Obviously, most street artists are well versed in techniques and tricks. Many of them have been apprentices or are friends with knowledgeable artists. If you don't have access to such people, then you have to do alot of research and practice on your own. Here are some things to get you started...
How to not get caught:
-Practice only in your sketchbook which must be kept hidden. (Don't write/draw at school or work!)
-Don't tell other writers your true identity or plans unless you absolutely trust them.
-Don't write/draw/tag close to home
-Don't fit the profile of a writer, dress like another profile (nerd, jock, etc.) if you can
-Carry your spray cans in a plastic bag instead of a backpack
-Keep yourself and your clothes clean. Pay special attention to your hands and nails, which should be kept short.(You'll be asked to "show your hands" if you're caught)
-Stop the ball bearings of cans from rattling by attaching a magnet to the bottom of the can
-Wipe all your fingerprints off of potential evidence before you throw it away
-Don't hit the same spot twice, go to random places
-Prepare an excuse/alibi before you go out each time
Portuguese artist Vhils (Alexandre Farto) creates street art in a bit of a different fashion. Vhils uses a process of deconstructing parts of walls and exposing different layers to create his images.
He uses many things, from chisels and hammers, to chemicals and explosives to create his enormous murals. His art has been most recently endorsed in Australia and several Australian aborigianal, environmental, and union activists were among the subjects he depicted.
He explains that,“With my work, I try to delve into the several layers that
compose the edifice of history, to take the shadows cast by this model
of uniform development, to try and understand what lies behind it,".
Using the city as a medium lends itself to art that truly connects itself and viewers to surroundings.
Vhils is among many urban artists who also produce gallery artwork. He works in many other mediums, like metal, installations,wood, and print. Much of his art can be found on his website which is linked below: Alexandre Farto's (Vhils') site
Women in Street Art
Lady Pink stood as the only reputable female graffiti artist for a long time. I was interested in finding more female artists and found many through http://www.womenstreetartists.com/, which introduced me to Anopsy, who I also discuss below.
Pink's Website
Featured in the movie, "Wild Style", Lady Pink was long known as the only female who could run with the boys (pun intended). Pink painted subway trains from 1979-1985 and became one of the top known graffiti artists of her era. She rightly deserves her fame and she is very in-touch with the graffiti community she grew up with. She seems to regard them as family. In late 2011, Lady Pink had a solo exhibition at the Woodward Gallery in New York entitled "Evolution", which displayed the evolution of her work. In her later works, Pink began incorporating the tags of other graffiti artists, in a sort of homage to her past. I found the piece, "Ghetto Pink" to be very striking.
Anopsy
I was drawn to Anopsy's more complex paintings, which are not limited to spray paint and stencil work. She also uses acrylic and spatulas.
Anopsy is a Polish artist who has been based in Amsterdam for 2 years. She creates paintings of people she knows, displaying their alter egos on the street through altered color and design.
When I saw the words "Street Art Bot" glowing on my computer screen, I clicked on the link with excitement. It seems though, that Fab Lab's robot leaves alot to be desired. In fact, I feel it is quite undeserving of the "Street Art Bot" title yet. Kudos to the team who built this interesting little machine in just one weekend, but I do hope they plan on improving this robot, or else leaving street art to be practiced by actual artists.
The robot must be driven around by an operator and is programmed to dispense chalk (only liquid chalk so far) in a designated pattern. A camera is mounted above the drawing area (as seen atop the wooden post in the picture) and informs the robot of its location so that it can properly place the chalk marks.
As we can see in the picture, the "art" produced is simply a pattern of dots which barely form legible letters/words. The team behind the robot's creation hopes to someday include multiple chalk colors and possibly multiple robots that can print simultaneously in the designated area. Full Article
Though this robot is very underdeveloped, I think the concept alone brings about an interesting point: that street art could go digital. This comes as no surprise when one considers that the large majority of any art produced these days has at least some small connection to technology. The robot is in fact, just a mobile printer that works with a unique medium outdoors.
But what would this mean for artists?
I can imagine only a few pro's compared to a large list of con's. For instance, I wonder if the robot could help artists avoid detection by authorities. Also, maybe the robot could be used to create accurate stencils for artists to work from. However, I think the idea of robots creating street art could be an insult to the art form. A large factor in the appeal of street art is that it involves the artist taking enormous risks to show their work. Street art invites artists to create something by hand in an environment that was constructed by machine.
I personally hope that the raw aspect of this form of self-expression is not depleted by the eventual influx of technology.
One scene in the video "Style Wars" that we watched today especially moved me. Three gentleman sat quietly and diligently working in their black books after speaking to the interviewer. It reminded me so much of sitting with fellow art students to work on homework assignments. Each of these artists has some understanding of drawing technique, perspective, color, and other painting skills which should command admiration.
Young people were shown collaborating in the streets, sharing their artistic strengths and knowledge with one another. They frequently stood back from their work and responded to it, until they reached a visual solution which they were pleased with. These activities are taught and praised in art school. I feel terribly sorry for these individuals who put so much genuine effort into their creations, only to have them misunderstood and slandered by society. Clearly, there is a huge need for greater art programs in schools.
As many documentaries have mentioned, graffiti is quite the perfect outlet for creative young people who wish to express themselves and interact with their surroundings. While the illegality of it is debatable, it is a nonviolent crime which also provides an outlet to young people who are attracted to the thrill of defying authority.
These people possess talent and passion which could translate into a new generation of artists and appreciators. Typography and Painting are huge areas of the art world. It is such a shame to see typographic graffiti paintings dismissed and segregated from other forms of artistic expression.
Being an animal rights activist, I have been searching for animal rights street artists and it seems they are few and far between. In fact, the closest thing I could find to an animal rights street artist is the street artist "Roa". Roa, a Belgian street artist, does massive black and white depictions of wild animals, often rats and crows. Many of his animals are depicted as corpses, but this seems to symbolize the transcience of city life over animal rights themes.
Other info: ROA first exhibitted in 2010 in Paris, and has sincshown his work around the world. He also aquires permission to paint all of his works on others' buildings. His paintings take up to 8 hours, so doing a quick illegal painting is not an option. Some of Roa's work Lenticular Street Art by Roa
I was interested in ROA's painting process, which results in paintings which look alot like drawings or prints taken right out of a sketchbook. It seems he takes a pretty traditional approach by painting directly on walls.
