Part 2 of City Xpressionz:

 

 

These two got a jump on the dance competition

 

Still spraying away:

 

The West Side Market looms over the festival:

 

 

 

 

Someone takes a more abstract approach:

 

This guy brought his compressor so he could airbrush:

 

DJ Onit spins away:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some completed pieces:

 

 

 

 

 

The airbrushing allowed for some nice detail work on this piece:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the dance competition but plenty of others did.

 

Hope you enjoyed! :-)

Wow, what a great event.  Wonderful job documenting it MayDay!  Thanks for sharing :)

The airbrushed one looked awesome, but it had an advantage over all of the others....they all were unique/creative in their own way.  Thx for the pics!

As usual MayDay.....You make us all feel like we were at the event!    :clap:

 

Great work man!

All that potential wasted...

 

Anyway, thanks for the pics.

"All that potential wasted..."

 

How so?

Not really wasted, ink. The artists enjoyed a really large crowd that itself was a really great showcase of Cleveland's diversity. Meanwhile, Cleveland Public Art is working with Exhibit Cleveland to install the larger murals in spaces along lower Euclid. They are continuing to explore opportunities for the smaller murals. And the same break dancers seen above are continuing to gain some great exposure throughout the city ... The Aerosol Fest must have been the 5th time this year I've seen these same kids performing. I'd say it's actually potential that's finally being realized.

^If this is all the art they are producing, then that is how I feel. But, by the crowd, I would assume there is a contingent that enjoys this kind of thing.

 

I don't want to start up another Cleveland gun shirt discussion again, its all opinion.

^ink, they produce more than the canvases you see. Many of them work as studio artists or graphic designers and they make a good living at it. Some have sold pieces in galleries for healthy four-digit amounts. The dancers are often members of local dance groups - some of them offer lessons and thus generate income that way. I know that graffiti has a somewhat-deserved stigma, but when we're talking about people using this style of expression in legal venues - I'd say they're doing the right thing.

 

Vandals aka "Taggers" on the other hand, deserve to have their thumbnails removed using pliers :evil:

nice. why not let'em go to town with that talent along the red line? like have a call for artists and make it legal for a couple days, now that would be interesting.

^mos def

^If this is all the art they are producing, then that is how I feel. But, by the crowd, I would assume there is a contingent that enjoys this kind of thing.

 

I don't want to start up another Cleveland gun shirt discussion again, its all opinion.

"Cleveland Gun Shirt" Wow... That's what happens when one makes such a statement about something that may not be their "cup of tea". Anyone expressing their feelings through art and not harming others is not a waste of canvas. Not particularly my style either but not worth stating such comments.

 

btw, great pics mayday.

^ink, they produce more than the canvases you see. Many of them work as studio artists or graphic designers and they make a good living at it. The dancers are often memberrs of local dance groups - some of them offer lessons and thus generate income that way. I know that graffiti has a somewhat-deserved stigma, but when we're talking about people using this style of expression in legal venues - I'd say they're doing the right thing.

 

Vandaliziers aks "Taggers" on the other hand, deserve to have their thumbnails removed using pliers :evil:

 

I agree.  Ink, you sound like Peter Vallone, when he called my office tried to give me the rah-rahs over a "tag" inspired TIME Magazine advertisement we used on Houston Street by a well know NYC "tagger" COPE2.  The dumb ass didn't know that we had the artist use a canvas and the installed it to the builing to make it "appear" that it was painted on (tagged) over a various period of time.

 

In addition, some of those taggers are AMAZING, some might have started out the illegal way, but have since corrected the errors of their ways.  many are "wannabe's" but and the majority are straight good people.  Most are geeks, designers, artists or just creative individuals.  and trust....these "taggers" are not cheap!

"COPE2"

 

He was at the 2005 fest - they brought in a vinyl-wrapped Scion xB for him:

Damn MayDay...is there a picture you don't have?  LOL!    :wink:

 

Do you the camera to bed with you?  In the shower?  Is it surgically attached?

I volunteered at this event. It was fun!!!

MTS... are you flirting with Mayday?  "in the shower"....that is a whole different thread!

MTS never flirts with Mayday...

^If this is all the art they are producing, then that is how I feel. But, by the crowd, I would assume there is a contingent that enjoys this kind of thing.

 

I don't want to start up another Cleveland gun shirt discussion again, its all opinion.

"Cleveland Gun Shirt" Wow... That's what happens when one makes such a statement about something that may not be their "cup of tea". Anyone expressing their feelings through art and not harming others is not a waste of canvas. Not particularly my style either but not worth stating such comments.

 

1. Do you know what the "Cleveland Gun Shirt" discussion was? Its not like it was anything big, but I don't want you to read into it.

2. Your right, expression through art isn't a waste of canvas, but the style of this expression wasn't my, to use your words,  "cup of tea."

3. However, I don't see why a comment such as mine was needless, this is the purpose of a forum, and certainly a purpose of art--to inspire conversation.

Personally, I think the graffiti art is often easier to swallow than some of the modern art that people are producing. Many times it seems like everyone's point is to make you question your concept of "what art is," which gets old. I don't want to sound like I'm stretching it here a bit, but graffiti art in a way reminds me of classical painting in that it is large and overwhelming and meant to express personal and communal experiences, which in some way is similar to the large murals that an artist like Raphael painted. It, generally, expresses something that the average person can understand.

 

This is all different, in my opinion, from simple tagging of walls and buildings that is meant to say "Keep off my block, or you're going to get hurt" -- although the relationship is interesting in itself.

 

Either way, the point of the City Xpressionz event was to highlight not just graffiti art but also hip hop/urban music and dance. What I found most interesting about all of this was the way that everything seemed to merge the authentic with the academic. The primary MC (I forget his name) did an excellent job of narrating everything in a way that was instructive without being intrusive. It was fun to see, frankly, middle-aged gay guys, children and hardcore break dancers able to express themselves at the same time to the same songs, and everyone just had a good time and appreciated their efforts, no matter if they knew what they were doing or not.

 

I could blabber on, but one of the most interesting parts of the afternoon was when I saw three teens sign up for the rap battle, and they were told they could not swear in their raps. One kid said "How are we supposed to battle if we can't swear?" and the art girl said "I don't know, you'll have to find a way." I was going to mention to them that many artists impose restrictions on their work in order to open up new veins of creativity -- but I didn't say that, hah.

3. However, I don't see why a comment such as mind was needless, this is the purpose of a forum, and certainly a purpose of art--to inspire conversation.

 

Well said....its hard to argue with that.

MTS... are you flirting with Mayday?  "in the shower"....that is a whole different thread!

 

JDD...I'm not into "water sports"  LOL  LMAO!   :evil:  And you're correct that is a whole different thread man!

 

MTS never flirts with Mayday...

Correct...as you are all aware, I do love MayDay like I love a good cup of extra strength black coffee with four sugars....shaken...not stirred!

^If this is all the art they are producing, then that is how I feel. But, by the crowd, I would assume there is a contingent that enjoys this kind of thing.

 

I don't want to start up another Cleveland gun shirt discussion again, its all opinion.

"Cleveland Gun Shirt" Wow... That's what happens when one makes such a statement about something that may not be their "cup of tea". Anyone expressing their feelings through art and not harming others is not a waste of canvas. Not particularly my style either but not worth stating such comments.

 

1. Do you know what the "Cleveland Gun Shirt" discussion was? Its not like it was anything big, but I don't want you to read into it.

2. Your right, expression through art isn't a waste of canvas, but the style of this expression wasn't my, to use your words,  "cup of tea."

3. However, I don't see why a comment such as mine was needless, this is the purpose of a forum, and certainly a purpose of art--to inspire conversation.

Your points are well taken. It just seemed a little harsh but as you stated this is a forum after all. Agree or disagree, everyone is untitled to an opinion. Sure can't argue with that!

^I hope you didn't take my rebutal too harsh, its all cool.

I attended this event a couple of years ago, and it broadened my horizons quite a bit. I was very impressed by the diversity among the spectators.

^If this is all the art they are producing, then that is how I feel. But, by the crowd, I would assume there is a contingent that enjoys this kind of thing.

 

I don't want to start up another Cleveland gun shirt discussion again, its all opinion.

"Cleveland Gun Shirt" Wow... That's what happens when one makes such a statement about something that may not be their "cup of tea". Anyone expressing their feelings through art and not harming others is not a waste of canvas. Not particularly my style either but not worth stating such comments.

 

1. Do you know what the "Cleveland Gun Shirt" discussion was? Its not like it was anything big, but I don't want you to read into it.

2. Your right, expression through art isn't a waste of canvas, but the style of this expression wasn't my, to use your words,  "cup of tea."

3. However, I don't see why a comment such as mine was needless, this is the purpose of a forum, and certainly a purpose of art--to inspire conversation.

Your points are well taken. It just seemed a little harsh but as you stated this is a forum after all. Agree or disagree, everyone is entitled to an opinion. Sure can't argue with that!

I was at Touch later on in the evening for what I heard was an "after party" for the event.  It didn't get rolling until after midnight and the djs were good, but the attendance was a little poor.  Looks like it was pretty good during the day, though!