Facelift for La Otra Carboneria

It's not often I complain, but I had a bit of a moan to myself when I went past La Otra Carboneria a couple of months ago and saw that someone had started to cover up the amazing graffiti on the facade. At the time, I wasn't sure if it had been the administration, vandals, or whatever, although little by little the picture became clearer...

Here's the one I liked and have blogged about before. 

Pretty cool right? Everyone would crane their neck on the bus going past, or in the car and it became part of the local geography accepted by all and even the council tried to break it up (check out the bottom corner around the furniture shop, where the facade has been daubed in brown to cover up the tentacles a bit.

So, I've been waiting for a day where I've a) been walking past again and b) the weather was good for me to take another quick snap since it's been finished (a while). I think you'll agree it looks pretty impressive and a lot more colourful, too. There's also something written on the street in Catalan about fighting against prisoners or something, but I couldn't quite make that out and don't know if they're related either.

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Interview Barcelona Urban Sketcher Lapin.

I'm tremendously excited about this post. It's been 3 years since I asked Lapin for an interview, and him abviosuly being a very busy man agreed, but we never got around to actually doing it. so I was really pleased when we managed to arrange this again, a big thank you to you Lapin, and please check out his new website, http://www.lesillustrationsdelapin.com/ and you can follow him on twitter here. 

Five years ago Lapin moved to the capital city of Catalunya, Barcelona. 

It was love at first sight. He loved everything about Barcelona.

He followed every trace of the great artists, Gaudi, Muntaner, Antoni Tapies…

He loved the dusty old parts of it and the new shiny glamorous side. He loved the "cerveza-beer" and he loved the vermout, he loved the Guiris and he loved Castellers and calçots..

He loved the new building of the museu blau and million yeared dinasours inside, he loved the darkside of Edifici Colon and the cheer on the Barceloneta beach, he loved the old ones playing parchis and the young rebel voices in Plaza Catalunya, he loved the old hairdresser’s timeworn chair and he loved looking for old account books in Encants as old as that chair, he loved the the sound of the rally cars passing by, he loved the graffitis and he loved that old emblem on the Plaça del Rei, he loved the tension in the Barça games and the peaceful empty streets on the Sunday mornings. 

He loved walking through the city to rediscover, to draw, in another word to live it like the way he knows.

1. How long have been in Barcelona, and why did you move here?

I lived in Barcelona for 5 years and a half. I came for a job, I was sent by the design agency I was working for in Paris to create a filial in Barcelona.

2. It looks like you always carry a sketch pad around with you. What else will you not leave home without?

For sure my sketchbook is an inseparable part of me, as an inkpen, a tiny watercolour box, and some brushes, pencils…(see more here: http://les-calepins-de-lapin.blogspot.com.es/2010/06/my-secret-material-gear.html)

3. How long does it takes you to draw the sketches? (I realise that probably depends)

Actually, you’re right, it depends. From few minutes in the metro, to an hour to sketch a modernist building or a vintage car… in any case, it’s quick. If not that annoys me, and I lost the spontaneity of my line.

4. How do you then get them onto the website/blog with such crisp accuracy?

The scanner is a very important thing in my process, and I had to buy a professional one. Than I’m used to calibrate the tones and the contrasts.

5. It looks like you've sketched in some great cities, and my first reaction when I came across your site was the style of the Beastie Boys "to the 5 boroughs" cover on the sleeve. You've been to New York, was it tempting to do a huge skyline (bigger than the one you did)?

I wish I have done this cover ;) 
Of course I have this temptation to sketch most of the sky scrappers there, I’m totally fascinated by the big apple.
I will return there this summer… so let’s see when I’ll be back!

6. Is there any city you'd love to visit to sketch that you haven't been yet?

there are many cities I would love to sketch in fact, Hong Kong, Moscow, Chicago, Buenos Aires, (…) are just a random list of it.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that every city will have some interest to be sketched.

7. Which has been your most surprising find/a sketch you are most proud of?

more than a sketch, what I’m most proud of is the sketchbook I dedicate to my daughter Louise. I sketched her every day during the first month, and still continue to sketch her while she’s growing.

8. You seem to have covered a lot of Barcelona judging by your google map. Anywhere you haven't managed to sketch yet that is pending?

I published this year a first volume titled “te quiero bcn”, a compilation of 100 pages of some of my favourite spots in Barcelona, and I plan to publish more volumes in the next year. I want to sketch the real barcelona, and there is still a lot to do.

This sketchbook is about Barcelona and every detail that made Barcelona so special. This is Volume I edition of the Barcelona serie and this project may be possible by giving back all the love that Barcelona had given to us.

9. Is there anything in particular a scene must have for you to want to sketch it?

dinosaurs and vintage cars are a must have in every of my sketchbooks, but I also love to sketch portraits.

10. Another urban sketcher you admire?

I have several names in mind: Veronica Lawlor from NY, Marina Grechanik from Tel-Aviv, or Nina Johansson from Stockholm…


Again, thanks a million to Lapin for the great interview, and please leave your comments below, and go and buy his book!! 


Coming to Barcelona this summer? Check out BCN Rentals for some great deals on apartments. 

Funky Old Town Art Gallery

I was walking through the old town today (as usual), and stumbled upon this cool art gallery in Carrer Doctor Dou, number 4, which I think is a bit of a piss-take on the modern art world. It asks the question "Can you make a piece without it being 'Art'?"
· ¿Se pueden hacer obras que no sean de arte?

The result is a pretty cool...erm...art work? by 9 local artists which is titled "Art Converters. El Basar del xino 4º edicó". The idea was to acquire materials purely from the Chinese shops/warehouses around the city and then create the plastic sculpture which runs all the way around the gallery space.

View from inside, looking out.

It opened in December, and I only found out after returning home that today was supposed to be "open doors" to actually dismantle the piece. Maybe I could have taken home a couple of souvenirs?! There were 3 guys in there chatting and one photographer who I assume were documenting the last few hours maybe? I congratulated them on the piece, and my little boy, Jack, told them that he thought it was a Christmas tree (he's 3) and they loved that!

I thought it was really cool, and such a funny thing to come across without even meaning to. You can see here below the traditional caganers and even a "pissingner"?!

Back wall centrepiece.




I'll keep my eyes out for what might crop up here shortly, and post again if it's anything of interest! Comments welcome as always guys!

For more information on Barcelona, see this Barcelona Guide about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And for Apartments for rent in Barcelona, look no further than BCN Rentals.