The artist spoke to Sputnik Brazil about his project and the main features of the artistic device he uses.
According to Levitan, the Photo Invasion project came about while he was engaged in a wide range of activities: he edited a documentary, wrote stories for comic books and photographed endlessly.
"The Photo Invasion project combines two of my passions: illustration and photography. I began to put drawings on my own pictures. But then I realized that I can use other people's photos for this, and this makes more sense. It's a lot of fun to find hidden meanings in photos of other people," the artist explained.
Levitan said that he often roams different Instagram accounts in search of his "victims." The main requirement is that the photos are able to inspire the artist.
"I don't choose the photos — they choose me. It seems to me, when I suddenly add a picture to the photo, it's much better than when a person tries to anticipate what I would do with a particular photograph," he believes.
Various photos require different approaches: some need a more poetic touch, while others must be approached with humor.
Today, more than 73 thousand photos can be found on Instagram with the hashtag #IWantToBeInvaded.
Levitan always uses the same well-recognized set of colors in his works. He noted that this range is not accidental: it is very different from the typical colors of the surrounding reality and blends well with the photo anyway.
The artist told Sputnik that he works not only online; he has tried his hand at graffiti a few times, but experimentally.
In 2005, the artist moved from Brazil to Great Britain. Among the reasons for the move was an opportunity to studyfor a master's degree in art and design at University of the Arts London. However, he stayed there only for two years, until he met a Spanish woman, fell in love with her and decided to move to Madrid. Levitan thinks that Spain is a country with a lot of sunshine, where he can develop his illustration work in peace and tranquility.
