Q&A: Rone
Melbourne artist Rone’s Worcester Street artwork on the side of Cathedral Junction is one of our faves.
Can you tell about how the Worcester Street piece came to be? It was part of a festival curated by George Shaw.
Who is the model? Teresa Oman.
What inspired the work? I wanted the raw brick to blend with Teresa’s beauty. To show a contrast of beauty and decay. The fern is a nod to New Zealand’s history.
READ MORE: Street art in Christchurch
How did you get into creating street art? I started after being inspired by others. I started to put works up as I would skateboard around the city.
What was the first bit of street art you created, and was it any good? I think it was something skateboard related. It’s long gone; it would have been very average.
How does your process work? Every single work is different. In early 2012 I invented a method for doing huge works that I have since shared with other artists. I call it the ‘overlay method’. It’s similar to the grid method used to scale up designs, but it’s faster and leaves less room for error. I overlay my design onto a photograph of the surface I want it on and let the surface become my reference point. If the surface doesn’t have any markings already on it, you can make marks on it before taking the photo. I use random lines, some other people use symbols, numbers or letters. I send the overlaid photo to my smartphone and check the reference points as I paint, painting over the markings as I go.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Character is measured by the way you treat those who offer you nothing.
