Art! Where does it begin? Where does it end? And who's asking?

Published Apr 17 2009, 02:52 PM by Clif Garboden

Okay, so Shepard Fairey's art involves defacing other people's property, sometimes with permission, sometimes without. He pastes his truly wonderful poster art on buildings, which are pieces of architecture, which is a form of art.

If he does this in Allston, people deface his posters. Tear out chunks and (since the shreds aren't scattered around the pavement, and we know nobody's ever swept that lot) keep them as souvenirs. Without permission. This changes the art. Defaces it. So is defacing a Shepard Fairey poster a form of art?

And then there are the truly un-wonderful scrawls elsewhere on the wall. Scrawled without permission. Again we ask: art? Did Fairey cover any of this crude vandalism when he slapped up his poster? Did he then deface the art that was already defacing the architecture? Only to have his art defaced? By an artist? When I take a picture of all of these things together, is that art too?

Clearly, what we learn from the above scene is that the only thing out of place on that wall is the one thing that belongs there -- the fairly artless sign for the International Bicycle Center.

How can that be?

Filed Under: Shepard Fairey

Women: Should we rejoice?

CelticsWatch: Hm.

1 Comments

Carly Carioli said:

Maybe it's just me, but I'm partial to the unwonderful scrawls. Sigh. Guess I should join that "Taggerz against the machine" group on Facebook after all.

April 22, 2009 12:03 AM

Follow the Boston Phoenix

All Blogs

Talking Politics (1,519)
Phlog (1,416)
Outside The Frame (303)
Dont Quote Me (516)
On The Download (2,157)
Laser Orgy (31)

Filed Under: Shepard Fairey

Boston Phoenix
Providence Fall Preview Listings 2009
Published 9/18/2009 by PHOENIX STAFF
Music, theater, art, festivals and more in the coming months

Boston Phoenix
VIDEO: Shepard Fairey, Z-Trip, and Chuck D at the ICA
Published 8/10/2009 by Carly Carioli
ThePhoenix.com's Nick Curran (of You Can Be a Wesley) and Addison Post snuck their way into the ICA's "Experiment Redux" on July 31 and managed...

more by Clif Garboden

Holy landscape! | September 25, 2009

Interview: Ken Burns | September 25, 2009

Michael Ryan: 1951-2009 | August 28, 2009

K is for clown | July 03, 2009

Art! Where does it begin? Where does it end? And who's asking? | April 17, 2009

See all articles by: Clif Garboden

Latest Comments

Leonid meteor shower still visible tonight-tomorrow am - You guys, I saw it in South Africa with a couple of my friends, at around 1a.m. The sky was literally...

By Lorraine on 11-23-2009 in Phlog

Coakley Strong, Capuano 2nd - Thank you a lot for a kind of nice note connecting with this topic ! You have to set up your <a href...

By arconame23 on 11-23-2009 in Talking Politics

Leonid meteor shower still visible tonight-tomorrow am - Was walking around Back Bay last night, around 6pm, and just happened to be looking up at the sky and...

By J on 11-22-2009 in Phlog

Coakley Strong, Capuano 2nd - Well, I'm out of town on 12/8 so I already voted for Martha absentee - that's one vote that won't be...

By Susan on 11-22-2009 in Talking Politics

The Globe, Scott Brown, and abortion - Was Chicago School Board President Michael Scott Snitching On Valarie Jarrett? Tuesday, November 17,...

By publius on 11-21-2009 in Dont Quote Me

Latest Comments from Phlog

Art! Where does it begin? Where does it end? And who's asking?

1 Comments

Carly Carioli said:

Leave a Comment