Trésors d'instagram 1: IDEN-TICA

Claudio Corrales et Juan Betancourt, deux compères costaricain et vénézuélien, sont passionnés de graphisme populaire, de typographie et d’imagerie vernaculaire. Depuis 2013, sous le nom d’IDEN-TICA, ils partagent la variété extraordinaire et les détails de cette tradition très présente au Costa Rica, principalement au travers de leur ville, la capitale San José. Conscients du caractère éphémère de ces peintures murales, exposées aux intempéries comme aux changements urbains et aux mouvements de destruction et de recontruction, ils se sont donnés comme mission de documenter, d’enregistrer, de partager et de revaloriser cette iconographie qui participe à l’identité de la ville et est partie prenante de la culture locale. Le projet se décline ainsi sous de multiples facettes : publication de livres et d’affiches, conférences et workshops, travaux de recherche, mais surtout leur instagram (@identicacr), où l’on peut découvrir quotidiennement la richesse et l’authenticité de ce graphisme vernaculaire. Ils ont eu la bonté d’accorder à Tropicalizer une petite interview.

Can you present yourself? What are your activities when you’re not taking picture of hand-made signs?

Iden-tica = Claudio Corrales and Juan Betancourt. We are both graphic designers. In the meantime we work in different areas : Claudio is a professor in the University of Costa Rica, freelance designer and visual artist (@claudiocorrales), and me, I work in a Online Poker Company (online bets), and I’m a freelance designer and a photo addict (@juanchobet). Here a recent interview about us.

From where come your passion for this hand-made art?

Everything begins in 2003 when I decided to move from Venezuela to Costa Rica and, as soon as I arriveed, all the new landscapes and cultures was the ignition for this passion. My first love in this topic was the POLLO FRITO. I start with pictures of chicken signs. They are everywhere in Costa Rica. And then come Iden-tica.

And what is so addictive in this type of popular art?

It’s sooo fresh, sooo naif, sooo authentic, no rules, pure art, pure identity.

Do you think this kind of art will disappear with new impression technology?

We thought that in the beginning, but now we see a total rebirth of these hand made paintings, impression banners with the time looks awful and never have identity. No point of comparison.

You're travelling a lot to find all those iconographic treasures, can you explain us how do you collect all those images?

It’s a way of life for us. Normally on weekends we make tours across the country searching new signs or even if we are not on tour we always make stops in the route to take the pictures. We are addicted jajaj.

Do you use this flamboyant popular creativity in your own work? Is it an influence?

Totally yes, this influence make a big change in our design style.

Do you have contact with the artists, the painters?  What can you tell us about their life?

Sometimes it’s possible to connect with the painters other times it’s too hard to found them. They are like ghosts. But if we get the chance, we make the connection and also a interview. Normally these artists have a rough life, addicted to alcohol or other habits, but there are exceptions of course. A BIG example is Gerardo Picado (Mr. Masking). He created a fantastic typographic style with masking and his signature is all over in the center of San José, Costa Rica.

Their idea of the signs they paint?

The idea begins with the client requirement, then the painters make theyre own interpretation. We like to believe that the client is always happy with the result, at least we never see an erased wall in the process.