Belgian artist Stefaan de Croock is a master of the mural. Inspired by doodlers like Jon Burgerman, and the spontaneity of expressionist ‘action painting’, de Croock – hip street name: Strook – creates live works (such as his brilliant reverse graffiti on a moss-covered wall), commissioned illustrations and canvas paintings, all with sprightly flair and exuberance. Part wide-boy street art, part futurist tech-geek-art, de Croock’s playfully mashed up style is bonded by its intensity and painstaking detail.
We spoke to Stefaan to get the inside scoop on his gargantuan murals, inspirations, practices and life in Bruges. And here’s what was said…
Stefaan, where are you from, and where do you live/work from now?
I grew up in Oedelem; a small village in Flanders, Belgium. Today I live and work in Bruges (Brugge).
When were you first attracted to art?
I’ve drawn ever since I was a kid and was always attracted to art. Growing up, I was determined that my job would have something to do with drawing, but in the contrary, I ended up studying Latin and science in high school. When I turned 18 I started studying to be an engineer, though after six months realised that this was not for me; and dropped out. I started studying graphic design and typography at Sint-Lucas fine arts in Ghent and a new world opened! It was there that I got familiar with much classic and modern art.
I really like the fact that art beautifies the world a bit, or makes you think about things and that when you draw; you enter a completely new world, without laws and boundaries, everything is possible…
What does a typical working day consist of?
I don’t think I have a typical working day… To make a graphic art piece; I have to be in the right mood, so sometimes I draw a whole day or week and sometimes I have days that I don’t draw at all. Sometimes I finish a drawing or painting more than a month after I started it. I still do some graphic design and I’m also working on different design projects and comissioned illustrations. I also do a lot of live performances at events – I love doing that – I like the interaction with the audience. Every day is very different, drawing at my desk or in public, on paper, canvas or on a wall; graphic art or graphic design…
Your reverse graffiti is fascinating, how did you get into doing this?
I made this mural live at an event, Go Green!, organized by de invasie. The invasie asked me to make a drawing by cleaning a mossy wall, they didn’t really know how; that was up to me. The wall is part of the arts center Het Stuk in Leuven, Belgium. It was kind of difficult to create a clear image in the moss, it’s a kind of ‘relief’ mural. It’s really cool to see the depth in the drawing and I’m really pleased with the result!
I’d never used a pressure washer before to make a drawing. It was a live performance so I did it in one day, no sketch in front of me, I made it on the spot. Most of my murals are improvisation, but I have to have a good day, otherwise I don’t start, ha, and like I said; it was the first time that I drew with water. It was a filthy job, but I loved doing it.
It’s still there, Het Stuk were really pleased with it so there are no plans to remove it. I’m really curious to see how it will evolve, the moss will slowly grow back, so I’m planning to take a picture every two weeks to watch it grow back. Right now I’m searching for mossy walls to do it again, but they’re not easy to find…
What piece of work, or professional achievement, are you most proud of?
That’s a difficult one. Actually I’m really happy that I can earn a living by drawing. I worked for five years in an advertising agency but at the end of 2011, I quit my daytime job to go full time with Strook.
I’m always looking for new challenges, I want to move my boundaries and discover new things and techniques… That’s why I’m proud of the portrait of Jack O’Neill (founder of O’Neill), because it was a real challenge. It’s a portrait but also a biography (all important facts of Jack’s life are hidden in the drawing). I spent more than 35 hours on it, completing it in one week.
The War Room, a 27 metre mural, was also a big challenge! I loved it!
If you had the opportunity to collaborate with one creative, who would that be; and why?
There’s so many great artists out there! Every day I discover cool art, and collaboration is very enriching. I have a big collection of art toys and would love to create a character for an art toy one day; so maybe a collaboration with kidrobot would be great.
I’m a big fan of Amose and Jon Burgerman, and to make a mural with those guys would be epic!
You couldn’t live without…
Professionaly; without my markers, I always have a marker and sketchbook with me!
Personally; my girlfriend! She helps me a lot! She’s my muse! She’s also the perfect partner in crime to experiment with paint, paper, markers, brushes… you name it.
When you’re not creating artworks, where could we expect to find you?
Maybe on my bike going for a spin, or when there’s swell on the Belgian coast; in the water, but that doesn’t happen so often. Even when I’m in the water or hanging out with friends I’m always looking around for inspiration and thinking what I could create next…
I have an itch to create and I guess I’m stuck with that for the rest of my life!
If we came to visit you in Brugge, where would you take us?
Brugge is a beautiful but really small city, so I would take you for a walk around it.
Any forthcoming projects or exhibitions you’d care to share with us?
For the moment I’m working on a really cool project: a new design label; Atelier Bonk. It’s a collaboration with designer Tim Baute. Atelier Bonk is the first label where graphic art and interior actually meet. My typical lines are combined with Tim’s sense of pure form and functionality.
I also hope to find enough time to experiment and make new personal work…
