Arty stuff

A Book from Stik

Stik

Graffiti Art is becoming a De Facto movement and alongside Banksy one who creates recognisable and witty statements is the artist that named themselves Stik- Stik  who preserves his anonymity (but to not to the extreme extent of Banksy) has now brought out a book and this work rather than the subterfuge around the 'Public' works has been injurious to his health (seems he found typing tough).

If you travel on the Piccadilly line on the westward stretch into Acton Town you might spot a block of flats (Condemned I gather) with a rather large 'Stick figure'  on the side - a couple of weeks back also spotted a group of similar figures from the Seven Dials area in Town.


Stik in Town

Warhol

And on the subject of Art that gets seen by the masses I watched a rather good TV Programme (via YouTube) about Andy Warhol - Warhol was the man who is famed for his Pop Art and decidedly odd persona but the programme revealed that there was far more to him than a quirky wig and the ability to deliver dead pan one liners with a straight face.

He was it is easy to overlook someone who knew about Art, and aspired  to be an artist.

The BBC TV programme presented by the young-ish but knowledgeable  Alistair Sooke is part of a short series  'where he's described as A Master of the Modern Era' and reveals that:

He was  a successful commercial artist, full of ideas working with retailers and he really understood business.

Born a child of immigrants from a poor background he suffered a prolonged period of ill health as a child and then went on to New York where he made plenty of money and hung out with 'Stars' in fact an American success story.

Marcel du Champ

Before Warhol appropriated mass produced packaging there was the ground breaking French born Marcel du Champ who pioneered labelling mass produced objects as Art and thus re-defining the modern world he  really provided the script for our model of  the Contemporary Artist who is about ideas above craft and finesse.

The prompt that looking again at  Andy's Art was for me to sign up to the City Lit one day  course on Marcel du Champ ( Focus on Du Champ) - expect some insights in November when I've done it.