DavidL Paints Hitchcock, Warhol, Tim Burton, Kubrick: Through The Lens of Fer Alcala

February 1, 2018 Artists

Photographer Fer Alcala recently explored an abandoned place known to some as Fraggle Rock with Street Artist/graffiti writer DavidL, who is specializing in personality infused portraits of cinematic and pop personae drawn primarily from the second half of the 20^th century. Today he tells BSA readers about his experience on this road trip.

How I spent one day with DavidL in a marvelous abandoned place in the middle of nowhere watching him paint

~ Fer Acala

After 25 years writing graffiti, DavidL has found his own way of working. It’s funny because one of the inherent issues about graffiti and street art is visibility. All the trains, the bombing, the tagging…it’s all about being noticed, being every f-ing where. It has been like this since day one (Taki 183, Terror161, 1UP…you know how it works).

But for David it’s not like that anymore.

DavidL. Alfred Hitchcock. Fraggle Rock. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Maybe it’s a sign of the days that we are living with social media, communication 2.0, etcetera. It’s obvious that if you have certain skills managing all this and a little bit of talent, plus a pinch of good taste, you can reach a global audience and show your work to the entire world even when you are concentrating the majority of your creations in a secret location.

What I like about David’s way of working is that he creates his own world. I’m not speaking about his wonderful caricatures. No. I mean that he has built (is still building) a certain kind of artwork with a lot of discipline and a strong working ethic behind it. Almost a hermit when we speak about painting walls, David is creating a beautiful personal universe ruled by his own choices. And, hey! It totally works.

DavidL. Alfred Hitchcock. Detail. Fraggle Rock. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Some days ago I had the chance to accompany David to his ‘headquarters’. I can’t say much about the location, but it took a while to go there by car from Barcelona and the enchanted abandoned landscape was astonishing. Obviously, I wasn’t the first person to be there. Everyone who drives by can have their own “urbex” experience in this abandoned place and they wouldn’t be disappointed with their findings.

Other artists and friends have painted there but I felt very honored to have the opportunity to go with David, to explore and to watch him create a piece from nothing. It felt like a privilege to enter his world invited by the host and to witness the whole process.

DavidL. Edward Scissorhands. Fraggle Rock. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

Despite the cold, the hunger, and the absence of beers, it was important for me to capture the details. I wanted to share the thoughts and the doubts, to see the commitment behind the creation of a piece in a single room for seven hours while listening to hip hop beats. I explored the place and went here and there but it is not and everyday experience for me to witness such a private way of working outside of the four walls of a studio.

David’s pieces are about pop culture. He chooses them kind of randomly and takes them to his own world. Movies, comic books, art figures…have being transformed using a very recognizable style. As a part of the process, DavidL keeps the original sketches and drawings and he sells them at a very reasonable price.

DavidL. Tim Burton. Fraggle Rock. Spain. (photo © Fer Alcalá)

It’s just a matter of time before DavidL is discovered and we both wonder if he will be able to keep this place and the art of its walls under the radar much longer. How long it will it continue to paint in places like this without time constriction and be peaceful and be calm and work without any hurries and be in control of the timing and go back there the next day to finish the work?

I haven’t the answers to all these questions, but what I know is that there are still tons of empty rooms waiting for DavidL to paint them. And, my friends, that will happen for sure. – FA