While her friends had crushes on teen pop stars, she desperately wanted to be a comic artist for Donald Duck. Later, she changed her mind and imagined herself being a plastic surgeon. Now she is twenty and, luckily, she has turned out to be a terrific street artist. We first met Netta while she was painting a wall in Old Street and we had a chat with her.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

I make lots of grumpy noices, I try to fix my hair –which, at that ungodly hour, looks like a war field– and drink a terrible amount of coffee.

Explain us in a few words who are you and where do you come from.

I am Finnish, but to be honest I have been traveling throughout my life from places to places so I often say I a from “the blue planet”. I moved to London a year ago and now study graphic design at London College of Communication (LCC).

What do you like about being a street artist?

I love being in the street, it’s addictive! I’ve always had the temptation to “mark the existence” with little scribbles in the environment. Whether it was a surreal long stick man in age of four, the statement of it was already then fundamental! Also, working in the street turns the work into a interactive piece and breaks the “distance” between the art work and the viewer. Often people don’t have the chance to see the evolution of the work which is, in my opinion, the most interesting part. It also makes it more approachable for the public and is an opportunity for me to meet lots of crazy and interesting characters!

If you were not an artist, what would you like to be?

I would always choose to do something creative. But I guess I could consider being some kind of a Christopher McCandless, like in the movie Into The Wild.

Where do you get the inspiration from? Any artists you admire?

The environment is a visual puzzle that I play with. I visualize my ideas in motion. Because they are in constant evolution I try to capture as much of it to my most precious thing: the sketchbook. It’s nice to flick trough my old sketches because they are always full of little surprises. Although, sometimes it freaks me out to see sketches that I made when I was six or seven.

Artists that I admire… I could name hundreds!! But there is something that recently inspired me a lot such as works by Animalbandido, Blu, and David Firth‘s stop frame animation. They are just beautiful.

Do you have any topics that are repeated, in general, in your artwork? What’s your message?

I like to keep things a little surreal. It awakens curiosity. My work seems simple to read but the more you try to intepretate it, the less sure people become on how to make sense of it. I use subjects that are quite familiar such as instability, childhood, motherly bits and pieces, anatomy, chop and twist organisms with humor. It can make you smile but also question its “healthiness”. My style is well affected by the fact that I am a little bit a weird mix of cultures.

I don’t often use many colors in one piece because they tend to be full of texture. My work is always in captured as “unnaturally still”.

My message always leaves space for personal interpretation; many find it very dark. I have always drawn or painted when I wanted to cope with something that made me very upset. It is a way of freeing my mind from things that bothered me without hiding them. I’d like people to enjoy it visually but also to think it back. Also, London seems such an hectic environment where it’s easy to forget about yourself or others.

What’s the Cargo’s wall you painted about?

In simple terms it illustrates exploitation, the nature of a (wo)man and its relationship to its environment. But I am interested what individual interpretations can it bring.

If you could choose any wall of London to paint, which one would you choose and what would you paint in it?

If I am honest, I always wanted to paint the Gherkin to look like an easter egg. I am not quite sure why, but from the first time I saw it, I decided it was an egg, not a Gherkin.

Also, I’d quite like to paint a massive warehouse wall which I see from Shoreditch High Street into a super version of “nature of a (wo)man” piece. I want to make it look like a man could be part of the graffiti. Cargo’s wall would look like its baby product. I think it could be pretty striking. I am already excited about it but what I need is a good space and more and more designs!

What’s in your opinion the best city to paint graffiti in nowadays?

I suppose Berlin, London and Barcelona are the top ones. Also I’ve recently heard about Brazilian street art culture. I am quite shocked of the decision of who-ever to remove all graffiti from London streets! It is one of the best attractions in the city. It does not qualify as vandalism if art is out in the streets instead of being locked up in gallery spaces!

Explain us how would it be an ideal day for you in London.

I love small simple things. I’d probably get a good group of friends and set a little fire in the river bank, chilling and playing guitar. Or break dance. Or plan a massive art guerilla attack to London streets! That would be mental! I love brainstorming with friends, it’s exciting and pushes my adrenalin really high. I am already excited just with the thought of it!

As we’re always talking about street art and Barcelona has been for years one of the Meccas of graffiti art, we decided to have a chat with Anthon Maxus Christophersen, one of the driving forces in Barcelona’s street art.

Mila Doré: When did the Barcelona street art scene start and how has its evolution been? It’s said that it’s not what it used to be…

Not sure when it started. I guess Gaudí was the first really known street artist in Barcelona. Transforming boring buildings with playful adventures organic decorations. Transforming the public space into an art gallery. Bringing more joy to the people of the city.

MD: What do you think street art has contributed to the city?

For me, street art is like buying/eating at a local family owned deli, run by people who work there out of passion, and take great pleasure in serving you. A place you leave having received something original made out of passion and respect for the surroundings, compared to a McDonalds franchise… This is what makes me feel at home in Barcelona, when I walk on the small streets, away from the buildings way, often covered by big commercial banners of a Photoshop reality, all put there to make me want to use my money or think in a certain way. That’s when the street art starts to show up. From tags with the simple messages like “La belleza es tu cabeza” (“Beauty is inside your head”) to “Más Amore” (“More Love”) or beautiful abstract or figural art works. All these things turn the streets into a walkthrough gallery but, most important, brings up the inner happiness, knowing that I’m not alone and that there is love, talent and passion out there. It ignites my inner lust for life. I’m loving it.

MD: What is different from Barcelona’s scene, compared to others?

More colours and more love, less spray, more brushes… But due to cheap international flights and internet networks, you tend to see more and more artist appearing in more than one European city. So what really make Barcelona stand out is probably the high standard of the artwork.

MD: Tell me 5 spots in Barcelona where we could go and normally see good street art?

Raval, Barrio Gótico, El Borne, The 3 Chimneys in Poble Sec… and Poble nou; but Barcelona in general.

MD: If you had a sit down with Barcelona’s mayor, what would you tell him?

“Please help all the trafficked African prostitutes that every night after the dark float Rambla Catalunya –It’s sad, obvious and completely wrong–, instead of using resources on secret police looking after street artists. Do something usefully with the taxpayer’s money…”

MD: What do you think about street art going into galleries?

If an artist is able to put the same passion onto a canvas as on the street, and give the public the chance to buy it and put it in their homes for friends and family to enjoy, then I’m all for it. No doubt. That’s the great thing about art: you can’t fake it, it won’t work.

MD: How do you think the digital camera has affected the street art movement, if at all?

The best example is the animated videoclip “Muto” by Blu.

Here the street art becomes alive. As well as the tons of Flickr-type sites where artist and fans share pictures… no doubt that it inspires. So it has affected it in a great way.

MD: Who are your Top 10 Barcelona street artists?

Love and admire them all… each one for their own unique artistic style and personality. So can’t make a Top 10, but instead I’ll mention one, because she is the reason why my eyes got opened to street art and the vast beauty of it, which I’m forever grateful for: Sackristan. Respect, respect, respect.

MD: What is Vaqueros de Barcelona (“Barcelona Cowboys”)?

Vaqueros de Barcelona is the original a title of a short movie that I planned shooting in Barcelona. The short synopsis for it is: “A young man, lost in an empty world, without passion or true values, heads of to Barcelona in search of the true cowboys, in hope that they can guide him and lead the way to a meaningful life.”

Despise a lot of pondering, nothing really happened before Marc Mascort i Boix (former founder of ROJO magazine) came on board. Within a week he managed to arrange a painting party, right in the centre of Barcelona. This event transformed Vaqueros de Barcelona into what it is today: an organisation that curates art shows and arrange events to promote the true artistic cowboys of Barcelona and abroad.

Today our goals are to keep making the painting parties, as well as finding the right format for the movie (planning to launch it in late 2010), so that it shows the beauty and the greatness of these street artists.

MD: Which is the most interesting scene you’ve shoot for the moment in the documentary?

That would be a spontaneous clip: Filming 2 artist painting in day time day… A bus driver stops his bus full of passengers. He opens his window and, in a very friendly and local way, shouts: “¡Hey, tío, qué imponente!” (“Hey, pal, that’s great!”). This is so beautiful because it totally reflects the common men’s view on street art in Barcelona: as something that is valued and appreciated.

MD: Finish this sentence: “The streets of our cities…

… are the place where we meet, say goodbye and fall in love. So let them reflect all of the beauty, longings, mysteries and great to come. That’s inside of us.”

If you are in Barcelona and fancy a street art trip, check this map by the guys of Montana Shop & Gallery. With a little bit of luck you’ll be able to see the work of names such as Diva, Boris Hoppek, Sixeart, Miss Van, Btoy, Delphine Delas, Kenor, Olivia, Pez, Rallito X, Ripo, Rotor, Royal, UIU or Zosen.