Pure Evil Finds His Angle with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip4

What’s the best camera angle for a great photo? Scratch that, which light pocketable camera offers users enough flexibility to consider every possible angle for that incredible shot: Armoury London’s director William Williamson, alongside the team at RAPP, set out in search of the best angle for the sleek clamshell that is Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip4 in their most recent ad.

“We wanted to capture situations in which the handset is used, emphasizing the dynamic world of possibilities opened up by this ground-breaking technology,” Williamson says. 

The team discussed several different city sports, including BMX and Parkour, before landing on skating for the ad’s theme, and subsequently, it became clear Pure Evil as the obvious choice. Back in the UK after showcasing his street artwork across the globe, Charlie Uzzell Edwards, a.k.a. Pure Evil, chose Hackney’s “Dirty London” appeal and existing skate culture as the ideal place for his world-famous gallery. Having been an avid skater since childhood, he finds freedom and creativity through urban sports. 

“So, the next step in our process,” says Williamson, “Was to talk with Charlie about his approach, his studio space and how he wants to create. The intention was to align our visual style and direction to form a deeper synergy.”

The team set their story in an urban environment with character, texture and scale – a skate park. 

The ad ‘skates’ alongside Pure Evil, documenting him and the process of creating his art. “I like the idea of celebrating urban sports, creating a piece of artwork that comes from so many diverse sources, and bringing it into one cohesive image,” Pure Evil says. He stresses the importance of the skate park, “that is my creative hub when I’m not in the artist’s studio.” 

The match between the renowned street artist and the unconventional smartphone is seamless.  “I’m creating street art from photos shot from the most unique angles on Galaxy Z Flip 4,” Pure Evil says, “and I’m putting all of that together, creating something completely new. It’s a great tool. It’s like another part of my artistic palette.” 

Pure Evil’s technique is free flowing: “I start with the bottom section. I collage, add more pieces and get cracking. Street art is my life. I wake up every morning excited that I can go and do new projects and create art and communicate good vibes.” 

Good vibes were in full action while filming in an urban skate environment without closing it down. “We dodged unimpressed skaters left, right and centre!” Williamson smiles. “I loved the idea of peppering interesting angles and shots within the piece. We used mixed media, from stills, archived materials, and Go Pros, to mixing footage from actual Samsung Flip 4s. When using the handset, we focused on natural aesthetics, ensuring the shots did not look staged or overwrought.” 

The advert shows that there is beauty in street life. “I think if you can create poetry in the streets,” Pure Evil says, “you can enhance people’s experience of the urban environment. It’s creating imagery with strong symbolism that other people will enjoy as well.”