Sunday, February 3, 2008

Is Street Art Puerile?


For all you Swoon and Banksy fans, here's a rather scathing review of street art in the art market (Banksy is singled out in particular) by british art critic Matthew Collings: 'Banksy's ideas have the value of a joke,' London Times, Jan 28, 2008. It's a snarky tirade indeed, but is he entirely off the mark here? I encourage you to read the article as well as both Anna's and Abbey's posts below, and please do share your thoughts in comments or posts (visuals and links encouraged). There's plenty worth grappling with here.

You should also and absolutely be aware of the writings of Claire Bishop has been an outspoken and articulate critic of socially-engaged art. As we engage in artmaking that steps into the realm of social practice, these are issues to thoroughly consider and work rather than to simply dismiss (or accept). Read her Artforum essay "The Social Turn: Collaboration and its Discontents".

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