When I decided to start putting art in the streets, it was after an influence from a galleried show in San Diego in late 2010. The exhibition was on graffiti and its’ role within the city. At the show, I was impressed by the works of Swoon and the Brazilian twin brothers Os Gêmeos. Combining Swoon’s use of wheatpaste as a quick medium to display art on the streets and Os Gêmeos heavy use of characters- my style was in its’ infancy.

I was so inspired by the show that I had to place things in the street: I began to draw larger and larger images to cut out and paste places. The activity was illegal and because of that- I never signed my real name -Geoff Gouveia. (Except one time in a field I began to spray paint my real name Gouveia really large and then I freaked out, thinking am I stupid?! I definitely was.)

After putting the images in the streets for a month or two, I began to notice that I was not leaving a name for people to recognize the work. At the time, the thing I was most keen on possessing was my own unique style…so I started signing my pieces by the name “Stile”. The name never stuck, it seemed like a quick-fix at the time and looking back now it is a hilariously amateur name. Progressing a few months, while still writing Stile underneath the pieces, I began to plan a trip with my friend for Argentina in the summer of 2011. With the constant drawing and creating, my own style started to emerge. Replacing the need for a style was the need and itch to travel. Travelling has always been a huge inspiration for me (I can attribute my origin of artmaking to a trip in the summer of 2010 to Africa—but that is for another post), but the thing about travelling is that it creates a special sized hole in your heart that can never be filled.

The hole is the size of a plane ticket — a bus ride — a gallon of gasoline — and it is always empty. Naturally then, my name had to change. I started researching words on the internet, typing in synonyms for travel. Specifically, I was looking for a 4-5 letter word that would satisfy the essence of travel. I stumbled upon the word WEND.

While not a direct correlation, I like the idea that the act of wending is a rambling of sorts, that the path is not clear. This, to me, is the pursuit of art: a non-linear path, pursued at the ebb and flow of life. The name stuck and now I sign all of my work by it.

A side benefit to signing Wend instead of my name is the mindset it creates within me. I make work and sign a name to it- essentially my brand, but not my name. This is important because it keeps my work at an arms length. When you start to match your interior worth in proportion with the ‘success’ of your work- it starts a slippery slope into depression. After all, is not the maker that much more important than the work?