City Lights Project

Worldwide Street Art is worth taking a look

admin — Sat, 07 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

From Los Angeles, California to New York City, New York in the U.S.A. and from London, Great Britain to Paris, France to Melbourne, Australia, you can find one thing in common in all these cities. Street art is alive and well in these cities. Artists around the world ply their trade on the streets and sidewalks for passersby to be amazed. Whether it is a larger than life size bottle of soda or a waterfall down the middle of the street, or maybe a canyon that looks so real you might be afraid to get too close to it in case you fall in it; it all highlights the talent artists need to construct it.

In order to view these fine works of art, you will need to go to the city where it has been created or you can look at it online using a wireless internet connection (wirelessinternet.net‘ >wirelessinternet.net), DSL or any other way to get online. You can do a search for captivating and beautiful street art by typing in any search engine the words – street art. The photos of these pieces of art are stunning to say the least. You won’t be sorry you looked at these art works.

Kurt Wenner works around the World

www.citylightsproject.com — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Kurt Wenner is the most well known creator of street art and chalk murals in the world. He uses a method known as anamorphosis to make 3D chalk drawings on pavement. Using this technique his drawings seem to come to life. In fact, to create the proper perspective he first looks through the lens of a wide angle camera to get the same effect produced by his work.His work has been featured in several newspapers and on several television shows. He attended art schools in the United States before traveling to Italy to study the work of the masters. His most famous work was a complex geometric of Italian architecture that was created in 1982. It started the era of street art.Another famous work was created in 1991 to honor Pope John Paul II visit to Mantua, Italy. This work was a portrayal of the Last Supper and measured 15′ x 75′. Thirty artists under the direction of Kurt Wenner worked for 10 days to finish the picture which was signed by Pope John Paul II.When not busy with his street art Kurt Wenner produces more traditional art pieces and works as a speaker for many major corporations.

Street art hotspots

www.citylightsproject.com — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 07:40:13 +0000

While street art can theoretically be made anywhere there’s room, there are certain cities around the world that are more amenable to the practice than others. In general, these are larger cities with a reputation for diversity and tolerance. Put these locations on your travel itinerary for an arts experience like no other.

Berlin: Berlin became recognized for its nightlife scene in Europe, which incubated a thriving punk and underground culture scene. This environment is the perfect backdrop to the city’s street arts scene, which also exists side-by-side with 153 more formal museums. The districts of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, and Friedrichshain are especially famous for the practice.
Bristol, England: The home of Banksy is of course one of the premier street art locations in the world. Public response to the artist’s work has inspired others to follow in his footsteps. Again, the art scene is heavily intertwined with the city’s renowned music scene.
London, England: London is ironically one of the most popular graffiti sites in the world, but also one of the cities where graffiti control is most strictly enforced. Of course, the risk only seems to encourage artists to try harder to make their mark on the town.
Melbourne, Australia: Urban youth in the 1970s and 1980s started the street art craze after being inspired by the New York City scene. Since the turn of the 21^st century, the scene has grown to include woodblocking, stickers, wheatpasting, installations, and numerous other forms. In 2004, Melbourne hosted the first stencil festival in the world.
Sao Paulo, Brazil: This city is renowned for its many murals. The lost decade of the 1980s (referring to the country’s economic recession during that time) spawned an underground music and arts scene. Street artists from all over the world travel to the city to create collaborative works.
New York City, USA: New York is where it all began. The street artists that spawned so many imitators are still around, but so are other public artists like Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who set up their majestic Gates throughout Central Park.
Stavanger, Norway: Stavanger hosts the annual Nuart Festival, a destination point for street artists all over Europe.

Street art documentaries

www.citylightsproject.com — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:31:25 +0000

Several filmmakers have found compelling material in the works of public artists, especially in their sometimes controversial relationships and public image. We do not condone any illegal actsinstead, we recommend these films as illustrations of the challenges modern street artists face in creating their works. These films may focus on a particular scene, or on an individual artist. For anyone interested in learning more about public art, especially its more rebellious forms, they are required viewing.Beautiful Losers (2008): This film documents the interconnectivity of the 1990s DIY movement, which ties into skateboarding, street art, and alternative music. Directed by Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard, the film shows the mindset of the artists through extensive interviews, revealing that widespread acclaim and fame in the art world is one of the farthest things from their mind.Bomb It (2008): Jon Reiss, a documentary filmmaker and music video director for bands like Nine Inch Nails, Danzig, and Slayer, created this look at graffiti art across the world. The documentary tackled difficult questions such as whether modern graffiti artists violated the popular “Quality of Life” laws arising around the world, and who has ownership over public space. Popular artists interviewed for the film include TAKI 183, Blek le Rat, and Ron English.Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010): This recent documentary has been questioned for its authenticity (similar to the even more recent I’m Still Here, which was revealed to be a mockumentary). The film is directed by legendary street artist Banksy and centered around Thierry Guetta. Guetta is a French immigrant living in L.A. and entranced by the street art scene around him. He continuously films the artists and artwork he sees, eventually transforming into an artist himself (Mr. Brainwash) as Banksy compiles his thousands of hours of footage into a watchable film. The film received widespread praise, despite the doubts to its authenticity.RASH (2005): Nicholas Hansen wrote and directed this portrait of the urban Australia street art scene. Part of the film deals with the efforts of the local councils to prepare the city for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and the artists that believe their works offer the truest representation of the city. Artists featured in the film include Chali 2na, HAHA, James Dodd, MEEK, SIXTEN, and VEXTA. The film is available directly from the creators at www.rashfilm.com.