Secrets of the City

“Public art, even if in a graffiti style, is not graffiti unless it is unauthorized. The City should not be an arbiter of aesthetics”

Cities are often arbiters of aesthetics; I seem to recall stories of local shops getting in trouble for using the wrong kind of signage.

I hereby marry this thread to this thread

By coincidence, just saw this mural for the first time today and it’s amazing. Looking forward to reading this.

“There’ no real connection between hip-hop and graffitti, mainstream America just wants you to think that.” -legendary spray artist Lady Pink, being interviewed, interestingly enough for the 2007 B-Girl Be summit.

What is she talking about? The four historic “elements” of hip hop are: MCing (rapping), DJing, urban inspired art/tagging (graffiti), and b-boying (or breakdancing). And that’s not just according to Wikipedia — that’s according to every old school hip hopper I’ve ever heard interviewed.

um…what about slinging rocks and 187s on undercover cops?

Lotta gold, too.

I think her point is, she was with spray art from the beginning and helped it grow as an artform and she never felt inspired by hip-hop. She even said she doesn’t like hip-hop.

Personally, I agree that there is a connection, but it is overstated and can detract from the autonomy of spray art.

I guess she’s right. After all, I break dance to folk music.

So, you really think spray art has no place outside of the hip-hop-o-sphere???

So, you really think spray art has no place outside of the hip-hop-o-sphere???

I prefer to break dance to architecture. The new Guthrie has me popping and locking like a motherfucker.

I also find this line funny:

detract from the autonomy of spray art.

WTF does this mean? (full disclosure…my cousin has an airbrush t-shirt stand on Mackinac Island and has painted several murals on vans and in area retail stores)

No. I think it can be divorced from hip hop. I actually do break dance to folk music. I’ll bread dance to anything.

I guess I meant to assert its stature as an art form that can stand on its own instead of being a sub-genre of a musical form people associate it with.

I guess I meant to assert its stature as an art form that can stand on its own instead of being a sub-genre of a musical form people associate it with.

king of the double post!!!

Bread dancing makes more sense for folk music.

Personally, I agree that there is a connection, but it is overstated and can detract from the autonomy of spray art.

It’s craft. Like needlepoint, quilting and tying trout flies.

I’ll bread dance to anything

Except Bread

msparber: “I’ll bread dance to anything.”

That’s just how you roll?

Oliver, a pun is the lowest form of wit.

As, I suppose, a bun is the lowest form of wheat.

Teucer, you would be better off buttering up to Max right now.

max –
Don’t mess with me. Do you really breakdance? I’ve proposed multiple MNspeak get togethers in my day, but didn’t know breaking was a potential gathering force.

I’d like to add the following to possible MNspeak niches to which I could place myself:

– beat boxing
– BMX riding

msparber: “As, I suppose, a bun is the lowest form of wheat.”

Whatever, whitebread.

Oh, I break dance. I studied with one of the dancers from Purple Rain when I was in high school. You know that scene during The Bird when there are, like, three dancers on the second floor of First Avenue, flapping their arms like birds? He was one of them.

There’s got to be something you can do besides loafing, Oliver.

nate…is BMX riding technically different than single-track mountain bike riding? because I rediscovered that this past weekend. awesome.

nate…is BMX riding technically different than single-track mountain bike riding? because I rediscovered that this past weekend. awesome.

Depends on the word “technically.” BMX vs. mtb biking obviously are two separate beasts, but if you’re talking about being composed of similar technical biking skills, then they’re certainly cousins (bedfellows even).

I LOVE single-track mtbking! I’d join you in a heartbeat. Where did you go this weekend?

North Scottsdale (I was on bike, the guys in video are on motorcycles)…way above my current skill, gear and fitness levels, but I lived to tell about it (zero rattlesnakes, one startled javelina, one sore human). Once I get my bike tuned up, I’d be willing to do Wirth or anywhere else that’s reachable by bike and has got some challenging singletrack.

That looks like a pretty wonderful welcome back to biking grote.

Once (if) the thaw occurs, I’d say we attack Wirth. I’ll bring a video camera and then we can post footage of us riding set to KORN.