Aberdeen is starting to flex its street art muscle thanks to festivals like Nuart and Release the Pressure and we're starting to see work appear from both emerging Aberdeen talents including long standing graffiti writer's like Slave and new faces Abz Jawa, Fit Like and Jetpack Dinosaur. But the festivals have also attracted artists from further afield who are putting up new work and plastering the gray lanes of Aberdream! One such artist is Liverpool based Lost Hills. His distinctive characters have appeared not only in Aberdeen but literally up and down the country. After a brief encounter during Nuart Aberdeen I wanted to find out more about these characters and about the man behind them.
The first time I saw a Lost Hills piece was on the sign to the East Green in Aberdeen. 2 Mexican style wrestlers are facing off just above the street sign and I realised they were both based on Jake the dog, a popular kids cartoon character. Was this your first piece in Aberdeen and how did it come about?
Yes, the wrestlers was my first piece for Aberdeen. I like to make those high level installs just as a solution to buffing issues and collectors taking work down. The idea of Jake just came about by accident really. Me and my sons are fans of the cartoon Adventure Time, and my youngest asked me to draw a line drawing of the character Jake so he could colour it in. I photocopied a few for him and took a couple to paint myself. As an afterthought, I made a few more so I could paste them up on the streets.
Yes, the wrestlers was my first piece for Aberdeen. I like to make those high level installs just as a solution to buffing issues and collectors taking work down. The idea of Jake just came about by accident really. Me and my sons are fans of the cartoon Adventure Time, and my youngest asked me to draw a line drawing of the character Jake so he could colour it in. I photocopied a few for him and took a couple to paint myself. As an afterthought, I made a few more so I could paste them up on the streets.
A friend then messaged me after seeing them on the streets to say they look fun and that I should do more. At the time, I was still experimenting with making paste ups of my favourite personalities such as Wednesday Adams and Nostrafantu etc. Looking back, I can see I had I had a habit of reproducing the same image, but adding something different each time. This gave me that kick you get as you are creating.
A personal favourite of mines is the Westworld Jake, inspired by the original Westworld movie art. Although Jake is well known and his various guises are recognisable I think your pieces still hold a unique quality, you can tell their Lost Hills pieces. Is each one hand painted or what's your process for making the work?
Thank you so much! Westworld the original blew my mind as a kid, and it was a joy to paint that one. At that point, I was getting the hang of the method I use to paint them, so I was happy it came out as planned. At first I used stencil then spray them using a template and use posca pens to add detail.
Then BSMT Space, a gallery in London asked me to do a mini series for them. I could not believe it, I was so chuffed, however I noticed that my usual method would not produce what I wanted on a smaller scale, so I picked up a cheap set of acrylic paints and just took my time and hand painted each one. This process took way longer, however I find it so much more satisfying. I love painting by lamp light just as much as the whole street art thing. I'm just so happy to find art again, as it was just a faint childhood memory.
Then BSMT Space, a gallery in London asked me to do a mini series for them. I could not believe it, I was so chuffed, however I noticed that my usual method would not produce what I wanted on a smaller scale, so I picked up a cheap set of acrylic paints and just took my time and hand painted each one. This process took way longer, however I find it so much more satisfying. I love painting by lamp light just as much as the whole street art thing. I'm just so happy to find art again, as it was just a faint childhood memory.
What lessons have you learned from putting up work on the streets and how do you approach it?
Once I've had all those glorious nights painting my new Jakes, I just couldn't wait to get them on the streets. I treat my street missions as a something you just simply enjoy.... just like as if you had a kick ass motorbike. It's just a buzz to ride out at night alone for the aftermath with a mate. So whether I attend a street art event or a music festival or even go for a walk, I bring my paste up bag with me.
My attitude has changed a bit from when I started though. At first it was about getting up as much as possible, but now I just like to find nice spots and try to think about if it's going to upset a business owner, etc. Over time, you can tell what's OK or not. Sometimes I've got it wrong and do regret that - I'm learning all the time.
My attitude has changed a bit from when I started though. At first it was about getting up as much as possible, but now I just like to find nice spots and try to think about if it's going to upset a business owner, etc. Over time, you can tell what's OK or not. Sometimes I've got it wrong and do regret that - I'm learning all the time.
You're work first appeared during Nuart Aberdeen in 2017 and since then you've been back to the city numerous times to add new pieces. What is it you like about Aberdeen and what's the reaction been like from the locals?
After attending NuArt Aberdeen 2017, I was smitten. I met up with my friends and just got a feel for the city. I knew not to go mad, like I've done in the past, so as we explored the city and enjoyed the event, I just done my usual and pasted up here and there. The best part of that trip was lovely feedback from the people who noticed my little additions to the city and told me how much they made them smile. To me, that's so important.
Since NuArt 2017, I have met the local artist Jimzina, and thanks to her, my connection with Aberdeen deepens. Jimzina and I were lucky enough to go over to Stavanger in Norway during the Nuart last year and do our first 10 meter wall "unoficially". It took us 3 days and was such a great experience.
Since seeing that first piece many more have been added across Aberdeen and each one is unique with some featuring local slang like 'Fit Like Min' while others feature popular film characters like the Joker or Harry Potter. How do you pick your characters and is doing something based on the location of a piece important?
I am a collector at heart but have no money or space to collect stuff now like I did before. So just by accident of painting Jakes in his different guises it somehow fills that void. The characters are all something personal to me, usually from enjoying a movie they starred in like the Joker or moved me through their art or music like Warhol Jake. There is only really 2 or 3 Jakes that aren't really personal to me as they were for friends who have different interests.
You've also done a collaborative piece with BFL Abdn, how did that come about and your remarkable door next to Closet Vintage?
Well BFL is a dude and a friend. I've known him for a while now through SSOSVA - The Secret Society of Super Villian Artists, which I am a member of. Although I'm not the best with groups, I tend to shy away and just be friends with a small handful of people. I do have much love for the friends I've found in SSOSVA though.
I contacted a few people I knew in Aberdeen asking if they had a spot for me to paint, so when Closet Vintage got back to me with a door, I instantly jumped at the opportunity - I wanted to paint something bigger and then concentrate on a few detailed paste ups for the trip.
I am so glad you asked this. Before I got into street art, I would often spot Banksy pieces in Liverppol - such as the 10ft rat on the side of the White House pub. I would often slow down and take a good look, it really opened my eyes. Like most of us, I just enjoyed the little pieces of street art when I came across them, and that was it. Then my mate mentioned to me a a few times (usually after a few beers) how I could do this street art thing. "You're good at art aint ya"? .... I then thought.... "Am I ? " .... I was OK once, like all kids are when they're young.
Anyway, he kind of got me thinking, so I just started to sketch. I was bloody terrible at it! But I kept practicing. Life has changed so much for me since I've found street art. Some amazing times, some really sad times, but deep down, this is the right path but that doesn't make it any easier!
Since their arrival in Aberdeen the Lost Hills pieces have become firm favourites amongst many locals. His work is proof that a good idea can take you far and he continues to push his work into exciting new areas. Whether the Jakes are funny, angry or sad, there's a thoughtfulness to each piece and its placement that really makes them stand out. As Aberdeen embraces festivals like Nuart and Release The Pressure its important to appreciate artists like Lost Hills, who put the kids to bed and spend their evening's sitting painting with a table lamp, all in preparation for the next opportunity to hit the streets.
If you want to see more from Lost Hills be sure to give his instagram a follow and if you're down south you can check out his new show which opens today at Zap Graffiti in Liverpool. Hopefully it won't be too long before he graces the streets of Aberdeen again with his unique style of street art!
