As i was researching for my digital-themed traditional art travelogue, i had a revelation: street art and the web seemed to share many characteristics. Both are public, democratic, interactive, and transient. I had noticed from the beginning that a lot of what i was featuring happened to be street art, and i guess it was no coincidence; most digital-themed traditional art seemed to be on the streets. Maybe it’s because they share the aforementioned characteristics, maybe it’s because both are relatively new disciplines, maybe it’s because street art engages in a lot of cultural commentary, and our contemporary culture just so happens to be highly digital.
Back in Exhibit #5 of my first travelogue, i hinted at the connection (or what i saw of it):
(image via Kontraband)
There’s something ironic about this. The “NO TECH SHIT” response to the added “.com” tag is a perfect example of how the Web works. Street art is transient; it gets taken down, it gets embellished by other artists, it gets vandalized, it gets erased by natural forces… The streets are one collective canvas for all to embellish. It’s democratic and interactive. Often times, you’ll see artists responding to each other, commenting on each other’s contributions, as seen here. Sound familiar?
The following is my slideshow that more fully explains my initial connections. I used slideshare to upload the powerpoint. Basically, you make a powerpoint, upload the file on slideshare.net, and upon completion of upload, the site gives you an embed html code, which you can paste into your post using the HTML view window. I didn’t realize that you need to install a plug-in to embed the slideshow itself into a post, but once Mushon installs it, i’ll edit this post accordingly. Some of my formatting got lost/changed after the upload for some reason, but the upload process was easy enough. In the coming posts, i’ll focus on some or all of these connections while introducing more subtle ones (with accompanying images) between the two media.
Possibly Relevant Posts:
- Travelogue 4: Street art and the web (0) | nayoung
- Replication on the Streets and on the Web (2) | nayoung
- Exhibit #5: The Web in art (3) | nayoung
One Comment
I love street art, but I’m not sure your focus is very clear in this post. What can new media models tell us about the public space… and what this has to do with art? I looked at your slideshow, but I know you’re waiting on Mushon, so I’ll just look forward to your next post.