Hailing from Oxford, British artist Pahnl has been experimenting with various mediums such as stencils, stickers, film, photography and animation, to create his ‘own’ miniature world full of stickmen and animals. Chasseur caught up with the artist to find out more about his art and all that inspires it.
What made you take your art out in the streets of UK?
I always enjoyed playing with little plastic soldiers and action figures when I was younger. Imagining a chair as a house and stuff like that. I obviously grew out of doing that but the urge to play with spaces continued. The figures and animals I paint are my way of continuing to play with the environment I live in.
What inspires you?
Everything and anything. Spaces in the street can inspire little scenes and studio work looks to hone my craft, expanding upon the narrative and world I’ve created. However ultimately, any artist, designer, etc, should keep their mind open to influence from all areas of life. I like to save images from the internet, for one reason or another, and keep them in a folder titled ‘inspiration’. If I ever need a spark for a project, that folder can be a good place to start.
What’s the difference between street and canvas art for you?
The street is where my art comes alive and the studio work is where I can spend time pushing myself further. A lot of the developments and progressions in my work come from the quiet time spent thinking and tinkering. The street is too busy for advances in my art to be made, although when I make proverbial step forward with my art in the studio, it’ll inevitably surface outside.
What pushes you into experimenting with new media like urban vinyl, sprays, even videos and animations?
There are too many beautiful, fascinating mediums and tools out there to be ignored. If you love painting and that’s all you use, that’s great and you’ll be all the better for it. With that being said, it can be interesting to venture into other mediums because then you’re coming to it from a different perspective. The way a graphic designer approaches video might be very different from how a photographer would approach it. Yes, you develop your craft by doing it and thinking about it all the time but if you dip your toe into a new tool, it can change how you work in your original medium.
Do you plan on trying something new?
I’ve plenty of ideas for ‘new’ things and I’m incredibly excited to find time to pursue them. I currently have a London solo show that I’m constantly working on and that’s taking up a lot of my time, but I don’t want to reveal anything too early. At the moment, all I’ll say is that it will be very immersive and something that will be very fun for the visitor to explore. The stories I am weaving throughout the show are not handed to you on a plate and I’m looking to capture the atmosphere of the street.
What would your advice be to young aspiring street artists?
There’s no such thing as an ‘aspiring street artist’. If you want to do it, do it. No one is stopping you from cutting a stencil or making a sticker and getting it up on the street. That’s the charm of street art. You don’t have any gallery or collectors to please. Go outside and make something, it’s simple.
What are the difficulties you face as a street artist?
I think of myself as an artist, not just strictly a street artist, as that term seems limiting. Like I said earlier, you should never close yourself off from other mediums and labelling yourself ‘street artist’ immediately restricts your scope. To be fair, I’ve not hit the streets that much lately and that may have something to do with having gone ‘full-time’ as an artist half a year ago and securing a solo show soon after. I’ve just not had the time to get my stuff out on the street. I am planning to rectify that problem after the show and return to the unadulterated fun of getting my little people up in the street. Nothing tops that feeling. Nothing!