The UK has been a bastion of free speech for many years now and it is something I am very proud of. Our recent heritage is full of grea…
The UK has been a bastion of free speech for many years now and it is something I am very proud of. Our recent heritage is full of great bands, writers, artists and film makers that have thrived in tolerant society that has welcomed free expression. The UK’s artists are known the world over for pushing boundaries and mixing together genres of art to create sub-genres and in some cases completely new genres! However I sometimes wonder what this tolerant, free society is going to make of the latest trend to hit the streets of the city, political urban art. Of course I realise Its not a new phenomenon , look at the scrawl on the old Berlin Wall or on the walls in Northern Ireland and you would find political graffiti slogans left in protest and to provoke thought. You can even find the ancient paintings of any native race anywhere in the world on rock faces or cave walls, whether they were made as decorative pieces or with some social impact in mind, who knows? Even in its most recent form as scrawl with spray can on a wall it has been alive in this country for years. The point is it is becoming very evident to me that this is becoming something of an epidemic here in London. When I say becoming, well I travel the streets searching this stuff out and I can tell you it is on the rise in quite a dramatic fashion here! Kids, young men and professional artists are getting more and more confident and ballsy about making bigger and more controversial statements on the walls of our city. The obvious answer is Banksy has created a precedent for the flood gates to open… although he was not the first to create this form of political graffiti in London, he is just the most well known and the first to achieve worldwide fame and fortune. But I feel to blame him or to even praise him for this would be wrong because to me he is only responding to the problems in society not creating them. Almost like blaming Hip Hop for the problems in Harlem, it’s short sited and completely missing the point. These artists are responding to the way the people are feeling right now and trying to get their voices heard the only way they can. For me this rise in political graffiti stems from the feeling that the noise society is creating is so loud and inconsequential the important points are not reaching the people. For example, a messed up singer will get front page headlines of our major newspapers while continued atrocities are being committed the world over by that do not even get a mention! How can a footballers affair be more important to the people than 2 million refugees going without food, water and medicine in Dafur. We are being drowned in a sea of pointless messages, with the substance floating past unnoticed. Whether you think it’s a problem with society or a government ploy to control us it’s clear that that to get the message across artists are resorting to more drastic measures. These measure are to take to the streets and to paint them on our walls for all to see… and in that respect I support what many of them are trying to do. Now I’m not saying all of this is political, some is just a beautiful piece of artwork designed to brighten up a… well Urban sh1thole! As well as this much of it is blatant vandalism that causes distress to its victims and actually ruins a perfectly beautiful building. Whatever the point is I have been documenting these images in my own way for years now. I don’t want to just show the images, I want to show them in context, this means including a bit about their surroundings and even the people that pass them on a day to day basis. The rest is up to you as to what you consider art, political messages, vandalism or even all three put together! So I am making it my mission to bring these images to you in what will be called my URBAN DÉCOR Journal, this is part 1 Ben AKA Redtempa
After publishing Urban Décor part 1 on M…
After publishing Urban Décor part 1 on Monday I was interested to see the reaction from the Redbubble community on the subject of urban art. To be honest I was expecting a mixed reaction because this form of art has many guises, some of which have a habit of pissing people off… tagging being one of them. This side of graffiti is the hardest to justify, something even I would struggle to do… not that I would want to anyway! Personally I am not even going to get involved in the debate because I can see both sides of the story and both are as valid as each other… in reality your opinions will probably be individual and varied and will be based on your personal experiences, good or bad. My own experiences have been both negative and positive and I’m pretty open minded on the subject, so I can understand the mixed reactions that some of the images I produce may cause. Some people will say tagging causes distress and is just blatant vandalism created by bored jobless youths with no respect for the property of others. Others will say it has been around for as long as the human race has been able to express itself through painting and (in some cases) can even brighten up the ugliest of human creations. Whatever your opinion in a free society such as the UK’s it is not going to disappear anytime soon. This is because to truly stop it we would need to take drastic measures that would not sit comfortably in our so called ‘free society’. However, as a photographer I like to document a street scene that I’ve found and I see beauty in. As I primarily photograph natural street scenes in urban areas urban art/vandalism is often a major feature of my work. This is because to me it is such and intriguing and powerful form of artist expression completely without censure that can reach and effect anybody or any age. I am intrigued as to the thought processes that go into designing tags and what they tell you about the artist/criminal that has created it. My intention with these is not to express my personal opinion, instead just to document a scene I think is beautiful and to show it in context with its surroundings. The fact these scenes are dynamic and constantly changing as more graffiti/urban art/tags gives me confidence that recording them is an important thing to do. In fact many of the scenes I have shot in my portfolio have been whitewash or replaced, something that makes me feel justified in spending the many days trawling the streets looking for them. Peace Ben AKA Redtempa
You may not realise but the dark s…
You may not realise but the dark streets of London are littered with some of the worlds most cutting edge and ingenious marketing campaigns. Stencils, billposters and general scrawl are being used to sell products or raise a public profile, in some cases very effectively. You only have to look at the money behind some of the brands turning up on street corners and street signs to realise this is no longer only the work of kids with too much time on their hands. These are big businesses that have recognised the impact guerrilla marketing can have on creating brand awareness. The most recent example to be seen on the streets of the East End of London are stencils of a Zepplin with the word ‘Mothership’ emblazoned across it. To those that know this is advertising the new album from Led Zepplin, and to those that don’t this creates a certain intrigue and awareness that Atlantic Records hope will boost sales amongst a younger generation of music fans. My point is this is not a small back street company that has employed these techniques and Led Zepplin are not a bunch of ‘wannabe’s’, these are big names utilising urban art as part of a high profile campaign. Some, of course are not big businesses and do not have a capitalist agenda. They just want to spread a message or an ethos and are utilising the best cost effective methods available that can reach the widest possible audience. Some of these are even global movements expanding their cause (quite strategically) by using guerrilla marketing techniques. / Artwork by Obey Obey is a great example of this. Obey is the brainchild of Shepard Fairy and is a regular feature on the streets of some of the worlds major cities. He explains his work as “an experiment in Phenomenology” with one of the aims being to “awaken ones sense of wonder about their surroundings“. He says of his work; “The Obey campaign attempts to stimulate curiosity and bring people to question both the campaign and their relationship with their surroundings. Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or propaganda for which the motive is not obvious, frequent and novel encounters with Obey propaganda provokes thought and possible frustration, nevertheless revitalizing the viewers perception and attention to detail”. / Artwork by Obey Whether or not you agree with the point the is trying to make or the methods he is employing you have to admire the sheer scale of his work. Much of it is also very attractive and really does brighten up some of the dingiest London streets. I have taken many shots of Obey’s and other guerrilla media campaigns, some of which I have posted here and on my portfolio. To be honest some of them I love, some I hate, some I understand and some, well, I have no idea what their rhyme or reason is! They come in many forms with many points to make on many levels from the blatantly obvious to the completely surreal, the commercial to anti-capitalistic, the humorous to political. I’ll let you make up your own minds! Please feel free to comment, I’d like to hear your opinions on the subject Peace Ben
It’s Autumn / It’s chilly outside, chilly inside. The carefree summer is over. / It’s dusty inside and windy outside. The colors change, th…
It’s Autumn / It’s chilly outside, chilly inside. The carefree summer is over. / It’s dusty inside and windy outside. The colors change, the everyday is the same. / It’s time for planning outside, reflection inside. / The monotonous everyday is back. / It’s … The autumn I love and hate.
I can’t believe it. I hardly ever am featured and now twice in one day! I’m blown away. Thank you Pinto Group...
I can’t believe it. I hardly ever am featured and now twice in one day! I’m blown away. Thank you Pinto Group for featuring Monotone / / I am so honored! Can’t wait to tell Rocky’s owner:-)
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Thanks!!!
Thank you to The Eyes Have It group for featuring my photograph, The eye of a child...
Thank you to The Eyes Have It group for featuring my photograph, The eye of a child
Thank you hosts of the wonderful and welcoming group ‘Outsiders’! Your featuring of my image ‘Hurt ii (monotone) is a lovely compliment o…
Thank you hosts of the wonderful and welcoming group ‘Outsiders’! Your featuring of my image ‘Hurt ii (monotone) is a lovely compliment on top of your honour in making me a featured artist in your group! You do wonders for my confidence in expressing myself as I want in my art – and preventing myself from sinking into the hopeless trap of producing works that I may think ‘others might like to see’!
I make the list because I simply cannot afford a thing, but, these are so lovely. So, at least I can share them with the few unlucky soul…
I make the list because I simply cannot afford a thing, but, these are so lovely. So, at least I can share them with the few unlucky souls who do not, yet, know the work of the talented lady who created them. That is a tough choice, by the way, as it would be super adorable in pink, and it is lovely in blue! The above being about the only thing that could inspire me to want to wear a white t-shirt! / I actually chose ‘Forest’ for the color, but, it looks black, in the example, to me. Well, that looks good, too! The rest, because I am tired and lazy, will be just by link. JImi My Little Cupcake Walking with Jasmine Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Three Blind Mice Swan Splash Wee Moosie Seal Swim Puffn Play Dragon Moon And, last, but never, ever least .. Splish Splosh by Gosh Lovely, yes? To me, this is art at it’s finest, because of the quality, the detail, and because, whether being more playful or serious in the theme, she has a definite something that shines through and brands the work as distinctly her own!
I would like to thank the hosts of JPG Cast-Offs for featuring my image Back Stairs...
I would like to thank the hosts of JPG Cast-Offs for featuring my image Back Stairs in their group. Most appreciated, thank you all. / Regards / David
Many many thanks to Gail Anderson and the JPEG Cast-offs for featuring ‘The Revelation of Ancient Whispers’. I deeply appreciate your sup…
Many many thanks to Gail Anderson and the JPEG Cast-offs for featuring ‘The Revelation of Ancient Whispers’. I deeply appreciate your support.
Many many thanks to the c…
Many many thanks to the customer who has just purchaed a t-shirt on Redbubble. / Thankyou for your visit to my portfolio and showing appreciation with your wallet! #
Many many thanks to the c…
Many many thanks to the customer who has just bought a Card of Raven / Thankyou for your visit to my store! RedBubble T-Shirt designs are printed on 100% cotton American Apparel fabric, and are available in cuts to suit men, women and children. To keep them looking great, wash them cold and hang them up to dry. Zazzle Get the hottest T-shirts on the Internet. Choose from thousands of funny, vintage and other great T-shirt designs then customize to fit your size and style. No minimums, orders produced in 24 hours, and 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Zazzle is THE place for T-shirts and all your custom printing needs! Personalize any shirt – Every design on any styles or colors (450+) – No minimum – Organic styles - / Sizes up to 6XL – Satisfaction Guaranteed The true crows are large passerine birds that form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-sized jackdaws (Eurasian and Daurian) to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents (except South America) and several offshore and oceanic islands (including Hawaii). In the United States, the word “crow” is used to refer to the American Crow. The crow genus makes up a third of the species in the Corvidae family. Other corvids include rooks and jays. Crows appear to have evolved in Asia from the corvid stock, which had evolved in Australasia. A group of crows is called a “murder,” though this term usually appears in poetry rather than scientific contexts. / / / BIRDS I have subdivided this category into sections: follow the links and hit on exactly what fits you. CROWS PARROT RAVEN SWALLOW ANIMAL SERIES ART TO WEAR BIRDS CATS AND DOGS SERIES CELTIC SERIES CUTE SERIES DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT SERIES DIGITAL SERIES EINSTEIN SERIES FOR F*’s AKE SERIES GAY SERIES KISS SERIES LINE DRAWING SERIES MANAGRAM SERIES NATIVE AMERICAN SERIES PALINDROME AND AMBIGRAM SERIES PHALLUS SERIES PISS TAKE SERIES RUDE FOOD SERIES SEASONAL SERIES SIGN AND SYMBOL SERIES SMILE SERIES TEXT ONLY SERIES UK POLITICS UNDERWEAR SERIES VINTAGE BURLESQUE SERİES WTF IS THAT ALL ABOUT? My zazzle gallery has a premium range of gifts that are suitable for people of all ages and tastes: an eclectic collection of unusually imaginative, hip and sometimes beautiful designs. Enjoy browsing though this store and please feel free to comment: there is always room for improvement. / / / Some products from my Zazzle store Female Contemporary Art More Zazzle choices from Female Contemporary Art Wear my Art at Female Contemporary Art My Images Do Not Belong To The Public Domain. All images are copyright © taiche. All Rights Reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited / See more of taiche at Female Contemporary Art / / Baby Custom T-Shirts :dress that baby up with a special design on a custom t-shirt, long sleeve or onesize / Kids Custom T-Shirts .from organic t-shirts to long sleeve shirts, boys, girls, and toddlers can fill their fashion needs with a one-of-a-kind custom t-shirts for kids. Check out the latest organic t-shirts, sweatshirts, and girls shirts. And plenty of styles for toddlers too! Aprons / Bags / Buttons / Cards / Hats / Keds Shoes / Keychains / Magnets / Mousepads / Mugs / Postage / Postcards / Stickers / T-Shirt / Ties* Don’t forget my Calendar Section
Wow I am quite surprised to have the same Image Featured twice in almost the same week. This came as a big surprise as I had checked out …
Wow I am quite surprised to have the same Image Featured twice in almost the same week. This came as a big surprise as I had checked out the Progress and just the other day and I was not so confident that it would get the rating to even make it to mention as runner up There were a lot of Worthy entries, congratulations to the runners up. / Once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who voted as it was your votes which placed the image on the Homepage so ((((((((((THANK YOU)))))))))))
The Spider Awards ...
The Spider Awards “Celebrating its 5th year, Black and White Spider Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence in black and white photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honors the finest images with the highest achievements in black and white photography.“
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