Photo: © 2008 Eric W. Hiss Camera: Rollei 6008 AF / Phase P20 / Schneider 40mm f/3.5
Street Artist: Unknown
While driving on my way to the bay bridge to get to my studio, I spotted a lot of wonderful Grafitti at the intersection of 6th and Howard streets. In a lot of ways, street art is the most free and evocative of all arts. It's definitely done to communicate and share (on many levels which I'll get to in a second). Its not sold, not done for money, so its pure. I have heard that for art, the higher the price, the lower the quality of the content. Don't know that's really true, but if you have visited some of the museums around the world lately you might have wondered a bit about that. For example, here in SF at the de Young, we've had already two retrospectives on Fashion. I'm not saying Fashion isn't art per se, just that it isn't automatically, and certainly a show of a designer's work that is still in business is not appropriate for a public museum. Yes, let's use public money to market a brand. Seems to be a sell out to me. If that isn't enough insult, after you visit the show you are obliged to walk past long tables of items designed by the said fashion house that are for sale.
That's why I really appreciate the street art. I don't have to pay admission for the privilege of being subject to marketing brain wash for one but also because some of the street art is beautiful and makes you think. Like the picture above. I really think this is interesting. Love to hear your thoughts.
While I was taking pictures, a young man approached me. It seemed he might have been a street artist himself. I asked him if he could direct me to some of his favorite stuff, and he replied that he would like to but as he was from the South he could not or he'd get his A** kicked. I inferred that some of the street art is gang related? Still beautiful stuff, but perhaps they are hitting on many levels.
