(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
[street art] When the Russians captured Berlin in 1945, they manifested victory by scribbling down the walls of the German Reichstag. The messages were of the type "Down with Germany" and "The Russians are scrolling". Despite the somewhat antithetical messages, many of these tags still adorn the walls, for these statements are of historical interest, according to parliament. It is rarely "the world's oldest art form," graffiti, attributed to such significance. It is usually treated in the same way as bird droppings and chewing gum. Gray walls must be kept gray, although it costs cities tens of millions every year.
But the acceptance and popularity of street art in Berlin is probably no start to a legalization of graffiti. Despite its long tradition, it will be recognized as an important form of expression. It's a shame, as the Reichstag records show: Today's tagging may be tomorrow's story.
labor of Sisyphus
Judging by the rising popularity of street art, the sisyphos work in the cleaning industry will not diminish in the future. Posters, stickers, stencils and photos are just some of the means used by street artists to attach their message to the wall.
In the book Sticker City, Claudia Walde gives an introduction to these techniques, while also looking back and forward in the search for the identity of graffiti and the "sticker" popularity. Walde highlights the increased access to technical aids, such as computers, printers and digital cameras, and the Internet's ability to communicate and circulate images as crucial. At the same time, she emphasizes the stricter penalties spray book tagging has been met with as a motivation to move to more effective expressions. Stickers and posters take a fraction of the time to hang up, thus reducing the risk.
When the execution itself happens so quickly, the preparation and the message become all the more important. Communicating with ordinary citizens is often a main motivation for "stickers", as opposed to the more introverted graffiti scene. That a significant number of girls are engaged in "street art" can also be seen in the context of this, Walde believes. The openness of the phrase, and the fact that you don't have to hang with the toughest guys in the middle of the night to paint a piece, makes it easier for girls to start.
Sticker City is a great introduction to concepts, techniques and the most important performers within the genre, but it remains superficial and does not come with new or unique information. A clearer narrator's voice, who himself had photographed the art it treated, had given the book a greater distinctive character. Now it becomes just one in a long line of books about the new street art.
Creative blowout
Much more personal than Banksy's Wall and Piece, however, you can not get it. London-based Banksy is one of the biggest names in the street art scene, and his often black and white stencils have become a favorite photo motif in the streets of London. Recently, a separate London guide to Banksy's art has even been published.
Wall and Piece does not contain long studies or explanations, Banksy's comments reflect his visual expression – they are precise and humorous, with a political undertone. "There is no exception to the rule that everyone thinks they are an exception to the rule," he states on one page.
His texts are an extension of his artistic project, which turns out to go far beyond the boundaries of poster art. The most groundbreaking chapter documents his work on the wall between Palestine and Israel. The motifs of a little boy grinning over having painted a rope ladder over the wall, or a girl flying towards the top holding a string of gas balloons are simple but strong.
Banksy's stunt art has also included the Louvre and the Tate Gallery, where he has hung up his own parodies and comments on famous paintings. Some were allowed to stand for over a week before they were discovered, and were taken for good art by the audience. That is also the case.
Wall and Piece shows an artist who is not limited by materials or surroundings, but who retains his characteristic, critical voice wherever he chooses to express himself. It confirms the claim that Banksy is one of the most important artists of the 2000st century.
