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Post Post-Graffiti

Started by Placid Dingo, September 10, 2010, 10:04:03 AM

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Placid Dingo

(Originally written for my webpage)

Banksy was the first artist I got really obsessivly into. I discovered him through Adbusters (culture jammers' magazine) which I was mad on at the time.

Banksy is often called a graffiti artist but it's more correct to call him part of the 'post-graffiti' movement. Where graffiti is a very specific method and style, post graffiti is a lot further reaching, including art made from wheatpaste posters, sculptures (Banksy's 'Murdered Phone Box' and 'Girl With McDonalds Balloon' are two famous examples) tiles (space invader being a prominent example), knitting, even plants.


The ideology of post graffiti is probably fairly close to graffiti; natuarlly all artists have a personal ideology, but generally there's some variation of 'reclaim/utilise public space'. Post Graffiti has becoem in some circles, a respected modern art form. Or at least, one worth spending large amounts of money on.


I'm curious about the next thing after post graffiti. There's one direction that's obvious; which is essentially the same aesthetic immitated in modern art, coming back into the gallery. But there's also a good deal of activity that seems largely related to the PG movement, both aestetically and ideologically.


Some of these include Street Theatre, Flash Mobs, Guerilla Gardening, LARPing, Whatever sf0 is, Parkour and activities such as 'Safari' (link to Safari page at bottom).


These are all versions of reclaiming or utilising public space. They generally seek to present some kind of aestetically interesting spectacle.


But are they art?


There's no reason why not. Sticking a shark in a tank may be 'shocking' in some ways for a short while, but even more obvious attempts to troll the art community (remember 'Piss Christ'?) are failing to make long term buzz.


When we're obsessed with the aestetic more than the actual, activity itself is the artform.


LINKDUMP:

More on Banksy: http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Adbusters: https://www.adbusters.org

Culture Jamming: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming

Post Graffiti: http://streetartshow.wordpress.com/about/post-graffiti-off-of-the-street-into-new-media/

Street Theatre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_theatre

Flash Mobs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_mob

Guerilla Gardening: http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

LARP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_action_role-playing_game

SF0: http://sf0.org/

Parkour: http://www.parkour.asn.au/

Safari: http://cramul.us/2010/08/the-great-reality-safari/

Shark-in-a-tank: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/arts/design/01voge.html

'Piss Christ': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piss_Christ
Haven't paid rent since 2014 with ONE WEIRD TRICK.