On top of this the atmosphere and meaning of these photo's can vary widely depending on artistic decisions such as the format and exposure of the below window.
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In England we see 1cm of snow and BAM - the schools are closed and the adults grumble about the dangers just in time for their children to race out of the door sledge (or heavy duty bin bag) in hand. The excitement is required due to the rarity of this short-lived event. The snow is slush within a few hours despite the continued enthusiasm of the children sliding down the now mud bank…
This year my dedication to "experiencing the Dutch festivities" was rewarded with not just the usual splattering of snow but four days of code red winter weather! I was amazed to see the Dutch continuing to cycle through the newly laid snow, fighting their way to work despite the freezing winds. However, then the ice set in and with a temperature of -5 recorded to feel like -10 we were granted three days in by safety of the fire. The roads became ice rinks and adults slip-slided past the skating youngsters to panic buy necessities at the local supermarket. I managed to take a few photos of this winter wonderland before retiring to the comfort of my heated apartment… “Not a blare or glare of being. Rather, more like the subtle shadows of a candle illuminating a space we might otherwise overlook.” – Carlo McCormick, ‘Swoon: Noted in Passing Simply titled ‘Swoon’ the book from which this quote is derived discusses the work of female contemporary street artist Swoon, through a collection of essays by those who know and work with her. Combined with extensive photographic documentation, this book creates an almost biographical account of Swoon’s artistic development from her first wheat-paste in 2002 - and the influence of her upbringing in “the cultural wasteland of Daytona Beach” - to the book’s publication in 2010. The essays include both technical and critical insights into Swoon’s practice alongside personal anecdotes that bring the artist alive for the reader. Including information stranded somewhere between analysis and interview, the texts introduce Swoon foremost as a person which promotes a refreshingly deeper understanding of her motives and practice when compared to the majority of more scholarly material. As described in this quote by New York critic and curator Carlo McCormick, Swoon’s practice involves finding unnoticed corners of the urban environment to breathe life into with her work. Her humble wheat-pastes fight weathering and vandalism along-side the walls they cover, becoming part of the location and giving each piece a visually aging history. Like her work, Swoon also becomes part of the community within her practicing technique. Over the years she has developed an entourage that follows and supports her practice. Whilst swoon designs and creates all wheat-pastes herself it is clear from the stories of the various authors within this book that the sheer mass and scale of swoons later projects would not be possible without help to organise, paste, perform and participation from her collective followers. This is especially prevalent in her move from street art to organised arts events such as ‘Swimming Cities of Serenissima’, homemade recycled rafts that travelled the Adriatic sea and arrived unannounced to the Venice Biennale in 2009 only to supply further entertainment with nightly performances by the artistic crew. More specifically, the New York artist is known for her figurative street-art, created as cut-outs and prints of a life-size scale or larger. These figures are often sketchy portraits of friends and family of Swoon herself that abstract into fantasy with the inclusion of urban structures, scenes and patterns. From this background her practice also includes gallery exhibitions, group performances such as ‘Serenissima’ and community-engaging events such as a large-scale public food fight (‘The Condiment War’, Toyshop Collective with the Madagascan institute, 2003) or pirate ambush (‘Pirates of the Staten Island Ferry’, Toyshop Collective, 2003). Through her work Swoon, on one hand, brings communities together to slow down and enjoy the fun and silliness of life. On the other, she pushes the boundaries between street art and traditional ‘fine’ art techniques, whilst spreading awareness of social causes, cultural differences and the innate beauty of humanity within the overlooked corners of the urban environment: “It’s a kind of social art that is inherently political without the need to express any ideology” (C. McCormick, Swoon: Noted in Passing). This social theory of Swoon’s practice is what most relates to and inspires my own work. Being a peaceful activist, strong optimist and dedicated believer in equality, my work shares similar aims with Swoon’s: I look to connect to the community through my work and bring people together through shared values and participation. To quote my own website, "The presence of art creates a unique opportunity for society. Forming dialogue between strangers, increasing cultural understanding and becoming a platform to fight taboo subjects out in the open; art is a societal power of monumental strength. All the while introducing colour and creativity to a world suffering from an exponential case of urban development.” (M. C. Downing, www.thenakedartistabroad/weebly.com). My most recent work has held a clear focus on noticing the ‘wonders of life’ through hand-lettering designs and ‘branding’; teaching viewers to search for the beauty of life by initiating them to question their own opinions on the topic. Whilst I direct more towards nature and inherent human qualities, Swoon’s use of the urban environment to highlight forgotten areas and bring beauty to them follows a similar aim. The fantasy element as well as the clear emotion in the subjects of her prints also connect to my encouragement towards seeing the beauty and ‘magic’ of living. Meanwhile, the public format of Swoon’s practice shows a resilience to the high-brow, invite-only party of the ‘fine art world’. Although, I am not brave enough to graffiti a wall or close a public street, I do put a lot of thought into the accessibility of my work. As, in simple terms, I aim to spread happiness to my viewers I feel there is no-one unworthy of involvement. The more people understand and gain from my work the more successful it is. So, in turn, this can be connected to all street and community art which displays work for all to witness and enjoy. This includes all variety of cultures that are displayed and shared on Swoon’s work and have been politically discussed in my own work in previous years. |