Meet Andre, street artist. He made his first public appearance on the local Cincinnati news with pal Darius Jones, dawning paint splattered suits and paper bag faces, they changed the way people thought about Rob Dibble and Chris Sabo (former Cincinnati Reds) as well as the local weather man and his chair. You may have seen his characters; unique, twisted, psychedelic, dragonesque creatures that stand out amongst the letters of traditional graffiti artists. Characters that make their way to all the traditional graffiti spots and some not so traditional such as found street signs. Progressing as street art progresses, but always staying different, Andre keeps the viewer on their toes, now delving into racy juvenile flesh art that makes us comfortable with our naked bodies. Something so important in this neo-conservative, post Janet’s boob, time in America.

Meet Andre, video artist and creator of Blond Chili productions

(www.blondchili.com). You may have seen him battling street performers in Hollywood as Shop Guy, or battling the Doughnut Prince in “Ebony.” These are just some of the quirky characters portrayed in his short films that have received recognition on PBS’s View Finder and from different film associations. He has done many different genres, creating a music video for an Anticon artist in which a 1980’s drum lesson takes a turn for the psychedelic and a documentary about graffiti artists and their different perspectives of the graffiti community called Nobodys. However each film portrays Andre’s unique style of filmmaking.

What do these two Andres have in common? They are both part of the creative schizophrenia within Andre Hyland. A modern renaissance man, he does what he does, and thoroughly enjoys every aspect of it. Over/Under sat down to talk to Andre about jobs, street art, and doing what you love:

Andre Hyland
creatively
split

text: glenn robinson
photo: andre hyland & sharon alagna