1|. Who is Mmav?

 ♣. MMav - We are a collective of two young artists and illustrators who live and work in France.  We met at the faculty of arts in Paris early 2007 and ever since we’ve been working together to develop various creative projetcs through illustration and design..

2|.Why are you called “MMav”?

 ♣. MMav - Well, M. M. a. v. means, Mon Moulin A Vent in French or my Windmill..

We were looking for a name that will stand out for a long time, So, We were mainly thinking of something that can define our perception of things and life. We wanted something that is easy to remember too of course and at the same time who can be used as a reference for all of our graphic work so that if we need to work on a logo, we could do it clean, sketch it and play with it no matter the medium..

3|.What kind of art do you do?

 ♣. MMav - We are two huge fans of drawing. We’ve been doing for the most part illustration work, followed by a few solo exhibition and group exhibition..

As a constant graphic research We don’t want to put any boundary on our creation that’s why we are always looking forward to take the next step and to be able to represent our work on a different approach no matter the medium..That’s one of the main reason We first tried the street collage and video taping them in the first place..it was a great experience and We learned a lot, We still do.

 The fact is in Illustration you can do almost everything..to provide great work is our first preocuppation and then if the medium is approriate and that feel right to us, we will try our best to make it happen. So We worked, edited and published our first Fanzine “The Last Escape” available in the Palais de Tokyo, Le Centre Georges Pompidou and other places in Paris..You just have to find the right thing to communicate and obviously put your best work in it..

4|.Who are you influenced by?

 ♣. Rey - It’s very hard to say by who I’m influenced exactly. Because I always want and look forward to improve myself. So if one day I won’t be able to draw because I’m not at the studio, I’ll just do something else to stay focused on. What I want to achieve as an artist and just by reading some well-written articles about architecture and design..and then I’ll pick what I’m interested in it, describing the perfect shape of a house, this could inspire me to create.

But, If we talk about the illustration field solely, I have some huge references, ( Moebius, The Ukiyo-e Movement, Harry Clarke..) and I think if you don’t have a few you can’t progress or at least you won’t feel challenged. You have to look at everything..that’s why when I stumble on new things that’s a fucking great feeling.

 ♣. Mutt - So many things influence me, and not only in the field of illustration. There are the direct and indirect influences, the visible and the invisible. Even it’s in a minor way: movie, architecture, sculptures, advertising… can be an inspiration source, everything has a strong visual impact is inspiring.

I think search for new references is fundamental, it’s all part of the job. You have to find new tutors to develop your practice, to go forward, to approach new representation’s techniques, new forms and new subject of interest.

I learned how to draw by studying the works of others artists. James Jean , Travis Charest, Muscha, Moebius, Schongauer brought me so much ; they defined the basis of my current work.

5|.How important is the city of Paris for you? (Is Paris an inspiration? What are your favorite museums/galleries/stores/neighborhoods etc. in Paris? Other city you like - Berlin … ? …)

 ♣. Rey - Well most of our family and friends live there so it’s always good to get back in the city when you have gone elsewhere for a short or long trip..and it’s not a cliche to say that Paris is a very inspiring city in a lot of different aspects mainly in the architecture area..

Needless to say the Louvres, I really enjoy their Renaissance collection ..Also the Centre Georges Pompidou is where We still look for information when we work on projects..furthermore, since I worked at the Lazy Dog end of 2010 a lot of my art books came from their store. ..They have a great collection of and the peeps who worked there were very friendly. We don’t hang out a lot but I have to say that Bastille is always a good place to hang out and riding… My brother showed me this nice restaurant called Les Cafes Parisiens..I’m addicted to it ! Yeah We went to New York a bunch of times so it’s probably one of our most liked place for the moment, some of the best skate shop We have ever seen.

 ♣. Mutt - Paris itself doesn’t matter to me; I mean the Parisian atmosphere doesn’t inspire me, only its museums and library really count in my work. If Paris is not a direct source of inspiration, we are fortunate to have many galleries and interesting place like : Musée de la chasse et de la Nature, Musée d’Orsay, Muséum d’histoire naturelle, Cinémathèque and some great galleries.