via Occasional Links & Commentary

raphael zarka, "riding modern art. via DesignBoom

It comes as no surprise that skaters and others use public art in many different ways. Just as public art itself can be a more and less  genteel territorialization of space. The suite of photographs, “Riding Modern Art,” by Raphael Zarka at designboom based on an upcoming exhibition at the French Cultural Center in Milan, however, is particularly enjoyable for “decisive moment-ness,” which is at once frozen and viscerally vertiginous.

Zarka writes about his subjects -

“What strikes me, is that skaters prioritize a relationship with the work rather than a mechanical relationship aesthetic. for them, all the interest of a sculpture is the variety of movements that it recommends.”

Camille Utterback, "Abundance," 2007, San Jose City Hall Rotunda. Commissioned by ZER01.

When the skaters and bikers showed up in the San Jose City Hall Plaza, as they often do in the early morning hours when some of the “Do Not” signage is hard to read, perhaps, it was precisely an example of the kind of relationship that artist Camille Utterback had envisioned with her interactive projection, Abundance -

“By providing a way for participants to temporarily inscribe their movements on the facade of City Hall, Abundance personalizes the site, altering participants’ sense of ownership and belonging to a place that is already theirs as a public civic space.”

Shaun Gladwell Storm Sequence 2000 digital video edition of 4 Videoraphy: Techa Noble Original Soundtrack: Kazumuchi Grime Courtesy the artist and Sherman Galleries, Sydney. via Experimenta.

Australian artist Shaun Gladwell often features his own skateboarding, such as his 2000 video Storm Sequence, shot on Bondi Beach near Sydney, about which critic Penny Craswell suggests yet another level of interaction based on Gladwell’s personal philosophy of the “isolated figure moving and struggling through the panoramas of nature (urban and ‘real’) in a possible engagement with the sublime”

“Urban intervention idealized by Felipe Morozini, directed by Jeorge Simas around Elevado Costa e Silva in São Paulo City, to make a little bit less rough. One dweller and 21 friends painting one of the most crowded avenue in the biggest city in South America.”

Runner Up in the Street Art Award category of the Metropolis Art Prize 2009.

via Inspire Collective

Claudia Ficca & Davide Luciano, "A pothole becomes a beer cooler." via Toronto Star

Not unlike the United guitar guy, Davide Luciano and Claudia Ficca turned their run in with a pothole into an excuse for some guerrilla street art from flower gardens to  a baptism to deep fried donuts. Check out the slideshow.

via Toronto Star

Related

• Cracks in the matrix

Martin Sobey curb art. via Good.

Wooster Collective interviews Martin Sobey about what might be called his uplifting random acts of art.

via Good

This curb shot reminds me of Natalie Jeremijenko’s NoPark project, which returns  “‘no parking zones’ — mostly those associated fire hydrant placement — to low growth mosses and grasses.”

Natalie Jeremijenko, NoPark

“These micro engineered green spaces prevent storm water run off, use foliage to stabilize the soil, and to provide a durable low maintenance surface cover. These microparks continue to provide emergency parking space for fire trucks and exasperated Fresh-direct delivery persons. But the other 99.9% of the time they now do something more. For all the same rationales that apply to green roofs, greening the no-standing zones is a good thing. Practically, noPARKS capture more water than green roofs (not being limited to carrying capacity of the 2”, 4” or 6” of soil that roofs require). These no parking/standing zones are often situated where water collects, capturing the oily runoff from the road before it runs into the river. noPARKs recharge and replenish soil moisture on the block important to trees — even yards away — to help them dilute the gallons of uric acid poured on city trees plots each day by friendly neighborhood dogs. Less water puddling decreases pedestrian slipping hazards. Lastly, the noPark reduces the number of standing water pools that are left for days, which are the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. In this way, the noPark may reduce the need for widespread fumigation to combat West Nile virus in New York City.”

via xClinic

Forecast Public Art is excited to announce its newest public art project on University Ave, Echoing Voices, a billboard installation by artist, Kao Lee Thao. With support from the Jerome Foundation, Forecast Public Art selected Thao from a pool of local applicants to create a design for a billboard at the intersection of University Avenue and Cleveland in St. Paul. Thao chose to use the public visibility of the project to create a visual dialog about a topic close to her life, the Hmong Secret War.

“I was one of the first Hmong children born in America, each year my birth is a constant reminder of those who were left behind and continue to fight for my freedom. My aspiration was to create a painted billboard that speaks out about the injustices of the remaining Hmong soldiers called Freedom Fighters from the “Secret War” during the Vietnam War.

Inspired by Hmong textiles and vibrant colors of my culture I divided the billboard representing the two worlds I live in. My spirit is still trapped in the Jungles of Laos and my soul is in America living out my dreams. I want to inspire young minds to pursue their passion, but remind us not to forget how we won our freedom to America. I hope someday we can end the “Secret War” and bring peace to those remaining in Laos still fighting…” – Kao Lee Thao,

The Echoing Voices and a companion website (www.echoingvoices.com) will be installed on Monday September 21, 2009 and will remain on view through November at the intersection of University Avenue and Cleveland in St. Paul, MN.

via Hrag Vartanian

“My street work consists mostly of isometric rectangles and squares. I selectively place these graphics around New York to highlight the unexpected contours and elegant geometry of the city itself. All execution of a piece is done on site with litle to no planning.”

Akash Nihalani

“Edgar Müller – a Master of 3d Pavement Art – needed 5 days to the completion of this huge picture. Together with up to five assistant he painted all day long from sun rise to set. The enormous illusion is reached by applying the anamorphic technique to a huge pavement painting. Around 250 square meter large this picture is part of Edgar’s newest project. He paints over urban areas to give them a different look and thereby challenge the audience’s perception.”

via streetpainting.tv and Street Art

Reverse Graffiti

“Reverse graffiti also known as clean tagging, dust tagging or grime writing, is a method of creating graffiti on walls or other surfaces by removing dirt from a surface. It is usually done by removing dirt/dust with the fingertip(s) from windows or other dirty surfaces, as in the old joke of writing “wash me” with one’s finger on a dirty car.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_graffiti

image via www.environmentalgraffiti.com

image via www.environmentalgraffiti.com

image via www.environmentalgraffiti.com

The Reverse Graffiti Project and artist Paul “Moose” Curtis create a poignant scene in SF. Watch the process in this short clip by director Doug Pray.

Moss Graffiti

I am particularly fond of this new method of beautification. An extension of the seed bomb artists are taking to the street armed with a blended recipe of moss and buttermilk. What results is living breathing art!

image via treehugger.com

Artist Ladybird. image via woostercollective.com

image via barbhoffman.com

L.A.S.E.R Tag & Projection Art

There is almost too much to cover here and it just about warrants a whole new post. To wet your whistle check out these sites and projects.

The work of Graffiti Research Labs is stretching street art to new heights and takes a serious approach to including innovative technologies into everyday life. One recent project is L.A.S.E.R tagging.

Here is a great video of the process and a variety of tags.

Check out the Muonics blog for L.A.S.E.R tag code – its open source!

Another one of my very favorite group of innovators is MAW (Minneapolis Art on Wheels). Call me hometown proud. Watch them on Make television.

And last but not least for those of you looking for an excuse to go to Florida this summer Alys Beach should be your destination of choice. The second annual Digital Graffiti Festival will be held on June 6th 2009.

image via digitalgraffiti.info

This month he moves in a new direction with public installation “Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill” in NYC. Complete with animatronic creatures real and imagined.

The Village Pet Store and Grill

The result is an interesting intersection of public art, an ironic macabre, and magic.