Artist duo THE POSTMAN formed in Brighton in 2018. Music, film and urban cultureĀ permeate their works which can be found on the streets all around the world. Theyāre temporaryĀ pieces are not owned by anybody which adds to the allure with The Postmanās fans who enthusiastically seek them out before they disappear.Ā
What motivated you to get started and what are you trying to achieve?Ā
Our passion for street art and the idea to spread love got us started. We aim to offer artĀ that is free for people to enjoy in public. We want to surprise people and provoke a nostalgic,Ā positive reaction through clever placement where you least expect it. We use bright colours andĀ instantly recognisable images. Our work is purposefully non-discriminatory and inclusive in nature.Ā
Are your works on the street illegal?Ā
This is a grey area. We believe that we contribute positively to the urban canvas. We donāt set out toĀ cause damage to property or to upset anyone – quite the opposite. We therefore choose our spotsĀ carefully and use rundown areas or urban furniture to paste up our pieces. While pleasing to theĀ majority of people, some may still put our work on a par with vandalism. I feel we need to educateĀ people to challenge their perceptions around what defines art and to encourage understanding of theĀ positive impact street art can have on peopleās lives.Ā
How has your work developed in the past years?Ā
What started as a bit of fun escalated quickly in the beginning. Due to frequent travels, our workĀ spread rapidly around the world. We then had a lucky break with a collaboration with one of theĀ worldās most renowned photographers, David La Chapelle, when he took a chance on us back inĀ 2019. We have since been lucky enough to work with numerous incredible photographers. MostĀ importantly Dave Hogan who has a catalogue of imagery spanning 40 years. On a practical side we are continually evolving and learning new techniques, new ways of workingĀ with spray paint, stencils and collage, as well as various digital media, new materials andĀ technologies. Another dream came true when we started to work with popular musicians directly, including The Bob Marley family and Noel Gallagher.Ā
Do you only make art of iconic people (ācelebritiesā)?Ā
We donāt really embrace celeb culture. Initially our aim was to celebrate our heroes, for exampleĀ David Bowie. We have since started to diversify our subjects. An example for this is our urban arts project in York in 2021 titled āGuardians of Yorkā. We Listened to the stories of 10 local heroes whoĀ kept us all safe during the pandemic. We photographed them and made large artworks which weĀ pasted up all over the city of York. This is a good example of how street art thatās available to allĀ can lift spirits and spread positivity at a community level.Ā
Why do you wear masks?Ā
We are private individuals and feel that our art should speak for itself. It also adds to the mystery.Ā Our masks have nothing to do with the group āAnonymousā and we are currently in the process ofĀ working on something more unique to The Postman.Ā
What does the future hold?
Itās all to do with the people we meet and the new connections we make along the way. When weĀ saw our work at Saatchi Gallery earlier this year – after being commissioned by Bob Marleyās daughter Cedella – we knew this was the direction we wanted to follow. We love working directlyĀ with artists and this seems to be the way things are heading for us. Collaboration is an importantĀ value for us. Our work has also started to increase in size and working on large scale murals has become an exciting part of 2022.