Meet L’Atlas: The Artist Behind Perrier’s Street Art 

Images by @laurajunekirsch

You’ve seen Perrier’s new street art look, now meet the artist behind it. We followed L’Atlas around on his brief New York City trip—and he didn’t waste any time getting to work. He created three custom pieces in a 24 hour period, infamously working only with tape and paint. Click through to find out how many times he’s been arrested (like 30), his biggest inspirations, and why he chose to work with Perrier.

Welcome to New York.

The first time I came was in 1994. I was 16 and had just started graffiti.

What is the Paris/NY connection?

For me the link was JonOne. When I was a teenager in Paris he was one of the most active writers in Paris.

Writers? That’s what you call it?

Yes. There is a documentary about street art called Writers.

We say taggers.

Now we say graffiti artist. But before that it was writers, vandals.

Haha, yeah, criminals!

But JonOne really inspired me in this movement. I met him when I was 13. When I saw this guy I was like, okay, I want to be like him.

Why?

He was free, funny, happy… poor. But mainly free. Now he is the king. He reigned 35 years.

So JonOne was from NY and moved to Paris—why Paris?

Because of people like Bando. Bando was one of the first writers in France. He came to NY meet people like Jon and show him what was happening in Paris because Paris had the Louvre and the beginning of graffiti in Paris, but we had no internet then, no nothing, so the only way to experience New York graffiti was to go to New York, and see it.

It was really had to know the style, the techniques. So Bando went to NY and came back with Jon to Paris. And it changed the story of Paris. JonOne was painting on walls but also he was already painting on canvas and he said okay that’s going to stay—we are the next movement. He said the only way was to paint on canvas. And to consider ourselves already like artists.

So I said, I’m going to do this too.

What did your parents think?

My parents were working in the cinema and I have a family of artists. So it was okay. I mean okay, the first time my mother came to get me from the police because I was busted, I was 13. So that was not okay. But in time they came to understand that it was my way. And so I continued.

How many times have you been arrested?

30 times I think.

Wow.

Yeah because I was a really active writer. I was only doing the street and no trains. Only street and only tags. But I tagged all over Europe. Everyday, everyday. From 8am to 8pm I was like, okay, I am going to empty my bag of paint.

What is the motivation behind—I need to write or leave a mark?

To exist.

When you live in NY or Paris, it is really hard. There are so many people, there are so many things, you have to make your presence known. And when you are doing your tag it is the best moment of your life. You feel the adrenaline and it’s like, okay, I’m alive.

And then it’s a drug. So the body needs that adrenaline. So you have to go back and go back to feel that again.

Because I was arrested in 2001 and I said okay now it’s you, you need to stop. I had a kind of depression. So I tried new techniques to continue to make things in the street. Like posters. After 2000, I never got caught by the police. And all what you see from there is with authorization. I was like okay, I’m not gonna do that, I’m not gonna be like a vandal. I am going to play the game. Before when the policeman spoke to me, I was running. Like I was doing something forbidden.

My first gallery show was at Galerie du Jour, Agnes b.’s in Paris. She was the first one to make collections of tags. I met her in 1996. I tagged her truck by chance. She told me to come there and then she invited me to the first exhibition about street art. My first exhibition for me and my first exhibition for street art in Europe. And she said, this is the next movement.

Sum up your work in one sentence. Talking to someone who doesn’t know anything about you.

Universal.

What is your ideal canvas? When you are walking down the street do you see things and have the urge?

Of course. I used to make imprints in the street. Silver and black so it is like a negative. Silver paint in the circle so when the sun comes on it you can see nebulas.

You asked me my inspiration before—the form of the city influences me.

What do you want people to feel or think when they see your work, when they encounter it? Forget it being in a gallery or that kind of space. But if somebody stumbles upon your work on the street, what is the reaction that you would want?

I don’t know, but I speak a lot with people as I am doing work in the streets. I don’t have at this moment a discourse or something to say about it. But I speak often with children and I steal a sentence from them and that’s how I construct my discourse. I was feeling good in their view.

They are the most honest. Why Perrier?

Perrier is my life it is my story. When I was little it was always on the television.

You grew up with it.

Yeah, of course. I drank Perrier all my life. And look at 150 years of collaboration, with all those artists, how can you refuse Perrier? It is a chance to speak with you and to express my universal vision.

It’s an access point, for sure.  

I mean they gave me the chance to express me. I mean not only on the can but to express my vision, to express my art everywhere. I would be crazy to say no. I don’t think an artist ever refused to work with them.