Confessions of a Street Art Junkie!
Street art with bold color, patterns and movement…echoed by the bicycle in the shot
Author: ArtsyChowRoamer
Junkie for Street Art Murals
COLORFUL GRAFFITI
So I have to confess; I am a little addicted to street art. I like sculpture but I am really hooked on murals. I have gotten in the habit of looking for them everywhere I go; the brighter the colors and the bigger the message, the better! We’ll take a look at some of the more inspiring installations in this post.
One of the reasons I like Atlanta is they have a strong public arts program. Take a trip through Hartsfield-Jackson Airport especially on the international terminal, and you will see some beautiful installations of both purchased and on loan artworks.
There are several non-profits and government programs within Fulton County for promoting local artists. Many developers are including outdoor street art as a part of their overall project planning and design. The Marta Station at Lindbergh City Center is just such an example.
MURALS ARE MY FIX
But my heart belongs to murals! The energy captured, the movement and colors of the pieces, along with the message, is simply captivating.
There is a strong return to a graffiti type look to art. We saw this previously in two other recent decades according to a very smart local art critic, Jerry Cullum, when we last discussed the trends. This latest phase was begun by a local artist, Alex Brewer (known as Hense) represented by the Sandler Hudson Gallery.
Alex is a dynamic, vivid and colorful abstract artist who has moved from graffiti street art into iconic murals. He is internationally known and has won many awards for the exploding color and patterns in his works. You can see why from the photos below!
DANIEL BYRD AT THOMAS DEANS FINE ART
On a recent visit to Thomas Deans Fine Art gallery, we discussed one of his new up and coming artists, Daniel Byrd, who is a local graduate of SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design).
Daniel finds he is also moved by the energy of the city and mark making as a central theme to his graffiti style pieces. He has already gotten several high profile commissions installed around the city.
Both artists have a background of actual street art graffiti in their pasts which helped fuel their desire and interest to become selling artists in the wider market. A few of Daniel’s pieces are featured below.
PUBLIC ART
While I have a good understanding of art (minored in art history in school) with an appreciation for the wider selling market, I still love the actual street art of the everyday man or woman.
If done well and not just as a means to mess up some walls with nonsense about who you love or what gang is in charge of what, it can make an astonishing difference in a neighborhood or complex.
It can be a statement about history, culture, ethnicity, morals and values. It can speak to the unfairness and biases in our society. It can make you think or not. It can be a larger view of the world in general or it can just be an appreciation for where you live or grew up. Hmmmm….isn’t that kinda what real art is supposed to be all about?
Just local street art or real art with an underlying statement?
WHAT DOES REAL ART SAY
It also can just be fun, colorful and ever so much more interesting than a blank concrete or brick wall….am I right? I am not an egghead in the way I view or write about art.
It is subjective and everyone has a right to their own opinion and thoughts about it. Next time you are out and about no matter where you are, look for street art. Sit and really look at it and see what you think the artist is trying to say to you.
What are they saying here? I really see you? Hey, I’m a rebel….what are you? Let’s Dance…(I hear dead people)! See there…you do understand art. You can be coaxed into looking at your surroundings in a different way and discovering something about the world and yourself.
CONCLUSION
Art can inspire, make you think, make you laugh or cause a change. This kind of art is no different. I confess….I am a street art junkie and I hope I have given you reasons in this post to become one too!
You might be interested in reading more blogs about other artsy things under Artful Ideal and hey, don’t be a stranger! Let me know what your addicted to and what you want to read about here OK? Until next time…
Cheers,
ArtsyChowRoamer
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TO MY READERS: This blog post was updated with upgraded content and info on 4/17/2020
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