How Street Art Is Made From Start To Finish, While You Were Sleeping (VIDEO)

Much of the appeal behind finding, viewing, and even making street art comes with the rush of doing something that's not necessarily legal while its pitch black dark outside and everyone you know is resting soundly in bed. The few (read: the brave) who ventured into New York's subway system to find the Undercity project did so because there's a challenge in seeing it and finding it in a way thats not true with attending a gallery opening or visiting a museums vast halls.

You've seen Exit Through The Gift Shop, protested MOCA's whitewashing of Blu's street art mural, and taken cell phone pictures of Alex Monopoly's bi-coastal Monopoly men. Now, an Ironlak film (or 3 1/2 minute Youtube video) takes us from start to finish in the process of making an enormous mural that runs along train tracks in Oakland, CA.

(From: MWM Graphics)

Comments

[Gordy Grundy]

05:47 PM on 01/23/2011

Cool vid. For an art form that has a short shelf life, video has become a very stylish historical document. www.50mmlosangeles.com offers an amazing resource. Sometimes, increasingly more so, the art of the video exceeds the art on the wall.

[kemurshel]

10:42 AM on 01/21/2011

I watched this 10 minute video with an open mind, I'm an artist and I think there is a place for graffiti. I think it's like Jazz music, teaching other artists about Art, through public displays. This video on the other hand reminds me of the vandals out there that are just tagging their name for the thrill of it. They see one person does it, then they do it. (these guys, must have seen EXIT through the Gift Shop.) Well that's just follow the leader, we need some of these kids to stand up, take leadership, and clean up what they are doing.
Yes, it's one thing to be abstract, but it's another to loose your message all together.
The purpose of Art is to document Life as it happens so we may be reminded of our lives. A slim immortality.
These walls they paint will chip and erode in time and in the elements. The paints they use are just as toxic to produce and use as Oil paints originally were. If they are going to continue with taking on "street beautification" they need to do it in an organized fashion, with a message for people to see clearly and represent true Art for people to enjoy.

Donald Scribe, is a wonderful example. Check out his work here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=566375557

[eric14]

03:14 PM on 01/20/2011

Much of the appeal behind finding, viewing, and even making street art comes with the rush of doing something that's not necessarily legal while its pitch black dark outside and everyone you know is resting soundly in bed.
--------------------------------
The Illusion of Activism

[leftbehind2000]

10:12 AM on 01/20/2011

Exit Through the Gift Shop. A Must See.

[Dewts]

01:32 PM on 01/19/2011

you mean vandalism right?

[spuggy]

04:16 PM on 01/19/2011

Yea, it was MUCH nicer before they painted it ;)

[roseau]

01:01 PM on 01/19/2011

Style Wars. Watch it. Documents the rise of graffiti art and break dancing at the very beginning in the 70's.

[gourmand]

01:26 PM on 01/19/2011

Beat me to it. F&F. One of my favorite movies...have you seen Exit Through the Gift Shop? Not quite as good but excellent footage.

[american-dolt]

12:11 PM on 01/19/2011

Blight

[colomom]

12:27 PM on 01/19/2011

Hahahahaha.....no. Blight is what it was ~before~ the mural. That's a very "rough" area of Oakland.

[colomom]

12:02 PM on 01/19/2011

Fascinating, beautiful and amazing that it was done in darkness. Really sad that there is not a better outlet for that talent.

[leftbehind2000]

10:14 AM on 01/20/2011

what would be a better outlet? this type of city beautification, even temporary, gives interest to an oft-times drab world.

[colomom]

11:44 AM on 01/20/2011

How about a paying job creating art (graphic designer)? That would be a better outlet, better for the artist.

[Buckwild]

11:52 AM on 01/19/2011

there is a fine line between art and vandalism, some work is just graffitti and vandalism, while some actually make a statement.

[Dewts]

01:33 PM on 01/19/2011

if it's someone else's property its vandalism.

[Ma Lucille]

11:51 AM on 01/19/2011

Wonderful!

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for it's own sake. Life is no 'brief candle' to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations."
~George Bernard Shaw

[ZombyWoof]

11:45 AM on 01/19/2011

This reminds me of New York in the 70's.

No thanks.

[asdusty]

11:38 AM on 01/19/2011

Good on em!

[firstep]

11:34 AM on 01/19/2011

Street art? The times I have had to clean up the back of my building I didn't see art. I saw vandalism

[asdusty]

11:42 AM on 01/19/2011

Allow the back of your building to become a legal street art site and you will get some beautiful art and contribute to the community by fostering the artistic development of youngsters.

[BryanG]

12:27 PM on 01/19/2011

I would be happy to give them Paper and Caulk, water color, pens, markers ... They do not need to violate our buildings to create their art.

[firstep]

06:47 PM on 01/19/2011

Sorry I can't do that. Due to a bunch of do gooder democrats on our city board, I have to ask them what color I can paint anything. All these vandals have done is cost me a lot of money