Friday, October 31, 2014

When We Lose Heroes - #RIPBenNaz

Do you remember when Lennon died? Neither do I, but I know the song 'Imagine' and can picture a time when maybe we could have given peace a chance. That's the legacy of a hero.

People remember where they were when heroes die because the moment is significant, it stands in front of us and the world pauses. People used to ask "where were you when Kennedy was shot ?" because  everyone had a story, like "I was walking down the street and crowds had gathered at a shop window, watching a large television screen". How we hear the news has changed since then, but the stories haven't. Incidentally I was walking in Edinburgh Gardens when I learnt of Gough's passing.

Everyone dies. The thing about heroes, though, is that when they are gone, they don't go. A switch gets flicked and they transition seamlessly from living legend to something even higher.

Not every hero is famous and not everyone's hero is a hero to all. Wordsworth's heroine Lucy lived unknown, but when she ceased to be, well:
She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and oh,
The difference to me!
Ben Naz died this week, and here are some of the things people are saying:
he was a true fighter, an inspiration and one of the greatest artists!
saddened at the passing of a legend as an artist and person! Rest in Paint
yesterday was a sad day for the street art community our brother Ben Naz Guerrilla Artist passed... a fighter a legend, I don't know one person who won't be saddened by this, will miss you brother always smiling always fighting until the last moment.
Here is a news article: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/10/30/14/how-filipino-french-artist-fought-his-life-until-end

I think everyone on the Interwebs knows that Ben Naz is one of my heroes (my bio piece here) and I am watching Facebook spill over with heartfelt words about the man. But no-one has captured the essence of why he is a hero quite so well as Baron Naz:
My Dad showed me the world in more detail, he taught me everything that he has learned and I must use that to carry on life as what my Dad wanted me and my mom to carry on and be happy, 'LIVE LIFE WITHOUT REGRETS' Thank you all very much for what you've done for my Family especially for My Dad!!!
 Live Life Without Regrets. Ben Naz. Guerilla artist, activist, Pinoy role model, friend. #RIPBenNaz

Monday, October 27, 2014

Some stuff I have seen

Watching Kaff-Eine and Lucy-Lucy

Busy, focussed, cold (on account of Melburn's finest weather) and totally fucking hot (on account of their respective hotness).
 Smart, engaging and approachable. They are so different yet complementary. They move around a wall like two dish pigs in a busy kitchen. One up, one down, one over, one under. It is no surprise that Kaff-eine and Lucy-Lucy work. They just do. If you get a chance to watch them, it will be the story you tell your grandchildren, like the one my Da tells about that time he sat on the stage when Frank Sinatra sang.
  
 

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Barek sneak preview

okay save the date, date to be confirmed, this flasher needs to sort their software out but in the meantime a teaser of what's in store after an afternoon watching Barek make can work look like crayons ...
 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Light

The thing about morning scouting is the light. It is all about the light. It is your enemy when it casts shadows over half a piece, and your friend when a gentle dappling enhances an old tag on a worn out wall. The photos below are deliberately not edited as I wanted to show the strong hold light has in morning shots. Oh and a fucking cool Shida just looks rad as anything.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Your Art Culture

Commentary is good, particularly coming from within and appearing right where the comment is aimed. We need more of it and we need to respond to it. According to me. Watch this space, soon, when I am not supposed to be 'working' my other job (you know the one you do because you have to) I will dig into this further.
sf - the new lush?


Monday, October 13, 2014

Increase your Blog Traffic and other lies

You should generate 'X' amount of traffic towards your blog. Fuck if it is good or not. They don't have to like street art, or even get a kick out of your dodgie lefty views. Get Ads. Sell product. Lie. Cheat. Steel. And blog the shit out of this.

Alternately just write stuff you care about.






Saturday, October 11, 2014

Razor Blades

I get all opinionated sometimes.  Shocking I know. Snark is my middle name when I am provoked to be snarky. So my response to a blog post today was heavily seasoned with vitriol, Flasher style. 
The author posed the questions "do unattractive people hate attractive people?" and worse, "do the poor hate the rich?". She may as well have handed me the baseball bat and placed a glass bollard in front of me because I wanted to smash her loaded questions right off their false premises. But it did get me thinking about what I value and that is an unconventional aesthetic. 
I am attracted to all that goes against the grain. Give me a monster throwie any day and I will piss on your Monet. Or tag it. Now THAT is hot. I am attracted to graffiti because it defines an aesthetic that is deplored by many. It is unconventionally attractive to those more open minded. And it is beautiful to the completely outer edge.
Graffiti separates the 'attractive'  idealists (eg those who utter "I hate tags but those murals are so pretty")  from the 'insidious sub culture' (eg those who think the lush pussy is rad and FYG should openly spell out Fuck Your God).
What I hate about the 'Murals are Pretty' mentality is exactly what I hated about that post I read today. It assumes to the same norm that tells us David Beckham is hot but Andrew Denton is weird looking. There might be some merit on the face of it but after an hour of talking over coffee which one has bored you shitless? 
So to answer the question posed (do unattractive people hate attractive people?) I have to say define attractive. Define rich. And if you mean attractive by convention then no. I don't think your 'unattractive' people are lining up to be you, and hate you for your loveliness. In fact I pity you because you value bullshit that means nothing. So yes. I am with Muriel. Fucking wanker.

Places I go

No words. Well these words. But this post is a visual of the places I go. More specifically the places I went yesterday and the day before. Also the places I went last week. Hashtag #deansunshine #landofsunshine #factor #cantonese #hongkonghouseguest #viggietang #faither #shida #dammad (yeah this dude is back!) #barek #smel #klara #lewisfidock #fidock ... More hashtags late