Spring

Page 1

Spring



Table of Contents Author’s Notes

p. 3-4

Street Art as a Tool

p. 5-8

Green Graffiti

p. 9-10

Eco Graffiti: Grow

p. 11-12

Interview: Anna Garforth

p. 13-14


Author's Notes By Tyler Schuppert

I wanted to add this

since the early 2000s have the two

section to the zine in order

been combined. It offers a unique

to clarify a few things. I also

look into our societies response to

wanted to simply complain

recent trending and how politically

about the coverage my subject

stimulated art is.

has gotten and how rare any

sort of complete and competent

nuances of what make art and any

journalism is regarding green

sort of philosophical discourse

graffiti. It saddens me that such

regarding our society I want to

an interesting and fairly unique

say that this new addition into

form of interdisciplinary work has

the art world is fascinating. Even

gone unnoticed. Contemporary

the street-art phenomenon is

graffiti has been around for several

intriguing, but the field’s inside is

decades, and eco art has been

just as diverse.

around for even longer, yet only

p.4

Without delving into the

I want to establish that I


am in no way encouraging graffiti

disputing if painting on someone

or illegal street-art, but i want to

else’s property should be illegal.

acknowledge its effects. Taken

It completely should be. But in

by itself street-art and graffiti

its illegality it should still be

offer something no other art form

considered for its diversity and as

does. Although these forms are

an art form.

completely illegal I think we should keep watching out.

As a reader you are

completely entitled to your own opinion, but I hope that the articles I have compiled may at least open up the possibility of you considering giving something that is illegal a second chance. Im not

p.5


Steet Art as a Tool

By Kristina Marie Gleaton

Street art serves as a tool

as an arena for expression and a

for advocacy as well as a reporting

sounding board of sorts for the

forum. It functions socially as

marginalized. Whether the art form

it helps to shed light on events,

is sanctioned or unauthorized,

identify key players, provide social

it is exemplified by expressive

commentary, and even to articulate

thought directly communicated

political agendas and present

to its audience through the use of

visions (8). It plays a role that is

an “economy of words and ideas,

often in direct opposition to the

and rhetorically simple discourse�

media, by offering its commentary,

(9). Rarely are the messages hard

criticisms, and probing questions.

to decipher. Instead, street artists

Partisan in nature, the art form is

rely on simple, concise messages

not obligated to remain neutral

and a fusing of thoughts, ideas and

or unbiased, but instead works

commentary to initiate a political

toward advancing a cause or

dialogue. The ever-changing

idea. Street art is accessible to

political sphere forces street art

everyone regardless of point of

to be highly adaptable; as issues

view, and by its very nature acts

arise, the art form’s themes alter to

p.6


reflect current problems. Reflected through graffiti, murals, stickers, and posters, unsanctioned art communicates thoughts on pressing issues that are political, social, economic, and cultural in nature (9). As street art breathes life into the walls, a community dialogue is sparked as people begin to ask questions. Passersby, now forced to reflect on what it is they see, become aware of the presence, and viewpoint, of an active underground resistance movement. Street art, in direct opposition to commercial advertising, seeks to

p.7


neutralize the themes and

(Lewisohn 30). One must assume

“ideological discourse of the

that street art is an effective

streets” (19). Thus, a question of

means of communication; if it

control is raised: who controls

were not, the general response to

the streets? Is it the capitalists or

eradicate the art form, specifically

socialists? The art form is a power

from those is power, would not

tool for inspiring, energizing,

be so great. From its inception,

generating morale, and raising

modern day unsanctioned art was a

the spirits of its public, which is most “pronounced

reflection of the

“People consume information as it is available to them...”

at times of

turbulent New York political situation. Through

crisis, war, [and] revolution” (20).

style and content, the art form

People consume information as it

presented images of a nation

is available to them, and it is street

undergoing civil- and women’s-

art that is utilized as a means of

rights movements, power

transmitting messages that help

outages, a serial killer on the

to supplement the availability of

loose, and “staunch racial issues”

information and ideas (23). The art

(38). Acting as stimuli, these

form acts as a “framing device”

factors combined with “pictorial

for its communities around the

influences” to produce “overtly

world, as a “parallel voice of the

political messages” through art

city, and as a modern primitive

(38). Lee, an innovator of the New

art” that can be found all around

York subway graffiti movement,

for those who wish to look

mentions that the “political

p.8


atmosphere is ripe for people who

multi-faceted nature of the art

want to listen to art as the first

form, which remains unbound

word of a collective consciousness.

from the “layered editorial

People know what’s going on, but

complicity” the public experiences

they need to see it in the arts to

so heavily in the media (93).

confirm it” (79). Street artists are

Street art and graffiti will always

influential not only in the number

retain a sense of authority that will

of people their work reaches, but

forever be “relevant in terms of

also the number of artists inspired to make work of

representing

“... artists’ work is presented directly to the viewer....”

their own. The

the outside, non-edited view” because the artists’

art form is “a visual language that

work is presented directly to the

incorporates the world around it”

viewer with no curator in between

(39). Jeffrey Deitch, a modern and

to dictate what it good and what

contemporary art dealer, states that

is not (131). The communicative

street art has “become the most

power of

influential cultural innovation of

street art lies in the fact that there

the past thirty years” (30). Some

is just one editor—just the artist,

street artists rely on guerilla tactics

directly initiating a dialogue with

to deliver their messages, and a

the viewer. It is the mix of “social

few have even

activism, social outrage, and

taken to “corporate sabotage” as

creativity” that enable the

the main element of their work

art form to deliver a strong

(81). This further exemplifies the

message in the most “beautiful [of]

p.9


Green Graffiti By Abigail Doan

Eco-minded street artist

turn touch you in the playful ways

Edina Tokodi is putting a new spin

that her animated installations

on green guerilla tactics in the

call to mind a more familiar,

trendy art enclave of Williamsburg,

environmentally friendly state

Brooklyn. Tokodi’s site-specific

in the barren patches of urban

moss installations of prancing

existence.

animal figures and camouflage

Tokodi believes strongly that the

outgrowths are the talk of a local

reactions of passersby (or the lack

urban neighborhood typically

of any reaction at all) is really

accustomed to gallery hype and

an indicator of a deeper malaise

commercial real estate take-

that we need to pay attention

overs. Unlike the market-driven

to and reseed with “mentally

art featured in sterile, white box

healthy garden states” and direct

galleries, the work of Tokodi is

interactive engagement.

meant to be touched, felt, and in

The artist states:

p.10


“I think that our distance from

leave them alone, or if they want

nature is already a cliché. City

to, take care of them or dismantle

dwellers often have no relationship

them. This is what makes my

with animals or greenery. As a

work similar to graffiti, although

public artist I feel a sense of duty

I am searching for a deeper social

to draw attention to deficiencies in

meaning and a dialogue with

our everyday life. As a cultivator

memories of the animals and

of eco-urban sensitivity, I usually

gardens of my past in a small town

go back to the sites to visit my

in Central Europe. I believe that

“plants” or “moss”, sometimes to repair them a bit, but nothing more

if everyone

“The reactions of passersby is really an indicator of a deeper malaise that we need to pay attention to...”

generally as

had a garden of their own to cultivate, we would have a much more balanced

they tend to get enough water from

relation to our territories. Of

the air, condensation, and rain–

course, a garden can be many

especially in certain seasons. I also

things.”

like to let them live by themselves.

Edina Tokodi studied graphic

From the moment I put them on

art and design at the Hungarian

the street they start to have their

Academy of Fine Arts and also

own life. For me, the reaction

completed urban design course

of life on the street is also very

work in Milan, Italy. Her work

important. I am curious about how

can be seen on the streets of

people receive them, if they just

Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

p.11


Eco-Graffiti: Grow From the Inspiration of the Nation team.

The amazing Eco-graffiti entitled “Grow”

by Anna Garforth is already famous for it’s innovative design and simple yet very powerful Eco message. The phenomenal art work “Grow” is made out of moss, a new medium for street art, that grows easily and has none of the environmental detriments of spraypainted graffiti. Anna Garforth works with a diverse range of materials and skills to create unique and experimental art. Her Wartworks have been used for public events, community projects, workshops, campaigns, publications and exhibitions. With a strong background in design and illustration, she

p.12


is able to transform moss into beautiful lettering, playing with the design, the typography and the language to make amazing art works.

I love the way she can combine the language

and the visual arts without effort, and the message is so crystal clear that I don’t need to explain it, it becomes obvious from the fist glance at her art work. As an artist with a strong ecological message, she uses mostly recycled or natural materials and turns them into art. She is a genius in both words and design, as she was able to send such a powerful sustainable and social message using juts one simple word: “Grow�. Take a look at this amazing art work, it will surely become one of your favorites.

p.13


Interview with Anna Garforth

Conducted by David Brier

Anna, give us a quick snapshot of yourself.

I grew up in a leafy part of the world and spent most of my childhood imagining worlds and constructing things out of nature. I moved to the city where I studied art and design and developed a strong affinity for the urban forest. My respect for the wild merged with my love of the city and as a result, the essence of my work is inspired by the juxtaposition of urban and natural environments.

p.14


What began your obvious

work often features orchard

love affair with typography?

pruning’s, park debris, and other

Stefan Sagmeister. Up until the

natural materials that are screwed,

point I set eyes on Sagmeister’s

doweled or bolted together to

work, I didn’t know that

form constructions and type. Andy

experimental typography existed.

Uprock is a street artist that came

There was a particular piece of

up with the concept ‘cuprocking’

his that started it off for me, a

he creates beautiful lettering and

giant billboard stacked with 7200

patterns in fences using plastic

bananas! Green bananas were

cups. Andy Goldsworthy has

used to spell out “self-confidence

been a longtime favorite and

produces fine results” - a message

inspiration of mine; he works

that couldn’t have come at a

solely from nature to create mind

more pertinent time. I set sail

blowing site specific installations

into experimental waters and

and sculptures. There are so

discovered a whole world of 3D

many people that encourage and

typography, since then I’ve never

motivate me by their creativity

looked back!

every day, I am never stuck for

incentive.

Does anyone currently

inspire you to experiment with

What inspired you to

new materials?

merge environmental elements

A whole bunch of artists inspire

with typography?

me and I am always discovering

Quite simply, my love of being

new designers that make me push

outdoors and submersed in nature.

my ideas further. To name a few,

(Look at the way Anna created

Gyonky Laky. Her sculptural

these two signs below on fences

p.15



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