Interview with Billi Kid
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The “notoriously harmonious” Billi Kid is a street artist determined to refine his voice while leaving an indelible mark on the over saturated urban and cyber landscapes. A life-long doodler, art enthusiast and design junkie, his work blur the lines between graffiti, pop culture, iconography and art.
Never to busy to look, feel and listen, his collaborative works with artist from around the world have been celebrated in both the media and street art community alike. His passion for the streets has led him to curate ground breaking exhibitions that have helped bridge the gap between the urban landscape and the sterile indoor environment.
Hi Billi, today MoW selected 3 of your artworks inspired by music. Can you tell MoW why you chose to create about these music artist ? What was the music behind them ? What inspired you to create those ?
Music has always been of interest to me. The variety of artists, the multitude of musical expression—and the sheer spectacle of it all is grand. Why certain songs catch fire at any given time fascinates me. Why certain artist best reflect our current selves. Music is a cultural reference that paints us in historical terms. Like beauty, it is universal. Sure we can argue about nuance, but great music stands the test of time. To capture the spirit of any given artist on canvas is an honor to me.
Why is music important to you and your art?
Music is important to everyone, not just me. It is the hidden language of our soul. It speaks to us in clear and unequivocal terms. We understand and admire it. In its purest form, it reaches deep down into our very core to reveal things language can barely comprehend. Music has always been there, hidden, waiting to be found. It is up to our great artists to discover it and reveal its beauty to us.
If you had to choose between the artworks presented today, which of your artwork would be your favorite ?
I love my Iggy Pop looking like just another guy on the street. The photo I referenced, is from the old Details magazine cover, where I worked a lifetime ago.
Can you tell MoW more about the techniques you used. How old is your technique? How did it start? How long does it take you to make an artwork?
I work primarily with stencils which I meticulously map on my computer, then cut right onto the my canvas. I like to use sticky vinyl that I can cut right on the canvas and avoid bridges in the cuts. I've been doing it for about 8 years now and hope to keep it evolving.
Watch Billi Kid in action for his street artwork on MIA:
Do you have plans on creating new artworks inspired by music ?
As time permits, my hope is to continue the progress and add more musical artists to my repertoire.
What is the song you liked the most lately? Or album ? What was the last gig you went to ?
I'm now listening to my old Jean Luc Ponte collection. Have to get back to it every once in a while.
I don't get out to concerts much. The last gig I can remember was Steely Dan, it was a real treat.
Are you a musician yourself ? If so can you tell MoW more about your music projects ?
Not a musician, but I do play a mean air guitar!
Find out more about Billi Kid here :
