no apocalypse

Considering the amount of time since the last GGB post, you’d think the prophesized(?) apocalypse really did happen. But no, here I am months later with another post. Fear not, dear readers – there are new ideas on the horizon for the good ol’ GGB. Those, plus more sweet art from the street, coming soon!

Here’s some great stuff I saw out west this summer.

“get on your bike! get into the sun!

do not be surprised that the warmth on your back calms you and makes you glad. feel your spirit lift as the sun rises higher in the sky; this is part of you, this snaky gladness. part of who you have been for a million years.

find the warm places; don’t expect them to come to you.”

“I taught your kids how to paint, at least it’s not crack, meth or murder”

 

busted

“People are taking the piss out of you everyday. They butt into your life, take a cheap shot at you and then disappear. They leer at you from tall buildings and make you feel small. They make flippant comments from buses that imply you’re not sexy enough and that all the fun is happening somewhere else. They are on TV making your girlfriend feel inadequate. They have access to the most sophisticated technology the world has ever seen and they bully you with it. They are The Advertisers and they are laughing at you.

You, however, are forbidden to touch them. Trademarks, intellectual property rights and copyright law mean advertisers can say what they like wherever they like with total impunity.

Fuck that. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.” (Banksy)

Here’s a little tribute to adbusting!

A billboard in Berlin which someone has adorned with photoshop-type editing windows, wheat pasted over the image of a woman’s face. More here.

A busted Fox news ad reads “we deceive. you believe.”

This amazing project, entitled American Able, addresses the sexist, ableist and heterosexist attitudes in American Apparel’s ubiquitous ads by spoofing them. These attitudes are a common problem in advertising and are most certainly not unique to the company, although their ads are widespread and easy to recognize. Some images from American Able made it onto Toronto Transit Commission station screens in 2010, and were published in a new edition of the book Our Bodies, Ourselves. Awesome. This image portrays a model who has a visible disability wearing a black dress and assertively straddling another model, who has an androgynous look, dressed in jeans and a grey sweater and who does not appear to be disabled.

Not exactly street art, but The Current’s Target Women segments are pretty badass (and hilarious)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLBA9B461FCAEA913F&feature=player_detailpage&v=gWLu6gJHTbo]

Thanks to A Girl’s Guide to Taking Over the World for the quote. More Guelph street art coming soon.

 

with a face like mine

Alright readers, I’ll be straight with you. (Pay attention, because this is one of the only times you’ll witness me refer to myself as “straight”) – I’ve been out of Guelph (indeed, out of Ontario) since the end of May, and have not yet returned, which is part of the reason why this blog has been a big neglected of late. However, make no mistake – it may be dormant but is certainly not dead.

Check out this recent spurt of city-approved graffiti in Toronto, where people are paying artists to adorn their garage doors in order to prevent tagging or damage.

Here’s some great stuff my friend Maranda pointed me in the direction of earlier this spring. Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, pissed off and powerful!

 

holy cannoli batman

Organized, city-approved graffiti creation? I know, it sounds odd. But it’s happening – the city of Guelph is seeking artists to participate in a graffiti festival in late September. Here is the message we got from them:

Downtown Guelph is looking for street artists to participate in a Graffiti Festival on Saturday September 29th. You will need to contact us directly to reserve a space (8′ x 4′ blank canvas will be provided). Email events@downtownguelph.com to get involved.

Okay, it may not be as “street”, but this could be a cool thing.

Here’s another cool thing.

 

 

 

foxy.

A sly little fox found near the YMCA. thanks to brandon matthews for sending in the photo.

 

rocket bus!

reminiscent of the Magic School Bus. Found on the side of a factory in the Ward

Also, check out this amazing website: Graffiti Research Lab, “dedicated to outfitting graffiti artists and activists with open source tools for urban communication”

 

numbskull

skulls seem to be an ongoing theme these days. both found on the outskirts of downtown along some railroad tracks

 

peace

This crowned peace sign (?) has popped up all over town recently – along Gordon st, near campus, downtown, and here, on the side of the Delta hotel entrance walkway.

Also, check out this article from Berlin about a 65 year old woman who removes or covers up racist and Nazi graffiti. Pretty awesome.

 

Found near downtown

 

bird brain

there used to be a mural like this one up on a wall of Van Gogh’s, and then it got painted over…but one little bird has come out of hiding again. maybe it’s a sign of early spring.

Also, I totally dropped the ball on Black History Month and Women of Colour day. Theme post soon to come!