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Christian Rothenhagen, also known as deerBLN, a Berlin local patriot with a penchant for the conceptual.

He is a trained cabinetmaker, a studied social pedagogue, and a professional graphic designer and illustrator. His work can be found in San Francisco, he designed the Carhartt store in Mitte, and now he has designed a skateboard series for Artsprojekt. Christian Rothenhagen's art is as multifaceted as his biography. Where others declare every crappy little animal as street art, the designer beautifies our city with his elaborately designed tiles under the name "deerBLN". proud met the artist fresh after his five-week gallery tour through California.

What are your ambitions for sticking tiles in the cityscape?

My ambition is very clear: to beautify my city and to show it: in drawings, on T-shirts, boards, installations, wherever. I am happy to be able to live in the most beautiful city in the world.

And the motifs?

First, the city, meaning Berlin: architecture, firewalls. My standards are high, of course. Often minimalist, to the point, conceptual, recognizable, signature style.

Have you ever been ripped off?

Yes, there are two or three things. For example, not long ago, one or more women's jackets at H&M came with a minimally altered design of mine as a pattern in the inner lining. Just like that, as a rip-off. Well, I could have freaked out, and I did at first. But in that case, I try to see it more as a compliment.

You are a true Berliner. Do you even like the city nowadays?

I've lived here since 1976. I was three and a half then. For me, the city is still the most beautiful, roughest, most complex, most interesting, most incorruptible, most broken – and most honest. I am happy to be able to live here and hope that all the influx still leaves a bit of my city. Seriously, everyone is welcome here, but let the city be the city. If you want Munich, then stay in Munich.

Street art is shitty now. What's it like to be a street artist?

I don't see myself as a street artist. That's such a broken term that, in my opinion, degrades; the art and the artists. Please don't misunderstand me, but in a city where everyone who has ever stuck a sticker on a wall calls themselves a street artist, the term quickly becomes a farce. Art can be so many things, whether on the street, in galleries, or the street itself. There are many wonderful developments, collaborations. Art in interaction with the city, in context and far beyond.

How was San Francisco? Everything alright with your crew?

The trip was great, I met and reconnected with many friends, worked with artists, also in direct collaboration. That's also the idea behind the current exhibition in SF and the artist group The Oyster Pirates: collaboration. Incredible things came out of it. Awesome.

Can you compare that to anything?

No, you can hardly compare it, although... Of course, the people over there are no different than here, but art is seen more from a career perspective there. So, where you exhibit. Okay, that's not unimportant here either, strict pricing policy, etc. I see it all a bit more relaxed. The city is special anyway, just like Berlin. Perhaps comparable in that respect. Two finished beauties. In SF, everything is more concentrated and clearer, more concrete and more direct.

Fresh plans for the fresh year?

A lot! There are about four or five group exhibitions planned. In the States alone with the Oyster Pirates and with the deerBLN-project. That's a series of group exhibitions where I invite artists to create something on the theme of "deer", all in the same format. Currently, there are about 65 people from 14 countries.

streets ahead

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