Phlegm

Monuments Large and Small

- Sasha Bogojev

Many artists enjoy tantalizing the media and public by playing cat-and-mouse in a practice that feels a bit indulgent, often frustrating. A few do have their simple, straightforward reasons, like engaging in illegal activities. But among such autonomos, anonymous practitioners is someone who’s among the friendliest, more approachable folks you could meet. Phlegm’s choice to maintain obscurity comes from his extraordinary humility and shy natural reserve. But having a major soft spot for outsiders, nonconformists, and the lone wolves prowling about, we were determined to get him on record to talk about his practice, his work, and his resolute DIY philosophy.

I met the artist back in 2013 when he came to paint in my homeland of Croatia, and we quickly bonded over skateboarding and similar interests (seemingly) unrelated to the arts. Later on, we added parenthood and family life to the mix and have kept in touch through the years. And yet still, once we finally arranged a facetime chat to do this interview, Phlegm… just... couldn’t do it. The thought of expounding about process, about himself, is so foreign that even the suggestion of spotlight throws him off balance and renders him almost speechless. Eventually, to everyone’s absolute pleasure, we agreed to converse through the more relaxed form of email, resulting in this special conversation, one of the very few Phlegm has done over the years.

Sasha Bogojev: Your practice has gone in so many directions and you’ve done so much, how does that feel, looking back at it all?