Features

Tell us about your background Luz and how you came about making this book? What is your history with Valencia? Did you grow up there? When did you first take notice of street art and graffiti?

My interest in street art takes off in London more than a decade ago. Stencils invaded the streets of the east side of the city.

During that time I visited my hometown, Valencia, quite frequently. I noticed how different graffiti was there. It was Burlesque and vibrant,  full of colour.

A couple of years ago I found a book by mbp at a bookstore in London. I fell in love with the design and decided to contact them to show them the project. The rest is history.

You've titled this book Textura, what was the relevance behind this?

Texture, textura in Spanish, is something I have always been interested in, visually speaking. The street art of Valencia with its display of colour is a world of textures. All lit by the Mediterranean sun. 

Besides full works. You also present some macro images in a dedicated section, explain the experience you were trying to achieve with this...

Those images show a closer look into street art. When you look at them, you can feel the texture of the wall, emphasized by the paper used. They can also be downloaded for free with a code that comes with the book.

What was the selection process like when trying to select artists to feature, was their a particular criteria?

Variety and quality of work, visual and conceptually.

Sometimes with street art communities there can be a politics. Were these present in putting the book together and if so how did you handle them?

Not at all. Everybody was very cooperative and helpful. 

You make an acknowledgement in the front of the book where you thank the artists for bringing a 'hint of colour and humour' to Valencia, is this the way would describe the experience of walking down Valencia's affected streets?

Definitely. Especially around the centre of the city. The old architecture is full of layered walls that host burlesque inhabitants that come and go.

Where do you think the street artists of Valencia sit within the rest of Europe, what makes them different?

The satire, the humour.

Throughout Textura you use the same series of 5 questions with each artist. Was there any one trait that you discovered they all contained and that you think is a part of why they do what they do?

Not really. They answered in a variety of ways. I would imagine they all love painting and that is why they do offer it for free for everybody to enjoy it.

How is the community support for what these artist do in Spain, are most able to live off their craft?

Like in parts of the world, graffiti is illegal in Spain. Having said that, Valencia’s police are very permissive with the artists, compared with the rest of Europe. Regarding the community, I would say most people don’t mind a nice painting in the right place. Respecting the architecture, etc.

Where do you see street art heading in Valencia, and what are your projects for the future?

Growing, growing...it’s taking a conceptual turn, I think.

On the 20th of Jan I am exhibiting at the Museum of Ethnology of Valencia. The work is a documentary about the Holy Easter celebration by the seaside of Valencia. In Feb there will be an exhibition of images from  the book in the Museu del Carme and a presentation of the book. I am working on a book about El Cabanyal, a neighbourhood next to the sea. It’s a documentary of the degradation of this part of the city. Another project is a tv documentary about occupation of public space during fiesta celebrations. And more to come...

Martin Luz's book, Textura is out now though MBP, you can find out more about what Luz is up to at her website luzmartin.com.