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 Interview by Jeffrey Pena. January 2009.
Curbs and Stoops: Did you have any formal art education? Does any of this show up in your stencilling work?Blek le Rat: I studied fine art and architecture at the "Ecole des Beaux arts de Paris". I learned the technique of etching , lithography and painting for five years and then architecture for six years. So I was student until I was thirty years old. I am the result of what I have seen, studied, lived,in my life so I think yes my work reflects all things that I have learned .
Curbs and Stoops: How did you grow up? Was art a part of your life as a child?Blek le Rat: I was born in Paris France in November 1951 from a well educated family but with no money at home. My father was born in Paris in 1914 during the first world war. His father was an architect and a well known designer during the 30's. He joined the French army when he was 20 years old and then in 1939 he was involved in the second world war, being prisoner of war for five years in Germany, he came back to France to rebuild the country which was destroyed by the war.The generation of my father and also of millions of other men during that time was a generation of sacrified people. He did not have time to study and he did not have a real job. My father spent his life as a ghost who cross the life. He died in 1973 at age of 59. He was nice with me but did not have the time and the energy to teach me a lot of things for the life. I had to learn on my own and lost a lot of time learning how the society was working.My mother was born in Thailand in 1917 from a Thai mother and French Father who was a French diplomat. Her parents sent my mother to have a French education at the age of 9 years old. And so my mother was seperated from her family living in Thailand . She never could get acclimated to France. She always [lived] as a Thai woman and most of her friends [were] Thai people. I was not really good at school and I would say that the worst moment of my life was from 6 years old to 18 years [while I was in school]. I don't remember [being happy] during my youth - I was very alone because I did not have any brothers, sisters or friends. The only relationship with other people that I had in this time was at school, but everybody knows that the relationship with other kids at school is usually very superficial and based on a relation of ego more than to share things with other. Now, to talk about art. My father's sister who did not have child was really involved with the surrealistic group in France in the 30's and was friend with Max Ernst, Salvador Dali, and all the band of surrealist [artists]. She was an actress and gave me my first introduction to world of art, bringing me to museums, theaters, cinemas, galleries of art in Paris when I was about 12, 13 years old untill 17, 18.
Curbs and Stoops: How would you describe yourself and the work that you do?Blek le Rat: I am a normal person with a normal family life [and] I am not extravagant. I am now 57 years old so I am getting old with more wisdom than when I was a young man and I do not worry about things as I used to when I was young. I rarely drink alcohol and when I drink a little I [get] drunk really fast, I don't take drugs. When I am [have a passiona for] something I have no limit with my passion which is very dangerous sometimes in life.
Curbs and Stoops: Where did the name Blek le Rat come from?Blek le Rat: It comes from an Italian comic book translated into French for young kids that we used to share with others kids in the courtyard at school. The real name of the comic was Blek le roc which means Blek the rock. He was a trapor fighting the British in America . I changed the name of" le roc" in Le rat because I was painting rats on the walls of Paris at that time in the 80's.
Curbs and Stoops: Where does the inspiration for your work come from? Are you a political artist? Focused on aesthetics? Is the work personal? etc...Blek le Rat: I take my inspiration like many others artists do , from things I like or things I don't like from my life experiences, my environment and by things which touch me and I try to express all those things the clearest way I can. Sometimes I am political sometimes I am not it depends the moment. Usually I like [aesthetically pleasing] art and I am rather allergic to the art which is not aesthetic but it is a question of taste.
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Curbs and Stoops: Where do you draw your inspiration from? Who are some artists that have motivatedor affected your work?