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

Public Art? Why and what is it good for?

An on-going argument that seems to never stop and that never will stop is - what is Public Art? Not only what is it, but what is it’s purpose? Is it to please everyone? Or is it to please just a few?  Now, the people who think it should please every single person do not realize the complication of the art world it self. In the art world it never seems like anyone can make the big choice at any given moment of what is Art, and should it or shouldn’t it please everyone? Personally, I make work to hopefully please the masses more then for my work to completely please the art world.

The question is about Public Art, and why should it be done? Who is it for? Isn’t it a waste of money? But the same could be asked about movies, people spend millions and millions on something that is for entertainment. Public sculptures and murals are a form of entertainment. Public art can be something to make you possibly laugh on a crappy day, or just to look and learn the history around you, depending on what the work is. It’s impossible to make the one work that will please everyone. If someone does that, everyone might as well stop making art because that’s an artist making a work and saying this is the best work I have and ever will make and if everyone agrees, that can be the end of art as we know it!

One of the arguments right now in Maine around the Labor Mural is it was not in a public space. The mural was hung in the lobby of the Department of Labor in Augusta Maine. And even though this was all started by someone contacting Gov. LePage and saying that as a business person they found the history of Labor in Maine being depicted with no sign of business in the Department of Labor Lobby offensive they are working at redirecting it to being that not enough people had access to it and it wasn’t a public space. The thing is it was in a Government building and therefore, it is a public space.

This is what I have been trying to figure out since this all started - the “who” is Public Art for? And who has the say on what is or isn’t allowed? Artist? Politicians? The general public? Or private business? It really is all of the above. If it is a public project by the Government, then it applies to everyone. And as with the discussion I attended last week there is a process that needs to be followed. In gorilla art, it really is the person putting it out against the person who takes it down. Private business is sometimes are the best ally for a public work. It brings cash forward, makes a choice for their property and deal with what ever local politics that might need to be dealt with. But when the private tells the government what should and should not be done and the government doesn’t blink, then there is a problem. Those cases are for everyone.

Personally, I think that the people that have problems with public money being used for public art projects and creating those jobs, were the kids that where told that they needed to stop making art and get a real education and a real job and are jealous of those who weren’t guided away from art making and appreciation.