Blek Le Rat Interview

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Famed street and studio artist Blek le Rat answered 20 Questions for Juxtapoz all the way from his home in France. A pioneer of graffiti writers in Europe, Blek le Rat was one of the first people to use stencils for creating art on the street, using icons instead of writing his name. Inspired by a stenciled portrait of Mussolini, which he saw during a trip to Italy among WWII ruins, he created a silhouette of a rat running along the streets and hasn’t stopped stenciling since.  As a veteran of the urban contemporary movement, Blek has been changing the altering public landscape since the 1980s. Needless to say, his answers reflect his experience in the game of art and life (and has learned enough to answer that “chinese roast duck” is what excites him.) Learn more about this pioneer in 20 Questions with Blek le Rat