English Language VI
Debate 1: Street Art
Members:
C:
ST-LVIC-G1-1
ST-LVIC-G1-2
ST-LVIC-G1-3
ST-LVIC-G1-4
ST-LVIC-G1-5
A:
ST-LVIA-G1-6
ST-LVIA-G1-7
ST-LVIA-G1-8
ST-LVIA-G1-9
ST-LVIA-G1-10
ST-LVIA-G1-11
ST-LVIA-G1-12
ST-LVIA-G1-13
ST-LVIA-G1-14
Discussion Leader:
DL-LVI-G1-1
ST-LVIA-G1-13
Hi there! I’m ST-LVIA-G1-13, and I study Translation and Intercultural Mediation. This is the first comment for this post, so I supposed to ‘break the ice’. Then, I will answer questions from any other post in the following weeks. I have chosen this topic because I find interesting the student’s approach to the street art and I would like to raise the following questions:
1. What is meant by the term Street Art?
2. What different kinds of Street Art can be seen?
3. What is the difference between legal and illegal Street Art?
4. Is there a place for Street Art style in public Art Galleries?
5. Is it possible for a street artist to claim ownership and copyright of Street Art?
Don’t worry; take your time with these questions. I look forward to reading about you all and for us to start off the discussion
· ST-LVIA-G1-14+1
+ ST-LVIA-G1-13 Hello ST-LVIA-G1-13, I would like to answer to your questions because I think they are very interesting.
First I would say that, for me, term «Street art» has to do with any kind of art like paintings, dancing, music, etc,. performed in the street. In my country, Spain, some are illegal like painting walls but, others like dancing or singing are not. I do not know what is the base that divide these arts to be legal or not but the law does not allow people to paint the walls even if what they paint is amazing or has a beautiful message to society.
In contrast, I do not think street artists can claim copyright or ownership because, in my opinion, if they show their talent in streets is because none has given them the opportunity to show it to the world and being paid for it. For that reason, I would say that eventhough there is not an Art Gallery for Street Art, it should be places for all kind of arts.
· ST-LVIC-G1-5
Hey, finally I can write something…! 😉 + ST-LVIA-G1-14, you said that in Spain singing and dancing is legal. I am from Poland and in the city (Kraków) where I was studying before coming to Spain for Erasmus, singing, dancing, playing instruments can be illegal. I don’t know if it is illegal in the whole city but in the city center for sure. There are many artists on the streets (and they collect money) in the center always but if you want to be one of them, you have to go to kind of official casting 😀 Some comission have to say if you are enough good to go to the center and play/sing/dance/whatever. It is for sure because of some reason. And the reason is that the Kraków’s center has to be «good looking» for tourists. And Kraków always has been an «artistic» city so of course they want to have some artists on the streets but not everyone can go and show their art. I mean, you can go, but it is possible that if police meet you, you will have to stop and pay for a ticket which police gave you 😉 so it is not super liberal there. But actually I think that what is more illegal, is more street art. In last years street art become fancy. So governments/companies started to let street artists paint something etc. but by this, street art started to be used as marketing tool, as tool to promote the city etc. So can we still call it street art? Somehow we can because it is something which is going on on the street but on the other hand this art become more «polite» and it is not the same.
What do you think about this issue?
Or what do you think about ambient marketing? Can we consider this as part of street art? (type «ambient marketing» on pinterest or google)
**
Other thing is that I was never considering people who play music on the street as street artists. They just go and play. Very often it looks like they go every day (whole year) and play the same. It is like making money on tourists. Maybe I am too strict ;p But for me street art needs to be a bit «wild». What do you think? Is for you enough that some art is hapenning on the street to call it «street art» or it need to have some other additional quality?
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· ST-LVIA-G1-9
Hi everyone! Before I start answering, I’m sorry for writing so late. My name is ST-LVIA-G1-9 and I am a third year student in the degree of English Studies at the University of Valencia, in Spain. I’ve been reading your comments and your questions about street art and I think they are really interesting for us to discuss together. In addition, I also think that having the opportunity to speak with people from other parts of the world also allows us to learn about this topic from different points of view to enrich our knowledge about it.
To begin with, and answering some of your questions, I totally agree with the definition that ST-LVIA-G1-14 has made about street art, since it includes in a few lines everything that the term encompasses. Regarding the legality or illegality of this type of art, my opinion is that until very recently most of the street art was considered illegal. However, little by little street art expressions, such as graffiti, are no longer considered vandalism and are beginning to be given more importance. In this way, today we can find people who hire street artists, for example to improve the image of the streets of a city. We only have to walk in cities such as Valencia, more specifically in the neighborhood of El Carmen, to find an authentic street museum in which a large amount of graffiti cover walls of old buildings creating a route that has become a tourist attraction.
After saying this, I would like to ask your opinion:
– Do you agree that nowadays street art is not as bad seen as in the past?
– Do you think that using street art is a good way to improve the image of a city?
– When traveling to another city, would you visit a similar route to the one in Valencia as if it was a tourist attraction?
– Do you know any graffiti artist who has become famous and whose works are recognizable as made by him?
I’m looking forward to reading your answers so that we can continue debating this topic.
· ST-LVIA-G1-7
Hi everyone,
My name is ST-LVIA-G1-7 and I am studying English Studies at Universitat de Valencia. I live in a small Town where street art is more than present. Every turn you take while going to the market, to the park or even to your friend’s house, you see plenty of graffities all over the place. Some of which are really impressive. Now, that you know a little bit more, I’ll be very happy to answer some of your questions:
Answering to Silvia’s questions:
Do you agree that nowadays street art is not as bad seen as in the past?
Yes, I totally agree with you. What is more, I Think that Society is changing, we are changing. Thinks are different today and we are more open-minded. We have crossed that frontier that existed in the past against this art in the street towards a more tolerant actitude.
Do you think that using street art is a good way to improve the image of a city?
Well, it depends what it is. As you know many people just draw graffities all over the place. I Think that street art should be regulated and given a specific place to be done, and then yes, I would agree that it makes our City more beautifu
I hope I have been helpful and please do no hesitate to ask any further question you May have. Now, I would like to share some of my doubts and see if you can help me, thanks in advance!
-How many countries allow street art in their cities?
-Do you Think that street art should be protected by the Government rather than punished?
-Would you like your children to become an street artist?
· ST-LVIA-G1-7
Hi again,
I was Reading about the Origins of street art and I found this. It is quite interesting and it is worthy to read.
“Slogans of protest and political or social commentary graffitied onto public walls are the precursor to modern graffiti and street art, and continue as one aspect of the genre. Street art in the form of text or simple iconic graphics in the vein of corporate icons become well-known yet enigmatic symbols of an area or an era.[12] Some credit the Kilroy Was Here graffiti of the World War II era as one such early example; a simple line-drawing of a long-nosed man peering from behind a ledge. Author Charles Panati indirectly touched upon the general appeal of street art in his description of the «Kilroy» graffiti as «outrageous not for what it said, but where it turned up».[13] Much of what can now be defined as modern street art has well-documented origins dating from New York City’s graffiti boom, with its infancy in the 1960s, maturation in the 1970s, and peaking with the spray-painted full-car subway train murals of the 1980s centered in the Bronx.
I also attach here some questions that I would like us to discuss:
-What things determine quality in Street Artworks? Who decides?
-Does it remain Street Art if it’s taken off the streets to be sold or exhibited?
-Is it right for a street artist to make a work over the top of another Street Artwork?
· ST-LVIC-G1-5
Hello + ST-LVIA-G1-9 🙂 nice that you joined us! I will answer some of your questions.
I think that nowadays street art is not that bad perceived as in the past. It is less considered as vandalism (but still depends on the message it carries). If some street art piece is considered as aesthetically plesant or it carries some important message society will be more fine with that piece.
And since people have found street art us something beautiful, of course it can improve the image of the city. Street art moved from the alternative culture to pop culture. We can see this in that «street art tourism» you mentioned. Personally, I love it. And I would always go for ‘street art route’ in some city if possible. Once, I was in Berlin and I went to the ‘alternative trip’. It was soo cool. They were showing us alternative places where people hang out(ok, ok, Berlin is full of them) full of street art, graffiti, murals and also they were talking about different graffiti techniques.
In Łódz, Poland exists something like Urban Forms Gallery (it is a project of Urban Forms Foundation). There are about 20 huge murals on the buildings painted by artists from all over the world. (definitely check it out > https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaime-rojo-steven-harrington/large-murals-transform-lodz_b_3428241.html). It was great for this city. Because Łodz is kind of post-industrial city, a bit abandoned, in many places ugly with many problems… And that colorful street art is something which helps the city because it became a good promotion for the city.
One of the most popular graffiti artist is Blu. It is funny because he is so famous, he is invited for festivals, ask to paint in cities around the world, giving interviews but he still conceals his identity.
Other famous artist is Robert Montgomery. However he doesn’t do graffiti, he is more conceptual artist. But his pieces are awesome. It is word-based street art. (check him out here> http://www.robertmontgomery.org/).
I also have some questions to you guys:
-Do you think that everything what appears on the walls of the streets as the painting we can call ‘street art’? Where would you set a border between street art – vandalism?
-What street art you prefer? The «legal one» when artists paint a mural, city government is happy, it improves the image of the city etc. and the city is turned into huge «legal street art gallery»? Or maybe that spontaneus, not always legal where people show their creativity?
-What do you think about this street artist – mobstr (http://www.mobstr.org/the-story/) especially about his works called «Progressions». What do you think? Is it street art or vandalism? Because he clearly undermins some rules and in his pieces there is some discussion with a law actually.
-Do you think that street art, even this illegal one which could be considered as vandalism is kind of «rebelious scream of the society» that the city and streets belong to all of us? And that people want to put some part of them, of their identity in the city?
-Do you think that street art (creating or only watching, having contant with) can make people feel more connected to the city and maybe more responsible for how it looks and maybe more «human»? Because for example with some painting on the wall, the wall is not so anonymous anymore, we see some human sign on it with that painting.
Let’s keep going with the discussion!
Huge Street Art Murals Transform City Of Lodz In Poland | HuffPost
huffingtonpost.com
· ST-LVIA-G1-9
Hello again! Wow, now we have a lot of issues to discuss. There are so many that I do not know where to start.
In this publication, I will focus on how both ST-LVIA-G1-7 and ST-LVIC-G1-5 have asked about what can be considered art and what cannot. For me, both murals that are made for decorative purposes and spontaneous graffiti in which people show their feelings and opinions are art. It is true that a colorful mural in which we see a drawing may seem prettier or more artistic, and it is possibly this type of image that has led people to accept this type of art more. But we cannot forget that, as the text that ST-LVIA-G1-7 has shared explains, the true origin and spirit of street art is precisely that part that we normally consider less artistic. It is true that there are certain types of graffiti that we cannot consider art because they are a real act of vandalism, as we are seeing nowadays in many cities in Spain in which different means of transport are covered in graffiti, which costs thousands of Euros to repair. Therefore, I do consider that there is a small part of street art that should not be considered art as such.
On the other hand, I have observed that we are focusing mainly on the part of street art that refers to graffiti. However, I have been looking for some news and reports on the Internet and I have found something very curious that I did not know: in Japan, many of the manhole covers are decorated with different images, such as cartoon characters. (See the BBC video called «Street Art … Japanese style»). This activity has become an art in different cities of the country where some artists perform these handmade works in a very perfectionist way. With this, they aim to improve the image of these cities. So, having said that, do you agree that decorating the manhole covers can be considered another type of street art? If so, would you include this type of art in your cities?
· ST-LVIA-G1-7
Good morning!
I’m back to answer some of your questions. I have to admit that some of them are really interesting. Answering some of Marta’s questions:
-I don’t Think that everything that appears on the walls can be considerer street art. On walls we find every kind of “drawing “ you can ever imagine. You can find either extremely good portraits of famous people or some bad words criticising the society. For this, I do no consider every single paint on walls a piece of art. In my opinion, the border is when it starts to be offensive. It doesn’t need to be something marvellous but as far as it isn’t offensive for ANYONE then, it could be consider as art.
Obviously, I prefer legal street art, when artist paint a wall under some restrictions and at daylight. Those are more professional and well-made. On the other hand, the illegal ones, normally done at nightlight are not as good and they tend to be on public walls, what makes them be more hated. I think that there should be more arranged competitions for street artist to allow them show their creativity and make it a more common thing.
I hope it was helpful. I would appreciate if you could answer some of my questions now:
Do you think that art shouldn’t be conceived only as something separated from the feelings of the majority of people?
Has graffiti succeeded in attaining a unique position in the institutionalized contemporary art?
Thanks a lot, and let’s keep interacting!
· ST-LVIA-G1-7
Hello back,
I am here again to keep this forum alive. I am glad to answer some of your questions but please answer some of mines too. Thanks a lot. Here are some of my thoughts about the topic.
I completely agree with ST-LVIC-G1-5 that street art, no matter which one it is, is way of rebellion. It tells a lot about the society and hoe they feel in a certain moment. Obviously, there ares some quite light but all of them are full of meaning and criticism. Some critics even say that these painting are the reflection of the whole city. I would go that far, but it is true that many citizens would agree with that.
I also agree that street art can make people feel more connected to the city and maybe more responsible for how it looks and maybe even more “human”. Street art can make people think about current issues and how to react to them. Street art is not just a painting it is something bigger, something full of meaning.
Here area some new questions for us to keep this ball rolling:
How many street artists do you know? Do they paint about current problems? How rebellious are they?
Which is the graffities that has caught more your attention? Why? Could you attach a picture for us to learn about it! thanks.
· ST-LVIA-G1-8
Hi there! My name is ST-LVIA-G1-8, and I’m doing an English Studies Degree at the University of Valencia. I chose this particular topic because I’m a musician myself. I play the flute and the tin whistle in an Irish traditional music band and I recently started busking around town as well, so this discussion felt just perfect to me!
I’ve been taking a look to your comments and questions, and I have to say I was really impressed about how all of you approached the topic. Congratulations to yerselves for such a good job!
Now I have some questions about the matter here I’d like to come up with:
Do you think buskers should be allowed to play amplified in Valencia’s city center? (Because they are not for the moment)
How could politicians regulate amplified busking so that it didn’t disturb much to the people living around?
Do you know anyone who got fined while busking?
How often do you give some coins to street performers? (honesty required, please)
Did you ever perform any kind of street art yourselves?
Thanks in advance!
· ST-LVIA-G1-9
Good afternoon everyone!
In the first place, responding to Antonio’s questions, I think that nowadays graffiti is beginning to be recognized and studied as a consolidated art. In fact, we can already find some exhibitions about graffiti, as well as the routes through different cities that we have already talked about. However, I think there is still a lot to be done to ensure that graffiti can achieve the same prestige and popularity that other arts such as cinema have today.
Related to this and the theme that we have been commenting on the difference between legal graffiti in murals and those that are illegal and express social criticism, I found a very interesting documentary on YouTube in which different known graffiti artists from the city of Barcelona explain what graffiti is for them (Te video is called “Las Calles Hablan (street art) (documental) English subtitles”). I understand that the video is a bit long and you may not have time to watch everything (it lasts almost an hour), but I recommend you take a look at it because I think it provides a lot of first-hand information about this art.
Also, watching this video and the interviews that are made to different artists, I have a doubt about which I would like to know your opinion: Although we can see some women in it, I have been very struck by the fact that there are very few famous graffiti artists that are women. Why do you think that most graffiti artists are men? There is any reason or it is simply coincidence?
· ST-LVIA-G1-8
+ ST-LVIA-G1-13 I’d like to answer to question number 5 of yours if that suits at all!
Well, I actually think it may be possible for street artists to have a copyright on some of their works. It might be quite difficult sometimes (let’s be honest) but, as I see it, it could be done depending on the kind of work that one would like to do the copyright on.
In the case of music, for example, it may be easy to do so. I’ve been copyrighting my own compositions for quite a long time and never had any problem if I was performing my tunes or songs before getting them registered. You just have to indicate that your work was performed before doing the copyrighting when filling up the information for the registering of it.
But let’s now think of another kind of artistic work: a graffitti, for example. How could one claim ownership on a painting on the wall? How might you prove that you were the person who actually created it?
I’m not really sure about how would that be done in this case, but I think there’s the option of taking a picture of it and registering your work as an «original photograph» of yours but not as a painting itself… but again, I never did such a thing, so don’t trust all what I’m saying about this!
· ST-LVIA-G1-8
+ ST-LVIA-G1-7 Hi ST-LVIA-G1-7! I’d like to answer to your second question here, which I find really interesting indeed:
as I see it, governments should deffinitely protect all ways of self-expression, and that for sure includes street art.
I find it completely nonsensical to fine buskers who play amplified around town center. Specialy if traffic noise is much louder than the sound that a guitar and a small amp can produce (which is many times the case)
I agree that street music can sometimes be disgusting for neighbours, but there may be regulations in which buskers where told where, when and what voulme to play, so that if didn’t disturb people in general.
Just as an example, I was playing the other day around Plaça de l’Ajuntament and I could hardly hear my flute and my friend’s guitar, because the noise of cars, buses and people talking was much louder than the music we were playing. Who should be fined instead? Mabye drivers? Of course not, but neither musicians I’d say…
I think politicians should take a look at other countries where street art is not only allowed, but also the way many people make their living. I recently met a couple from Galway here in Valencia. Paul, the man, was a professional musician. He told me he spent most of his time busking and playing in pubs sometimes as well, and he could live out of if with no problem…but he explained me that back in Ireland where he lives, busking is really a common thing to do, so it is not forbidden to play in the streets. Doesn’t matter if in acoustic or amplified.
· ST-LVIA-G1-8
+ ST-LVIA-G1-9 Hi ST-LVIA-G1-9! Some interesting questions there… Well, I don’t know him personally, but there’s a very famous graffitti painter from around my neighbouhood (Cruz Cubierta) which is in the south part of Valencia.
His nickname is Duke 103, and I used to know a lad who actually was a relative of him. Anyone living in Valencia may have seen quite a few of his works. He became very popular during the 90s and the beginning of the 00s. He’s a good graffiti painter, but he’s become more than that I’d say. His works are now a symbol of the city since last Century. I’ll attatch a couple links so that you can see some his paintings down here!
1.bp.blogspot.com
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RjzHto3Eeis/UIF27a-FRnI/AAAAAAAAN-A/pUD-YXx6Egg/s1600/mural+turia+duke103.jpg
1.bp.blogspot.com
· ST-LVIA-G1-10
Hi everyone! My name is ST-LVIA-G1-10 and I am a third year student of English Philology in the University of Valencia. To start with,I have been reading your posts so I am going to comment a little bit on them. Referring to what has been highlighted , I would like to say that I personally believe that graffiti sometimes can be controversial because it encompasses from vandalism to murals and advertising. But from my point of view, it can be pretty interesting to analyse because it could be a medium of protest and it can be considered as a “public voice within the community” for merely expressing some ideas in a wall. However, I also consider that creating graffiti has to do with something illegal (in some cities) so that interrupts normative ways of being and living in the city. But in contrast with that, it is known nowadays that the practice of graffiti has grown considerably in our country, especially we can find it in the Barrio del Carmen, as ST-LVIA-G1-9 has pointed out before. Apart from that, regardless how ugly and beautiful a graffiti is, we could pay more attention to the process of creating a graffiti. In fact, the way that the images are drawn, paying attention to the techniques, colours and tones are not easily understood by the majority of people , therefore they may be judged as an ugly and disgusting.
After saying this, I would like to ask all of you a question: Do you think that street art beautify a city, or totally the opposite?
· ST-LVIA-G1-8
+ ST-LVIA-G1-7 Hi again! Well, I’ve seen loads of graffitties during my life. When I was a child there was a time when I loved going around the city with my father and taking pictures of the ones I liked…but anyway that was quite a long time ago.
One of the graffitties that caught my eye years ago was one in El Carmen, in Valencia’s city center. It’s quite simple in comparison to others, I know, and I don’t really understand the meaning of it to be honest. But mabye it’s just that which makes it that appealing to me! I think it’s pretty obvious that the painting tries to show various sequences of a car falling down. There might or might not be a hidden meaning behind it, we’ll probably never know, but as I see it, less is more sometimes, and this work seems raw to me. It somehow creates a very direct contact with the person watching it…
I don’t have a proper picture of the graffitti I’m talking about, but I’ll attatch the Google Maps link below for if anyone is interested in having a look at it!
google.es – Google Maps
Google Maps
google.es
· ST-LVIA-G1-9
Hi + ST-LVIA-G1-8, I’m glad you joined our conversation! Your comments and questions are very interesting and original, as they allows us to talk about another type of street art such as music.
The truth is that I am not at all an expert in music and I do not play any instrument, but I love music and I think it is necessary for life. Therefore, I think that musicians should be allowed to play in the streets, as it serves to encourage people and also it is a good opportunity for them to be heard by many more people.
I have to admit that I do not usually give money to all the musicians I meet on the street, because I think there are so many people asking for money in the streets that it would be a bit difficult to give them all, and it is difficult to choose who to give money. But without any doubt, I think they have the right to show their art on the street.
As for the volume of the music, I suppose that they should have rules to follow. I understand that there are neighbors who can be annoyed, but I totally agree with you that we also have to live with other sounds much more annoying as that of cars.
· ST-LVIA-G1-9
Welcome, + ST-LVIA-G1-10. In my opinion, it depends on the type of graffiti we are talking about and where it is located.
If we focus on cases like El Barrio del Carmen, I think it serves to beautify, since it is an area with very old houses and some of them are even abandoned, so the fact of including colorful murals makes it become a much more pleasant place and it can attract many more tourists.
However, I also think that other types of graffiti that are drawn on important monuments are not at all beautifying the place. Quite the opposite, because they spoil the walls in which they are made. Therefore, my answer is that, in general, graffiti embellish, but there are some cases in which they do not do it at all.
But I also think it is important to mention that, as we have already said, the purpose of many of the graffiti from its origins has not always been to embellish, but to express ideas and feelings in a more visual way that can reach a greater number of people. So you do not always have to look at graffiti thinking if it is beautiful or ugly, but we must go further and look for the message that the artist wants to express.
· ST-LVIA-G1-10
Thanks for answering my question + ST-LVIA-G1-9. I completely agree with you in relation to my question. As you have explained very well, it depends on where it is located. For instance, it suits quite well in the Barrio Del Carmen because is a neighbourhood with many contrasts regarding gastronomy and leisure . There are a lot of walls artistically well painted. But for example, in the city centre where we find lots of contemporary building, it is not viewed favourably. For that reason , it can spoil the decoration and the atmosphere of the place. Apart from that, I am going to answer your question, Silvia. First of all, in my opinion, I believe that we find more men painting the walls than women because of course, to be a street artist, you have to endure some things: for instance being in public spaces often alone at night. In this way, it is more appropiate for men than women. Men are less vulnerable and they also are far less likely to be followed and assaulted.
· ST-LVIC-G1-5
hey + ST-LVIA-G1-10 ! Nice that you joined us. There are soo many interesting things you guys raised. I feel like we are very deep in the discussion about beauty right now 🙂 and actually about kind of aesthetic order of the urban space or aesthetics normativity od the urban space. Actually opinions about what is beautiful always are gonna be divided. I think one of the oldest type of graffiti was a painting a nickames or short words (when you type ‘graffiti’ in a google in a results you will have mostly some kind of typography, letters which are the turned into more complex picture). And this type of graffiti was never appealing for me. But painting a graffiti was popular in a skate subculture. And I think that by them it was considered as beautiful. It had to be somehow appealing for them or the process of creating it was appealing to them (and that illegality as a part of the counterculture). And it was part of their subculture. We, as a spectators used to judge art mostly in a terms «beutiful-ugly, «good-bad» etc. And here, discussing street art we meet a problem of contemporary cities. Problem of how we can deal with diversity of different people who like different things, colors, believe and value different things and so on but have to live together in one city, very close to each other. And who actually has a right to say how cities should look like. Sure, most of us want to live in clean, aesthetically pleasant cities and from the child we are bombarded with statements that we should take care about public space and so on. But actually do we feel really responsible for public space, for our cities? Very often we treat a space as it would belong to noone. And actually people who do some graffiti or something they actively operate in urban space. They embody the space and they embody themselves in a space. And maybe we should move our attention from judging if something is beautiful-ugly and pay more attention to the process and to the fact that city is alive organism and the «biodiversity» of the behaviors in the city is super wide. I think that even that illegal street art can say us a lot about our society. That legal one too. It shows in amazing way how alternative/underground culture become absorbed by pop culture.
· ST-LVIC-G1-5
+ ST-LVIA-G1-7 I would like to respond to what you said. Thus, you said that if some piece of art «isn’t offensive for ANYONE then, it could be consider as art». I now that sometimes those «street art» pieces are really poor and also very often they are created as a result of poor motives. But look, isn’t contemporary art sometimes offensive and sometimes kind of poor in its’ form? But we can find those pieces in museum and it is considered as art (ok, ok, not everyone thinks that contemporary art is really true art). Not all art is polite and pretty. What do you think about it? Maybe the intention of the creator is important and maybe in «street art» we more often meet the situation that somebody just want to paint curses on the wall because why not and there is nothing deeper behind it. But if contemporary artist would do the same but thinking of it, maybe it would have some message and higher importance just by that preceding reflection.
But it is also interesting issue that it is illegal to play music on the streets because it may disturb people living in that neighbourhood. It depends on what kind of music it is. I live in Benimaclet. Every Saturday in the morning there come a man to play on the street in front of my apartament building. And he has that keyboard thing with big speakers and the music is half-ready. You know, there is pre-prepared music on the keyboard and it is like a background. And that man plays just a little bit on his own. And that music is really annoying that Saturday mornings. I don’t know how it would be if that would be a flut or violin with nice music. Probably I would feelt in completely different way because that would be totally different quality. But it is super interesting that we legitimate some kind of things and other not. Like… we let many cars to the city center and for everyone it is «normal» to have cars there while municipality has a problem with musicians. I think that maybe it will change but we would have to work on politicians awareness of that problem. Because actually if people could make a living in that way, maybe the rules should be less strict?