Wall Art

[Audionut]

In the right setting (and with the site owner’s permission), this art gives a window into the creators soul. It can also be snapshot of what is happening in that neighborhood or state/country. And sometimes it’s just that, art.
Here are a couple found within a block of each other. Two completely different frames of thought:

 

[Doghouse Riley]

I think they'd be ok on the cover of a schoolkid's work book, but really? Art?

It's just graffiti. As to "thought," I think it's pretty mindless.

 

[Audionut]

I think they'd be ok on the cover of a schoolkid's work book, but really? Art?

It's just graffiti. As to "thought," I think it's pretty mindless.

I figured that there would be two views on this (either love or hate, you are entitled to your opinion as well). Art is really in the eye of the beholder. Sure you can label it graffiti or mindless, but that’s no different than labeling someone’s choice of music as noise...Or some of these pieces of “art work”(?)

Untitled Cy Twombly - (scribbles a child can duplicate?)

Onement VI by Barnett Newman (painting wall sections before deciding on your favorite color)

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[Doghouse Riley]

There's a difference between, "ability" and "talent." Not everyone has both.
The graffiti shown demonstrates some ability, but that's all.

For example.
One of the biggest cons in art, was Jackson Pollock. If you see a video of him "at work" he's just randomly dribbling paint. He was good at that.

I'd guess that the illustrator Norman Rockwell who produced a painting for the Saturday Evening Post every week for the best part of half a century, would sometimes have completed one of his exceptional works in less time than it took to spray paint those shown.

 

[JohnVF]

Graffiti is, to me, just random tags and scribbles. The human equivalent of my dog peeing on everything that's within 12" of the ground. Chicago and other places I've been, however, are also filled with incredible street art. Much of it is purposefully situated murals, with paid artists, and really brightens up some otherwise drab areas. I'm not a fan, at all, of graffiti. But there's some great street artists out there. I've been friends with a few of them who have achieved a bit of success here or in LA or Detroit. I'll see if I can dig up some snapshots I've taken here and there....

 

[JohnVF]

This was in Bogota, Colombia, in an area that had cleaned up a lot of random graffiti by painting over it with murals.

 

[Audionut]

View attachment 38922This was in Bogota, Colombia, in an area that had cleaned up a lot of random graffiti by painting over it with murals.

Wow! That is nuts and some serious skill! Reminds me of some wall art I saw while in NY.

 

[JohnVF]

Wow! That is nuts and some serious skill! Reminds me of some wall art I saw while in NY.
View attachment 38925View attachment 38926

Wow! That's something.

I was (and still am) anti-graffiti. I think it's an eyesore. But this is something else. Graffiti has been on the rise in Chicago and its a bit of a metaphor for how this city is going. When it was doing better before Covid, a lot of really interesting gigantic murals went up.

 

[Audionut]

Wow! That's something.

I was (and still am) anti-graffiti. I think it's an eyesore. But this is something else. Graffiti has been on the rise in Chicago and its a bit of a metaphor for how this city is going. When it was doing better before Covid, a lot of really interesting gigantic murals went up.

I agree, wall art and graffiti are two completely different things. More precisely “tag” graffiti is what most people dislike, as it is unsightly and a costly nuisance. picture below for reference:

 

[Doghouse Riley]

View attachment 38922This was in Bogota, Colombia, in an area that had cleaned up a lot of random graffiti by painting over it with murals.

But unfortunately, just as likely to be covered in graffiti again.

 

[JoeThePop]

Wow! That's something.

I was (and still am) anti-graffiti. I think it's an eyesore. But this is something else. Graffiti has been on the rise in Chicago and its a bit of a metaphor for how this city is going. When it was doing better before Covid, a lot of really interesting gigantic murals went up.

I was surprised by the amount of graffiti I saw in Rome when we were there a few summers ago. Not what I expected. It was also just about the dirtiest city in a first world country I've ever been to.

 

[Wntrmute2]

I'm a big fan of street art. Murals and the like aren't always pleasing to some but neither is a blank beige cinderblock wall. I also dig the art on subway cars and rail cars. Now it is mobile art.

 

[geoff]

On a school in an Italian village.

 

[Audionut]

View attachment 38929
On a school in an Italian village.

It’s all about that stenght!

 

[geoff]

you left out the r

 

[Audionut]

you left out the r

From a quick glance that r looked like a ribbon. But I don’t think it would be right even with the r in there. Strength

 

[JohnVF]

While riding through a small town outside of Bogota, Colombia, I looked from the car to see this scene. As I raised my camera they all shouted in excitement. My wife said it was a mural of Egan Bernal, the first Colombian cyclist to win the Tour de France. My brother in law asked about it and they said they gathered here every Sunday to start their ride at this mural, inspired by his success. The roads around this town were all hills- no wonder it made for strong cyclists.
See, it’s not all graffiti.

 

[JohnVF]

This is on the coffee shop, Star Lounge, where some friends of our began their Dark Matter Coffee company which now appears in coffee shops and grocery stores from here to at least Milwaukee, and I’m thrilled they broke the Intelligentsia coffee mafias grip on the city. I’m not sure what it is but I think it’s a coffee angel? Coming to save the day? This is in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago.

 

[JohnVF]

My wife posing in front of one of the many Bear Champ murals that are scattered around the Chicago metro area. This one is actually at an outdoor mall near Skokie.

This photo was from the first day lockdown was lifted last year. So of course we immediately went to the mall.

 

[JohnVF]

The wings murals have popped up all over. I’ve seen them on three continents. This one is a block away from our place.