Street Art

[BillOnBass]

Hey guys,

I watched a very interesting documentary last night called "Exit Through the Gift Shop" (available on Netflix Instant Queue at the moment).  It's about a French dude that documents everything he does through his camera lens and eventually becomes engrossed in the world of street art.  

Is anyone else interested in this art form?  

[Arnie]

I was most amazed in Columbia where a guy was making beautiful pictures with different colored sand, only using his hands...if that counts...

[BillOnBass]

Sure it counts.  To me street art is more about the message than the medium.  

I find the whole graffiti part of it interesting.  It makes me question things like the concept of public property and creative control.  Wherever you turn you see advertisements for useless and even harmful products.  I never asked to be constantly bombarded by this stuff.  I think the art that these people create is more pure, meaningful, and aesthetically pleasing than most commercial ads.  

Are these guys defacing property or adding human warmth and soul to the cold, soulless metal buildings that deface our natural environment?  Both?  Neither?  I'm not sure, but I can't deny that their art is beautiful.

[schro]

Personally, I have a hard time using the words "street art" and "graffiti" in the same sentence.

The whole "tagging" and graffiti this is wrong, an eye sore, and costs taxpayers & business owners serious $ to clean it up.

That being said, I have seen some murals commissioned by municipalities that are wonderful. Unfortunately, those are in the minority.

Didn't mean to be a wet blanket on your thread Bill, but I had to make the distinction.

[tomgallagher]

I'm from Philly and whenever I am driving around town I am constantly amazed at the quality and expertise it must take to create the many huge murals I see around the city. Very impressive.

[wpruitt]

See some unique graffiti on train cars.  Some of it could be art ... except it's vandalism.

[BillOnBass]

Yeah, it's vandalism.  I've come to terms with it, haha.  There's also an unsavory element  of society (the gang element) strongly associated with street art/ graffiti.  But from a purely aesthetic and morally ambiguous POV I definitely would rather see it than not. 

Any of you artists ever been commissioned to write on walls?