Team Recoat Showcase #5: Elph
http://www.akaelph.com/
There is no doubting the impact that Elph has had on the Scottish Street Art movement and that he would be considered one of the UK’s most loved graffiti artists. Proof of this was his selection for the C215 “Blue Book”, “Graffiti Planet 2” by Alan Ket and Tristan Manco’s “Street Sketchbook”.
Recently Elph was flown out to Melbourne for a solo show with Backwoods Gallery and exhibited in a prestigious Manchester exhibition with China Mike. He also painted at the dramatic Red Bull Stereopticon live paint that saw his painting projected across the front of the entire University of Edinburgh building earlier this year.
His work narrates many wild and weird ideas, often inspired by hours of trawling the internet looking at cartoons, comic books, animation, war and sci-fi films, or even just his neighbourhood and everyday life.
Elph creates all kinds of artwork and design, nodding to his graffiti past; his versatility, drive and style salute this culture but over the years he has developed painterly techniques that far surpass any pre-conceived ideas of what a “Graffiti artist” might produce. His artworks are multi layered, beautifully rendered, playful, funny, sometimes dark, but always appealing whether he is spray painting a wall or creating delicate illustrations in gouache.
Do you have a favourite piece of art that you created?
I painted a wall in 1999 in a tunnel near Meadowbank stadium, for a long time that was my favourite thing I’d painted.
A very simple semi-wildstyle piece, to me at the time it was everything I wanted to achieve.
Do you have a favourite medium to work in?
I pretty much enjoy painting in emulsion paint with spraypaint on top on a largescale.
Who or what inspires you?
Comic books, 1980’s subway graffiti, 1950/60’s commercial illustration, the Impressionists, some pop art, fashion, music, my wife and son.
What would be your dream art project to be involved in?
Any largescale painting project with unlimired time and budget, I already paint regularly enough not to complain too much.
What are you working on right now?
I’m just finishing a titles animation project for the BBC and have been trying to learn animation, which is a little like going back to college again, the learning curve has been steep.
Elph’s print is featured in the latest exhibition at Recoat in their Team Recoat launch. You can view and buy each of the prints here- http://recoat.bigcartel.com/category/team-recoat. They are A2 and only £80 each!
