Portrait #17 Bmat.pix: When Lemmings inspire urban art 🔥

July 25, 2024

Portrait #17 Bmat.pix : quand les Lemmings inspirent l'art urbain 🔥 - Tilipix

Hello bmat.pix, can you tell us more about the person behind this pseudonym? And why did you choose it?

Hi, bmat.pix is short for "basic material" with "pixel". I've had several other aliases, but this one stuck for mosaics. I'm from Strasbourg and I'm about 30 years old.

What was your first contact with urban art? What made you want to get involved in it?

My first contact was in Nîmes, where there's a collective called " LE SPOT ." They're really good at graffiti; I encourage you to check out their work. Watching Banksy's film ' Exit Through the Gift Shop ' for its media aspect was also a source of inspiration; you could almost see it as satire, and I like the message it conveys. Berlin also made a big impression on me in terms of street art; it's definitely worth the trip.

If you had to define your style in 3 words, what would they be?

First, I would say Retro , based on the 1992 video game 'Lemmings' on which I spent far too much time, secondly it's pop for the cultural and digital aspect.

Can you tell us more about your creative process?

Generally, I'll draw on references from my own experience. I'll have an image in my head, then I imagine it in a pixelated version. It's not easy because I often end up with room sizes that are too large, and I have to make compromises. It requires some preliminary thought to scale an idea within a reasonably sized room.

What are your main sources of inspiration?

I don't really have a specific source of inspiration; let's just say my signature style is the world of the Lemmings video game, which I played a lot as a kid. I often get a flash of inspiration thinking, "That could be a cool look if I do it like that," and by trying to merge several universes, I test whether I like the result digitally, and I try a mosaic rendering.

What do you consider the ideal spot to display your artwork?

The ideal spot is in the street! Joking aside, I usually go for a bike ride with 2 or 3 mosaics in my bag and when I see a nice spot for the pattern I have, I set it up.

Can you tell us about your first mosaic (from the idea to its installation)?

The first one was an 'hourglass', very basic but I think it's nice for a first attempt, I'm not proud of the collage but well, you have to start somewhere.

What cities and countries have you invaded?

Several cities, Rennes, Strasbourg and others… a map is coming with the website!

Do you have any idea how many mosaics you've laid?

I'm at 30 or 40, the pieces I install are often quite large and take a fair amount of time to make.

What is your favorite mosaic?

Without any hesitation, #bmrennes02, Black Star Lemmings

Do you have a bad experience to tell us about?

I prefer to talk about the good experiences, especially one evening when I was out putting up posters, starting at 6pm. During the posting, some people came to chat with me when they saw me hanging them up, and I ended the evening with them. It was a nice little group, a great encounter.

What are your artistic projects and aspirations for this year?

The big project for this year is the launch of the website; I'm working on it and I'm going to publish it before the end of the year with an interactive map.