This is a resource for the Edge of the Canvas class at Seattle Art Museum. The artists listed are just the tip of the iceberg of amazingly inventive people who are creatively contributing to our surroundings with ephemeral art. These artists were chosen specifically for their unique approaches to what is considered Street art.
“I remember the extraordinary enthusiasm for the internet, but now it is a surveillance-work tool, or a social-work tool. What one dreams of is escaping that. The 90s ideas of cyberreality seem preposterous now. We design more and more elaborate means of captivity for ourselves.” Simon Critchley, nihilist philosopher, on social networking websites. (via Tomorrow museum)
“O’BRIEN: What did you make of Paul? I mean, the contradiction of making these films about all the things he was really always griping about—drugs and freaks and drag queens. Paul was always at the Factory saying, “Get that drug trash out of here.” And then he’s directing you shooting up.
DALLESANDRO: I’m sure it was weird for him, but he felt it was a necessary part of the story he wanted to show. I remember him saying once that he was tired of films like Easy Rider [1969], you know, glamorizing smoking pot or drugs. He wanted to show drugs for what they really were. I mean, the biggest hope a drug addict could have was to get on welfare, you know? So I think he made his little points in his films.” Glen O’Brien talks to Lil’ Joe Dallesandro about working with Paul Morrisey and the Warhol factory (via interview)
I have a curriculum to write and have been having a hard time concentrating on it so this week there may or may not be more posting but as it is it’s going to be spotty at best.
I do want to let folks know about the performance that I have facilitated for the Seattle Chinatown/ International District Artwalk this Saturday July 18. Seattle based avant Hip Hop group Linda and Ron’s Dad ( Think Christian Marclay meets RZA over blunt’s followed by some thrift store crate digging) performing their multi media piece Viet Ron. Viet Ron is a suite of music and candid video footage based on percussionist/artist Tyler Swans (Truckasauras, Foscil, LnRD) experiences while traveling through Viet Nam in 2007. While there Tyler acquired a small collection of war era Vietnamese pop records which he has recontextualized into a soundtrack for the footage he filmed while in country with his partner, artist Chi Pham. This will be only the 2nd time the complete Viet Ron suite will have been performed and the first time it will be performed in a gallery setting. The performance will be held :
July 18th @
666 Jackson street
between Maynard and 7th
in the Seattle International District Chinatown Artwalk Map
The space will be open 5pm – 8pm Viet Ron performance at 7pm
also featuring
photography by Carina del Rosario
Mosaics by Monica Rodriguez
Western contemporary art aesthetics have a hard colonizing effect on the way artists around the world are creating work. I’ve seen this first hand in the realm of “Street Art/Grafitti” when artists that have absolutely no credibility in the world of graff become proclaimed the next great “street” god. (via TAN)
” You can’t just stick with one thing. You have to let your natural style come through, and paint what you naturally like to paint.”
“Why are you so into Southwestern patterns?”
” I just like them. I don’t know. I would like to make a rug. I don’t think they are that hard to make. I have seen them do it. They shoot one spool of string through this frame, then they close it and shoot another one across.” Mark Gonzalez can’t stick to just one thing as he prepares for his upcoming solo at Half gallery (via interview)
“They’re all people I know. Most of them close friends and I like to choose people that have interesting features and can say a lot with their eyes because I don’t want it to just be like a pretty portrait – I want it to be a persona that really exists in the piece.” Street artist ElbowToe discusses his process and what he looks for in a good model (via arrested motion)
As Graffiti matures in the 21st century there are craftsmen that are taking this folkart form into amazing new directions while flexing a level of skill previously unattained. I believe Rime is probably the top graffiti writer working right now
Fancy Fast Food is an amazing site in which cooks take fast food favorites and reinterpret them into “Fine Dining” items like a beautiful quiche made from a burger king croissanwich ( via TWBE)
In these trying economic times artists are doing things that just a year ago would have horrified their dealers. Case in point is Mike Giants open studios in which he is selling new originals and prints for cash on the barrel. (via TWBE)
“Ironically, the younger generations in general don’t perceive corporate involvement to be a negative—there isn’t the same stigma as there was when I was younger; an artist can have a gallery exhibition and be highlighted on a commercial billboard right outside the gallery with no ill effect. For better or worse, that particular punk ethic seems to have dissipated and there are less starving artists because of it.” Dave Kinsey talks about the changing tides in our culture, for better or worse. (via citrus report)
“The people that ride these bikes have to know what they’re doing,” he said. “And in my opinion fixies really ruin your knees. You’re not young forever, how far do you really want to follow the hype?” Berlin cracks down on the Fixed gear trend (via good)
