I’m not ashamed to admit that I frequent Pahnl’s flickr photostream, updating myself on what his characters have been getting themselves into! If its not dogs chasing bones, then its men buffing out art. The UK based street artist has firmly established himself into the scene, amongst the larger characters, with his rather minute characters. Popping up in well thought out locations on the street, making their mark with simple actions and expressions.

Check out the interview with the artist himself below.

Pahnl, why the name?
Well using my real name didn’t seem like such a good idea and also because it sounds like ‘panel’. Like a comic panel. I like comics.

How did you find yourself getting into the street art scene? Is it particularly thriving round your part of the world?
If you want to continue the plant metaphor, as far as England goes and from what I understand, Bristol, London and Brighton are sprawling jungles full of ripe street art pickings whereas here in Oxford, you’re lucky to find a weed…but I’m trying my best to plant roses.

Who or what would you say are your greatest influences?
Keith Haring, Terry Gilliam, Darius And Downey, Roadsworth and Dan Witz are all good people

Wandering around the street lends me a fair few ideas too. For instance, there’s a public toilets, which has (for some queer reason) an underwater seascape painted all over it, so I want to drop in a little scuba diver in amongst the fish.

I saw the great piece that you did for Upfest recently, how was that gathering? Any artists present that stood out particularly?
Ah cheers man, it was a bittersweet piece to paint. Thinking back now, it was all a blur but Snub’s electric pylon work was fascinatingly detailed, ZeeZee produced a goliath of a piece with all it’s depth, the use of colour in Avian’s freehand pigeon portrait was enviable, Snik’s elegant lady in red was simply beautiful and the expanse, realism and playfulness of CTRL’s buffer piece was impressive too.

Your work appears to compliment the location really well, is this a deliberate thought of when you are putting up your work, or does it just occasionally seem to click?
Location is half the battle of a good piece and I’d like to think I win a lot of wars.

Out of all your pieces that you have done, which is your favourite?
How could you ask such a thing?! I love them all equally.

*Pahnl ushers the eager little paintings and pieces out of the room, as they bump and hop at his feet*

Now they’re gone, I think at the moment I would say the ‘Everyone Is Shouting, No One Is Listening’ piece I sprayed on a ‘No Entry’ sign. I spent ages designing that stencil, all the poses were surprisingly difficult to draw both angrily, plausibly and within the constraints of a single layer. Besides that, the photo of the work is gorgeously lit.

However my favourite canvas piece I’ve created is the recently painted ‘Buff and Run’ piece. The textures in it, the build up of tags and just the buffer coming along and painting all over it makes it an ideal example of my work. I was almost tempted to keep it and, had it not been sold so soon, I may well’ve kept it for myself. It’s somewhere in the warm climate of Perth now, it’ll have a better life there than here, haha.

And to finish off, some quickfire questions:

Colour: Nothing says “LOOK AT ME!” quite like black on yellow.

Brand of paint: Montana Gold; once you go matte, you never go back.

Medium of canvass: I’m liking cardboard more and more these days over stretched canvas but it’s harder to put the price I want on a piece of work and expect someone to buy it when it’s on cardboard.

Favourite artist: Me, since the art I create is the art I like.

Drink of Choice: Cranberry juice, I don’t really drink alcohol.

Song for the moment: Float On by Modest Mouse, otherwise it’s the rain at my window.

Links: 

http://www.pahnl.co.uk/

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Tags: Illustration, interview, kulture online, Pahnl, Paste-Ups, Stencil, Street Art

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