The Art Snob Archive

Streetsy - Jan 19 2007

Last week, an article in Imprint sought to expose “the consequences of senseless vandalism”, drawing attention to the V for Vendetta-inspired “crime” on the roof of the Central Services building. I will not lie, dear readers, I was deeply saddened by this searing exposé. Is $100,000 really too much to pay for a highly memorable piece of socially relevant art? Should we not be commending the young hero who had the courage to speak out against the totalitarian regime that has taken hold of our hallowed University? And anyways, if this is vandalism, what are we to make of those enormous sculptures polluting Hagey Hall?

Art Snobs are urban animals, and as such we are “totally down” with the street art movement. Naturally, we try to downplay our support for the unsanctioned beautification of city spaces so we don’t “catch heat” from “the po”, but it is getting increasingly difficult to deny the importance of this flourishing art form.

Street art, a broad discipline encouraging the use of everything from stickers to 3-D installations in an attempt to artistically engage the urban environment, has existed for decades as a subterranean outlet for creativity. Recently, appreciation for its social and cultural relevance has overshadowed condemnations of its illicit nature.

I came to truly appreciate this reality while viewing Alfonso Cuarón’s magnificent Children of Men this weekend. In a bleak future of nuclear terrorism, infertility and Kubrick-esque soundtracking, the protagonist visits “The Ark of Arts”, a safe depository protecting important works of art from destruction. Here, alongside Michelangelo’s David and Picasso’s legendary Guernica, is a wall fragment with a piece of stencil art by the UK’s most inflammatory genius, the graffiti artist Banksy.

Celebration of the piece, which portrays two male police officers kissing and fondling each other, can only mean one thing: street art is more important than anything Da Vinci ever did. “Property manipulation”, it seems, can no longer be dismissed as mere vandalism; in many cases it exists as a sophisticated form of expression.

Unfortunately for art snobs, the first rule of street art is to reject the fame and pretentiousness associated with “gallery art”. Because of this, it is characterized by anonymity and spontaneity. There are, of course, at least a few big names you can cite to sound knowledgeable: “Boy, Os Gemeos really did a number on that factory in Sao Paulo.” “Yeah, but you can’t compare it to Faile’s mural in L.A.”

Street art’s importance is linked to its accessibility. There’s no admission fee, and the art is visible to the millions who pass through urban thoroughfares daily. In Iran, stencils of Ahmadinejad with a question mark on his face are being recognized as evidence of the youth reform movement. Abstractor’s interventionist art on video billboards in Manhattan exists as an important commentary on commercial intrusiveness. Cum’s wheatpastes of topless women are no doubt scathing critiques of…uhhhh…US foreign policy? Anyways…

In December 2006, New York’s Wooster Collective turned a five storey building into a canvas by inviting street artists from around the world to decorate the exterior and interior in a hugely successful celebration of ephemeral art. I suggested a similar project regarding the bland walls of East Campus Hall in my list of New Year’s resolutions, but as of yet the administration has shown no interest in sanctioning my call to action.

In any case, I would never use this widely read, reputable student newspaper as a vehicle with which to encourage any sort of campus beautification, nor would I ever insult the University by suggesting that ‘blank walls equal blank minds.’ It would be terribly irresponsible for me to point out to my dear readers the fine selection of paints and poster materials available at ECH’s ArtWorx, and I couldn’t possibly admit that the ‘vandalism’ of General Services was in fact another way in which UW is breaking boundaries. I will, however, encourage you to appreciate the beauty and relevance of street art, and understand that, indeed, just as anyone can admire street art, so can anyone be a street artist. Good day to you.

posted by HLL @ Friday, January 19, 2007