Vhils Alexander Farto and The Evolution of Street Art

By | June 13, 2012 at 6:25 am | No comments | ART, Street Art

These days it’s getting harder and harder for any one street artist to be heard among the immense crowd that continues to grow. Setting yourself apart is no easy task, you have to not only do something different, you have to do it higher and above all the other tags placed before. The continuos flow of swap outs and cover ups also makes it tricky and holding your mark long enough to get noticed is virtually impossible. Artists not only have to think outside the box but must break it down and rebuild it again. Of course this establishes a do or die mentality and eventually someone with something comes along to evolve us to the next level. Portuguese
artist ‘Vhils’ Alexandro Farto is one of those talents that is shifting the energy of street art and opening a new world of possibility for those who follow. His unique approach is actually groundbreaking and with the use of a reverse technique he chisels his work in the walls, quite literally making his mark.

At first, Farto started off his career like most, bombing trains with letter graffiti then occasionally bombing the streets where he began to take notice of what others were doing eventually becoming interested in taking his work to a new level. 2003 The Internet explosion was happening and he was able to see more of what was going on in the street art scene. He saw Banksy’s early work which he describes as being both creative and intelligent and a huge inspiration. In 2005, he started using stencils and liked the interesting, raw style it produced. With this new interest, his experience with vandalism and an understanding of his hometowns billboards layered thick with posters, a sparked imagination began his work with carving. He began with acid and bleach which helped him tear away at the paper to reveal he says ‘a strange but beautiful visual dialogue between the old murals and the new adverts.’

Through the years, his technique has evolved and taking chisels and pneumatic drills to the actual walls has become his defined medium. His pieces are extraordinary, his subjects are unknown, and his idea of art through destruction has made the removal impossible unless the wall itself is taken down. The works, sometimes several stories high, can be seen throughout the world and Farto has most definitely set himself apart from the rest while evolving the street art movement. More so he has sent a chiseled message on behalf of his street art
community that states loud and clear, We Are Here To Stay.

– Erin Leigh

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