THE CHALLENGES OF CATALOGING STREET ART

By Elizabeth Karges

Yarn art by Hot Tea Minneapolis, MN

Yellow Lines Flower Painter by Banksy,

2007

What is “street art?”

Street art is an umbrella term defining forms of visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues.

Graffiti is writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place.

Sign in Montreal, QC ca. Feb. 2012

Why catalog street art?

Many (not all) view street art as a legitimate art form

Street art is transient and prone to constant alteration

Credit where credit is due?

"If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission," Street Art by Eddie Colla

Eddie Colla’s response to Walmart:

Challenges of cataloging street art How can we accurately catalog a work that is so prone to

change? Which iteration of the piece is most important? The original?

The existing piece (assuming changes are made)? Do we catalog each and every alteration made to the piece? What happens when the work is completely erased or painted

over?

Banksy in New York City, NY Oct. 2013

Creative solutions:

Sweza: German artist uses QR codes that link to original artwork (sweza.com/graffyard/)

Creative solutions:

Graffitimapper.org: website/app devoted to photographing and geotagging graffiti art pieces

Challenges of cataloging street art How are patrons going to search for

street art? What categories must be “filled,” and

what terms do we use to describe them?

Graffiti Art Styles by Lisa Gottlieb Modify Panofsky/Shatford frameworks

Panofsky/Shatford frameworks describe art from the top down

Pre-Iconography/”Of”: primary subject, objective and subjective meaning

Iconography/”About”: Secondary subject matter, symbolic meaning

Apply this to graffiti art: Pre-Iconography/”Of”: literal translation of tag Iconography/”About”: the artistic style of the

tag expresses both the style and the message, a signature

Lady Pink: two tags

Pink, 1984

Pink, 1993

Categories used to describe graffiti A: Legibility B: Number of

colors C: Symmetry D: Dimensionality E: Letter outlines F: Linearity G: Letter strikes

H: Negative SpaceI: Letter overlapJ: Use of arrowsK: Letter shape consistencyL: Fill effectsM: Fill consistency

So what does that look like?

Style: Abstract, A1C2F3I5J2K2 (a.k.a. “Transcend”) Legibility: Illegible (A1) Symmetry: Asymmetrical (C2) Linearity: Combination of curved and straight

lines (F3) Letter overlap: Intertwined (I5) Use of arrows: Not integral (J2) Letter shape consistency: Inconsistent (K2) Number of colors: At least 3, can have more

than 5 (B2-3) Dimensionality: Often 2-dimensional (D1)

Ethical questions

Does cataloging lend credibility to the artwork?

If this is the case, does cataloging street art quietly condone acts of vandalism?

Street artists often expect that their art will not last. Are we fighting against the nature of the art form by preserving it?

Where do we draw the line between vandalism and street art?

Minneapolis street art