Flog: art that leaves nothing to the imagination!

Both observers and participants, Flog’s characters—embodiments of a state, an observation, a thought, an emotion—first captivate us with their delicate transparency, tinged with waves of color, inviting us to distinguish between outward appearance and inner reality, and then through the narrative intent they convey. A touching, generous, and kind invitation.

Flog: flog-artwork.com
Instagram: @flogartwork

While Flog’s works immediately strike the viewer with their apparent fragility, imbued with poetry, they all invite us to shift our perspectives. By celebrating simplicity, Flog subtly extracts the essence from beneath the surface. Drawing on transparent, genderless figures that fill with color, situations where reflections, effects, and even consequences shine through, and relevant details, his canvases—fragmentary manifestations of reality—immerse us in an existentialist experience full of lightness and freshness. Flog’s work resembles him: delicate yet assertive, poetic yet lucid, gentle yet caustic, sensitive yet subtle… It is up to us to read between the lines. For through his pictorial narratives of great humanity, Flog succeeds where many fail: in allowing us to see and understand the colorful essence of every human being—that which makes each of us a unique being, both strong and fragile at the same time. A remarkable feat!

When did you decide to transition from graphic design and illustration to a purely artistic practice?
The decision came about very naturally, as I was offered several projects, including painting on traffic signs for a local exhibition. For the first time, I found myself engaged in artistic creation with a sincere approach, without needing any artifice or reference materials. It was on this occasion, in fact, that my character emerged—a figure seated against a gray background, yet vibrant with color and highly expressive. I quickly sensed that I was heading in the right direction, as confirmed not only by those around me but also by a gallery owner who, having fallen head over heels for my work, offered to showcase it.

Did you feel the need to move beyond graphic design and illustration?
As a graphic designer and illustrator, I was inevitably subject to constraints that limited my freedom of expression. That’s why I embarked on a purely artistic journey to find that creative freedom, without ever thinking for a moment that one role would take precedence over the other.

How did your artistic style come to be defined by this character?
The character didn’t impose itself… it reflects my state of mind at the time, the emotions that were driving me then. I wanted to represent something pure and fragile… and this character ultimately emerged. It’s hard to really know where it came from, since it simply appeared. And, although there is often an autobiographical aspect to what I depict—particularly in terms of the situations—viewers can identify with each of the characters since they are gender-neutral, and make them their own.

Why did you choose transparency to represent the human body?
First, to evoke its fragility—that feeling we all experience at times, caught between strength and weakness. Second, because transparency symbolizes sincerity to me. These transparent figures are therefore an invitation to be sincere, transparent with oneself—who we are, what we want…—but also toward others.

Why does this transparency fill with color?
The character is nourished by waves of color, just as human beings are filled throughout their lives with emotions, feelings, and sensations, but also with experiences, knowledge, memories, and values… all of which make each person unique. The colors thus symbolize what each person carries within, with the transparency revealing these successive “layers.” Yet, much like human beings, who always feel a sense of lack, the waves of color do not completely fill the figure. An evocation of the fullness and emptiness that each of us can feel. Thus, although the figure is quite close to who I am, it is at the same time the viewer—not only because it is genderless but also because everyone is free to interpret each color in relation to what it evokes for them. And this interpretation obviously differs from person to person.

People say your characters are gender-neutral, but to me they look mostly like men—not women—and also like children…
To me, they are gender-neutral. I have no intention of assigning a gender or age to the characters. But I can understand that, visually, the sense of gender-neutrality might not come across perfectly… I hope that will come with time [laughs]. In fact, I’ve done quite a few sketches trying to feminize certain characters without being convinced. I was straying too far from both the original character and my intended message. Perhaps through the colors, one can perceive a feminine or masculine side, a child or an adult… depending on one’s own interpretation.

How do you choose the situations in which you place your characters?
The situations come to life as I sketch, based on the emotion driving me, the moment I’m going through, how I’m feeling that day, a memory… always with a poetic intent. In some works, there’s a lot of poetry; in others, a little less. All the situations I draw are thus first created by a flash in my mind. And if the drawing isn’t quite there yet, I let it mature. For example, the cloud and the rain in Rain is an idea I’ve had in my head for a very long time but hadn’t managed to draw correctly until then. Many sketches of situations are actually still in the works…

Behind the apparent lightness of your work and the poetry you infuse into it, is there sometimes a powerful message, or perhaps a more sarcastic tone?
Indeed, I strive not to limit myself to the purely poetic, but to “sting” while remaining light and simple, depending on the emotion I’m conveying. Isn’t the beauty of art precisely in this freedom to express oneself? That said, I don’t want to get into a form of dark activism that I’m not at all into, even though I appreciate certain works. I believe that messages are more accessible through very colorful work and resonate better with the viewer.

What is your creative process? Since
sketching is the most spontaneous and sincere part of the creative process, when I transfer it to the canvas, I try not to overwork it. When a drawing is overworked, it becomes static, losing its original movement. Then, like many others, I paint from the background to the foreground, using just about everything: Posca markers, stencils, spray paint, airbrush, acrylics… Total freedom!

Is the process the same when you’re working on walls?
I’ve used Posca markers on smaller walls, but most of the time I use spray paint and a brush for a more delicate finish, especially for the details. In fact, the guys often tell me to take it easy—that it’s a wall, not a canvas [laughs].

Although you’ve mentioned being inspired by street art, Pop Art, and Superflat in particular, that doesn’t come through in your work…
The further I go in my creative process, the more I try to detach myself from all my sources of inspiration. Today, I no longer follow the artists I used to follow, so as not to interfere with my work, which must remain sincere and reflect what I want to say, not what others might say. I believe that’s how I can truly touch people!

Do you already know how you want your work to evolve?
Not yet, especially since, just like in life, anything can happen. For now, technically speaking, it’s by working and drawing more and more that I can better grasp forms—especially skulls and feet, for example—create better lighting and shadows, and develop the character… A gradual evolution. So, in each painting, I focus on a new detail that I’ll then reuse, which helps my work evolve… even though I’m very critical of what I do [laughs]. In fact, sometimes I go in the wrong direction… Several projects, especially the sculptures, should help me evolve further, since modeling the character can only be beneficial to my painting.

What are your upcoming projects
? In October, I’ll be creating a 15-meter-long mural in Bayonne and exhibiting two paintings at Spacejunk Art Centers as part of the group show “Didam.” With Vertical Gallery, I’ll be participating in the group show “Atomic 13” in Chicago in November, followed by Scope Miami from November 29 to December 4. I’ve also started a collaboration with Graffiti Prints on limited editions that make art accessible. For February 2023, I’m preparing a solo show at the Exclusive Urban Art gallery in Rome, followed by Vertical’s anniversary in Chicago with four pieces and some sculpture projects…

Check out
GCA Gallery,
2 Place Farhat Hached, 75013 Paris
www.gcagallery.fr

Spacejunk Art Centers
35 Sainte-Catherine Street 64100 Bayonne

Vertical Gallery
1016 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622, United States
verticalgallery.com

Exclusive Urban Art
Via della Reginella, 1A, Rome, Italy
exclusiveurbanart.com

Graffiti Prints: graffitiprints.com