Street art attack: the crafty side of street art

Published May 05 2008, 08:52 PM by Will Spitz

Street art is fascinating enough on it’s own but, given it’s ephemeral nature, the act of photographing it is essential. And sometimes a photograph of street art, when it’s from an interesting angle or incorporates experiments with color, light, and/or contrast, is a piece of art in itself. Annie Ridlon, of Moontree Studios in Jamaica Plain, writes on her Flickr page:

"In my neighborhood there's a 300 foot wall tucked away behind the train tracks, which serves as the canvas for one of the most gorgeous, ever-changing street murals I've ever beheld. It's pretty much a secret, so there's not many people who even know of its existence.

The wall is in a constant state of flux. Every day new pieces are added, old paint crumbles or is intentionally destroyed, layers of tags and signs and full-blown pieces are layered on top of one another. It's an incredible riot of color and texture. It's also a testament to the creative subculture which created it, and to the ever evolving nature of art itself."

Photographing the mural has become a project for Ridlon, as it has for many members of Flickr’s street art groups, who scour the streets on an unending treasure hunt for the perfect (or imperfect, which can be just as alluring) stencil or freshly wheatpasted poster. Below, a smattering of Ridlon’s photos, which she’s selling prints of on the website/crafters heaven, Etsy.

Photos by oxymephorous.

We're also digging this conceptually similar, up-close photo of the Wall in Central Square, snapped by eatskisleep.

And speaking of crafting, knitgirl is injecting originality into Vancouver’s street art scene, one brightly woven cozy at a time. If Banksy spent a few afternoons hanging out with your grandmother, this might be the result, and we totally adore the concept. knitgirl’s works seem to be everywhere - poles, trees, bikes - and it’s making us want to steal the idea, pick up some knitting sticks, and spread the trend to Boston. There’s just something so friendly - not to mention more accessible - about it. Not all street art is so easily likeable - sometimes glaring tags can be offputting. knitgirl's work is like a friendly reminder that street art can be created in any medium, and in any place. After all, who hates mittens? Photos below.

Photo by Yorri¢k.

Photo by REDRUM (AYS).

Photo by Knightmusik. [Ed. note - We totally want one of these for our bike.]

More knitgirl photos here.

--Caitlin E. Curran

Filed Under: artsy fartsy, Awesomeness, i love my bike, people doing awesome things, Photography

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Street art attack: the crafty side of street art
Published 5/5/2008 by Will Spitz
Street art is fascinating enough on it’s own but, given it’s ephemeral nature, the act of photographing it is essential. And sometimes a photograph of...

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