"Reinventing Memphis pride is Important to Us."
#Birdcap #ArtistSpotlight #UAC
By: Hope Hudson & Grace John
When I was asked to interview Michael Roy (aka Birdcap), I
was star-struck. He is one of the most prolific public artists in Memphis, and
his crisply, whimsical figures stand out among all the other awe-inspiring
murals in the city. My nerves were immediately frayed when I met him; his
personality matches his warm, goofy murals. I got to talk with him at Phuong Long Vietnamese Diner, where his newest mural is underway. (I also brought my
friend and coworker Grace John, because she is possibly his number one fan.)
Hope: How’d you get the job to paint this mural?
Michael: I’ve always enjoyed eating here a lot. Over time,
Scott [an employee at Phuong Long] figured out that I paint and started talking
about having me do a mural here. I think
I said something like, “Ah, yeah, I’d do it for some more food!” We joked about it for about six months,
half-serious, and then Scott went over to the Brooks Museum and saw the
installation we [Roy, Brandon Marshall, and Lance Turner] did. I got a phone call from him that same day
saying the mural was a go. So, I’m being paid in spring rolls and bubble teas…
I’m homeless, but I drink really nice milkshakes.
Grace: How did y’all [Roy and Marshall] meet?
M: Well, Brandon already told the story on Creative Memphis. It’s a bummer because I was
wanting to make up some, like, real superb story about how we met…
H: Well, you can make it up now.
M: No, haha, my mom would cross-reference, and I’d be in
some trouble… We met on Facebook. I was posting a lot of graffiti pics from
Korea, and I guess he saw it through mutual friends. When I got back stateside
he sent me a message asking if I wanted to go painting. He picked me up one
day, and his truck was just absolutely covered with mud on the inside from
playing with his dog that day, but I didn’t ask about it . Later he said, “That’s when I knew we’d be
friends; you never mentioned the mud.” We’ve been working together on most
projects since.
G: How long had you been making art before you realized you
wanted to get into street art?
M: I went to an arts high school, and that’s when I really
started doing art seriously. I went to
MCA [Memphis College of Art]… but it wasn’t until I went to Korea about five
years ago, and I was living in a small, Asian-style apartment. When you have
that small of a space, you realize exactly how large each of your paintings
are. So I went to sketchbooks and I made really bad art. I was post-college,
doing mostly academic narratives, referencing art history. But the thing about
that art is that it isn’t fun or interesting or entertaining if you’re not
around other people playing the same game. So I had to workshop my art and make
it a thing that I could enjoy without that academic community. That eventually
led to street art.
H: What are some of your favorite pieces you’ve made in
Memphis?
M: I’m really proud of the newest piece I did at Eclectic
Eye. The owner gave me full flex, so I really got to map out something, and it
wasn’t wrapped around a previous idea. It’s fun to do the things that people want,
but just selfishly I guess, that one was the most fun. I also did a rooftop
piece on Broad Avenue I had a good time making.
H: What advice do you have for Memphis about public art?
M: The thing with doing public art in Memphis is that so
many people who are willing to invest in it want the artwork to quote
Memphis. It’s pretty redundant to be in
Memphis and look up at a mural that’s basically prompting Memphis tourism.
That’s cool and it has its place, but the only time artists are in national
radar is when they are given more free range. No matter how good a piece is, if
it only relates to one city’s interests it has a limited power. I think the
best way to make Memphis relevant is to make it compelling to the international
community. The Eclectic Eye piece got a lot of national attention compared to
my other pieces, but by far the most well-known piece I have in Memphis to
Memphis is the Marc Gasol piece on Airways.
We basically just took that image from a photographer; it was for a
commercial. But it’s the most famous here. It’s understandable I think, but
maybe not super fulfilling. I think reinventing Memphis pride is important to
us.
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| "Clip Art Sunstrokin" by Lance Turner X Birdcap | Chelsea Ave |
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| "Bait" by Birdcap | Eclectic Eye |
Michael Roy’s newest work includes the piece at Eclectic Eye
on Cooper, the work he’s doing at Phuong Long on Cleveland, and a collaborative piece for the Brooks Museum’s “Art of Video Games” exhibit. UAC collaborations
inclue the “I Love Memphis” mural on Broad Ave.
