The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023 - Issue 33

Lisa Ogun’ had a sit-down with artist Otto Schade and was amazed by the story of his art journey, what inspires him and the intricacies of producing gallery-worthy street art. biteartistprofile Did you have any scary moments before the police trusted you in London? No, when people see the art, they take pictures or laugh. “Ah, there is one!” I was in Camden Lock, where Starbucks is, just under the bridge - it was a gate with a wooden door. There was a spot I had painted, but now it’s covered. I used to do the sunsets. It was summer, in the daytime, at 2 pm, and I was finishing the stencil painting on the gate. I turned around, put the stuff on the ground and looked up. A police officer was looking down at me with crossed arms. So timidly, I said, “Yeah?” He sternly peered down at me and asked me, “How do you make the stencils?” Relieved, I exu- berantly described the process. “Oh, first we do the design sketch, put it on the computer, and then laser cut it.” He was like, “Oooh, cool!” and then abruptly left. Phew! Were you scared in that incident? Well, of course! He was domineering in stature. Who do you admire most in the street art world? I like Banksy because it’s simple and very effective. He wants to say something; it could be sarcastic or a political point of view. Some of his stuff is really good; others not so much, but it gives me information on how to deal with and represent those topics. I like Mark One and another person I saw in Va- lencia, and I also like Shock One and the X-ray stuff he does. He also mentioned some of the street artists who collaborat- ed with Calvin Klein for their limited edition CK One Shock Street editions that launched in 2011 and 2012, where the artist designed the bottles and the packaging for the designer fragrances. I don’t know that much about the scene. When I go to fes- tivals, I meet the same guys like The London Police, Inkie, Farrah Fortnam, Dan Kitchener, and Cenz. Once a year or every two years, you meet them in different countries, and it’s fun. But for the rest of the guys, I meet them randomly. Have you ever collaborated with another street artist? With Bustart in Switzerland and Dan Kitchener - we did stuff once. And that's it! I'm not good with collaboration with col- ouration, and I prefer to do my stuff alone so I don't get into problems with anyone. I decide and make my own decisions. It doesn't mean I couldn’t, but it's my preference. If I was in- vited to collaborate with an artist and liked them and we got on well, it would be good. I'm open to other collaborations as well. What are your reasons for creating your art on the streets? I could do it on anything. The fact I have been living in this area, and it’s full of street art, encourages me to continue to stick with that medium. Then at the end of the day, when you hear the feedback from the people, it’s more gratifying than from the galleries. Some of the feedback from the people is about respect. Sometimes you're painting a wall, and some- one gives you something to eat or drink, like water, to thank you for the hard work you're giving to the area. Sometimes Images courtesy of Otto Schade