves, monkeys, herons and other poppies embellish the walls of Brittany. The giant graffiti of WAR! in Rennes, Fougères, Saint-Malo and even Lorient are to be seen in a large book which depicts his work and his technique, War! or the wild city published by Ouest-France. The best-known masked graffiti artist in Brittany, based in Rennes for 10 years, depicts flowers and animals in the city. Works carrying a message confides Patrice Daniello, founder of the MUR association in Rennes and co-author of the book: “The territory belongs to everyone! When you take these meerkats for example, they’re the size of a building. Its name comes from Bob Marley’s song “War”, with the idea of fighting for freedoms, being careful and giving way to nature.
He is sincere in his work…
The choice of animals is not trivial: wolves and meerkats are animals that live in packs and protect each other. It’s something he loves deeply. This is also why his painting must touch people. He is sincere in his work. Nietzsche said that it is “by listening to your little inner music that you can make the world dance”. I really think that’s what it is about him. His work is really sincere, people feel it and it touches them.“
Such a success that we had to wait six hours to obtain an autograph of his book last October during an exhibition at the Couvent des Jacobins. These monumental works are also respected by other graffiti artists who do not cover them. Either way, they are very difficult to access.
A pole and a head full of ideas
“His pole is twelve meters high. In graffiti, there is this idea of going bigger, bigger, higher, and this pole really allows him to do that. He can do his famous twelve meter meerkats while standing at the foot of the wall. It’s a technical feat since he makes this perfect meerkat face, without moving back while standing against the wall, at night. Before, WAR! has drawings and walls in mind and then at one point, there is the wall that will match the drawing or vice versa.
In the book, there are a lot of sketches where we see his method of preparation. We understand that it’s not just anything placed anywhere. The animal or plant is there for a good reason.”
Credit : Tom Rossi
“War! or the wild city”a book published by Ouest-France, at €39.
