The essence of street art

The street art movement arose from the graffiti movement, which was a reaction to the injustice poor youth in NY were confronted with.

Imprisoned in their social situations, artists used graffiti as an artistic 
protest against the authorities. The expression form, mostly applied in subway stations and public buildings, provided urban frustrations 
with a sound board, a highly original way to share personal opinions and inspiring, positive messages about politics and social abuse in a dysfunctional society.

Street art is a revolutionary art form based upon the continual relation with passers-by and the environment. The concept surpasses the narrower meaning of graffiti but it did remain loyal to the playground and the direct interaction with the public.

By means of a self devised , utmost unique language versatile artists communicate activist, critical messages about political and societal themes, materialism, consumerism, violence, immorality or propaganda for a good cause: to influence the collective behavior and stimulate reflection.

The use of catchy, popular images easily attracts passers-by, who connect with the recognizable, to mass culture referring symbols such as comic characters, super heroes or celebrities.

The spray cans made room for an immense variety of expressive forms: from collages, murals, installations, sculptures, video projections, stencils, knitta, photography, poster and sticker art, to virtual kidnappings.

Evolved from a territorial subculture into an innovative, surprising, subversive phenomenon, providing each and every one worldwide with free art, street art performs the essential role art should have in the development of insights and perceptions.

With its diverse references, interactive messages and intrinsic motivation the possibilities remain endless.

El Mac's premium picture perfect

Mac and Retna Miami

Autodidact Miles Mac MacGregor(1980) has been studying art as if it were a religion. When growing up, the art that spoke to him was the art which looked real.

El Mac started painting with acrylics in the mid ’90s, realistically rendering human faces and figures.  After being blown away by the Subway Art book he started experimenting with graffiti(1994). A perfectionist at heart, he always desired to create perfect, super tight works of art. Having to paint quickly in the dark was a fruitful lesson for this portraitist. 

Painting from photographs and from life, El Mac has been described as a photorealistic painter. His detailed representations of a large variety of individuals look perfect, meticulously lifelike, moving your inner sensations in each and every way.

This technical master who uses iced spray cans to create an energetic rippled effect, desires to affect people in the same way he's inspired by paintings, to connect with the public and to change how others think.

His aesthetic preferences have evolved over the years, growing more appreciation for abstraction.

El Mac often collaborates with Retna, who's in charge of the typography while Mac paints the figures. Interacting with another artist balances Mac's introverted and extroverted sides. The duo painted an enormous mural for Primary Flight Art Basel Miami Beach(2007- 2009), held an exhibition at the Robert Berman Gallery(2009) and released a book entitled Alianza: Mac & Retna which documents their individual and collaborative works in three sections.

Mac's classical influences were illustrated by his interpretation of the Flemish Primitives at the Groeningen Museum in Bruges(2003).
With solo shows in San Francisco (2009, Fifty24SF Gallery), New York(2010, Joshua Liner Gallery) and sponsored murals for the Pasadena Museum(2011), the MARCO(2010) and the Cisneros-Fontanals Art Foundation(2012, Havana Biennial), more canvases and public work are to be looked forward to.

There’s always more to learn, more to discover, and MacGregor will definitely do it in his own unique way.

http://elmac.net

Publication:
Alianza: Mac & Retna, 2009, Upper Playground/Gingko Press, 
ISBN: 978-1-58423-359-6 

Don't do it to impress the press: street artist Roa

Picture: Ann Timmermans, Roa @ Rabot Ghent

Taking it back to the true essence of street art and hip hop culture, Belgian based graffiti artist Roa is so tall that he always stands out in a crowd.


As a youngster he was inspired and influenced by all the aspects of hip hop culture: skating, music of the Wu Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Eric B and Rakim, the Beastie Boys and naturally the freedom of expression by means of graffiti art. At that time his throw ups under bridges and on walls were to be seen in the vibrant streets of his hometown Ghent. 


He evolved from painting in a traditional way to his own graphic style of depicting his subjects, each piece clearly showing his painterly technique and love for nature. He combines rollers and spray cans to form the layers of his master pieces.


Intrigued by biology, his recognizable black and white animals are artistic expressions in correlation with abanonded sites, referring to these industrial spots as oasisses in civilization.


He believes that animals tell so much more about this world then anything or anyone else. No wonder he desired to become a vet as a kid. He easily succeeds in depicting vital beings in a way you may expect from masters as Picasso and Duchamps he loves so much. 


His unique monochrome paintings depicting rhinoceroses, birds, rabbits, fish, monkeys and cockroaches are yet to be admired in all major cities around the world.


Roa does his thing to express himself, to share art instead of the pursuit of his ego. Roa is on the roll!


Article written by Ann Timmermans

Picture Ann Timmermans, Roa @ Interbeton industrial site Ghent

Picture Ann Timmermans, Roa @Interbeton site Ghent

You can’t let the Streets beat you! Guerrilla Granny crafts reviving...

In 2005 clothes shop owner Magda Sayeg AKA PolyCotN started decorating Houston's grey environment with leftover pieces of yarn.


Her aim, to create a warm and human local living area, appeared to be a success as her Knitta granny graffiti project soon developed into a new urban art form in the United States. A wrapped doorknob lead to this relatively new world-wide street art phenomenon.


Instead of employing paint guerrilla knitters embellish urban settings by  wrapping busses, cars, trees, mail boxes, lamp posts and other somewhat cold public objects in jolly, colourful, woolly non-permanent, easily to be removed knitted or crocheted cloth.


Nowadays yarn storming crews such as Knit The City tackle places as Covent Garden and the Chinese wall. The first International Yarn Bombing day was held on June 11th 2011.


Article written by Ann Timmermans


www.knittaplease.com


Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and KKnit Graffiti, Mandy Moore and Leanne.... , Arsenal Pulp Press, ISBN-13 9781551522 555

Interbeton, an attraction for graffiti artists, squatters and urban photographers

Squatters took over the site of Interbeton in Ghent from the moment it was no longer in use. The terrain became a homeport for artists and a place of inspiration.

Graffiti artists were able to fully explore their passion without the fear of seeing their pieces being destroyed after a few days as it occurs in the Graffiti alley, Werregaren by the large amount of tags.

The entire building site, with walls as far as the eye can reach, was in need of a layer of paint. Roa, Blue and many others took advantage of the opportunity to share their pieces with the outside world. The majority of the walls were coated with latex paint, which is an excellent foundation to show large scale paintings to full advantage.

The site was a cosy, sociable and safe environment thanks to the squatters who were always in for a chat. It was a hospitable setting where no distinction was made between race, class and whatever. Anyone was welcome at the gigs and parties which were regularly being organized.
The sign boards of Interbeton are the towers, featuring master pieces of graffiti artists without fear of heights. These artworks are still to be admired up to this day.

In the meanwhile practically all annexes have been demolished. The towers will remain, in future these will be renovated by the city of Ghent . A cultural center will be constructed on the abandoned harbor site.

The question arises whether we are really in need of a new district. Wouldn’t it be preferable to breathe life into this environment with a mix of architecture and culture.

Interbeton will be remembered by many artists for a long period of time.
There should be more similar spots where illegal graffiti is being tolerated, in order to brighten up our gray city.

Article written by Cypress Photo

Streets ahead

Street art is a worldwide cultural phenomenon of revolutionary art which questions the existing environment. Street artists use urban settings as a platform to reach everyday people in order to influence the collective behaviour. Their pieces have their own language to communicate activist and social themes.

A large variety in street art media and techniques can be perceived, going from murals, installations, video projections, wheat pasting, flash mobbing, over stencil graffiti, LED art, poster art and sticker art to large graffiti master pieces made with aerosol paints or marker pens.
Graffiti is an initially unconventional art style which is associated with hip hop music. Hip hop, a subculture of our times, consists of several elements such as DJ-ing and scratching records, rap and beat box , graffiti and break-dance. MC’s spread their messages by rapping to beats.


Hip hop graffiti originally emerged from the inequalities poor urban youth in New York city were facing. Many poor residents were confronted with racism, class struggle, violence and total chaos. Imprisoned in their social situation, disenfranchised youth used this urban art style as an artistic resistance to authority. In New York Julio 204 and Taki 183 tagged their names in public spaces to reject their poor environment during the 1970’s.


The first hip hoppers voiced the frustrations of urban minorities on vehicles such as subway trains, public buildings, roofs, billboards, ... Graffiti artists use their pieces as a means of expression of the subculture, sharing their views on political and social misconduct in a dysfunctional society. It is not merely used to utter criticism but also spreads positive messages to inspire youngsters.


Street art is booming. Street artists as Aérosol and Banksy have achieved commercial success and seized the opportunity to show their art in museums or galleries. Or how underground became mainstream.


Article written by Ann Timmermans