It Isn’t Just For Spraypaint Anymore!

“A new generation is making street art that is conceptual, abstract, and even sculptural in nature,” says Carolina A. Miranda, in her new essay for Art News on the changing nature of art in the street. We couldn’t agree more, as we’ve witnessed young artists completely circumventing the established art school/gallery/museum route and taking their message directly to the public for the last decade at least.  It still has the do-it-yourself, in-your-face attitude of it’s predecessors in graffiti, but what has changed is the number of influences and levels of engagement at play in today’s scene.

Read more from Miranda’s piece called “Beyond Graffiti” here:

“Working with pure abstraction,” as described by Miranda – possibly evidenced in this piece by Street Artist MOMO. Photo courtesy the artist’s website, momoshowpalace.com.

And it Isn’t Just for the BK Either

Obviously, cultural and art movements are no longer simply local for more than about 12 minutes, and it is always interesting to see the permutations of Street Art as it moves through the world. And it’s always fun to see how it’s being observed in academia – like this piece about Northeastern University professor Doreen Lee, who is “examining broad social and political developments in Indonesia through a narrowed focus — street art.“

“She’s found some of the art to be political, some to be exploratory or ‘art for art’s sake,’ said Lee. But she’s also noted ‘recognizable’ international influences, giving graffiti in Jakarta a striking resemblance to graffiti in New York City or elsewhere around the world. The significance of this resemblance is one of acknowledging and assessing global connections and influences, she said.”

Read the article in the Northeast University Press here:

image © Doreen Lee

The Wrinkles of the City. Shanghai 2010 by JR

New BLU Collection of Animations

Italian Street Artist BLUE has a new DVD out. See the trailer below:

Anita Bryant Pie In the Face

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