We interviewed Motick, the writer that puts a vicious mouth on every piece
Instagram: @motick
Who’s Motick?
– Graffiti writer based in Mexico city
You have a very strong style, flexible but easily recognisable. How would you describe it?
– Thanks for that, that’s a very good question I think the most important thing in my graffiti universe is the letter styles. Once I land an identity to my typography I just let it go with infinite
possibilities like the structure, the color scheme, the textures, the skins, etc., but that’s not
everything. Most of the time my compositions are not just letters, there’s always something beyond every Motick piece. To me it’s like a character living inside those shapes and every
single one have their own personality and attitude. There are always some deeper layers in every piece, almost all of them have some purpose or a tell history that changes with the mood or the state of mind I am in when I create it. In other words, and setting aside the madness, I would describe as something that is constantly changing, from cartoonish to organic, from simple to complex, from color explosions to monochrome, from flat to 3d, etc.. I think my style is like a party where you can be free but the underlying letter structure is always there.
Where does inspiration really come from?
– inspiration comes from realizing that I can materialize almost anything I can imagine and the joy of doing it; I just stand in front of the wall and let it runge. In that moment the inspiration comes from different things, depends on the mood, most of the inspiration comes from nature, music, movies, cartoons, artists, friends, love, anger, sadness, existence…
Do you prefer to paint alone? Or with friends?
– Friends definitely, I love sharing moments and having a good time.
Graffiti-wise, are you a purist/conservative?
Or more open minded?
– Completely open minded, I really try to live in my own universe and we coexist in that place.
How did you start?
– I start doing graffiti because I was curious about the technique and that takes me into an incredible world that is forever envolving.
What motivates you after all these years, to keep painting?
– I don’t really think about, I just go ahead and paint, while always trying to improve
myself. When you realize that your only limitations live inside you, you can open a lot of doors. Perhaps Graffiti is an addiction for me…
How often do you paint?
– I paint at least once a week religiously. Some weeks I do it a lot of times, others, but I have to do it at least once a week.
Bombing, Trains or Fame Pieces, if you had to choose one, which one would it be?
– Fame pieces , I love all the forms of Graffiti but definitely prefer more time to materialize my thoughts.
Do you have any funny/creepy stories related to Graffiti?
– Wow a lot of stories of many types. This city is a crazy in itself, so you can imagine I have plenty of stories, many of them creepy, dangerous, sad, funny, ultra funny… I will go for a short but incredible one:
– One time I was painting trains in my city (Mexico City) at night, and we couldn’t take a good picture of the piece because it was dark by the next day the train would be gone. A few days later, I have to travel to Chicago so I flew 3400 kilometers far from home and when I was sitting in a car at one of the main avenues in Chicago, there it was! Parked in a bridge over the highway! The piece I had rocked a few days before waiting for me to take the picture! Craaaazy!
Do you have any favorite piece? Any with a
special meaning?
– I don’t have amy favorites, I love all of them. Obviously I like some more than others, but
every one is special because they represent memories of different stages in my life.
Have you ever thought of quitting painting? Any troubles with the Law?
– NEVER. There have been low points but the positive ones are so much brighter than the
negative. I’m in this world to do what I love and graffiti is among the things I love the most.
That spot that you always wanted to paint..?
– None that crosses my mind at the moment
3 Fundamental Rules of Graffiti..?
– Respect, knowledge, coexist and be free.
Which Writer do you admire the most?
– Wow, there is a huge list!
Anything that you want to get it off your chest..?
– Anything is possible. You have the powers you need inside yourself…
Top 3 Music
Experimental, Electronic, Indie.
Top 3 Movies
Akira, Your Name, Fight Club.
Top 3 Books
N/A
Top 3 Sites
N/A