Dynamic Street Art

By G.R.

http://www.dictionary.reference.com states that a stencil is:
(n) a device for applying a pattern, design, words, etc. to a surface, consisting of a thin sheet of cardboard, metal, or other material from which figures or letters have been cut out, a coloring substance, link, etc. being rubbed, brushed, or pressed over the sheet, passing through the perforations and onto the surface;
(n) the letters, designs, etc. produced on a surface by this method;
(v) to mark or paint a surface by means of a stencil
http://www.etymonline.com gives the etymology of the word “stencil”:
(n) 1707, not recorded again until 1848, probably from Middle English “stencellin” – to decorate with bright colors, from Middle French “estenceler” – cover with sparkles or stars, power with color, from “estencele” – spark, ornamental spangle, from Vulgar Latin “stincilla” from Latin “scintilla” – spark.
(v) “to produce a design with a stencil” not recorded until 1861
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Figure 2

by J.B.J.

For my project, I chose to look at the differences between male and female graffiti art. I primarily looked at tags and murals. What I found was that there were not so many differences between them; however, they did have a few distinctions. I did my research primarily on the web and I looked through a lot of different pieces of art and picked the examples I thought would best represent the differences I found in them.
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by L.H.
Art is the product of a passionate creator; it defines the nature of an individual and his or her contributions to the culture. Though generally not defined as art by mainstream culture, graffiti is the passionate outcry of artists determined to unsettle and challenge the status quo. Throughout this presentation, I will explore the significance and presence of graffiti in Brazil by utilizing my experience and research from my trip to Brazil in October of 2006.

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by J.S.

For my fieldwork project I decided to look at two bars in the “Barmuda Triangle” of Eugene – The Horsehead and John Henry’s. The reason I focused on these two bars is because of their diversity. Each one has a wide range of people who frequent them and I felt the Latrinalia would reflect that diversity.

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by M.M.

Urban graffiti’s uprising in Manhattan, New York in the 1970s and 80s was promoted in many different ways as artists showed their abilities away from the canvas, trading for any surface available. Large populations of young traggers in New York were able to show their work of graffiti art, stenciling, and tagging as they pasted the city’s subways cars. This canvas was known as automigration as art was then given the ability to show throughout town, border crossing from urban ghettos to downtown Manhattan. This underground culture of tags involved much of New York’s urban populations but quickly grew to a larger crowd as all riders of the underground metro were exposed to the spray painted murals.

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by P.F.

Eugene’s street system is notorious for its poor quality, confusing one-ways, and gritty, dark alleyways. However, there is something brightening the campus area alleyways: culturally rich and politically charged tags and throw-ups. Especially eye-catching were the large blue waste containers that were appropriated with a number of personages and disruptive communiqués.

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by B.S.

In exploring different neighborhoods around Portland, I documented what poster and flyer art presented itself to me; on street corners as well as in record stores and music venues. Many of these posters were of the DIY nature: Xeroxed on plain sheets of paper with simple graphics, meant for mass production and distribution. In addition I encountered posters which were of nicer quality, with detailed graphics and of a more stylized nature. Examining this range in poster and flyer art enabled me to gain better understanding of where the poster falls in terms of a mass advertising technique and as a “legitimate” art form. What real purpose does the music poster serve? How does it reflect the culture of the current generation? These were questions that ran through my mind as I wandered the streets of Portland.

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by E.C.

For those who are unfamiliar with the city of Eugene, it can be extremely monotonous driving on the numerous one-way streets.  In Eugene, one can easily get lost because of the of lack visual landmarks.  This statement is true for must of the city, but is not true for 7th Street and Blair.  7th Street is one of the busiest streets in Eugene, and it is the home of Mos Faded Barbershop.  Mos Faded is sandwiched between Northwest Survey Data and Services as well as numerous apartments.  Mos Faded Barbershop plays an intricate role in the culture of street art.  On the outside of the barbershop, is a sanctioned mural that is facing the oncoming traffic.  The mural serves many purposes for the barbershop.  For starters, the mural serves as a landmark, which is helpful to many customers who are not familiar with this area. The Mos Faded mural is a form of DIY media, which invites would-be customers inside for haircut.  It also serves as billboard that helps attract patrons to the barbershop. The Mos Faded mural assists as a convergence of culture. The mural presents a visual of diversity and welcomes people from all walks of life.

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by E.R.
Skateboards started out as plain as can be: blank wooden decks. Over the past 50 years, the evolution of skateboard art has dramatically surged into a new realm of creativity. I plan to gain a fuller understanding of skateboard art locally here in Eugene. I chose this subject because it is all over the place, and yet not ever seen while a skateboard is being rode (except in photos, like below, which capture the art in motion, the mobile signifiers!). Longboards and short boards also differ greatly in artistic style and are both very apparent on campus and within the city.

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by K.R.

Found etched in the blacktop and hardened tar at the intersection of 18th and Mill Street are three short words, simply declaring “SOY EL REY.” A short distance away on Mill Street, between 16th and 17th Street, a curbside concrete message reads “EVERYTHING HOUSE.” And at the entrance of 15th Street Alley at Hilyard Street, a cemented carving marks the alleyway as “PAT THAT ASS ALLEY.” These declarative messages mark and define spaces, claim titles, and subvert the childhood practice of leaving one’s name or handprints immortalized in quick-drying concrete. By appropriating municipal spaces for the dissemination of one’s message, a cement writer literally imbeds the sidewalk with syncrecity, as their vernacular is placed atop the official pedestrian space, and the performance of itself evokes a childlike territorialism.

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