Feeling Worn and Street Art

Forgotten Near Palm Springs - d

Today is my last day of work for two weeks.  I leave for my photography class in New York on Tuesday.  The past month has been heavy at work.  We have major projects rolling out in Q3 and Q4 (I sound "business-y" when I write that) and I had to get some big things done before taking vacation.  I am going to have a heavy workload again in July-November as well.  We will see if I have a job next year, but this year is solid.

I have an empty feeling.  My energy is low.  My creativity is barely an ember.  My body is worn.  Normally that would be signs of depression for me, but I think my body and soul know I have a creative vacation coming.  It is going to be an active one with a full itinerary of museums, photo shoots, lectures, group and critiques.  Throw in meals, buses, boats, and trains, the days are full.  I also arranged two photo shoots with models on the side.  I may be tired when I get back, but I hope my soul will be recharged a bit.

Forgotten Near Palm Springs - bw

Street Art
I did not see much street art while growing up in Montana.  Billings, the states largest city at just over 100k people, did not have a big graffiti/street art presence when I was growing up.  It may have picked up since then.



Since moving to the SF area, I've started noticing the good street art.  Some are stencils, others are free form.  I appreciate the art that took a bit of thought and somehow incorporates the environment around it.  Street art and graffiti are tough subjects.  Is it vandalism, art, political statements, declarations of territory, messages of domination, or a mixture of all these? 

Forgotten Near Palm Springs

This art form has been in the press lately with the release of the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop,  a documentary about the famous/notorious street artist, Banksy.  Here is a link about the movie.  

I hope to find more street art while in NYC.  

Here is a great Magnum photo essay on street art. 

Below is a great mental vacation video of street art in a moving animation form from South America.  It is well worth the time to watch it even though it makes little sense in the concrete, but has great abstract concepts.


Have a great weekend.