STEN & LEX - Pater

Pater -

Ink Drawing wheatpaste on perforated metal

150cm x 94cm x 1cm

Sten (Rome, 1982) and Lex (Taranto, 1982) are two Italian urban artists who are working since 2001 with stencils. They are considered as pioneers of this technique in Italy, and they are increasingly renowned for their urban interventions. 

In their artistic process, they apply the stencils and stripes on the building’s surface, and then they remove them, letting the image emerge and at the same time exposing some parts of the building. The subjects of their interventions are mainly random and anonymous people, or relatives whose pictures have been found in old photo albums. Using mainly grey scales and black and white, their interventions are influenced by Op Art and photography. The final outcome looks like an old photograph, not perfectly clean, but the optical effect really suggests a found picture which has been affected by the passing of time. 
Sometimes the final effect in their works is not given directly by the artists but by atmospheric agents or by people who manage to interact with their work tearing out the stripes. Intervening in the public space the artists manage indeed to create debates with the public. The large scale works on facades acquire a meaning only if seen from a distance, while getting closer to the building the lines distort the image, on the contrary they look completely abstract.

We found some galvanised steel sheets to use for this project..

The screens go up on empty houses to stop intruders, the screens are manufactured from heavy duty galvaniised steel, which is coated to increase weather resistance and prevent rusting – ideal against the British weather. With an innovative perforated design, the screens are ideal for securing properties which need to be regularly visited for checks or viewings, as they allow natural light through.