Authorship: N/A Title: N/A, but regarded as Pure Gold Original Location: Street art at an abandoned guest house, Street 80, Beoung Kak, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Big Idea/Subject: Community Major Theme: Property Rights Medium/Presentation: Street Art Visual Components: Line, Direction, Form, Movement, Repetition, Shape, Space Category: Non-Art Description/Interpretation:
Pure Gold is spray-painted street art fixed between two corridors of a crumbling, abandoned building. Beneath the piece, trash and waste is clearly visible. This area is a dump for many residents in the area (many Southeast Asian countries struggle with this issue). The environment surrounding the street art is important to note in an attempt to understand the purpose. The street art consists of an abstract, yet seemingly mechanical image. There are shapes of circles, lines, and rectangles throughout the form with what appears to be circuit-lines softly protruding from the central image. The image appears as though they are the inner workings of the building. The two colors used are gold and black with varying shades (the black spray paint is used for shading). The color choice is peculiar for the setting. Gold is considered as a luxurious color, and this piece exists in an abandoned guest house in Cambodia. The trash surrounding the street art, give the sense of the art being a phoenix rising from the decay and filth. While the environment is in shambles, this art works as an aid to alleviate the symptoms of living in a decaying world. This “inner image” of what lies beneath the decay (that being the crippling building) is luxurious. What lies beneath the rubble is something beautiful. I personally believe that the street art of Cambodia is created to alleviate the void of art in a crumbling environment. Most of the rural portions of Southeast Asia are crumbling and filled with trash. If some of these depressed areas can be canvases of art to “fight the filth,” I am sure many of the residents can find some beauty in their daily lives. Use in Teaching: Is this art? Why could this be viewed as non-art? The Cambodian government deems this as non-art and promptly paints over or destroys the work. Why could we also argue that this is art? This piece is located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where many street artists have “marked” places throughout the city. (show more images) Handout article: http://sea-globe.com/hitting-a-wall-street-art-phnom-penh/ and have students read. After reading, ask: What does the article say about the Cambodian government? Do you think the citizens agree with the government? (the article shows differing opinions – some citizens do not understand the art while some praise the art) Who might be affected by this street art? (think of home owners who may have to cover the art themselves) (Show images of Western street artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey) What do we think of these street artists? What makes them different? Why do we place certain street artists on a pedestal while others are quickly “erased?” Can street art “revive” areas? 2 ways to approach: 1: Create a community mural project (if the school allows for a mural, that would be best) We first need a theme – let’s create a list of ideas and vote on them. We will work to incorporate more art into the community. (this project would highly depend on the resources and provided location for art to be placed) 2: Create “street art” on clear plastic sheets similar to Aug(de)mented: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpum4nK2wOM What do you enjoy about Aug(de)mented’s work? Is this kind of work achievable? Everyone will receive 3 pieces of clear sheets to draw on with sharpie. I want you to have 3 areas of the town or school that you would like to “improve” through art. Now, we do not want to physically alter any area due to various reasons, mostly legal, so using a method like Aug(de)mented is a safe way to convey our messages without harming property or breaking any laws. Find your three areas after creating your art on your plastic sheets and take photos of you holding up your drawing to the three various surfaces in the community/school. After photos are taken: write a reflection on the process and share your thoughts on how art can benefit the community.
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