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.

Can you find a Random Art? Contest

Hello, and welcome to the first contest! What I am wondering is can you find some random art?

The first 10 people to find and email a picture of random art from today, April 25th- May 9th will win an Acts of Random Art Pin! (seen below)

Your image will then be posted on this blog, and the daily twitter feed on May 10th. If you want your twitter name attached to the image and or name please add that under the writing.

Here is how to enter:
email your image to actsofrandomart@gmail.com
say what city, state, and/or country the image is from
and here is the important part if you want your prize
there will need to be a mailing address attached to this email. So please remember to do that!

This is not to ask people to go and vandalize properties or anything of the sort, just for people to find some random art! And your email and mailing address will not, I repeat, will not be given to anyone else.

Thank you and I hope to see images soon! 

A talk on Graffiti in Portland ME

This is a talk held by PACA and Space Gallery in Portland ME about graffiti. The title of the talk was Street Art vs Graffiti, which I think indicates an academic fight against it and not a look at it as an art form. When the talk started and as it went on, there was shown a clear reason why it is an art form. It was really a talk more about what graffiti is about and the people who have a problem with it - property owners and the city. It was also asked what can be done among the graffiti community and the non-graffiti community to see if some kind of agreement could be reached between the two. 

Now if you where unable to attend, or did make it and want to re-listen to the talk here you go. It seems like it will be an on-going, hopefully discussion, rather then fight.

Graffiti Talk Part 1

Graffiti Talk Part 2

Graffiti Talk Part 3

Graffiti Talk Part 4

Graffiti Talk Part 5