Discussion

Hello Billy and Heather!

Thanks so much for visiting our class blog on dynamic street art and participating in the lively conversation about these vivid forms that are now found throughout the world! We would love to continue the dialog and also offer our insight and help, if you might find it useful or important. We are actually producing over 20 fieldwork projects within the next few weeks, all mostly localized, but also dealing with art abroad, from students who have traveled, that address different forms, including bar latrinalia and bike path graffiti. Over the last few days, we have brainstormed some questions for you!, which I have included below, and we were hoping that you might find some time and energy to answer at least a few with details and depth. In turn, we would be more than willing to also help you in any way possible. Again, we appreciate your interest, are keen to share ideas, and look forward to a rich back-and-forth discourse! We’ll be sure to give you both full credit for any input you offer!

Where do you most commonly find street art in NZ, and why do you think it is there?

What aspects of street art do you feel are cross-cultural or trans-cultural?

Are there any traces of Maori or native influence in New Zealand’s graffiti, and if so, what are some repetitive qualities or traits that stem from local tribal art?

Because of the limitations of space on the island, is there a higher concentration of graffiti in New Zealand than other countries and how does limited space affect the art itself?

Who are the most common artists of street art in your community?

What age/educational/class demographic is most consistently represented through street art in New Zealand?

Is street art in your community dominantly political (focused on the world), local (focused on specific regions/areas/communities), individual, (“Sally was here”) or a mixture of all three?

What are the dominant forms and types of street art, and what kinds of symbols do you see being used?

Are there any public ordinances dealing with street art/graffiti?

How does the government respond to street art/graffiti?

How does the popular culture respond to street art?

Are there regional differences in street art within New Zealand?

Feel free to check out my other web page on flyer art: http://www.visualvitriol.wordpress.com, which forms the core of my new manuscript on punk art!

Be well! David Ensminger