Gawker Artists got 28 graffiti/street artists to contribute their work on these wallpaper store fronts (curated by Billi Kid reinterpreting James and Karla Murray’s latest book, Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York), which were surrounding this very nice rooftop at a Soho party last night… I was torn about it during the evening. I sat with a friend and took in the environment, people watched and exchanged thoughts on the situation.
I have to admit, it felt a bit awkward for me. Contrived. Out of place. I see the graffiti/street art world as the anarchists artist medium, but the soho elite in their attempts to be part of a surfacing underground culture is part exploiting it, and the artists themselves are either allowing themselves to be exploited or are in on the joke. I do think it is important to bring up the conversation of graffiti picking up momentum and gaining praise as an art form… but it just seems wrong to force these two completely opposite (and mostly clashing) worlds together. But then again, some might argue that street artists trickling into the gallery world would be just as blasphemous. Yet it does bring up an interesting conversation. What do you think of this mesh? Are you comfortable with it?
I thoroughly enjoyed the work by the way, as I enjoy and respect graffiti. It just sparked this question that I thought I’d share and would love to hear from you. Pictures from the party on my flickr.
i understand your point of view about the raw art of graffitti and the original desire of anarchy that is embedded in the art form.
But, since the mid 1990’s when there was such a crack down on the art itself as well as a greater appreciation of the art form. The artists began to get play in a great deal of galleries and on legal walls. So, there is the age old question of what does it really mean to sell out? If you can survive on doing what you love and share your art with the world or at least with the people that love it, what is selling out?
I have written two 10+ page essays about the graffitit world in college. Really reviewing the point of it and the evolution from the spray can to the paint brush, from the illegal aspect and the legal aspect. I love it.
There is a great expose that was done on graffitti on Sunday Morning. Its a show on channel four. It talks about the scene in France and how the once outlawed art is now selling for thousands.
People are probably more open to the pieces due to the emergence of Murikami (sp?) and the other Japanamation explotion, Jeff Koons, Keith Herring graphics and such. It is just a strange dynamic when not everyone knows as much as you do or loves art the way you do Maria.
I love reading you blog. It has influenced me to see a lot more galleries and get to know you a little bit more.
xoxo
jennifer
That’s some fancy graffiti… My favorite “graffiti” is still the drawn mustache, missing teeth and then the ol’ pecker in mouth.
Jen Ritter,
What is graffitit world. I want to visit.
Graffiti and Street Art, like any other art form, deserves an audience.
There’s nothing artificial or labored about that.