Category: Art Commentary

Stikman: Theme and Variations

Stikman: Theme and Variations

Why the anonymous street artist continues to fascinate For nearly three decades, the anonymous artist known as stikman has placed images of a schematic humanoid figure (also known as "stikman") in city streets around the United States, Canada, and Europe. The figure appears over and over again in varying forms, in many hundreds---perhaps thousands---of pieces … Continue reading Stikman: Theme and Variations →

The Living World of Art on the Street

The Living World of Art on the Street

At a gallery show of a noted street artist a few years ago, an attendee explained to me how he would acquire pieces he'd find on the street. He was clearly proud of his clever technique for stripping away the works with minimal visible damage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-u3SpZ3jy4&w=360&h=510&r=0 The changing seasons alter a work of public art. … Continue reading The Living World of Art on the Street →

Wall Writers: Graffiti in its Innocence

Wall Writers: Graffiti in its Innocence

The Writing on the Wall: New York and Philly in the Early 1970s Before the politically adroit stencils of Banksy, the beautiful calligraphic designs of Retna, and the clever humanoid figures of stikman, most graffiti consisted of simple tagging. Writing your name -- or, more commonly, your nickname -- on as many locations as possible … Continue reading Wall Writers: Graffiti in its Innocence →