We are living in the Silver Age of San
Francisco Street Art, and we can all celebrate the existence of public art that
surprises us when we walk by it… art that is not kept in glass cages by armed
guards… art that’s made by people who love what they do so much that they
continue to do it even though the work itself may have a short life.
You don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy the
beauty provided by street art in San Francisco. There’s no entrance fee and no protective
glass. You just have to be willing to walk outside, lift your head and open
your eyes…
San Franciscans are lucky to exist at the time
when Amanda Lynn and Lady Mags are making murals… when Zio Ziegler and Ian Ross
have favored The City with their original imagery, when you can casually walk
down the street and encounter works by Jet Martinez and Chor Boogie and MonaCaron and too many others to list here.
Then there’s the graffiti, which rarely rises
to the level of creative commentary provided by our muralists, but still presents
an illuminating mimicry of the level of discourse present in the presidential
race.
This is also a time of great
confusion; today’s graffiti vandal under arrest could be tomorrow’s hot new artist
with a high-profile opening at the Museum of Modern Art (Barry McGee, Blek Le
Rat, etc).
On a personal level, street art in San
Francisco encompasses everything that is artistic and public; even if the term
“art” is not generally associated with it and legal types disapprove. Graffiti
art is still art. Even if it’s ugly and reviled… which
is why graffitisf.com is not limited to any one artform and is equally focused
on the legitimate spirit of art for the outdoors. The site emerged as a way to
showcase artworks and locations that I had taken for granted for most of my time
in The City… perhaps a “penance” for years of purposeful blindness in the
presence of great beauty.
At graffitisf.com you’ll find
murals, graffiti and all manner of modern street art that celebrates the rich
street art tradition that can still be found in San Francisco.
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