Process

One reason that street art continues to strive and survive in public spaces is highly attributed to the range of exploration found within the many processes, both old and new. Street art is not strictly limited to just two-dimensional works, since sculptural possibilities have been recognized. There is also an apparent cross-over between flat and dimensional work, displayed in various pieces. This is shown in the street artist Vhils' work, as he deliberately works with his materials in both ways, being careful not to limit himself. Check out an example of one of his many processed in the following video.



Here's a section of an interview taken from fatcap.com (FC), with the artist:

FC: You work with many types of supports and materials, what tools do you use?

Vhils: I’ve been experimenting with many media which don’t fit in your regular art tool kit. Because I aim at creating contrasts between the different layers that compose things, I like experimenting with tools which can remove layers and create the contrasts that help me in questioning the reality of our urban life. I enjoy working with randomness, and this randomness can be found beneath the layers of any material, whether it’s a wall or a massive overlaying of advertising posters. You can cut away at the layers to create your image but you don’t have full control over all the aspects of that creation, as you don’t know what images and patterns lie beneath them. This is a key concept in my work. The processes I follow also reflect the very ephemeral essence of life contained in the materials I use. Materials change with time and my pieces change along with them; the tools I use often catalyse this change and I’m interested in making this a part of the piece itself. So there is nothing static about them, it’s an ongoing process with nature. In order to do so I resort to several types of processes and tools which might provide interesting results: painting and cutting up old billboard posters, screen-printing with acid and bleach, using etching acid or bleach on wood and other materials I pick up in the street like pieces of walls from derelict buildings and so on. I use hammers, chisels and pneumatic drills to sculpt walls. All these techniques and tools revolve around a very similar work process: the removal of the layers that form the materials or objects and exposing the resulting contrasts as images.

Read the whole interview here if you please:
http://www.fatcap.com/article/vhils-interview.html

Too add, here's an example of inventive sculptural street art by Joshua Allen Harris that really takes advantage of the site specific spaces to give the work "life." It is highly interactive and really catches the viewer's eye due to the unexpected nature of the work.



However, the more traditional and mainstream approach to street art has been mostly composed of thin paper (bond) being pasted to surfaces outside. The street artist named Gaia borrows from traditional methods to create his work. In the video below, he uses a linoleum carving and ink wash to produce his image. He then shows the process of wheat pasting the piece on a brick building.

Reaching to the past

We are at a point in history where we constantly hear that "everything has been done." The artists of today's world are much different than in the past, since we are not expected to adhere to a cultural art trend as was done previously. Since there is not a specific focus presented, there is a layer of confusion that plagues the art world considering what will collectively be approached next. There is a movement toward the reference of the past in modern times, regarding art among other things such as: music, and fashion.

In the music industry, the biggest resurfacing has been involved with the sudden popularity of vinyl records, which were widely used in the 1960s and 70s. Perhaps this borrowing from the past provides some comfort in the uncertainty for the future. Furthermore, fashion presents to us a disoriented sense of culture that does not allow for people of modern times to have a collective identity for the time period (know as zeitgeist). This has been associated with the trendiness of our era, which is driven by advertising and over-consumption. The demoralization and high expectancies that follows individuals today has even brought upon a trend unique to our culture called Hipsterdom. This borrows fashion from all past counter cultures, throws them into a blender and regurgitates them on society. Check out this site to get an understanding of what this sub-culture is. There's even a handbook you can buy here, if you're so inclined. Anyway, that's enough of that...

Now, let's get back to art. Similar to the melting-pot of fashion, art has taken on a similar identity as there is not a well-defined cultural expectation of art as there had been in the past. To illustrate, during the time of the Italian Renaissance many artists were expected to create work limited mostly to religious folklore, perspective and light. Today, artists are not not given such rigid guidelines, and the term "art" has expanded exponentially. Could you imagine one of Piet Mondrian's compositions slapped over Michaelangelo's mural in the Sistine Chapel?

I didn't think so... These works are so specific to their time that they cannot be interchanged. Artist's now have the license to create whatever they want, and this confuses the general art population. This seems to be a characteristic of what we now call "Modernity," in that the gestalt of our era cannot yet be determined until the time has passed, and becomes a part of art history that we can look back on.

The resurgence of street art in particular has been quite interesting, and even though the practice never completely died out, it has had its peaks and valleys. In an interview with the street artist Dan Witz, he is asked:

What do you think about this resurgence of street art in recent years? Is it really a resurgence or just a re-commercialization? It’s not like street art was ever gone, it just seems like the galleries ignored it for a while and now Shepard Fairey and Banksy are taking over museums.

Witz: It’s always been puzzling to me that it ever went away at all. I mean it’s so obviously a fertile medium in so many ways. You don’t need a studio and you don’t have to be good looking or charming or know the right people to get your work out. And it’s a total blast to do.

I’m embarassed to admit it, I mean I know I’m supposed to be some kind of wise veteran of the ups and downs etc., but I’ve pretty much survived psychically by keeping a heavy filter on the above questions. I’ve found that too much of that kind of information can be seriously undermining to my optimism—which is something I badly need to keep on with my work. I usually answer these kind of things by saying that I’m not a spokesman for street art.

Origination

The precursor of street art is known to us as graffiti, which began its formation during the late 1960s and early 70s in New York City. The arrival of this unique form of art was represented through politically charged motives that consisted mainly of spray painted words, letters, and images on public or private property. Early on in the graffiti trend many gangs looked to graffiti as a promising method of demarcating territory. The term graffiti is also conceived to be deeply connected to the drug and crime culture, as it is an illegal act of vandalism. There was an inseparable attitude between hip-hop and graffiti in its early stages and it still resonates today, though it has branched out into many other sub-cultures as well. Through the years 1971-1974, there was a prolific rise in graffiti writers, or those who "tag" their designated name at specific sites through the use of stylistic lettering and vivid color with spray paint as the primary medium. The peak of this form of public art was achieved during the years 1975-1977 due to political and financial instigation. During this time, many writers flourished and extensive "bombing" or "tagging" occurred.


There were even notions of early street art around this time, as it was natural for image makers to imitate what the writers were doing. Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat worked alongside graffiti writers, and were important figures in the emergence of street art. Immediately after the influence of graffiti peaked, The MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) cracked down on the issue of heavy recurrent tagging in the following years, and many pieces were soon "buffed," or removed. The legislation of NYC issued laws that further aided in the removal of pieces, and new structures were built around train stations to keep writing at a minimum. The MTA persisted to discourage and punish writers and this eventually ended in a dramatic decline in graffiti. This dormant state lasted through the 80s and 90s, and only the most die-hard writers continued with their artistic endeavors. In the past decade or so there has been a visible resurgence in grafitti, which has been translated and given new birth to what we know now as contemporary street art.




To learn more about the culture of graffiti, check out Style Wars at http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/style-wars/

What is Street art?

Street art is any art developed in public places — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting, street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, flash mobbing, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or the more specific post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art.

Artists have challenged art by situating it it non-art contexts. ‘Street’ artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by aesthetic values without being imprisoned by them. John Fekner defines street art as “all art on the street that’s not graffiti.” -wikipedia

Wondering who this John Fekner guy might be? He's a street artist rooted in the early days of graffiti. Look him up here: http://www.johnfekner.com/

The definition and dialogue of street art is constantly changing, and is often introduced to the gallery setting which challenges the meaning. In the following video, Swoon touches on this topic and speaks of the evolution of her work, as well as street art in general.