Aerosolgrafia: Otherworldly Urban Spray Art

Often depicting other-wordly scenes of pyramids silhouetted against planets in other galaxies, moonlit oceans in distant solar systems, comets and futuristic cities, the medium can trace its humble roots back to early 1980s Mexico City following the social and political repression of the 1960s and 1970s.  It has since exploded, like the supernovas in the paintings, into a global genre.

Take a stroll along Las Ramblas in Barcelona, to cite just one example, and watch street artists from across Europe (and beyond) create these sci-fi infused masterpieces, ironically from cheap, everyday materials and clever techniques that look far more simple than they really are!

Aerosolgrafia was devised by Ruben “Sadot” Fernandez in the La Zona Rosa district of Mexico City in 1982.  Fernandez first painted in public as an experiment, but due to the success and attention he received as a result, he soon moved his operation to the street.  His performances were accompanied by backing music which has become an important addition to the genre.  (The artist in the image above is not Sadot.)

Listening to classical music, rock and Aztec beats, Sadot thrilled and shocked audiences with his dramatic artwork, strong political views and metaphysical musings about the human condition.  Sadot died in 1988, unaware that his experimental creation would soon become a worldwide phenomena.

Take a wander through the more artistic areas of many major cities and you’ll soon discoverspray paint art (also known as Aerosolgrafia or Sadotgrafia).  Lurking beneath this relatively generic sounding title, and differing considerably to graffiti which appears on the sides of buildings, Aerosolgrafia takes the viewer on a surreal and mind-bending journey.