Somewhat beginnings

I haven't had internet all week, so i've been trying to get around that and start my research on street art. 

Last thursday I had a conversation over a few strong cocktails with a stencil artist(ill go into the process more next time) that lives in the area and he's willing to give me information about the art and hopefully ill get to know him a bit better through his works and what he wants people to understand. So, him and his friend will potentially provide me with stencil perspectives in small town voices. 

Going back to the strong cocktails, i had a hard time concentrating on our conversation but i did get a cocktail napkin scribbled on with ink out of it. i found this napkin in my pocket when i woke up the next morning in the same clothes, diagonally across my bed. Two out of four of the links he gave me worked out and they've actually proven to be pretty interesting. 

The first one is more of an informational site, providing artists with a place for posting their works, interacting with viewers/suppliers etc. The site has an online store for urban-art related clothing, which for the most part means graffiti stamped t's. This site, while interesting, definitely seems a lot more main stream than some of the other sites i've been looking at. It's interesting to see how artists interact when their work is exposed, it feels like a wholesome 1950s housewife smoking crack with a black sabbath record on....a little unnatural.  anyways, they do updates so heres the site if you're interested:

www.urbnfabrik.com

The second site (StencilRevolution.com) is a less organized discussion board site anyone can join where people discuss images and techniques. This site was a lot more informal and it provides a place for artists just starting out to interact with ones who have been in the game for years.

so i registered .. i'll get to see how friendly the neighborhood is.

stepping

one of the sites i've been going to for updated info on stenciling and other projects in jacksonville, fl had a link to this.

it's set up to make people believe that if graffiti is in sight, then you're probably gonna die.

erase 

erase 

erase.

wouldn't it be more helpful to try and understand it, than to just shove it into a category of young teens and backpacks full of illegal medium?

ok, so pretty much the root of the problem is the graffiti, and not the anger or bad situations that limit kids to gangs and violence. 

no, gangs are cool, just don't paint on my property.

my cement, the grass i turned into concrete. The land i took away... 

  

Question

As money is put into the development of cities, and buildings become old with the erection of new ones, the urban art scene is provided with additional concrete for placement of expression. Laws are binding however, and graffiti artists are continually being fined, amongst other repercussions, for the way they choose to express themselves on abandoned buildings, dirty bridges, etc. So when is it ok to get your message across on public property? It may be understandable for an artist to get fined when their expression leaks onto new material. When the city has put money into the erection of a new building, that building may be an expression of the architect who designed and/or constructed it, and when is it ever ok for one artist infringe upon another’s work?

At some point however, old work can become new, it can become more appreciated by a developing society and turn into a message of currency to be understood and not ignored.
I don’t believe that artists should be punished for turning something, such as an abandoned building, that is taken for granted (or in this case granite) into something that can be appreciated or at least raise some sort of question in the mind of a person that on a regular day might have walked right by it.

Then again maybe it is the potential of being caught doing something illegal that validates the point the artist is trying to make?

prospectus

My involvement in blogging is minimal; however, through this type of composition, I am hoping to venture my way towards becoming involved in the urban street art community. I have been closely involved with art of many mediums since I was in grade school and continue to keep track of my life by the led end of a 3B pencil.

I’m interested here in exposing myself, and potentially others, to a broad variety of new mediums that gain most of their exposure through the use and “abuse” of public property such as: wheat pasting, graffiti, reverse graffiti, installation, etc. My interaction with bloggers within this community will become crucial, and the kind which will hopefully create a strongly informative relationship, if not just a subject developing conversation.

The allure of urban street art is what developed my disposable camera throughout visits to France and Canada and has in turn stimulated my interest in the influence, opinions and controversial messages being expressed by the artist through his/her work. I am especially interested in the effect this type of art has on the public. Is the message they’re intending to send getting out to the correct audience? Or is it simply just pissing people off? Because street art has such a largely diverse audience, I want to work in comparing this type of urban art to the same style of art displayed in a gallery or a controlled environment.

What kinds of recognition does either of these art forms get?

Which has more of an impact on society?

I will be looking at blogs acquainted with both types of urban art and compare them to answer such questions.

Where I’ll begin is to analyze the major mediums used in this type of art. Why certain mediums are used to express individual issues, when one medium is used over another, which medium is more effective in its response from the public, etc.? This is going to involve a lot of research on particular current events, from the large scale to the small scale.

The interaction part of my blogging is mostly going to come from my interest in the public’s reaction and/or relationship with the artwork that is being produced. What is their interest in the works, what is their interpretation, and how much do they understand of the message the work is trying to get across. Does the attitude of the artist affect their response from the audience?

I found a few blogs which deal with specific areas/cities including one from Jacksonville, Florida graffiti artists, and one based in Berlin and the graffiti being produced over there. This will help me to understand how different cultures, societies, and politics may influence the artwork and/or reaction to it. This will also help me add a bit of my interest in travel into my blogging with a focus in art.

Some of the outside research for my blogging I want to get involved in begins with stencil graffiti of my own, in a legal way of coarse (?). I’ll take time talk to local street artists around Tampa and Boston, and explore the artwork within these two cities and how they may respond to issues going on around each area. I can also update pictures and compare them to ones updated on the blog sites I’m reading. The interaction I have with the other bloggers may help to open up the underground art scene and give a better understanding of how, when, where and why it exists, as well as what can perpetuate or stop it, etc.

I ultimately want to answer the question I, myself, am curious to answer: Is street art effective in provoking, stimulating and/or challenging for the human mind? And does it ultimately produce change? I want to see how these artists have developed their expression throughout history, and what they are doing now to break barriers and recreate standards.