A couple of weeks ago, renowned Münich-based contemporary artist Rafael Gerlach, also know in the street art world as SatOne, crossed the Atlantic in order to participate of a couple of new projects, one in Vancouver, Canada and one at Erie, Pennsylvania. curated by Iryna Kanishcheva and funded by Erie Arts & Culture and Erie-Western PA Port Authority for which he painted a stunning
I will refer to the mural painted in Vancouver later on and instead focus on “FLOTSAM”, the mural Rafael Gerlach painted at the observation deck of Dobbin’s Landing in Erie, Pennsylvania, mainly because of the nature of the work and the concept.
The concept
Known for his conceptual and often experimental approach to painting, it is not a surprise to discover that curiosity is a driving force in his life and work, and the reason he feels drawn to engage with people and environments that offer unique stories. It is this curiosity that opens up for the possibility to discovery situations and phenomena that others may overlook in their daily routine.
This is precisely the reason why he finds the definition of “flotsam” so intriguing – people or items that have been rejected or regarded as worthless. In traditional maritime culture, this referred to the wreckage of a ship and what debris may eventually wash ashore. But, as people, he thinks all of us at one point in our lives experience a moment when we feel cast aside and not valued.
FLOTSAM intends to give shape to the idea of this objects and memories carried by the spuming waves that hit the surrounding shoreline. Within this image the viewer may discover abstract objects that were carried to the shoreline by the momentum of the spuming waves.
Completed during the course of 6 days with the artist working between 10 to 14 hours a day and a total of 30 gallons of paint, with 22 different colours, the art piece gives shape to his SatOne’s personal vision.
The triangular element points across jetted ripples in the water to the wreckage from which it came. And in that, we find the story of a treasure waiting on the sand to be reclaimed by those who are curious. The remaining question is: how will this item be re-imagined and what new purposes may it serve for those who find it?
The new mural is characteristic of the style that Rafael Gerlach has been developing during the last years. His creations, non-figurative in the essence, represent imaginary worlds and abstract forms that open up for several interpretations, capturing moments of distorted realities and concepts. The meaning is not given or obvious, inviting the viewer to explore the painted surface and draw their own conclusions.
Here are a few images of this amazing piece by curator and photographer Iryna Kanishcheva.
About the artist
Rafael Gerlach aka SatOne, was born in Venezuela in 
1977 from German parents. At the age of two he and his family moved back to Munich where he currently lives and works. After starting out in graffiti in the 90s, then training as a graphic designer a few years later, he gradually developed a twofold field of exploration combining abstraction and colour, and revealing an introspective reflection that connects the work of art and the spectator. Self-proclaimed independent artist, SatOne prefers to not be confined to any movement, and regards his studio as an experimental laboratory where he gives shape to a rich, free aesthetic which is open to personal analysis.
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
