1xRUN Thru Interview
BunnyKitty Series by Persue
1xRun: Tell us a little bit about this series, for the uninitiated, when did it begin and what’s the story behind it?
Persue: These paintings show a darker side of BunnyKitty’s universe. Spotlighting police brutality, riots, wet dreams and women of pleasure. Subjects that are touchy to some, but presented in a cute aesthetic.
1xRUN: What materials were used to create these pieces?
Persue: Acrylic on wood.
1xRun: When were these pieces created and how did they take to complete?
Persue: I did these in August and September of 2014. Each one took around 38-40 hours each.
1xRun: Were they part of a recent show?
Persue: Yes, the “Touchy Subjects” show at the Seventh Letter’s flagship store in Los Angeles. I showed with Dabs, Myla and Rime.
1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight?
Persue: The paintings are hand painted with a brush and paint. I’ve worked with a lot of mixed mediums in the past so for me it feels good to stick to one medium.
1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?
Persue: I tend to daydream a lot. These paintings come directly from those daydreams. I start by sketching rough ideas in my journal–not even complete ideas–and use them as a reference, then go straight into painting. No pencil or transfer paper was used in the making of this work.
1xRun: What is unique about these pieces?
Persue: It represents a transition in my art. I am taking it much more seriously these days.
1xRun: Describe this series in one gut reaction word.
Persue: DMT.
1xRun: BunnyKitty and the accompanying cast of characters fluctuate between the graffiti world and a more kid friendly world, did that come about mentally when you became a parent or when did you get into the more kid friendly mindset?
Persue: I was always in a kid friendly mindset. I think it came from the many years I worked as a product designer in the Skateboard industry. What do kids like? What do they want? I didn’t want to create another skate brand. I wanted to tell a story of life and morals through this cast of characters inspired by my experiences of traveling and painting with some of the greatest artists of our time. However, being a father really enhanced that aspect of this project. I want to set a good example to my kid and show her what can be achieved through your imagination.
1xRun: Have characters like this always been a part of your style/graffiti?
Persue: Yes… I am regarded as one of the West Coasts character pioneers from the early 90’s.
1xRun: How long have you been doing character? What was the first one you remember making?
Persue: I’ve always drawn characters. My first drawings were in a journal my grandmother gave me when I was 4. My brother and I would battle to see who could draw the best Garfield. I always thought his art was superior. As for spray paint on walls it was probably a bunny believe it or not.
1xRun: Any artists new or old that have been inspiring you as of late?
Persue: Graffiti works would be Zeta and Mr. Plus. I am on that fluid style and we have like-minded ideas but have never met before.
1xRun: We’ve talked about Bunny Kitty previously, you’ve had some exciting BK related projects lately, bring everybody up to speed on some of the recent products you’ve launched for the BK world?
Persue: Earlier in the year I was traveling a lot and painted her in beautiful settings like Hawaii, Detriot, NYC, and Mexico. I also finally released The Origins of BunnyKitty story at my last two shows in the form of a zine. 1xRun and I had great success with my most recent laser cut and original painting release. I have also started a separate BK Instagram since she has a broader audience beyond my core graffiti followers.
1xRun: Any upcoming events or shows that you’d like to touch on that we didn’t cover?
Persue: I am preparing for a big move in December. I will also curate a show at Inner State gallery in Detroit during the second quarter of 2015. I have to be super secretive, but 1xRun and BunnyKitty will be releasing some pretty amazing things in 2015.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Persue: Instagram@persue1 – Instagram@_bunnykitty_ – Facebook
-1xRUN