Apparently I love starting things off in reference to current TV shows or old movies. I'm not actually certain what American Graffiti was about actually. I just remember there is a blond women in it and a car, which means you could show me any movie made in a modern day setting and I would think it could possibly be American Graffiti.
Well here are some cars that I would know without a doubt have nothing to do with American Graffiti but are in fact the epitome of American Graffiti:
Well here are some cars that I would know without a doubt have nothing to do with American Graffiti but are in fact the epitome of American Graffiti:
Let me take Art in the Neighborhood on an around the world journey. Once again I am going to tell you tales of the magical land known as Amarillo, TX. This picture shows Cadillac Ranch. Google it and you'll read about an eccentric man who buried a number of Cadillac vehicles in his ranch and then invited people, anyone passing by who felt like it, to come and graffiti them however they pleased. Some people might say this wasn't an act of creation. The invitation didn't result in an ever changing work of art. I wouldn't say they were wrong, I would only say they opened the door for an interesting, invigorating, and sometimes frustrating conversation.
Art is defined as: the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. The above photo is actually the work of an old friend of mine in Amarillo. What you see there was the work of a group who came together to change these cars into something of more than ordinary significance. Some people might merely leave the mark of their name on the cars, welcoming the opportunity to vandalize legally, while others will see the invitation and dream out a scenario that will change the way they look at the cars, maybe not forever, but at least it will have happened for any period of time at all.
Living in New York you see Graffiti all the time. There are entire buildings dedicated to housing artists and showcasing famous graffiti works on their walls. I'm not intrigued by the artistry or by the Banksys that pop up around the town from time-to-time so much as I'm more interested in the smaller works you might see when walking down a sidewalk or passing by a school.
Something unsigned, unmarked, and totally fleeting-- maybe this is a sighting of art done purely for the sake of art? In a previous post we asked about the relationship in art between the artist, the work, and the viewer. No answers were given because who knows what the answer is for certain, but there is something (for me) nostalgic in seeing these little pieces of work pop up in your city. You're seeing something with an unknowable short life-span and every time you pass you know it might be there or it might be changed. The picture of Cadillac Ranch was taken in June but I am certain it is covered in something else, making it significant for a short time to someone else.
Art is defined as: the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. The above photo is actually the work of an old friend of mine in Amarillo. What you see there was the work of a group who came together to change these cars into something of more than ordinary significance. Some people might merely leave the mark of their name on the cars, welcoming the opportunity to vandalize legally, while others will see the invitation and dream out a scenario that will change the way they look at the cars, maybe not forever, but at least it will have happened for any period of time at all.
Living in New York you see Graffiti all the time. There are entire buildings dedicated to housing artists and showcasing famous graffiti works on their walls. I'm not intrigued by the artistry or by the Banksys that pop up around the town from time-to-time so much as I'm more interested in the smaller works you might see when walking down a sidewalk or passing by a school.
Something unsigned, unmarked, and totally fleeting-- maybe this is a sighting of art done purely for the sake of art? In a previous post we asked about the relationship in art between the artist, the work, and the viewer. No answers were given because who knows what the answer is for certain, but there is something (for me) nostalgic in seeing these little pieces of work pop up in your city. You're seeing something with an unknowable short life-span and every time you pass you know it might be there or it might be changed. The picture of Cadillac Ranch was taken in June but I am certain it is covered in something else, making it significant for a short time to someone else.
Now here is where Art in the Neighborhood becomes interesting to me: it is all about the expression of individuals in the community (my obvious love in the arts). It is about what the possibility you might see when you look at a row of cars, or an empty space on a sidewalk, or on a street corner. I'm not saying go out and vandalize public property but I am saying if you can see how to put a bit of yourself into your neighborhood then go for it. Take some sidewalk chalk and let a little bit of your mind loose on the pavement. Take a picture you love and set it inside of a shop window. Plant some cars in your front yard and invite the world to have at 'em.
Engage with Art in the Neighborhood however you want, but try to engage with it for just a day and you might see all kinds of things you never did before or maybe those old things you've seen for years will look just a little bit different. Or maybe not, you tell me.
On a parting note, I leave you with this:
Engage with Art in the Neighborhood however you want, but try to engage with it for just a day and you might see all kinds of things you never did before or maybe those old things you've seen for years will look just a little bit different. Or maybe not, you tell me.
On a parting note, I leave you with this:
By Sara Moncivais
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
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