Consecrated in numerous exhibitions – including the very remarkable latest one that took place this summer at the Château de la Napoule in Cannes, Steph Cop has presented at the David Bloch Gallery of Marrakech fifteen new wood sculptures, works on metal plates based on principles of oxidation, the volume made in “porcelaine de Limoges” and an exclusive screen printing.
Born in the late 60s in Paris, Steph.Cop’s personal artistic journey would begin with that quintessential art for anyone who grew up in the capital in the 80s: GRAFFITI.
In 1986, he became an active member of the movement « Control Of Paris », from which he took his name. The COP crew always created debate, excelling in urban vandalism as well as in large murals.
After the launch of the famous French street wear brand Homecore, Steph.Cop decided in 2000 to step forward and created Graphik Dzign, his polymorphous design label, and developed co-branding partnerships.
2002 marks an evolution in his works. He created 5 characters: the Imaginary Friends. One of the characters – A.R.O (ANALYSIS REFLEX OBSESSIONAL a.k.a the ARROW) becomes the leading character, an incarnation of his own feelings.
A.R.O: He’s the definition, the graphic direction, the arrow, the angle, everything happens in his head. He is the UNIVERSE, polymorphic and multiaxial. The other characters are part of him, and represent the elements of the basic image-message of the label. ARO is 1+4+1, 6 faces, like a Dice, “D” is in his Brain.
Recently ARO becomes «WOODEN ARO», the result of nature and machine meeting. He is curved by an electric saw from a log of 150-year-old wood. This oak, hard as a rock, meets the machine, for a pure and raw representation of the ARO.
“Soul Making”, we have the soul that we build ourselves.
