Streetart

September 7, 2003 1:51 PM

Streetartis a collaborative weblog for photos of DIY posters, guerilla stickers, home-made stencils, and etc." I'm pretty sure all those giant penises are prior art. That's pretty much one of the first things you're required to draw when you tease the waters of hilarious vandalism.
posted by Stan Chin (8 comments total)

I'm pretty sure all those giant penises are prior art.

I didn't see any made of snow or on college campuses, so you're probably right.
posted by WolfDaddy at 2:21 PM on September 7, 2003

I've been seeing these stickers for years and often refer to them when explaining what a meme is to someone. Lately there has been a resurgence of the image's presence and I can't help but wonder if this campaign is now being harnessed to sell things. This site has a fairly good history of the image. obeygiant.com seems to be the official page. I bring all this up because I has at a funky little poster shop the other day and they were selling a poster and a notebook with the logo. When does street art that questions consumerism become another product with a cool marketing angle? With all the viral marketing around I sometimes look at graffiti and wonder: Is it art or advertisement? All too often I'll see a shape or design stickered all over town just to see it again, six months later, on hats, t-shirts, skateboards, etc.
posted by elwoodwiles at 2:43 PM on September 7, 2003

Ok, please tell me I'm not the only one that read that as Street Tart.

Please?
posted by Outlawyr at 2:55 PM on September 7, 2003

Cool link.

Of course Banksy is the don of street artists.
posted by i_cola at 3:03 PM on September 7, 2003

See also: Wooster Collective.
posted by shoepal at 3:06 PM on September 7, 2003

When does street art that questions consumerism become another product with a cool marketing angle?

i agree elwoodwiles and obeygiant.com is a good example of the evolution of graffiti-anti-establisment-persona turned popular-consumerism that is (IMO) almost inevitable in a democratic society. it's ironic that the andre 'obey' image - which borrows a lot from german expressionism, a period of extreme fear and uncertainty - has now become mainstream in one of the most stable richest countries in the world.
posted by poopy at 3:18 PM on September 7, 2003

When I make my billions in the upcoming .com boom I'll have a dumpster by Mishaco in front of my Beverly Hills mansion (well, West Hollywood at least).
posted by m@ at 5:09 PM on September 7, 2003

Now THIS is a meme.
posted by wendell at 5:57 PM on September 7, 2003