Interview: Badypnose

Seeing writers that can take traditional writing styles like script, calligraphy and cursive and merge them with a street-based graffiti handstyle is a truly inspirational thing to witness. France’s Badypnose is one of the few writers that can pull off a blend of these styles with ease and the result is a totally unique handstyle that leaves your eyes lost in a tag. After laying your eyes on his tags, it is of no surprise that he and Kanser are the founders of the mighty BYE crew – home to only a handful of dedicated handstyle-driven writers from around the world such as Feeceez, Baser & Sicoer.

Badypnose was kind enough to answer some questions about his origins in graffiti, the Paris scene & his inspirations. The questions and answers have been translated by @whatyouwrite, so find the French version at the bottom of the page.

 

What do you write, and where are you based?

I write Badypnose/Badypnoz (with no H nor ‘ZE’ at the end ) since the early 90’s, but before I had names like Saeri, Sema4, SYNOPSISME and YPNOSE3. I’m originally from Paris – especially the 13th district. I always been looking for a long name looking like a bar , and I naturally started with Synopsisme.

"I'm working hard on my B, Y & O, like they are bigger and taller than the others and the B is the capital"
“I’m working hard on my B, Y & O, like they are bigger and taller than the others and the B is the capital”
The name “Badypnose” is unique – what does it mean and how did you come up with it?

At that time, I did a list of letters that I like, and my name YPNOSE3 had a couple of them. Then I started to have beef with some other guys writing HYPNOZ or IPNOZ, so I really needed a way to make it different so I had to find something that sounds like it or an extension to add. That’s how I created BADYPNOSE / BADYPNOZ / BADYPNOSEONER

"We got each other motivated which lead to the creation of the BYE
“We got each other motivated which lead to the creation of the BYE
At what point did you begin your focus on handstyles?

Back in ’93, I feel like I’m a Handstyler cause . I tried different cause the classic Parisian style from the era is more linear with all letters from the same size or starting small to finish taller.

The ZRC crew to me is the number one handstyler crew, from 1989 to 1996 – they are top creativity! I can tell that they inspired me a lot but always keeping my style proper and original. I’m taking care 100% of the shape of my name therefore balance and elegance are the motto, it’s all about the aesthetic!

"I'm taking care 100% of the shape of my name"
“I’m taking care 100% of the shape of my name”
You’re also in the handstyle-driven BYE crew, which includes Kanser who has also been interviewed for Handstyler. How did the connection between you and Kanser come about?

I met him via Fotolog and we had common interest in style. We exchanged style via email, then I got to meet him in Lyon, France. We got each other motivated which lead to the creation of the BYE.

"The line are breathing and the dynamic is more powerful and free"
“The lines are breathing and the dynamic is more powerful and free”
What have been your inspirations on your handstyle, both inside and outside of graffiti?

My main inspiration came from PSYCHOSE KTA that, in my book, have the best old school style at that time. Also the ZRC plus my creativity and me cos I don’t like biting. I’m not sure but I probably recreate ‘unconsciously’ so part of what I like but if I realised it, I’m trying to get rid of it – I don’t want to look like anyone else’s style. Regarding my classic tag, I just did it the way I learnt it back in the days.

"It's important not getting confused with 'nice tag' and 'handstyle'"
“It’s important not getting confused with ‘nice tag’ and ‘handstyle'”
In your city, who else is pushing handstyles to a new level?

It’s important not getting confused with ‘nice tag’ and ‘handstyle’. Handstyle is all about extension and making it more funk, one line etc. Chisel tipped tags are not really handstyle to me .
In Paris, GOREY, SAEYO, AZTEK, TOMEK, HORPHEE, O’CLOCK, CIZER, WXYZ are doing handstyle. TORE (TORORIZM), NASTY, TRONE, FREZE & KEBOY have nice tags.

Your handstyle is quite unique – most writers stick to fat mops or chisel-tipped markers, while you bring out crazy detail with small lines. Can you elaborate on your process?

It’s a flow I got just being out bombing. I started liking my tags more neat while the can almost empty, with thinner lines. We didn’t have really fatcaps – the only one was from a oven cleaner spray can called ‘DecapFour’. But when it came to markers I always was a fan of the chisel tipped one. Signed my drawing with lead pencil or roller pen made me appreciated more and more my tags, I decided to stick to the roller pen for my style experimentation. That’s probably the best tool ever. The lines are breathing and the dynamic is more powerful and free. While learning style, I would recommend using a roller pen.

"It's a flow I got just being out bombing"
“It’s a flow I got just being out bombing”
Have any artists that you’ve seen posted on the Handstyler social media feeds caught your eye?

My crew mate Feeceez, Base, Sicoer, Kanser and SOEM, KEEP6, FRAKONE, RENOS, FELIPE PANTONE and some more. By the way, I give you props for the selection you have on your webpage! ๐Ÿ˜‰

"It's the easiest way to fill the space and get a clean result"
“It’s the easiest way to fill the space and get a clean result”
If you could only do tags with one tool for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Chisel tip marker cos it’s the easiest way to fill the space and get a clean result.

"When it came to markers I always was a fan of the chisel tipped one"
“When it came to markers I always was a fan of the chisel tipped one”
Where can readers go to find more of your work and follow your progress?
What’s a song you’d recommend everyone to listen to whilst checking out the rest of your work?

Any shout outs?

La main Gauche, et les k2C, Aztek, Diksa, Resh, RG78, Base, Feeceez, Sico, Canser, Derek, Faty (rip), Phonk (rip), Yone, Romcรฉ, oneblood, wxyz, keboy, Skew, whatyouwite, Grog, Handstyler

 

Follow more of Badypnose on his Instagram, Tumblr or Flickr

[instagram-feed id=”1370492379″ cols=3 num=6 showfollow=false]

French Version

Quel est ton nom et d’ou viens tu?

je tague Badypnose / badypnoz (jamais de “H” dans mon nom ni de “ZE” ร  la fin) depuis fin 1990 mais j’ai commencรฉ avec d’autres nom comme SAERI SEMA4 SYNOPSISME et YPNOSE3
je suis originaire de France et plus precisement Paris 13eme
je cherchais un long tag pour qu’il ressemble ร  une barre , j’ai donc commencรฉ avec Synopsisme

le nom Badypnose est original,que signifie-t-il et comment l’as tu trouvรฉ

J’avais fait la liste de mes lettres preferรฉes et mon tag YPNOSE3 en contenait beaucoup , de plus j’ai eu des histoires de toy avec un autre HYPNOZ du coup il me fallait absolument me distinguer de tout autres HYPNOZ ,IPNOZ ….en cherchant un mot qui y ressemble ou une extession deffinitive .et donc suite ร  ma selection de lettres prรฉfรฉrรฉes j’ai pu crรฉer BADYPNOSE /BADYPNOZ BADYPNOSEONER

A quel moment as-tu commencรฉ ร  te focaliser sur les handstyles

En 1993 je concidรจre faire du Handstyle, car je commence ร  travailler diffรฉrement mes lettres BYO , elles sont plus grandes que les autres et le B est une majuscule, ร  l’epoque les tags sont plus linรฉaires dans leur forme toutes les lettres on la meme taille ou le classic de commencer petit pour finir grand.
Le ZRC est pour moi le 1er crew de handstyle, leur crรฉativitรฉ est au top de 89 ร  96 , il m’a pas mal motivรฉ ร  trouver des phases nouvelles tout en restant fidรจle ร  mon style original.
Aussi , tout autant que la lettre je me soucis de l’aspect , la forme globale du tag , cela doit รชtre toujours equilibrรฉ et รฉlรฉgant , agrรฉable pour celui qui regarde.

Tu es aussi membre du crew BYE, avec Kanser que nous avons dรฉja interviewรฉ. Comment l’as tu rencontrรฉ?

Nous avions tout deux des comptes fotolog , et respectivement nous avons apprรฉciรฉ nos styles. on a discutรฉ par mail ,on s’est envoyรฉ des dรฉdicaces , puis nous nous sommes rencontrรฉ sur Lyon en France.
chacun a motivรฉ l’autre dans un domaine puis on a decidรฉ de crรฉer le BYE.

Quelles sont tes inspirations dans le graffiti mais aussi en dehors ?

Ma principale inspiration de depart est PSYCHOSE KTA , pour moi le meilleur style old school de l’รฉpoque ensuite les ZRC dans leur dรฉmarche et ma crรฉativitรฉ car je n’aime pas copier , sans doute qu’incosciement je reproduit des briffes de ce qui m’a plu mais si je le remarque je ferais en sorte de m’en รฉloigner pour ne pas “ressembler”.Mais pourle tag de base je reste fidรจle et reproduit ร  la faรงon de cette รฉpoque qui m’a bercรฉ.

A Paris , qui pour toi ร  un bon niveau en style

Beaucoup confondent “bon tag ” et “handstyle”. Faire du handstyle c’est crรฉer des complcations , des enchainements nouveaux ร  tes lettres. Pour moi le joli tag au bisot n’est pas totalement du handstyle.
ร  Paris GOREY SAEYO AZTEK TOMEK HORPHEE O’CLOCK CIZER WXYZ… font du handstyle , TORE (TORORIZM) NASTY TRONE FREZE KEBOY…font de bons tags.

Ton Style est assez unique , la plus part des writers se focalisent sur les grosses pointes du type barane ou les marqueurs bisots quand toi tu es plus dans les finesses et les dรฉtails , tu peux nous dire comment tu procรฉdes ?

C’est venu au fil du temps , lors de mes soirรฉes vandales , je trouvai mes tags plus jolis , plus net en fin de bombe , le trait etait plus fin. ร  mon รฉpoque le fat cap n’existait pas encore seul “Decap four ” offrait cela. Par contre en marqueur je preferai les pointes biseautรฉes . Signer mes dessins avec des crayons papier ou des stylos bic m’on fait apprecier mes tags , etpuis petit ร  petit toutes mes recherches se sont faites au stylo ร  bille i est pour moi l’arme suprรจme , รงa permet de laisser respirer le trait et accentu la dynamie du geste ainsi que la precision des formes. je conseille vivement de l’utiliser pour progresser dans le style .

Y-a-t-il un ou plusieurs artistes que l’on retrouve sur le site qui te semblent interessant ?

les mecs de mon crew feeceez, Base, Sicoer, Kanser et SOEM , KEEP6 ,FRAKONE ,RENOS, FELIPE PANTONE et d’autres …. merci en tout cas d’avoir reunisces artistes sur tes pages monsieur Handstylers ๐Ÿ˜‰

Si il te restait un tag a faire jussqu’a la fin de ta vie , quel serait-il ?

un marqueur bisot car il est plus facile d’y combler l’espace et d’obtenir quelque chose de propre

Ou peut-on decouvrir ton travail plus en profondeur ?

Si tu avais un son a recommandรฉ pour ecouter en regardant ton travail ?

Ultramagnetic MC’s – Yo Black

des Casseds ?

La main Gauche, et les k2C, Aztek, Diksa, Resh, RG78, Base, Feeceez, Sico, Canser, Derek, Faty (rip), Phonk (rip), Yone, Romcรฉ, oneblood, wxyz, keboy, Skew, whatyouwite, Grog, Handstyler

 

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