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Painting
the Town
--By Charles McHale Translated
by Kristal Kuo
Graffiti is on the move in Taipei!
What started less than 10 years ago as an underground
scene for locals and foreigners has, in the
past year, been boosted by community, cultural
and corporate support. Taipei Artist's Village,
MOCA and even Fubon Bank have had art shows
and live events featuring graffiti art-an example
is the giant mushroom at Fubon Bank's Civic
Boulevard / DunHua branch. The shoe company
K-Swiss / Royal Elastics is a visible supporter
of graffiti art, bringing international artists
to Taipei for their K-Spray Asia Tour. K-Swiss
also has a line of shoes targeted at graffiti
artists and a free studio program (materials
included) for local artists.
Is this a sell-out? Is graffiti
merely becoming advertising? It's definitely
an issue in the graffiti community. Worldwide,
graffiti is hot, driven by Hip Hop consumerism
and Japanese animation. Graffiti artists are
shown in art galleries and paid to paint murals.
One way to look at corporate support is like
an amplifier for the two turntables and a microphone
we had before. That said, graffiti as underground
art will never go away. It's the story graffiti
tells that makes it an important form of expression
and more than simply a graphic style. If you
keep your ear to the ground, you will always
hear the voice of the streets.
The
ways and Means:
Most graffiti uses one or more of a few basic
techniques. Spraycan art is the standard. Stencils
are cutout images from any flat sheet of material.
A quick spray and you have an instant drawing.
Multi-layered stencils are used to add different
colors and can become very complex. Posters
and stickers are also common.
A "tag" is the artist's signature.
Cultivated with care, this stylized writing
is a way of saying "hello" to everyone.
In the community of graffiti artists, it also
presents a challenge: "I was here. Where
were you?" "Bombing" is illegal
street painting, most often tagging, with an
emphasis on what you can do in a public place
without getting caught.
Finding
graffiti in Taipei:
ZhongXiao East Road (from DunHua Road to S.Y.S.
Memorial Hall and Civic Blvd): This trendy shopping
area has lots of great stencil work, some tagging,
stickers and a few murals. The line between
the street art and advertising is blurred at
a new Adidas store, still under construction.
A giant sneaker mural covers its construction
wall.
Huashan Culture Park (corner of ZhongXiao, JinShan
and BaDe roads): This former beer factory is
now home to art, music, cultural exhibitions
and events. Huashan is currently remodeling
some of the large factory spaces, but plans
to leave the graffiti murals. There are lots
of intricate murals here and some quick work.
One piece is dated 1998.
Huashan Culture Park website: www.huashan.cca.gov.tw
XiMenDing: Taipei's youth culture,
shopping and movie megaplex district is tagged
and stickered. Ground Zero is "American
alley" (Lane 96 from KunMing Street to
Taipei Cinema Park). This is a good spot for
bombing. It's mostly fast and dirty, but there
are some good wall pieces and some large poster
work. Lane 96's streetwear shops like "Mother
F**ker" and a skate shop seem sympathetic
to the cause. AMPM gallery is a short walk away.
Bailing Waterside Park and ChengDe Bridge: This
area stands out for public support. The bridge
has some graffiti underneath. The south ramp
features a school mural project on both sides.
The park features a public graffiti wall with
murals, along the soccer field. This is Taipei's
Hall of Fame for graffiti. It's a place where
the artists can take their time making a great
piece.
Look for a youth graffiti workshop
at the Bailing Waterside Park this summer. One
organizer, Dbsk1, has been doing graffiti and
making art in Taipei for five years. He offers
this advice for those getting started: practice!
Ugly work gets covered up quickly and draws
unwanted attention. Don't be a copycat. Graffiti
artists work hard to develop a signature style;
you want people to know it's yours. Find your
own turf. Covering up other people's work represents
a challenge; if you're going to do it, do it
right. Be sure their works sucks and that your
work brings the goods. Make sure you cover the
whole thing. Last word: graffiti didn't start
yesterday. Do some research on what's out there.
You are connecting to a worldwide movement.
AMPM
Gallery
Located in XiMenDing's "former" love
hotel district, AMPM was started by, and represents,
local grassroots talent. This fresh new gallery
features live graffiti installations, workshops,
stencil/collage/paintings by graffiti artists
and other work. It's just upstairs from Love
Hotel, its sister retail outlet, run by Pet
Shops Girl. Look forward to great opening parties
and the best in supa fresh style.
Location: AMPM Gallery
24, Alley 55, NeiJiang Street near the corner
of ChengDu Road in XiMenDing on the third and
fourth floors. For more information, contact
0955-426-425.
K-Spray
2006
K-Spray is an international event sponsored
by K-Swiss / Royal Elastics shoes. The Asia
tour stops in Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei.
Last year's K-Spray brought artists Logan Hicks
(USA), Sixten (Sweden) and Phibs (Austrailia)
to the Taipei Artist's Village for a graffiti
block party. This year's event features skate
deck stencilist Fremantle (France) and Grand
High (US), a sneaker artist. The party will
be hosted at In House, one of Taipei's trendy
lounge bars with an outdoor patio. K-Swiss /
Royal Elastics knows how to throw a party, so
don't miss it!
Details: April 4 at In House ( 90, SongShan
Road; 02-2345- 5549). Check www.k-spray.com
for details. |
