Well my plans to see Landed in Palmerston North were foiled today by a sick kidlet. We might still go tomorrow but I can’t really be bothered with State HW 1 holiday traffic on the way back and that show finished today anyway.
I was thinking about last week being Youth week and Hoodie day on Friday. Yes I did wear a hoodie but it was not the official murky grey one that made me look like a walrus. I don’t think that a whole lot of old people wearing the hoodies really helps anything except the ‘youth’ probably get a good laugh, however I still stand by the message “its what’s under the hood that counts”. Actually in one of out little local free newspapers they had a pretty good couple of photos on the front page. One of a ’scary looking’ person with hood obscuring their face and the other of the same person with the hood flipped off, revealing our Mayor. Of course any message was totally destroyed by that idiot Dale Evans wearing his KKK hood. To protest against discrimination? NO - protesting the water quality - doh!
And so to art - well I’ve just watched episode 3 of New Artlandwhen Judy Millar and a bunch of Henderson High School students create some art. Which I have to say, considering the students initial reaction, was pretty good. Millar’s exasperation “doesn’t anyone care about art anymore - these are Art students!!” was telling. But for me (and I guess it was edited that way) the highlight was the very talented kid Dion, who was from Henderson High but not an art student “Why not? - They wouldn’t let me in”. He is the ‘youth’ I was talking about that wasn’t evident in the RAY exhibition ”maybe taggers and/or bombers don’t take high school art“. Anyway he contributed a great deal and you could see he got something out of it. Also a nice scene with his parents proudly looking on the finished work. I couldn’t find a pic of the painting (#3) which is now in the Henderson Rec Centre (I think)
I am slowly gathering research on ’street art’, graffiti and tagging as legitimate art and/or expression and the role of ‘legals’ (eg do they help or hinder with graffiti “problems”) for another proposal I am working on so drop us a line via contact me page or in the comments if you know of anything.
Anyhow I found this Wellington Cityscape the other day - done on a piece of plywood nailed to a pallet and am kicking myself for not buying
by Sole
Tags: New Artland, Street art
June 1, 2008 at 10:04 am
Yup I would have bought it, it’s evocative.
I support street art by being open to it and no I don’t mind tagging at all, really, doesn’t bother me at all. A PR friend asked me once how to help with an anti-tagging campaign, I blew it, I suggested leaving free paints by tagged walls for a better colour selection, heresy.
June 1, 2008 at 10:18 am
The thing that bothers me about ‘buying’ this kind of art and hanging it on the wall is hard to put into words but its akin to caging wild animals
June 1, 2008 at 10:27 am
That is a cool thing to say and very true.
June 1, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Apparently there is a split in the street art world (if such a thing exists) between those taking the work off the street and into galleries and selling and in so being able to make a crust and do more art AND those who think ‘legitimising’ the art detroys its street value (and cred no doubt) and that these artists are selling out
June 1, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I know someone who draws heads on stretched canvas with coloured pencils who worries about just that. To the point where it hunts him every time he approaches a canvas.
Still, a street art gallery doesn’t quite work because it would have it’s own legitimacy issues, no?
June 1, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Haha - Paint/draw them lock them in a closet I say.
A ‘true’ Street Art Gallery woudl be an ever changing wall but there are various “off street” shows on all the time see http://blog.sideroom.com/ (Nightbreed at Qubic looks good)
June 2, 2008 at 4:34 am
Edgy, I need some more of that, I have it but I’ve been otherwise occupied, thanks for that link. I never knew about off street shows.
June 2, 2008 at 6:24 am
I don’t know if “off street” is the correct term - maybe “off the wall” :-)
A new gallery and Studio opened in Wellington last week - Manky Chops http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=375160344
August 9, 2008 at 5:13 am
Hey, I just saw your comment on my tagging vs art post - my thoughts have been reinforced by a trip to London (of which piccies will be up on my flickr site later next week) and the chance stumbling upon leake street by waterloo station http://www.flickr.com/photos/hwayoungjung/sets/72157605392234897/
I took some shots of brilliant art on leake street and a couple of days later that art had been tagged by some fatuous person who had not a drop of talent in their fingers. It’s a bit sad really. Caught the Cy Twombly exhibit at the Tate Modern as well, sublime, just beautiful really.
S.