Stik's and Stones

Stik's and Stones

http://www.stik.org.uk/

As a small time graffiti artist myself, I like to think I can express an opinion on what it is to be one as well as expressing an opinion on others work which is labelled as such. I see graffiti as a free form of art, constantly changing and evolving, and over the years I think it has. I am studying at University at the moment and my work is constantly changing, I hope improving as well. In 2009 and 2010 I attended an urban paint festival called “UPFEST” in Bristol where I was one of the 150 Artists putting up work throughout the course of a day for viewing members of the public. I remember seeing one of Stik’s pieces in a prime position on stage in the bar/gallery area of the venue. In my opinion it looked  the same as most of his other pieces with nothing to make it particularly stand out.

Stik Upfest 2009

Stik Upfest 2010

Imitate Modern Art Contemporary Art Gallery (2012) Available at http://imitatemodern.com/artists/stik/     (Accessed: 24 April 2012)

IF YOU HIGHLIGHT THIS YOU CAN READ IT.

A critique of Styk’s work can be found online at the Imitate Modern Art Gallery “Deceptively simple, with just six lines each and dots for eyes, they are packed with subtle form and emotions, showing an extraordinary ability to reflect human psychology and diversity.” (Imitate Modern, 2012). I cannot see the validity in this remark. His work leaves me uninspired and slightly misplaced in society. Maybe it is out of jealousy that I dislike his work but it gets a lot of credit for something I am blind to see, and this frustrates me. His work reminds me more of a franchise logo that’s been repeated so many times it has accumulated some value but I question for how long will it retain this value. In 50 years will he be seen as a pioneer of street art?  will his work fade into the layers of fresh paint?

 I met an artist at Upfest called “Pahnl” http://pahnl.co.uk/on_street.php, who uses a similar stick man style figure’s but in my view in far more ingenious witty ways, every new piece he does has new ambitions and ideas. Yet he is not interviewed on sky news and given the publicity Stik has had.

Reference list.

Imitate Modern Art Contemporary Art Gallery (2012) Available at http://imitatemodern.com/artists/stik/     (Accessed: 24 April 2012)

Post-modern Graffiti

Post-modern Graffiti

So… When and where did graffiti start?

“Graffiti has been around since men could draw on walls. Caves from 30,000 years ago often exhibit over endowed men and Beautiful (by the standards of the time) women. It could be argued that these were some of the first tags” ( Wiki Answers 2012)

It could be argued that they were pornographic as well. Every school boy likes to think he invented drawing a crude penis on inanimate objects; it almost comes instinctively to most.

“Modern graffiti art as we know it now originated on the streets of New York City. Artists strove to create better pieces, refining their techniques and use of spray paint to turn what was once a marker of territory into a true art form. Graffiti art has been recognized in the fine art world since the first graffiti-centered gallery opened in Rome in 1979” ( Wiki Answers 2012)

Rome itself once stood a mighty empire, a picture of prosperity and opportunity. However archaeological discoveries paint a different picture, pun intended.

I used to love this show called Rome, in particular the introduction credits seen here… I think it shows an accurate yet enchanting depiction of roman life through its streets public art. There is even a guy with a huge wang.

So, Graffiti did not begin at one specific time, just recently it has become attached to a sub-culture of tagging, hip hop, break dancing, etc. this is where graffiti becomes  something more in modern society. To some it is defacing public property and vandalism, costing time and money to remove. To others it’s a way of life, interesting designs and epic murals purely for the public’s amusement. I lean towards the latter.

Reference List

‘Where and when did graffiti start’ (2012) Wiki Answers. Available at: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_and_when_did_graffiti_start  (Accessed: 24 April 2012)

Semiotics Of Tartan.

Semiotics of Tartan.

I was once told during drunken conversation with a Scotsman in my local pub one evening that the clan I am descended from (the Campbell’s) have to wear a white strip (to negative effect) in their clan tartan because of historical events sometime in the 18^th century. I’m not sure how much of that was true but it intrigued me because in my ignorance I thought a tartan was constructed from the materials at hand in the region. The colour and pattern of tartan in various Scottish clans is defined by where they are from and the surrounding areas.

Recently I attended a wedding where I met a Scotsman in his traditional Scottish dress (there’s always one). During another drunken conversation he educated me about his tartan, the different colours represented the region his clan hailed from. The blue backdrop represented the sea, strips of white mimicking the swash coming off the waves, yellow for the sand of the beach, green of the heather hills and a deep black of the slate rock in the region. This is a rough idea of what it actually looked like...

Campbell Tartan

The colours in this tartan I think simply represent the heather and the thistles that would have inhabited the clan territories.

Matthew A.C. Newsome (2008) looks at the connection between clan tartans and regimental tartans and argues that it was only when Scottish regiments started to emerge in about 1745 that tartans were adopted as a uniform and different regiments had different tartans. He argues that many families that were in the same regiment now wear a similar tartan. ‘ the  Campbells, Grants and Munros all wear the tartan of the Black Watch’.  (Newsome, 2008).

Tartans seemed, therefore, to originate organically using colours that could be obtained through natural dyes from the environment around them i.e. plants and animals –  yellows from heather and purples from sea shore whelks. Clans were more easily identified by the plants that they wore in their caps than the colour of their tartan  (Scotshistoryonline, 2012)

In conclusion I think I prefer the romanticized patriotic version which comes out after a few beers.

Reference List

Newsome, A.C.  ‘The Military Origin of Clan Tartans’ The Scottish Banner July 2008 p.9 (North American Edition),

The History of Scottish Tartans and Clan Tartans (2012) available at http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/tartan-history.html   (Accessed 23 April 2012)