Respect Authority

What do you do when a half pipe suddenly transforms into a soccer field? Don’t call Optimus Prime, that mofucker don’t know how to skate! If you happen to be in Madrid, you stand a better chance of looking to street artist SpY for your answers… you know, considering he was the one who did it, and is usually the culprit when it comes to inventive reworkings of ordinary urban objects around the Spanish capital.

Although his art today consists primarily of thoughtful and fun reappropriations of typical urban elements, SpY has been active since the mid eighties and was first established as a graffiti artist. Doubtlessly informed by his changed perceptions of the environment around him and keen observation skills acquired through years of graffiti, SpY is now a constructive force in Madrid, beautifying average streets more than any vibrant planter or fresh coat of paint ever could.

He sometimes refers to his work as “interventions,” which is a perfect term considering his art breathes new life into bleak city backdrops. When you’re sitting in gum on a weathered park bench, it’s easy to feel like urban living has hit rock bottom — fortunately SpY finds inspiration in the monotony that public streets are condemned to, and sidewalk by sidewalk, his city is on the road to recovery.

Of course stealth and the cover of darkness are his dear friends, as his work is unfortunately considered illegal despite the fact that his installations are far from offensive and serve only to brighten up the otherwise pervasive grays adorning the urban landscape and give pause to the passerby, who might chuckle and momentarily forget about the dog shit he’s stepping in.

SpY says he wants his pieces “to be a break in the automat-like inertia of the urban dweller. Bits of thought that hide in a corner for whoever wants to let himself be surprised.” If you’re in the mood for some surprises, check out his website, which is a fucking labyrinth of cool. Don’t visit if you have any work to do… just stare out the window waiting for something different to come along.