Had an interesting chat at work today about graffiti/street art. If anyone reading this is involved or has friends involved in the UK in particular, with graffiti, then I’d really like to hear your comments.
Basically, one of our clients is looking at sponsoring an exhibition of street art. Although graffiti comes from a background of anti-establishment and would traditionally frown on commercial ventures, I think the landscape that graffiti operates in has changed massively.
It is very much recognised as an art form nowadays. When your mam knows who Banksy is, then you know it’s fairly mainstream. Writers are making a living from doing it, in various ways. Which is why I think writers, and their audience wouldn’t really frown on this exhibition. It’s something which will really promote graffiti and it’s purveyors as an art form, showing it in a completely positive light. Allowing people to get up close to this type of art and experience it, in a way they maybe haven’t before.
What I want to ask is this:
If you’re a writer, if you love graffiti, if you’ve got friends involved in it etc…would you
a) like to see an exhibition of work by top graffiti writers, in a setting it may not have been viewed before
b) like to see a group of top writers discussing who they think is really worth their paint, in terms of up-coming artists. So, maybe like a one-off blog set up for a week or two specially for a debate/Q&A/discussion on the state of street art, who’s hot, who’s making statements etc.
Ultimately it’d be something aiming to promote young talent. Maybe this ‘panel’ of writers would vote on who is the next Banksy or whatever and then we’d get this artist some exposure. Maybe get them involved in the exhibition somehow with some world renowned writers.
What do you reckon? Anyone?
