Here for their 4th RUN! we are excited to showcase Little Volcano from Australian street art duo Dabs Myla. Read on as the two discuss their recent participation inThe Detroit Beautification Project,their separation from street art and fine art and their upcoming show at Think Space!
1xRun: You’ve been traveling a ton and finally made it to Detroit to participate in the Detroit Beautification Project, how was it and what was part of the city made the deepest impression?
Dabs Myla: We have been traveling a lot this year, but we where really excited about getting to Detroit to finally check it out! We had a perception of what it would be like, based on the things we already knew and had heard from friends…but we never expected it to be more than that. It was mind blowing to see the extent of abandoned areas there. It really felt post apocalyptic…the ideal place for graffiti writers!! The limitations there seem limitless, and that’s a really exciting place to be as an artist!
Dabs Myla – Working On a Mural at The 1xRUN/323East Offices in Michigan
1xRun: You have two very different approaches to you your work, street murals and fine art paintings. Your paintings are typically on the smaller side and looks like they are painted with size 0 brushes, while your murals on the street are HUGE! Is it a pretty easy transition for you guys to switch from really big pieces to small super detailed paintings, or do you find that challenging?
Dabs Myla: We do approach the two very differently. It’s weird and can be kinda confusing sometimes. The paintings we make are so time consuming and detailed (we actually use 0/5 size brushes!!) but the content and style is similar in both, so it can be hard to go from one to another sometimes…that’s why we try to do a bunch of paintings, then paint a few walls, then go back to the paintings for a spell rather than constantly going back and forth week to week.
Dabs Myla – Mural at The 1xRUN/323East Offices in Michigan
Dabs Myla For The Detroit Beautification Project
1xRun: Your installation for your recent show at Known Gallery was sick, tons of people were there and the overall response was over the top. What is your approach to the installation side of the setting up a show and creating the Dabs Myla experience?
Dabs Myla: It’s something that we have always made a big part of our preparations for a show. We really like the idea of making something more than just paintings on a wall. We get a lot of enjoyment from coming up with installation concepts and the execution of them. It’s also a great challenge to keep trying to increase and out do our selves each time!! The only hard part is having grand ideas, but not being able to spend the time to execute them as well as make all the paintings!. But we always find a way to at least get close to our plans in the time we have.
Dabs Myla @ Known Gallery – via Arrested Motion – Click To See More…
Dabs Myla @ Known Gallery – via Arrested Motion – Click To See More…
1xRun: You have an upcoming show at Thinkspace in September, can you share a bit about the theme?
Dabs Myla: We are really excited about this show in September! This year instead of doing a solo show in the gallery, we are putting on a show titled DABSMYLA and FRIENDS ‘ MARVELOUS EXPEDITIONS’ and it is going to be a small installation and series of new paintings as well as curated show of about 30 of our friends. Featuring RIME, REVOK, POSE, MARK MULRONEY, GREG LAMARCHE, MEGGS and LOGAN HICKS…just to name a few. The show will also feature a series of new works in the project room from one of our very good friends and San Diego super star SERGIO HERNANDEZ aka SURGE. We are so honored to have so many amazing artist involved and think its going to be a really amazing exhibition. The show is loosely based on the idea of Artists and their experiences traveling and doing what they do!!
Dabs Myla – One of Several Murals In Detroit for The Detroit Beautification Project 2012
