Artwork Catalogue: ‘GALAXY’ by Pum Pum

Gallery UNION is currently featuring “Galaxy”, the new exhibition by Pum Pum.  Pum Pum first appeared in the streets of Buenos Aires in 2004 when she began to fill the walls with her cute characters; cats, birds, and punky girls with tattoos. Her artworks have since found their way into galleries across the world, from Berlin to London and Washington, DC, while her murals have cropped up on walls as far as Paris and Tunis.

This collection sees the artist expanding on her new foray into more 3 dimensional works, using laser-cut wood to dissect and reassemble her by now well-known cast of 2 dimensional characters in layered works painted with aerosol. This is a singular body of work, which also has the artist exploring the medium of aerosol for the first time in her career.

The show celebrates the forms and ordered chaos that are naturally occurring in the creative Universe of the artist. The exhibit includes artworks in a variety of formats including a limited edition of silkscreen prints, collage pieces in wood and cut acrylic, and a mural.

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Pum Pum: I love trying out new methods and techniques. This year I experimented using the development of different layers to generate depth… It’s a constant game of trial and error, like with any experiment. This is what most interests me in thinking about using this premise as the basis for this exhibit.

I’d like to continue on a pathway towards volumetric work, towards 3 dimensional space while referencing 2 dimensional forms. I’m interested in dividing the forms that I typically use into deconstructed pieces.

Excerpt from interview with Pum Pum, read the full article here.

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You can view and download the catalogue of artworks here.

For enquiries contact us at info@galeriaunion.com or by telephone +54 11 4775 2935

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DOMA Launches Their Book DOMA_17

In advance of the launching of the book DOMA_17, graffitimundo speaks with the artists of DOMA about their 17 years as a collective, the experience of making a book, and the importance of collaborative work.

“Seventeen is a number that embodies a cycle of change and a coming of age. When Doma was first formed in 1998 as an artist collective, it was in a different Buenos Aires, and with different members and norms. Over time, Doma took on a life of its own, developing and reproducing, establishing its own rules and setting its own course far beyond its members. Like soldiers, they have fed this creative beast over the course of more than a decade and a half, continuing to push their sardonic and absurd vision of reality.”

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graffitimundo: How did the idea of the book, DOMA_17, come about? Was this project conceived of more as a retrospective or perhaps as a work in itself?

DOMA: The idea of publishing a retrospective book arose on Doma’s 10th anniversary. Various priorities and different complications had delayed the project until now. Ultimately, though, this has meant that the end result will be much stronger because of the inclusion of all our most recent major projects. We developed it as a publication that can also be a lasting documentation of our work. Beyond that, following classic lines, the book has many subtleties of design, is a beautiful object and a collector’s piece.

gm: How did you choose the material? What criteria did you use?

DOMA: It was a long and difficult process. Lots of things were left out. The editing process involved lots of collaborators, including Emmanuel Prado, Fernando Benito, María Pia Vivo, Florencia Reina, and we also had Vajay Sigismund of KBB Publishing with whom we edited the book. Our vision and input was also present and all of this ended up giving the book a very tight result with an extensive amount of text. The projects are presented chronologically beginning in 1998.

gm: For a collective that keeps its DIY spirit alive, how was the experience of working with an editor?

DOMA: Doma does not specialize in making books, while an editor has produced dozens. This experience really nurtured the project and also us as we learned more about it. We worked with total freedom and nothing was done against our will, on the contrary; the contributions of the editor and other employees supported and encouraged us, and they themselves became a part of Doma.

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gm: Apart from the Idea.me crowdfunding campaign, and the day of the book’s launch, where else will you be able to find the book?

DOMA: After the launch, we will continue with the Idea.me campaign for a few more days, where the book will available online with a sizeable discount. Then it will be available in various bookstores.

gm: Over the course of the of the group’s career, various sociopolitical changes have occurred that have greatly influenced your work. How do you feel that the artistic creation of the collective has matured? Is there something you would never do again, for example?

DOMA: The truth is that we don’t regret anything, despite the errors. It was a constant evolution and we were improvising with more good results than bad. Lots of things stick and lots don’t, but fortunately a lot has stuck and even including the interesting things that we’ve left out, we’ve still made a 200+ page book.

DOMA_17 describes the evolution of the group and the different stages very well. It clearly shows the reaction to the historical moment at a social and political level, and the advent of new technologies. The book is chronological without being explicitly so, and the most recent projects close the book, showing exactly where we stand today.

gm: What changes have you noticed in the art world since you began 17 years ago?

DOMA: We really feel that our generation has lived through a very interesting time, witnessing various transformations resulting from shifting paradigms. All of this became the raw material of our work, and it still is.

Regarding the art world, it’s very different now to how it looked in 2000. There has been a shift from the collective and collaborative work that was happening then towards more individualistic work and personal development. The crisis brought people together, but then when everything started to get better, people started to go their own way. It’s 2015 now and we’re in crisis again, so maybe that will bring us back together once more.

On the other hand, except for some circles, nowadays we also see a much bigger art scene which is also much more open and fearless of the new. This was not the case when we started.

gm: The collective seems to be driven by the axes of collaboration, multi-disciplines and self-management. Do you think that this would ever change at some point in the future?

 DOMA: I don’t think so. We naturally work that way and they are the core values that we all deeply respect. Especially since each of the members has their own individual career, when we work as Doma, it’s a therapeutic pursuit and you check your ego at the door. In terms of self-management, it is just the way we do things but it doesn’t mean that we can’t take on different types of projects by invitation for example. These are different situations and are handled in different ways. It’s like having a party yourself, or going to someone else’s party. Both options are good, it’s just that they are different.

gm: Small and large scale installations, entertainment, toys, interventions in public spaces, art galleries, and museums. Is there any space or medium which you have yet to explore or is there any “dream” project you have in mind?

DOMA: Ideas abound, human resources too. Sometimes the economics of large projects delays them, but go to outer space would be great.

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gm: How do you see the next 17 years of DOMA unfolding?

DOMA: We have some loose ideas we’re working on, but honestly, that’s the question we’re asking ourselves. To make a retrospective book after 17 years leads you to reflect more deeply and analyze the path you’ve taken. It’s good to take a time-out and really give some thought to where things are actually heading. I think we’re still in that moment, processing all this information so that we can begin to generate future plans.

DOMA_17 will be presented in an event at the Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno Friday November 20, 2015. For more information about the event visit this link.

 

 

graffitimundo interviews Pum Pum for her new exhibit “Galaxia” in UNION Gallery

graffitimundo: What or who introduced you to art?

PumPum: I was always interested in artwork really. From a young age I used to go with my parents to art openings, I spent time looking at art books at home, and most of all I was accustomed to watching my father, who is a painter and sculptor, at work.

gm: Where did your unique cast of characters originate, what was your inspiration? What do they represent for you?

PP: I always loved drawing and as I began to develop a mini universe of animals and a little girl (who you might say is a sort of self-portrait), I started to have a lot of fun with it. Based on these characters I started to experiment with different supports, different languages and techniques. I have continued on with these same characters over time because I still maintain that connection with a playful, almost infantile side of painting.

Photo: Pum Pum
Photo: Pum Pum

gm: What was this year like for you? What kind of projects were you involved in?

PP: I don’t usually plan out the year ahead of time and this year was no exception! Things developed as the year progressed and I really enjoy it that way. I like surprises and I like it when I get to see certain dreams taking shape and becoming reality. This year a lot of new projects, trips and exhibits came about that I loved. I got to try out a lot of new things that I really enjoyed. I got to know different people and places, and had a lot of great new experiences.
I pay a lot of attention to detail and I really try to take advantage of the relationships and interactions that are developed thanks to this discipline.

Patagonia, Argentina / Photo: Dan via Pum Pum
Patagonia, Argentina / Photo: Dan via Pum Pum

gm: Are there any specific artists that have affected your work?

PP: I don’t tend to have artistic “idols” but I really admire many of the people in my community: artists who happen to be friends of mine, people I cross paths with during trips, exhibits, or in day to day life in general. I feel so lucky to be able to say that actually many of my friends are my favorite artists. That happens to me a lot! It’s inspiring and means that I’m always learning as well.

gm: How did you get started painting in the streets? How did you learn?

PP: It was literally like a game to me. I was going out to accompany friends who were painting in the streets and I started to give it a try alongside them to see what it was like to change scale and format. I really didn’t know much about it at all, I was just looking to have fun. I always liked observing the way that other artists work, that’s really the best kind of school there is!

Pum Pum with Nerf and Joao Lelo (Brazil) / Photo: Pum Pum
Pum Pum with Nerf and Joao Lelo (Brazil) / Photo: PumPum

gm: Lately you’ve been experimenting with new formats like projection with acrylic mobiles and now working with wood. How do these new experiments affect your creative process? What inspires these shifts and how will we see these new materials and formats reflected in your exhibit?

PP: I love trying out new methods and techniques. This year I experimented using the development of different layers to generate depth, sometimes minimizing color in order to prioritize material. It is a constant game of trial and error, like with any experiment. This is what most interests me in thinking about using this premise as the basis for this exhibit.
I’d like to continue on a pathway towards volumetric work, towards 3 dimensional space while referencing 2 dimensional forms. I’m interested in dividing the forms that I typically use into deconstructed pieces.

Galaxias I from the Tirar de la Cuerda Exhibit at Fundación ICBC / Photo: Pum Pum
Galaxias I from the Tirar de la Cuerda Exhibit at Fundación ICBC / Photo: Pum Pum

gm: What’s the relationship between your street art and your studio work? Are your murals affected by new experiments in the studio, or vice versa?

PP: The two are always developing in parallel but with some points in common. I always take something of my studio work into the street. I like developing ideas on a small scale first. In the studio I work out details, materials, etc., and then I see what I can possibly translate to murals, at times reinterpreting something of the test tube context that I find in studio work.

Photo: Pum Pum
Photo: Pum Pum

gm: In your latest murals you’ve begun to include aerosol in addition to your paintbrush work with latex. What brought on this change?

PP: I’ve always used aerosol for details, but as I had access to a larger palette of colors this time I used it almost as the primary medium. I like the coverage you can get with it especially for creating dark backgrounds as I’ve been doing lately. What I most like to do though is to continue combining techniques in general. I love the way a paintbrush with acrylic paint, a watered down ink and aerosol can coexist in the same work.

gm: Lately we’ve seen that a lot of the artists that dominated the local scene before are bringing their artworks more and more into the context of galleries and international street art festivals. With this type of evolution happening in the trajectory of so many of the scene’s principal artists, what do you think the future holds for the Buenos Aires street art scene?

PP: Everything is constantly in movement, and that’s what’s healthy about a scene, in any field. What most interests me personally is developing works and using them as the basis to generate murals on city walls – so that the two support each other mutually. I like to think rhizomatically and to be able to expand on the things that I’m generating, and I hope to be able to continue on this path next year. There are lots of plans, but as always I hope things will continue to come together on their own. I hope to continue working with consistency, and realizing new ideas, plans and dreams.

“Galaxia” by Pum Pum opens Friday, November 13 from 7pm at Galería UNION,  Costa Rica 5929 Buenos Aires.

Photo: Edgardo Gomez - Nadia Cajal via PumPum
Photo: Edgardo Gomez – Nadia Cajal via PumPum

‘Galaxia’ by PumPum

‘Galaxia’ by PumPum

Friday November 13, 7pm

‘Galaxia’, the new exhibit by PumPum opens on Friday 13 November at UNION gallery. The show celebrates the forms and ordered chaos found within an artist’s creative universe.

UNION is a gallery and project space that brings together work from South American artists in a celebration of emerging and contemporary art.

UNION Gallery: Costa Rica 5929, Palermo, Buenos Aires
Opening: Friday November 13, 7pm

For more information: Mimi Carbia (011) 15 3153 3932 / info@galeriaunion.com / mimi@graffitimundo.com / www.galeriaunion.com

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