The World: The Ultimate Museum, The Ultimate Canvas or The Ultimate Gallery?

I’ve been concentrating on documenting all kinds of public art projects for just under two years and it has been a blast. I capture work from known and unknown artists - stickers, wheat pasting, graffiti, etc., and also some of my own chalk, yarn-bombings and magnetic work. That has made me wonder how other people doing all forms of street art see the world - Museum vs.Canvas vs Gallery.

The world as Museum makes a lot of sense to me. With world being the Museum, then countries, states, cities and towns are the Galleries. I make two dimensional and three dimensional work that fits into the concept of being in a Gallery. My own work has only had a small corner in a few galleries! I have had work in the Maine, Wisconsin, and the Pennsylvania Gallery. Where one sets the work - drawing with chalk, graffiti on a wall, yarn-bombing a bench, placing a statue or sculpture in a park – I see that as the Canvas.

I’m sure some curators wish they had control of the Ultimate Museum. I think these are truly the museum and galleries where street artists have complete say over what they want the public to see on their canvas.

So what do you think of the world - Museum? Gallery? Canvas?

Please share your opinion.

Contemporary History - History has to start somewhere...

Yarn Bombing is a lot of fun. Yes, I said it, fun. One of my favorite locations is my local Historical Society building site in Freeport, Maine, USA. Why is that? A. Because they enjoy and appreciate it. B. They have particularly interesting (aka fun) architectural details to play with. Now I understand that some people don’t like it because it’s not part of Freeport’s “History”. But is it starting a new tradition and adding to Freeport’s history? Now I know that it is not just my town that has this issue. Largertowns and cities have more people on both sides of the issue and more people all around to ignore their surroundings or be enchanted and happy with urban surprises.

This past month I went and put fourteen monsters on the ball caps of the fence line outside the building. I knew that there were a few naysayers to this. Originally, on International Yarn Bombing Day, 2012, I put two at the fence entrance. The plan was to keep adding to all fourteen fence post ball caps. Sadly, the two quickly disappeared. So I decided to put all fourteen up at once. I also put them up the day before the Fourth of July, at night. I figured in the morning there was going to be a running race and parade and many would see them and enjoy them. Part of the fun is watching the discovery of the pieces and hearing and watching the many that love bumping into the unusual, charming and unexpected as they go about their errands. One has vanished. But I figure that doing yarn-bombing and chalk drawing are my efforts to add to the traditions and history of my town. Just don’t forget that history has to start somewhere!


To view all fourteen monsters check out the video on YouTube "Monsters Ball" you can also find them being posted individually on Acts of Random Art's Facebook page.