Interview with Herakut

Where are you from and how did you start painting ?

Akut is from a small city in what used to be East Germany, and Hera is from Frankfurt. We both started painting because we liked everything graffiti involved (hiphop culture, being outdoors, painting on huge dimensioned „canvases“ for everyone to see).



How would you define the world of Herakut ?

Herakut is like Hera and Akut speaking at the same time, telling you completely different stories or the very same story just in their very own words. It might be difficult to understand but it´s full of strange, new information.



How long did it take you to find your style as a functional duo ?

The first time we met was a day before we painted together fort he first time and it somehow worked out from the start. Actually it was and still is very easy to work together, because our two styles are so different from one another that there is always big contrast but no competition amongst them. In the end, we´re always happy.



Do you remember your first piece together ?

It was on a very big and high wall in Spain. We were both invited guests to the Urban Art Festival Sevilla in 2004. That´s when Herakut took ist first steps. Soon after that piece, we ended up as a couple for a year or two. That intensified our team work ... of course.



Could you please explain us how you both work on the same painting?

One of us starts a piece and leaves it alone when he feels like it. Then the other one takes a look, thinks „I know what´s next“ and just goes ahead with it. It´s very simple for us, but we realize that people think it must be tough. At our show in London last December, Jeremy Gibbs noticed: „Your system works out because you respect each other´s work so much.“ That is probably true. But basically it´s the old graffiti thing: If your stuff gets crossed out – you paint a new one.



Do you decide who will do what before ?

We usually work at a bunch of pieces at the same time. So we take turns. Whoever has the spray can at hand can go first. It´s more like a fun way of hanging out together. It´s our way of having conversations.



What mediums do you mostly use ?

We prefer to paint on a flat and even surface that doesn´t give in like canvas does. So we love walls or wood. Wood is great because you can carve into it. That adds another layer and allows even more techniques. When it comes to those, we think: The more the better. We both are grafic designers who used to work with a lot of photoshop layers. Somethimes we see our paintings in collaged layers, too.



Is there any particular intentions to tell us something with your choice of colours and the characters faces ?

When Hera started graffiti she wanted to give her wall pieces some seriousness instead of making them look bright and shiny as most of the style writers around her assembled there pieces. Those browns and greys matched well with their natural environment and were therefore a bit more quiet than other graffiti stuff. Nowadays we still use a lot of earthy tones. And in terms of characters we usually paint very serious looking faces. We both don´t like smiley faces too much. You don´t see people´s eyes, when they smile.



You have to explain the relation with dogs and animals...French bulldog, isn't it ?What's the story behind this ?

That again has to do with the graffiti background we come from. Akut says „graffiti kids are like dogs. They leave their shit everywhere.“



Do you have any influences ?

Our biggest influences are music and poetry. We like to quote Jeffrey McDaniel. We always carry his books around. Jeffrey´s „Alibi School“ is our favorite one.



Do you also collect art ?

Hera does. She usually falls for intallations, but just last week Hera decided on a wonderful piece by the artist Charming Baker.



What's coming next ?

Next is a Herakut show starting April 12th in Los Angeles at Carmichael Gallery, and then there our big summer show in London. Can´t wait to get started again!



www.herakut.de