Sep
6
2009
On Contemplating Art and Public Space
Author: RussellI spend a lot of time walking/biking around urban landscapes, looking at space and photographing art. If you’ve followed my travels, you’ve notice that this is something that goes beyond hobby. This search isn’t a job either, but I have been paid for my efforts. For me, walking through a living system where humans work, play, eat, sleep, etc. brings rewards beyond a systematic point of reference. It is hard to label it as work, hobby, etc., when the urge to wander and look for art is a deep way of living for me.
This Saturday, I went for a walk, thinking a bit more about space. I reflected on the potential that space has to present art. The way people relay their feelings in more creative ways. And the lost histories that surrounds us in the neighborhoods we live in.
The following photo essay are the images that made me stop, stare, ponder, and snap. We all live in a world full of many colorful possibilities. We also live in a culture that doesn’t tolerate certain opinions, while letting others flourish. These photos touch on all the ideas I carry with a passion, and might help add context to why I constantly “stencil hunt” in the urban wilds of the USA and beyond.
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- I have photographed Bruce Tomb's Dappropriation Wall for almost 10 years now. But this is my first photo of the facade of the former SFPD Mission "cop shop." This building has a violent history, somewhat forgotten by new residents distracted by the pirate flag and postered public wall.
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- A perfect example of a space's potential to hold art. Green drops protect sacaffolding and a paint crew's work. They left the billboard open, with neglected, rotting ads on it. Easy access for a nimble artist, or someone who wants to take it down!
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- A great example of humor with stencil graffiti, someone put the phone back in the phonebooth. Placement is one of the foundations of street art, and this well-placed stencil on paper gets high marks.
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- When I first moved to the Mission, a beautiful mural graced this wall. "Our Roots Are Still Alive" kept getting defaced due to its pro-Palestinian visuals. So it is lost to the public behind plywood.
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- Dolores Park has become the hang out in recent years. Now the locals living nearby want to curb the excessive good times. This brings up the natural question: who controls public space and what goes on in it?
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- These peace pillars dot the world, giving people a public space for expressing their desire for peace. Set with intention, they create space in the heart as well as by the sidewalk.
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- This colorful graffiti-covered truck would be a white "canvas" or logo-pasted ad otherwise. When thinking of the potential for a space to hold art, this mobile object is a logical choice.
