The sticker has long been a preferred medium for both advertisers as well as (street) artists. In fact, sticker art is without doubt the most common and democratic technique in street art; you would have to try very hard not to encounter any adhesive labels on the streets.
People have always felt the urge to inscribe their names on natural and man-made objects in public space, particularly when visiting special places abroad. This phenomenon indeed dates back all the way to prehistory.
It would be an understatement to assert that street art, which emerges in all (in)conceivable sorts and sizes, is multifaceted. Indeed, painted surfaces of huge proportions are alternated with interventions on a human scale. Abundant use of colours and materials is side by side with aesthetic minimalism. Imaginative images are interspersed with realistic depictions while visual jokes are juxtaposed with serious messages.
Cobbled streets, white wooden houses, a cathedral of modest proportions dating back to 1150, impressive views over the water and a colossal bridge that links the islands together. It’s Stavanger in a nutshell.
When street art emerged at the turn of the twenty-first century, it was revolutionary in the sense that it concerns art that is not intended to end up in a white cube – typically a place where an admission fee is charged, where you have to keep your distance to the works exhibited, where attendants keep an eye on you and where taking pictures may not be allowed. Instead, it is art meant for anyone to enjoy without restriction.
Streets are home not only to all sorts of signs and a great deal of advertising, they also function as a medium for yet another form of communication. One that defies the prevailing linguistic code of the city as it doesn’t urge us to abide by the law, or lures us into irrationally purchasing things we don’t need.
Forget about the predictable and tedious advertising posters at bus shelters and on billboards. Instead, scan less prominent places in public space and notice that it is there that much more beautiful, exciting and important things are advertised. Artists, illustrators, photographers, musicians, bloggers, activists, small clothing lines and others promote themselves through sticker art – the most common form of street art.
Kunst in musea wordt zorgvuldig geconserveerd en zo nodig gerestaureerd om tot in lengte van dagen behouden te blijven. Street art daarentegen is – heel kenmerkend – in principe een eindig leven beschoren. Sommige street art valt jarenlang te bezichtigen0, denk met name aan muurschilderingen (hoewel die eigenlijk in een …
It’s hard to find a draughtsman, painter, sculptor or street artist who hasn’t followed the example of artists from earlier periods. More often than not, works of art have been (partly) inspired by other works of art, it’s safe to say. In all its diversity, street art has not only been influenced by many other art movements, but is itself also full of references to art.
The heart; in Christian symbolism it generally refers to Jesus, in some areas it’s being associated with intelligence and wisdom, while virtually everywhere in the world it’s also, if not primarily, known as the symbol of love. All over the globe, the heart is one of the most commonly used emblems. From a very young age, children are well-acquainted with the significance of the stylised outlines and the bright red colour.
Whether it concerns cartoons, impersonations or parodies on television, in theatre or in literature, traditionally politicians and world leaders have always been at the receiving end of mockery. In the street art scene this is no different; artists do not hold back showing in a playful manner which rulers they find are the bad hombres.
A delightful chaos composed of arbitrary pictures and words that even after repeated viewings allows you to spot new things. What can this be other than a collage? Throughout the centuries, collage-like application techniques appear at different moments and in different locations, but it was only after 1900 – in conjunction with the rise of modernism and courtesy of the pioneers George Braque and Pablo Picasso – that this art form made a real breakthrough.
As is evident from the numerous images of spray cans, marker pens and paint rollers that can be found on the streets, you cannot but conclude that graffiti and street artists are very keen to call attention to the material that enables them to display their artistic skills. Art about making art, or in other words; meta art.
For many graffiti and street artists, a self-invented cartoonesque figure has become a trademark. KBTR and Oxalien are two glaring examples. In fact, they’re the names of both the silly figures as well as the artists themselves. The hot-tempered dwarf with his red pointed hat and the inflated bubble of pink chewing gum with horns and sharp teeth have, oftentimes together, spread across large parts of the Netherlands like a virus.
‘‘Get outta here, a page full of cat pictures? How dare you come up with that and how do you think you'll get away with it?’’ Well yes, that's what I've been asking myself too... On a World Wide Web that is ceaselessly inundated with honey-sweet and quasi-comical cat content, this contribution can just as well be omitted, right? Or cannot at all be missed? Who shall say?
Gewobde documenten laten zien hoe nonchalant en dogmatisch de Nederlandse overheid haar standpunten ten aanzien van het handelsakkoord TiSA (Trade in Services Agreement) heeft bepaald. Van meet af aan was het doel om de nationale dienstensector zoveel mogelijk te liberaliseren, zonder raadpleging van experts uit verschillende geledingen van de samenleving …
Al jarenlang wordt door tientallen landen onderhandeld over een vrijwel onbekend verdrag dat betrekking heeft op alle denkbare vormen van dienstverlening. Eindelijk een handelsakkoord waar iedereen van zal profiteren, of een pact dat de rode loper uitrolt voor nog meer neoliberalisme? Maak kennis met TiSA. Het is maart 2017 als …
De totstandkoming van vrijhandelsverdragen voltrekt zich grotendeels buiten het zicht van burgers. Bij het Trade in Services Agreement is dat niet anders. Hoe evenwichtig, democratisch en transparant zijn de onderhandelingen? Het is aan WikiLeaks te danken dat we veel meer over TiSA weten dan de deelnemende landen lief is. Surf …
Onderhandelen over TiSA is een traag en delicaat proces. Iedere deelnemer wil er met zijn eigen belangen zelf zoveel mogelijk voordeel uit halen. Landen die nu niet goed opletten, kunnen dat straks bezuren. En gaat het alleen om economisch gewin, of wordt er ook nog een beetje rekening gehouden met …
In landen die behoren tot het mondiale Zuiden zijn nog lang niet zoveel onderdelen van de economie geliberaliseerd en geprivatiseerd als bij ons. Is de dienstensector van ‘zwakkere TiSA-broertjes’ een gemakkelijke prooi voor westerse multinationals? Dankzij een sterke campagne kregen vakbonden, ngo’s en burgerbewegingen in Uruguay hun regering zover het …
Sinds de komst van Donald Trump liggen de TiSA-onderhandelingen stil. Als de gesprekken worden hervat, moet er over enkele zaken nog overeenstemming worden bereikt. Het grootste struikelblok? Ongebreidelde gegevensstromen over grenzen heen versus de privacy van honderden miljoenen burgers. Het ongeloof was groot toen de wereld op 9 november 2016 …
