Public Art: Street Art

In today’s day and age, the lines between Public Art, Graffiti, Street Art and Urban Art are very blurred. Three weeks ago I started this series on Public Art, looking at its origins, moving to its development into the private sector, and then looking at graffiti. Today I discuss Street Art (and all its accompanying branches).

Generally speaking, Street Art is any art which is developed within public spaces – almost like a modern version of Public Art, with the exception of being unsanctioned by any official organization. The term encompasses many methods of art making and is even referred to as post-graffiti in some circles in order to distinguish it from vandalism and corporate art.

In recent times, Street Art and its developing subculture has gained popularity in many branches of society and is now becoming a predominant art form. Many professionals in the art industry are putting more effort into learning Street Art terminology and styles in order to develop into a marketable art form.

What is the motivation behind Street Art? The inspiration for the art created depends on what that particular artist or group is trying to say – there is nearly always an explicit message behind the finished product. Some artists or groups comment on current social conditions while other make political statements, but the underlying theme of Street Art remains the challenge of adapting visual art within a public space and reaching a wider audience.

Urban Art is one of the various spin-offs from street Art. While Urban Art is in some ways similar to Street Art, Urban Art is inspired by urban areas and architecture as well as the urban lifestyle. It is an expression of the daily trails and triumphs of the people living in urban areas and also acts as a mouthpiece for them.

Urban Art tends to speak for itself, the implications of the images are quite apparent. A tree painted against a building is likely to represent the yearning for nature within an urban environment while the image of a child disarming a soldier is a clear indication that a society wants warfare to stop.

Another branch of Street Art is Guerilla Art, which is the practice of creating art pieces (generally installation pieces) and then leaving them anonymously in public places. Anonymity is the essence of Guerilla Art and it is a very effective way for an artist to not only bring a point across to a large audience, but to create greater interest in the art work as a result of this anonymity. An impressively famous example of Guerilla Art is the bronze sculpture, Charging Bull created by Arturo Di Modica which was originally placed in front of the New York Stock Exchange and which became so popular that it was later installed as a permanent display in Bowling Green Plaza.

This concludes the series on Public Art.

Blessings,

Mel

Sources:

http://artradarjournal.com/2010/01/21/what-is-street-art-vandalism-graffiti-or-public-art-part-i/

Interesting sites:

http://www.capetownmagazine.com/arts-culture/Exploring-the-NotSoSilent-Urban-Art/104_22_10231

http://weburbanist.com/2009/06/14/20-subversive-works-of-urban-guerrilla-street-art/

Featured image sources:

http://www.xmarkjenkinsx.com/outside.html

http://stitchinnetka.tumblr.com/post/5333860506/great-urban-art-example-that-would-be-so-great-to

http://www.an-mag.com/street-art-isnt-just-for-the-streets-anymore/

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5926278

Public Art: Graffiti

I have always had a fascination with graffiti. Whether the graffiti I see is badly executed or something more in the lines of the fabulous urban art which is gaining popularity these days, I adore running into it.

In some cases, graffiti seems to be the raging expression of discontent among the voiceless and at times the act of graffiti is a statement in itself, a way of rebelling against society and the way that things are done.

Graffiti generally refers to images and/or letters which are spray-painted, painted, scratched or marked in some manner on the surfaces of properties or public areas. It has been around for thousands of years – especially notable in ancient Greece and Rome – best of all, we can still see ancient graffiti today, at places like the excavations at Pompeii in Italy.

Scholars are now realizing that graffiti was actually a common practice among ancient Romans and the graffiti contained everything from romantic messages to praise for the government as well as wishes of prosperity for the city. Rebecca Benefiel, an assistant professor of classics at the Washington and Lee University even discovered an ancient poetry contest on one of the walls in Pompeii.

According to a research paper by Timothy Werwath*, graffiti can largely be divided into two categories: communication/cultural frustration and individual expression.

When we look at the first category, we return to the concept of Public Art whereby a message is being conveyed to the public in general. While this message can be a very powerful tool in communicating a society’s satisfaction or displeasure, it can also bestow the gift of hope and inspiration to that same society. The beauty of graffiti is that in general it is an art form practiced by conventional people, so the subject matter of the graffiti tends to be of a more general nature and is easily related to.

When we look at the second category (individual expression), graffiti then tends to move toward more artistic inclinations** and personal messages. Everything from messages of love to profound statements, the graffiti fueled by the individual’s personality is abstract and while it might be a bit difficult to understand, it is extremely interesting to view and interpret.

In South Africa, I have noticed a gradual increase in quality and quantity of graffiti over the years and I even had the privilege to see a photo of an acquaintance’s work for sale at an exhibition. I also noticed that graffiti commenting on political issues have increased as well.

When the leader of the AWB, Eugene Terre’Blanche was murdered and the political parties where grabbing their soap-boxes in a mad dash to air their opinions, images of his face sprang up all over Pretoria. What the message of this was I can only guess at, but it just goes to show you that quiet opinions spring up, even at the very tip of Africa.

Graffiti isn’t always great and it definitely doesn’t always have some profound message or social statement – sometimes people just like painting on walls or causing trouble – but that should not take away from the fantastic graffiti that is out there.

There are many great examples of graffiti past and present, but all cannot be covered in one post. I would like to leave you with this thought though: next time you see graffiti on your way to work or some other engagement, take a few minutes to think about what is being said.

Blessings,

Mel

Next week: Street Art.

* I have no idea who he is, but I found his research paper very enlightening and interesting.

** As we generally understand the term.

Sources:

http://www.graffiti.org/faq/werwath/werwath.html

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Reading-the-Writing-on-Pompeiis-Walls.html

http://www.wlu.edu/x34628.xml

Interesting Links:

http://weburbanist.com/2007/12/16/stitching-together-history-culture-and-graffiti-a-look-at-urban-art-in-san-francisco/

http://www.wlu.edu/x34628.xml

Images:

http://merelyobservation.wordpress.com/

http://arthistorymadness.blogspot.com/2007/10/graffiti-from-pompeii.html

http://www.graffitisouthafrica.com/

Public Art: Shopping Malls and Corporate Art

I have noticed a growing "trend" in Gauteng – Public Art displayed in shopping malls. For the most part, I think it started more as the result of a marketing plan than as a genuine desire to promote and develop art. Regardless, it has created a greater interest in art.

During the course of my research, I realized that this “trend” is not a recent development. In fact, many shopping malls have adopted the display of artworks for many years now and Public Art is also presented within the context of Corporate Art – art made with the purpose of display within corporations.

With the exception of mass-produced art, these forms of Public Art have as much merit as any other art form. While the motivation for the creation of these artworks are more commercial, an artist always puts a bit of him- or herself in their work, thus each artwork still has a deep personal meaning. The Public Art displayed in shopping malls are inclined to convey a positive, community-based or historical message and the organizations who commission these artworks tend to build the shopping malls around this message and/or image. It is important to note though, that the opposite of this is also the practice.

As I stated in my previous post, Public Art generally has a specific message but in the case of Public Art within Corporate Art this is not always the case. Sometimes it is requested that the artwork simply adheres to a certain theme, colour or whatever else the corporation has in mind. In South Africa, I have noticed an intense degree of cultural pride in the artworks displayed in a corporate environment, which inevitably leads to the promotion of art and culture.

Overall, I believe that Public Art displayed in shopping malls and within the context of Corporate Art is a good thing. It promotes and supports cultural and artistic endeavors while presenting many people with the opportunity to be exposed to art.

Blessings,

Mel

Next week: Graffiti.

Feature Images:

Private

Public Art

I started writing this post as a platform for another one concerning the art I have seen appearing more frequently at shopping malls. However, when I started my research I came across the term Public Art and realized that it is a much more vast and interesting subject matter than I could ever imagine.

Public Art can generally be described according to two categories:

1. An artwork which has been created for and placed at a public space which is easily accessible to all;

2. Any artwork which is purchased with public funds, irrespective of whether or not it is accessible to the public at large.

When we think of Public Art in the context of the first description, we think of monuments, statues and paintings depicting a country’s heroes and history. From the great temples of ancient Greece to the statues of the Emperors of Rome, public institutions (such as governments, churches, etc.) have commissioned great artworks over the centuries and some of them with less than noble intentions.

Public Art has been used on numerous occasions for the purposes of propaganda – from ancient times to the modern day. In ancient Rome for example, Amphitheaters and other public buildings along with the accompanying statues and frescoes were built with the political advancement of the involved patrons in mind. The medium then changed and in 1966 to 1976 posters were used for Public Art propaganda during the Cultural Revolution in China. Stalin’s regime also used posters to enforce the political viewpoints of the Soviet Union.

Even today we see statues erected in the name of political figures we “should” consider heroes (which is a matter of personal opinion) and posters which advocate political parties and their views. Public Art is not always commissioned or created with dark intentions in mind – it can be uplifting and an asset to a city, it can make people think and help them to enjoy the pleasures of all art forms, and it can be a reminder of a city or country’s history.

Public Art has developed a new, present-day definition as well: it can also be a message from a person or group to society in general – as a form of creative communication. Public Art is also not limited to physical objects anymore and consists of almost any form of expression in contemporary society.

As part of this subject, my next three posts will focus on some of the modern aspects of Public Art: Art in shopping malls and Corporate Art, Graffiti and Street Art. So keep reading and discover the fascinating features of Public Art.

Blessings,

Mel

Next week: Art in shopping malls and Corporate Art.

Sources:

http://www.joburg.org.za/culture/built-heritage/public-art/about-public-art

http://www.publicartaroundtheworld.com/

http://nnpaf.org/what_is_art.html

http://www.students.sbc.edu/smith04/ancientrome.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/146249/Cultural-Revolution’

Featured image sources:

http://www.southafrica.info/business/economy/development/firewalker.htm

http://ucsdmag.ucsd.edu/magazine/vol4no2/features/posters.htm

http://tim-martin.com.au/otherPagesDetail.php?Soviet-Propaganda-Posters-9