Meet RONE, a street artist who’s making his mark on Melbourne’s vibrant art scene and showcasing his talent globally with exhibitions extending from San Francisco to Tokyo. On this episode of Xero Gravity, we chat with RONE about his incredible journey from graphic designer to street artist, not getting put into a box and staying true to his artistic style – even when that means saying no to paid work.
So, who is RONE? Street artist? Graffiti artist? Contemporary artist? Actually, he’s less about labels and more about the art. “No one wants to be put into a box, no one ever wants to be generalized as one thing,” he tells host Elizabeth Ü.
RONE’s delicate way of contrasting female beauty against a decaying canvas is a recurring theme in his artwork. It’s a style he hopes he’s remembered for. And for RONE, painting women is all about evoking an emotional response in people, rather than a physical one. “I try and capture these tiny almost indescribable emotions with some of my paintings,” he shares.
“To have a real serious emotional response to something you’ve created is quite amazing as an artist. You realize that power you can have sometimes… it’s a real honor to be able to say you’ve done that to someone.”
Courtesy of RONE
But creating pieces at such a grand scale, sometimes 13 stories high, isn’t always simple – especially when the work needs to be done quickly, quietly, and in the dark. And although painting with permission has its perks, RONE admits the pieces he paints without approval are a little more personal to him.
“There’s something desirable about the things you can’t have. It’s exciting, scary… If you’re not ruffling some feathers, nobody is going to notice you,” he tells Elizabeth.
Tune into Xero Gravity #85 for more artistic wisdom from RONE. He offers up crucial advice for artists looking to get involved with an agent or gallery and shares how a few calculated risks allowed him to focus on his art full-time.
Resources
- Visit r-o-n-e.com to view RONE’s work and subscribe to his newsletter
If you enjoyed this episode, join us again next week when we chat with Loren Brill. After kicking cancer to the curb, she started her company Sweet Loren’s to make life sweeter for herself, and her customers. Be sure to check out all of our previous episodes for more small business tips, resources and insights.
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