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Art

DIY DOCS: MARCUS MOTION

In DIY Docs, we’re taking a look at how illustrators, artists and designers put their stamp on our Dr. Martens products. Painting, tattooing, rhinestones or de-constructing – we’re giving them the creative freedom to express themselves off of the canvas.

Meet our next DIY Docs artist New York based Marcus Motion, who has customised our 1460 boots. Find out more about his art and what he stands for, below:

Introduce yourself:
My name is Marcus Motion; the artist formerly known as Marc Roman. I was born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York. I paint and write on ephemeral material(s) and surfaces mostly. I’m very much infatuated with the “here today, gone tomorrow” concept when it comes to my “work”. I use the word ‘work’ carefully because it’s more of a therapy than a job or hobby actually.

Profile
Marcus Motion painting on the 1460 boots.

When and how did you start painting/drawing?
I think the further I ran from religion, the more I gravitated towards creativity. This happened at a very young age; maybe three or four. It’s ironic because the more creative I’m feeling the more religious I feel. Art IS the ultimate religion, I suppose.

A lot of your artwork can be found on the street using a variety of mediums, what do you look for in a “Canvas”?
This is an interesting question. A canvas is usually visualized as a blank cloth, an empty space, but a person can be a canvas too. That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m throwing paint on people; at least not anymore. It means you’re involving them in something. If I’m painting in a room and someone is nearby watching, I may hand them a brush and tell them to add some paint to whatever it is I’m working on. The real canvas is the room we’re in. What’s taking place. A canvas is just something you use to document a moment of true value. Does that make any sense? Maybe I’m just a pretentious douche who writes on garbage for attention. I dunno.

How do people react to your street art?
Some people love it, some are annoyed, both responses are perfectly okay. Art is supposed to trigger something within you; positive or negative. If it’s positive, then, ‘Hey, you’re not alone.’ If the response is negative, then, ‘Hey, do something about it!”

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An example of Marcus Motion’s work.

 

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An example of Marcus Motion’s work

Do you have a project/piece you’re most proud of? 
A lot of satire can be found within my work; but a very large and serious chunk of my being goes into it as well. I’m very proud to leave a piece of myself out on the streets, whether it be through text or images. Especially text. It’s very much like leaving a diary or journal out in the open for everyone to see.  It’s all extremely personal but at the same time… it’s very much for “you”. I think James De La Vega (the artist from Spanish Harlem, not Zorro) said something along the lines of “I never needed the galleries to validate my work”. I love that. My work is usually only on on the streets for a few hours. Here today, gone tomorrow. Ever evolving. Yea.. I’m proud of that.

Talk us through your customised Dr. Martens, was it a challenge working on a pair of boots?
I don’t think it was challenging working on Docs per se. The challenging aspect of it was trying to find the right blend of my work, Doc’s work and the right theme to fuse those them together. I wanted these boots to look like something that could come off of a factory line, yet have that limited edition feel. I have too much respect for the brand to just slop paint on and write all over them. There’s a method to the madness. I like antiques. I enjoy hieroglyphics. I wanted them to look like something Indiana Jones would chase after.

Do you listen to music whilst you work? Name three tracks you can’t get enough of:
I listen to so many things and it always changes; but-three tracks that will always be on my playlist are:
1. Pink Maggit by Deftones. One of the most amazing first kisses I’ve ever had was to this song.
2. Bachelorette by Bjork. I always picture my mom breaking up with her boyfriend when I hear this. It’s a little Norman Bates of me; but I don’t care.
3. Ready or Not by The Fugees. I dunno what it is about this song, but it makes me feel invincible.

Marcus back
Marcus’s customised 1460 boots.

 

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Marcus’s customised 1460 boots.

 

Marcus front
Marcus’s customised 1460 boots.

If you could have any super-power for a day, what would it be?
Teleportation, without a doubt! I love to travel. You would think it would be flight, but that would involve time and probably core-strength or long periods of arm extensions. How exhausting! With the snap of my fingers I could be eating Tim-Tams in Australia before someone with the power of flight ever even made it off the ground. Teleportation, for sure.

If you could collaborate with anyone dead or alive, who would it be? And why
Tracey Emin or James De La Vega. We all use a lot of text and satire in our work(s). I think the chemistry and potential to create something memorable is strong there.

Tell us your favourite thing about the city you live in:
Katz Deli. The end.

Tell us about your first pair of Dr. Martens:
My first  pair were a pair of Aztec 1460 boots. I kind of picked them impulsively and they ended up breaking in super fast. I think I have about eight or nine pairs of Docs now. I’m currently alternating between my black Torrianos and my black Church Boots.

What do you stand for?
Beauty. There are some things in this life that people deem irrelevant or even ugly. I try to find the beauty within those things and bring it to the surface. Beauty, man. For sure.

Check out Marcus Motion on his Instagram.