Iwoulddefine thisstoryasa fascinatingandunpremeditatedculturalclash. It turned intoadebatewhich is randomlyexploringtheissuesofartstatus,freedomofspeech,individualrightsatprivateandpublicplaces,influencepeddling,propaganda,greed,andfame…Allthisthroughanexaggeratedlocalmediadramaandapublicitystorytellingwhichresultedinagreatconceptual“story-piece”.HereiswhatIconsidernowasthelastmissingpieceinthepuzzle…myversionofthestory.

1 - FAT LIE : Theimageaboveispartofaseriesofsixspray-paintedphoto-creationsmadeinthecontextoftheChalkFestival2011inSarasota.Thetopicofthefestivalwas“Artthroughtheages”,andIwasinvitedforthefirsttimeinAmericabyDeniseKowaltoparticipateinthesection“GoingVertical”.Beingastreetartistandduetothetopic,Idecidedtopayhomagetotheworldofgraffitianditsrepresentationinthecollectiveunconscious.Theworldofgraffiti,discriminatedagainstasitis,hasplayedamajorroleinthedevelopmentofwhatwecalltoday“streetart”.

Theseriesrepresentsdifferentgraffitipracticesandsymbols:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mto-graff/sets/72157628133161277/

BombingFire-extinguishertagGraffiti«parkour»Metroinfiltration«Darthsprayer»Graffitiattitude

Theso-calledpiece“FastLife”wasthelastoneintheseriesandshowedacaricaturalhip-hopgesture.Itwasusedheretosignifytheexistenceofanhypothetical“MTOgraffiticrew”byformingtheletter‘M’withthefingers.Iexpectedsomecomplaintsconcerningthegraffitiorthehip-hopaspectofthework,butnaivelyIdidneverimaginethatthisparticularpaintingcouldbeassocia-tedwithgangcriminality.Handsignsmightoriginallycomefromgangs,evenifIpersonallydoubtit,buttodaytheyareusedbymanysocialgroupslikesurfers,skaters,scouts,heavy-metals,hip-hoppersetc.

Thegraffitimovementcreatedwithinthehip-hopcultureisindeedillegalbutdifferentlevelsofcriminalityneedtobedistinguished.Graffitiisnotasynonymforgangcriminality.Inthesamewaytattoosarenotasynonymforjail.Ibelievethatthisnaturalassimilationof“hip-hop=crime”and“tattoo=prisoner”,hastobequestionedasitisthebasisofthepaintinginterpreta-tionandsomehowalsotherootsofthewholestory.Thiskindofprejudicesautomaticallyswitchedtheideaofagraffiticrewintoacriminalgang.Thiswasreinforcedbythe“incidental”location.IcallitincidentalbecauseatthetimeIpaintedtheimage,Iwasnotinformedaboutthecharacteristicsoftheneighborhoodsituatedbehindthemuralwhichtheimagewaslaterrelatedtobutfocusedonthedirectionthemuralwasfacingat,becauseinreality,ahiddenmessage,whichwasthepurposeofthepiece,wasaimedatthecitycenter..Thismessagewas:

"FATLIFEisaFATLIE"

Theoriginaltitleofthepiecewasmeanttobe“Fastlife,fatlife,fatlie”.Thisvisualwordplayisthereasonwhythewords“FastLife”,tattooedonJeremyCattanach’sfingersinterestedmesomuch.

Oncethecontroversyhadstarted,Deniseaddedabanner“it’s a…let love express it”rightafterIhadleft.Butitdidn’tmakeanydifference,thepopulationofSarasotaalreadyhadappropriatedthepiecethroughitsownculturalandmoralreferencesandthediscussionaroundit.Thisdebatewasn’tmineatall,thereforeIdidnotconsidermyselflegitimatetoenterthediscussionanymore.IrealizedthatmyintendedmessagewasnotrelevanttoberevealedyetandremainedundiscoveredwhichIappreciated,giventhatatthispoint,theexposureoftherealmessagewouldhavemostcertainlysignedthedeathwarrantofthemural.Iwasnolongerinvolvedinthefutureofthemural.Despitesthemanyfalsethingsthatweresaidandwrittenaboutme,Inevertriedtointerfereinthedebate,neitheronmyownnorwiththehelpofDenise.Ididneverinfluenceanyofthe“protagonist’s”actions.Ijustkeptsilenceandwaitedtoseewhatwouldhappen.

WhenMr.Scott“showman”Gerberannouncedthefinaldecision,itwasnotpleasanttohearthatthepaintingwouldberemoved,ofcourse.ButIdidn’tcomplainaboutit.OntheothersideIdidn’tappreciatetheprocessthatledtothedecisiontopaintoveritnorthepressurethecityhallwasputtingonMr.Gerber.Abiased-contentsurveywithorientedquestionsdonebysomeopponentsofthepaintingwasonlyconductedinthe“safepart”oftheconcernedneighborhoodandstillresultedinapproximate50/50,slightlyinfavorforittostay.Therefore,about20influentialpeople(asfairastheirargumentscouldhavebeen)wereabletotakeprecedenceovermorethanonethousandsupportersandmadethepiecedisappear.Istartedtothinkthatthehiddencontent,asfarasitmayhavebeenfromthecommunity’sinterpretationanddebate,wasmaybesomehowillustratedinthisreaction.Thissituationseemedveryinterestingtomeindifferentaspects.

Thewholestorygotasensebyitself.ThepaintinganditsstoryuntilthedeathbecameanotherartisticalpiecewhichIwouldcallhere“FatLie”.ThispiecewasbornfromanunpremeditatedcollaborationbetweenthecityofSarasotaandme.“FastLife”wasfinallyagoodtitleforthatmuralasitperfectlydescribesthestoryofthemural.

Withthefallofthemural“FastLife”,Sarasota’s“FatLife”hadfinalizedthepiece“FatLie“.

2 - ROBIN / HOOD :

Butwhen“FastLife”waseffaced,IhadalreadycomebackwithoutanybodyapartDenisetoknowit.Myaimwasnottoanswertheeffacementbuttomakemyownstatementaswellasananswertothepiece“FatLie”whichwasmuchmoreinte-restingthanthe«FastLife»muralitself.ThereforeIspentaboutamonthanonymouslyintowntoobserve,listen,totrytobetterunderstandthepiece“FatLie”,andtoanalyzeit.Afterwards,Iansweredbycreatingacharacterwithtwofaces:

&Dr ROBIN :«Specialist for leaders and haters bullshit crisis»

Theabovewasalangagemistakeandshouldread

«Bullshit crisis specialist for leaders and haters» Architecturalsalvage,northside,11thstreet,facingbradenton.

(performedinoneweek,duringtheday)

Mr HOOD :«Haters out ! One chance ...»

540Orangeavenue.DowntownBurnSquare,facingcitycenter.

(performedatnightin4hours)

.

“Dr.Robin&Mr.Hood”isasecondtryandamorecontextualizedreformulationofthemessage“FatLifeisaFatLie”.Thisschizophreniccharacter,whowillbecalled“RobinHood”here,isatthesametimetheillustrationoftheproblemand,frommypointofview,thesolution.Thisillustrationhasgotadiagnosticandprescriptivesignificance:

Diagnostic in the choice of subjects:

Robinisadoctorandgivesthevisionofthegoodandthepoliticalycorrect,the“goodBlack”,goodineverysenseandreassuringfortheconservatives.Heisundoubtedlyintegratedandsociallynotablebecauseofhisprofessionnalrank.Hesigni-fiesusthatthiscityissick.Sickbecauseofitsnavel-gazing,itsexcessofmoney,itschloroformedmoral,itsavidity,itspoliticalcorrectness,itslatentracism,itsanti-youthism.Itsdesirethatnothingnevermoves.Itsrelationalsuperficialitywhichisonlybasedontheappearances.IchoseKennethBlaketobethemodelbecauseheseemedsymbolicaltomeforbeingnearlytheonlyblackpersonthatIcouldseeinthetowncenter,excepttramps.

Hood,hisalterego,ayoungandexuberanttroublemaker.Hewearsanurbanstyle,hastattoosandahood.noexternalsignsofwealth.Heisrepresentingayoung,lively,andenergeticculturewhichneedsexplosivity,rythm,andfunandwhichismixingculturalreferences,rejectingcommunitarianismbyapproachingaglobalizationofcodes,amixtureofgenres.Thatwhichcouldbetalkingaboutclothes,behavior,race,sex,religion,etc…Fortherichandinfluentialconservativesinthiscity,Hoodistheincarna-tionoftheevil.Herepresentseverythingwhichisdetestedandrejected.ThereforeIchoseRogerJ.Naughton.Tousehistattoosgraphicallybutalsobecauseformehewasthebestexampleofnon-gangstertattooedguyIcouldfind.Justaniceyoungguywhoacceptedtobemymodelwithlotsofmodestyanddiscretion.

Prescription in their position / action :

Dr.Robinduringtheday,listenstotheresidentsofBradentonandtriestosolvetheirproblemsbycallingtheattentionofcitizensandleaderstotheneighborhood.Mr.Hoodatnight,discretelysneaksintothecitycentertofreethecityfromitshatersbyblowingarrowsoflove.

Ileftthecountryafewhoursafterhavingfinishedthispaintingintervention.Nooneelseisresponsiblefortheintendedcontentsofmyworks.Nobody(includedDenise)wasneitherawareofthehiddenmessagein“FastLife”untilnownorofthecom-pleteexplanationanddetailsaddedattheendtoDr.Robin.Beingconfrontedwiththelackof“urbanflavor”,thistime,thecriticsonlyfocusedonthesimplepresenceoftheword“Bullshit”atthelabelofDr.RobinuntilIcovereditsomedayslatertoensurethatthissimplewordwouldnotbeusedtofindalegalwaytoerasethenewpiece.Thisstilldidn’tanticipatethatmymessagehadalreadypassed.

Twomonthslater,wecannotethatthesecondcontroversyquicklystoppedandwasonlymadeonDr.Robin.TheownerofArchitecturalSalvagedidnotfaceanypressureandhedidnottrytouseandabusemediasforhispersonalpublicitybenefit.Thisseemstoconfirmthediagnosis.

3 - Thank you !

ThecityofSarasota,withcreatingthepiece“FatLie”outofmy«FastLife»painting,onitsowninitiativeandwithoutmyinterventionbecameformeasortofareallyinterestingconceptuallaboratory.Therefore,Icanneverthankenoughalltheprotago-nistsofthisstoryforgivingmethechancetoassistandtoparticipateatanexperiencelikethisandforsuchapassionforoneofmyworks.IamveryflatteredandI’llseeyouagaintothenexteditionofthefestivalbecauseIjustgotofficiallyreinvited.....

I’ll be back !

MTO TranslatedwiththegreathelpofKatrinandMartin.