Frustrating the Art World

Graffiti has been in and out of the main-stream art world to the fashion world to advertising. It’s everywhere now. You can’t not see it. In the smallest of towns you’ll find it, to the busiest and largest cities. I think, at times, that it frustrates the academic art world. They want to control it but they never will. It’s a form based on the street and will always be on the street. It will also, always now be in every other part of pop and academic world, never to be controlled.

And The Project Grows

This has been a fun project I started almost two months ago. Going and hunting down graffiti, stickers, and other random public art. I will admit I have been lacking on some of the more traditional public sculptures, but I’m working on getting those into my pictures. I do personally find old painted add-on brick, graffiti and more untraditional work to be more fun to hunt about. 

It’s also been fun working on some of my own works to leave behind. I’m not just taking part as an observer but also as a participant. Personally, my methods are sculptural and more along the lines of non-damaging works. I got making little men with camera heads out of clay. Down the road I plan to grow them in size and number. It is the three dimensional version of my logo.

The other thing is Yarn Bombing. It is something I had heard of over time. I know someone here in my town that had started doing it last year. Now I’m hooked on doing that too. It’s a lot of fun. It is a form that doesn’t actually damage anything. If someone does not like it, well they can cut it off and toss it. Or if it is something people do like they may cut it and take it home. That is something I enjoy with public art. It takes on a life of its own. For example I put a small camera man in a place in Portland ME, then someone added another little clay critter. That is something that could easily happen with Yarn Bombing. People adding things to things people already put up and so on. 

It has been a lot of fun watching this project grow. And A.o.R.A. has now become one of the two founders of the Yarn Bombing group Maine Street Stitchers (MESS). This project has been a fast growing one and pretty surprising. Now, I’m curious to see where it will go in the next few months? Projects and events are to come. Keep your eyes open and follow on facebook and twitter to know what kind of things are going on. Some will be local to A.o.R.A. Freeport ME, and others will be global like the first Snail Mail Event - Bring Back the Stamp!

Keep your eyes open and let’s all make this the summer of art and fun!

Follow up thoughts on allowing graffiti

One person says, “Okay, you can do graffiti on the walls of my building”. But what happens when that is allowed? It’s usually a neighbor who doesn’t like it. That is something that needs to be addressed. One person the property owner is good with it, and says “I like graffiti, please use this wall, and if it is good I will respect it.” Then what happens is the person next door, who may or may not directly see the wall says, “I do not like graffiti. This is not art to me, therefore I do not think you should be allowed to have it on your wall. It bothers my sensitivities.” This is where I think there is a problem. Now I don’t think that that is only a graffiti problem. That is a public art problem across the board. I’m sure that not everyone has liked statues that have been built, monuments have been fought over time and time again - the Vietnam Wall is one of the best known modern examples of that. Look at all the arguing going on about what and what should not happen at the World Trade Center’s location. So don’t always think that graffiti is hated by the property owner directly. Sometimes it’s the person who lives down the street and might not see it all but the idea that it is there, that is what bothers them.

http://actsofrandomart.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-can-happen-when-graffiti-is.html

Art School, I’d expect more Public Art

When I was in college, at a Liberal Art School with an art department, we learned about and were assigned public art projects. What surprise me with now with Maine College of Art in the center of Portland and and USM just down the road, along with a community college just over the bridge, is the lack of random art popping up. 

There has been an increase according to some about graffiti, I’m sure there is some truth to that, but I also  think it has to deal with people connecting to it because they have run out of things to complain about. It may be part of the cycle where it is a city problem about every 10 years or so. 

But where are the Random Art projects by students? I know when I was at college, we took part in public art. Granted the way our campus was spread out we did more directly on campus. We put up signs for an assignment and rather then making flier size posters I made little drawing scanned it, made a sheet of it, photocopied them, cut them out and taped them all over the place. I made a tail end of a missile and left it on campus.  I put up miniature street signs which I played with words changing “Stop” to “Flop” and more. A friend and I painted bed sheets and put them up. I did mine where an old score board was and only the support rods where still there. We went out to two old unused billboards and draped his over them.

So where is any of that in Maine, Portland of all places? I do sometimes think that there are too many people forgetting about the fun part of art. As I was writing this list I will say “Yarn Bombing”, more flash mobs, sculptures just appearing. Where is that from the students? Better yet where is that from the Maine Art community? 

I’ll admit I haven’t been doing the best on my end and it’s time to pick up on that. At the same time I have been starting to leave little men with camera heads randomly about. They are a little harder to find, because they are only a couple inches tall. Sometimes small is the most fun, it’s a little harder for people to find. I would like to see this kind of thing showing up more. There is way too much seriousness going on in this world right now and we need more then one Royal Wedding for a day to cheer us up. So go out leave a surprise for people to find and make them smile. It was the summer of love in 1967. Let’s call the summer of 2011 the Art Attack!

A.o.R.A. First Contest Results

Here is what a few others found and will receive pins for sending in. Future events and contests will be coming. So follow on facebook for event information and contests. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Acts-of-Random-Art/108164949265323

It’s a culture

Cultures of all kinds want to be understood. The funny thing is watching sub-cultures. After sitting through a talk about graffiti in Portland a few weeks ago I thought about something that was said. “Graffiti is for the other writers and people in that culture.” Now as I have been thinking about that I’m not sure that is completely true. Now I think that the people in the culture and who know the unwritten rules, the stages of graffiti and where different styles come from may have a better understanding. The thing is, is that people in the culture should understand that they are doing it for others. If it was just for the other writers, it wouldn’t be done so publicly. 

Now what seems to happen in many cultures and the graffiti culture is no different, is hearing people complain of not being understood. What follows that is that when people from the “outside” try to make an effort of understanding they are pushed away. I do think that for graffiti artists to get some public credit, they need to be willing to talk to the rest of the public or have people speaking out in favor and not put them down. I was well impressed and it was good to have well art-educated people speak on behalf of graffiti at the talks I attended. There needs to be more discussion. An education on this art form is needed and not just how to make it, but its history and impact around the world.

Flash Mob Video

So today is the first Flash Mob caught by Acts of Random Art in Portland Maine. I'm looking forward to seeing what Local News Channel WCSH 6 (Local NBC) is going to end up with! That should be showing up later this week!

Follow up thoughts on allowing graffiti

One person says okay you can do graffiti on the walls of my building. But what happens when that is allowed? Well, it’s usually the neighbor who doesn’t like it. That is something that needs to be addressed. One person, the property owner, is good with it, and says “I like graffiti, please use this wall, and if it is good I will respect it.” What happens is the person next door who may or may not directly see the wall says, “I do not like graffiti. This is not art to me, therefore I do not think you should be allowed to have it all your wall. It bothers my sensitivities.” This is where I think there is a problem. Now don’t think that that is only a graffiti problem - it is a public art problem across the board. I’m sure that not everyone has liked statues that have been built, and monuments have been fought over time and time again, the Vietnam Wall is one of the best known for that. Look at all the arguing going on about what and what should or should not happen at the World Trade Center’s location. So don’t always think that graffiti is hated by the property owner directly. Sometimes it’s the person who lives down the street and might not see it all but the idea that it is there, that is what bothers them.

http://actsofrandomart.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-can-happen-when-graffiti-is.html