Šime ide za Amerike (USA): Baltimore

Zanimljiv je osećaj kada ste turista da pokušavate da vidite što više, da iskoristite to kratko vreme, da fotografišete da bi zapamtili viđeno (uvek se setim Simpsonovih i foto-safarija Bartovih tetaka gde ljudima satima prikazuju fotografije mesta gde su bile). Tako i ja sad razmišljam da pravim blogove o mestima gde sam privremeno bio, a da sve što je svakodnevica ili 1) nije zanimljivo ili 2) ima vremena kada ću to da okačim. U skladu s tim, evo jednog foto puta (da, i sa muzejima i uličnom umetnošću).

Dakle, Baltimor, Merilend!
...

I find it interesting that when one's a tourist, there's an urge to see as much as one can, to use the short time, to photograph everything to make it part of the memory (I'm always reminded of the Simpsons and extensive photo safaris by Bart's twin aunts). And so I'm thinking that I've been making blogs about places where I've been temporarily, and that all that is connected to the everyday life is either 1) not interesting or 2) there's still much time left to post it... According to it, here's another photo journey (yes, museums and street art included). 

Introducing - Baltimore, MD!


Around the city / po gradu:

Ko nije probao Baltimorsku verziju pola-pola (Half and half, ledeni čaj i limunada, sa dosta šećera, verzija pića Arnold Palmer), ne zna šta je slatko...
Half ice tea and half lemonade with loads of sugar is Baltimore's version of Arnold Palmer drink... enough sugar to levitate!

NE park / NO park

Muzeji - samo dva ovaj put. Jedan je The Walters Art Museum, muzej klasičnog tipa sa kolekcijama iz doba antike (kao i pre-Kolumbovske Amerike), islamskom, srednjevekovnom (evropskom), azijskom i umetnošću od Renesanse ka XIX veku.

Zanimljivo mi je da ovakav muzej istovremeno pokušava da pokrije i deo lokalnog nasleđa, ali da većinski pokriva klasičnu istoriju umetnosti koja je prilično evrocentrična, sa kolekcijama iz Azije i arapskih zemalja. 

Favorit - nekoliko kabineta retkosti, preteča muzeja između srednjeg i XVIII veka, sa kolekcijama retkosti, neobičnosti i čuda živog sveta i ljudske mašte (Laguna je objavila roman koji zahvata atmosferu tog vremena i opise kolekcija: Umetnine i čudesa).
...

Museums - just two this time. One is The Walters Art Museum, a classical one with collections ranging from antiquity (as well as pre-Columbus America), Islamic, Middle ages (European), Asian and arts from Renaissance till XIX century.

For me it was interesting to see that a museum is trying at the same time to cover a part of a local heritage, nevertheless focusing predominantly on classical history of art which is pretty Eurocentric, enriched with collections from Asia and Arab countries.

My favorite: several cabinets of curiosities, proto-museums between Middle ages and XVIII century, with collections of wonders, rarities and oddities from the natural world and human imagination (a nice novel Arts and wonders about the atmosphere of that time and collections).

Takođe, jako inventivna izložba o srednjevekovnim evropskim rukopisima sa fokusom na muziku! 

Also, a very inventive exhibition of European manuscripts with a focus on music!

Seeing music in Medieval Manuscripts:

Muzika kao obrazovanje duše

Pored rukopisa (originala i reprodukcija) i audio materijala, izložba je pokrivala i edukativni deo sa materijalima od kojih su se pravili rukopisi, kao i sa objašnjenjem procesa izrade (primer kože na slici).
Apart from the manuscripts (originals and reproductions) and audio material, the exhibition covered also an educative part with materials used to make manuscripts in the past, with explanations of the process of making (example of leather on the picture).

Delo umetnika, specijalno napravljeno za izložbu - hronologija antičkih pisama.
Site-specific artwork - a chronology of ancient writing systems.

Pored stadiona bejzbol kluba Orioles nalazi se sportski muzej i Geppi's entertainment museum koji sam posetio. Posvećen je popularnim kulturama S.A.D, nekada deo privatne kolekcije (za koju mi je rečeno da je samo jedan deo prikazan u okviru same kolekcije - gde ljudima to staje?!). Ljubiteljima stripa, filmskih plakata, akcionih figura i franšiza, dečjih klubova i dr. će ovaj muzej biti slatkiš. Pokriva i mali istorijski presek stripa, deo istorije grada koja se oličavala kroz popularnu kulturu, kao i razvoja tržišta i industrije koja je proizvodila ova opredmećivanja mašte. 

Multimedijalan, muzej po atmosferi pluta između nostalgije detinjstva, kolekcionarskog entuzijazma i masovno proizvedene kulture / industrije zabave... više kao fanovski arhiv, nego sa kritičkim stavom, prema mom utisku.
...

Right next to the baseball stadium Orioles there's a sport museum and Geppi's entertainment museum which I've visited. Devoted to popular cultures of USA, it was part of a private collection (one that is just partly presented on the exhibition - where are the collectors keeping these things?!). To lovers of comics, movies posters, action figures and franchises, kid's clubs etc, this museum can be a real candy. It covers also a small history of comics, part of city's history presented through popular culture, as well as the development of market and industry which produced these objects of fantasy.

With multimedia, the museum with its atmosphere floats somewhere between the nostalgia of childhood, collectors' enthusiasm and mass culture / entertainment industry... more as a fan archive than with a critical approach, at least what I felt.

Primer pratećeg teksta / an example of the accompanying text; When heroes unite

Milestones: African Americans in comics, pop culture and beyond
Posebna postavka koja je tematizovala prisustvo (ili nedostatak) superheroja koji nisi stereotipni zapadnjaci, zagrebavši pitanje koliko je raznolikost društva vidljiva u njegovoj popularnoj kulturi / A special exhibition that is focused on the presence (or lack of) superheroes which are not stereotypical westerners, just scratching the question of how much is the society's diversity visible in it's popular culture (foto - Storm, X-Man)

Zaključak stalne postavke: U antičkom svetu, Čovek se okretao herojima i izmišljenim epovima da bi objasnio fizički svet. Danas, obraćamo se (super)herojima i nauci (naučnoj fantastici) da istražimo i opišemo svet iznutra - ljudski um. Popularna kultura nam omogućava da odredimo naša verovanja, da zabeležimo i protumačimo našu prošlost, kao i da postavimo ciljeve i snove za budućnost. /
Conclusion of the permanent setting: In the ancient world, Man (pardon, Humans?) turned to heroes and fictional epics to explain the physical world. Today, we turn to (super)heroes and science(fiction) to explore and describe the world within - the human mind. Popular culture allows us to define our beliefs, to record and interpret our past, and to set goals and dream of the future.

I u jednom neosetnom trenutku postavka postaje... prodavnica! /
And at one subtle moment... the exhibition becomes a shop!

I sada - ulična umetnost! Obilazio sam krajeve prilično nasumično oko centra, tako da ovaj prvi deo neće biti koristan nekome ko hoće da zna njihove lokacije (kojih se ne sećam), već kao mali pregled onoga što je meni zapalo za oko. 

And now - street art! I was passing through the center in a pretty randomly order, making this first part not so informative for someone who wants to know the walls locations (which I forgot), rather as a small intro of works that have caught my eye...

Oko centra / around the center: 

Drugu grupu (pretežno) murala sam video zahvaljujući sajtu i radu projekta Open Walls Baltimore. Ovi grafiti i murali se nalaze između stanice Penn, groblja Greenmount i E North ave. Učesnici su iz lokala i inostranstva i oslikavanja su se odigravala do sada 2012. i 2014. Projektom rukovode Station North Arts & Entertainment District i umetnik Gaia iz Baltimora. Za više podataka o projektu, lokacijama i umetnicima, klik na sajt!

The second group of (mostly) murals I have seen thanks to the website and project Open Walls Baltimore. These graffiti and murals and located between Penn station, Greenmount cemetery and E North ave. The participants were local and international, working on producing new artworks in 2012 and 2014. The project is being run by Station North Arts & Entertainment District and artist Gaia from Baltimore. For more info on the project, locations and artists, click the link!

Do sledećeg puta / till next post... lokalni bend:
Animal Collective: My Girls

Šime ide za Amerike (USA): Mission St. street art

Za početak, evo još jedne kalifornijske pesme benda sa severa Evrope / For beginning, another song about CA from a North-EU band:

The Thrills: Santa Cruz (You're not that far).

Pokušaću u ovom blogu da malo opišem i predstavim uličnu umetnost u SF koja se nalazi u i oko Mission street, koja teče od severoistočne obale (Embarcadero) do jugozapadnog dela grada (Daly city), pokrivajući nekih 11km. Većina ovih murala se nalazi na jugu, u opštini Mission, između 16. i 25. ulice (mapa). Više o uličnoj umetnosti u celom SF na sajtu http://www.sfmuralarts.com/.

In this post, I'll try to describe and present a bit street art in SF around and in Mission street, which heads from North-East coast (Embarcadero) to South-Western part (Daly city), covering some 11km. Most of this murals are on the South, in Mission district, between 16th and 25th street (map). More about street art in whole SF on http://www.sfmuralarts.com/.

Pokušao sam da ih podelim po celinama, da bude lakše za praćenje, iako svaki od njih može da bude zastupnjen u više grupa/kategorija (oni koji me poznaju su upućeni u moju maniju strukture i organizacije). Ko želi, može da ih isprati prema lokacijama na sajtovima i da ih uveća da vidi natpise/potpise/detalje. Pažnja: ovo je poduži blog, ima dosta slika :)

I tried selecting and grouping photos according to wholes, making it easier for remembering, although each whole could easily be part of other groups as well (ones who know me are well introduced to my fetish for structuring). On the websites they are presented though locations. Zoom each if you want to see the inscriptions/signatures/details.
Warning: this blog is a long one :)

Grad / savremeno društvo:
City / contemporary society:

Ovaj (u tri dela) je pun detalja i simbola - pogledajte samo kostura za kompjuterom, sa utikačom pričvršćenim za lobanju, rajsferšlusom na ustima i zabatom klasicističke zgrade! / This three part mural is full of symbols and details - just check the skeleton in front of a computer, with a plug attached to its head, zipper on it's mouth and garble of a neoclassical building!

Narcania vs Death: heroina koja se bori protiv overdoziranja heroinom / heroine who fights against heroin overdose

Nasilje, seksizam, isključivanje iz društva i strah.

Oporezujmo bogate :)

Projekat murala Clarion alley: Zid srama i rešenja.

Murali, grafiti, ulična umetnost... mnogobrojni nazivi se često koriste da bi se opisali potpisi, znaci, crteži, likovi, predmeti, stvorenja, oblici, pejzaži, dizajn, intervencije, vizuelne priče koje vidimo na zidu. Svima im je zajednička ulica kao mesto komunikacije, bilo da se radi o radu koji se obraća drugim grafiterima, slučajnim prolaznicima, nekoj zajednici ili npr. umetničkoj publici.

Murals, graffiti, street art... these and many other names are given to mark the signatures, signs, drawings, characters, objects, beings, shapes, landscapes, design, interventions, visual stories we see on walls. They all have in common the street as a (meeting) point of communication, whether a work is targeted to other graffiti artists, passer-byers, a community or e.g. artistic public.

Latino / chicano (hispano zajednica i kulturološki motivi - delimično se produžava i na Grad / savremeno društvo i Komemorativni):
(Hispanic communities and cultural motives - partially extended in City and Commemorative):

Meksička umetnica Frida Kalo / Frida Kahlo, MX

Ovaj i prethodni podseća sa detaljima na murale Teotiuakana i pre-Kolumbovskih mezoameričkih civilizacija / This and the one before have strong resemblances to Teotihuacan murals and pre-Columbus Mesoamerican civilizations

A šta bi uradio Sapata? What would Zapata do?

Prikazan je Astečki mit o Popokatepetlu i Istaksiuatl (ako sam dobro transkribovao), koji su postali planine-vulkana koji okružuju današnji Meksiko siti / Aztec myth of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, lovers who had become mountains-volcanos surrounding today's Mexico sity

Zapravo, iako je opšteprihvaćen naziv "ulična umetnost", "umetničko" je često tema diskusije. Počeci grafita se ne nalaze u umetničkom svetu, iako su kasnije bili prihvaćeni u isti, kao i u svet dizajna i reklama. Mnogi ulični umetnici ne dolaze sa umetničkih akademija, a školovani umetnici često prave uličnu umetnost. Ko i šta odlučuje šta je umetnost? Naziv? Umetnički sistem? Reference? Stil?

Hm, although "street art" is widely accepted, what's "at" there is highly discussed. The very beginning of graffiti was not targeting the (high) artistic sphere, nevertheless it was later incorporated into it, as well as in design and commercials. Many street artists are not artistically educated, while other official artists are creating street art. Who decides what is art? A title? ARtistic system? Reference? Style?

Arty

Poentilistično - u stilu Žorža Seraa / Pointillistic

Omaž francuskom strip umetniku Žanu Žirou - Moebius / A homage to French artist Jean Giraud Moebius

Iako pripada ulici, street art se često može videti u galerijama (tj. van zidova ulica), sa problematičnom pozicijom. Nekada je bilo: ne-umetnost ulazi u umetnički prostor i propituje šta je umetnost danas. Danas možemo da vidimo i uličnu umetnost (sa ili bez navodnika) koja je napravljena prvenstveno za izlaganje u galerijama. Ili kao uzorak umetničke intervencije/ meeting of styles/ dokument. Pitanje da li galerije umrtvljuju uličnu umetnost i oduzimaju joj ulicu kao gradivni element ostaje pitanje koje zavisi od toga kako se pristupa radovima, uz kritički potencijal i svesnost izlaganja u tom sistemu.

Primarily belonging to the street, street art could be seen also in galleries (i.e. not on street walls), with a somewhat problematic position. Once the narrative was that non-art was coming into the art space to question what is art today. Today we could see street art (with or no quotation marks) made on first place to be showcased in galleries. Or as a sample of artistic intervention/ meeting of styles/ document. The question is are galleries petrifying street art and depriving it from its basic element - the street - remains a discussion which depends from the was the works are threated, with critical potential and awareness of exhibiting in the given system.

Religiozni: 
Religious:

 

Ulična umetnost je prečesto efemerna, ona postoji u javnom prostoru kao jedan od glasova koje vidimo. Bilo da se radi o grafiti potpisu, stensilu ili muralu, političkoj poruci, komemorativnoj slici ili umetničkom radu, svaki zid je trošan i on utiče na život same slike. Kuće se ruše, delovi grada džentrifikuju, zidovi bivaju prekrečeni ili pokriveni novim slojem natpisa i slika, vreme nagriza materijale od kojih su napravljene boje i podloga (retko kad namenski napravljeni da traju duže). Neki radovi nestanu i ostanu u sećanjima i na fotografijama, kao dokument. Neki drugi, s ciljem da ulepšaju oronuli deo grada, postanu oznaka mesta i budu sačuvani za budućnost. Retko koji budu "isečeni" i prebačeni, sve sa zidom, u neko manjo turbulentno okruženje. Međutim, nažalost, većina ulične umetnosti ostaje prolazna, pod stalnom pretnjom nestanka.

Street art is often ephemeral, it exists in public space as one of the many voices we see. Whether talking about a graffiti signature/characters, stencil or mural, political message, commemorative picture or artwork, every wall is friable and it affects on the life of every image. Houses are being torn down, quarters gentrified, walls are being white-walled or covered with new layer of signs and pictures, the time corrodes materials which make street art's colors and background (rare are the examples when they are made to last with this purpose in mind). Some works disappear and remain in our memories or caught on photographs, as a document. Others, aiming to beautify a part of the dilapidated city, become part of a topography, being saved for the time being. There are not many ones which were "cut" and transported, wall included, into a less brittle surrounding. But, unfortunately, most of street art is there just for a short period of time, under constant threat of disappearance.

Likovi:
Characters: 

Da li je rešenje da ulična umetnost bude u startu planirana kao dugotrajna? Da se radi kao freske? Pitanje je ko to može da priušti, a jedan deo ulične umetnosti stoji kao izraz trenutka, brz i sa željom da se sačuva anonimnost autora. U centru gradova ovakve intervencije nisu toliko dobrodošle jer je sve ili očišćeno ili je teško dobiti dozvole, tako da se dostupne "podloge" nalaze van elitnih zona. Ili na mestima gde vlada status quo. Ili...

Kako god, često ne mogu da izbegnem utisku da neke ulice postaju galerije na otvorenom, pričajući mnogobrojne priče o kreativnosti, idejama, sećanju, borbama, ljudima...

Is part of a general solution to have street art planned as a long-term thing right from the beginning? To have a mix with contemporary frescoes? There's a big question who can afford it, and there's a huge part of street art which stands as a expression of a moment, fast and wishing to save its author's anonymity. In city centers these interventions are not so welcomed because everything is (already) cleaned or it's hard to obtain permissions, making the more available bases outside the elite zones. Or in places with status quo... Or...

How ever, often I cannot escape the thought that some streets are becoming open air galleries, telling many stories about creativity, ideas, memory, people, fights...

Komemorativni 1:
Commemorative 1:

Jedna od meni najzanimljivijih lokacija je bila Balmy alley, koja stoji kao turistička međa San Franciska za svakoga ko želi da istražuje i posmatra murale. Umetničko udruženje Precita eyes, posvećeno obogaćivanju javnih murala i obrazovanju o važnosti murala gradskih zajednica, ima svoje sedište u blizini. Oni takođe organizuju i vođenja za najavljene grupe, u cilju da posetiocima pruže uvid u priču koja se nalazi iza murala.

One of most interesting locations for me was  Balmy alley, which stands as a touristic must see of SF for anyone who's interested into street art. Art association Precita eyes, dedicated to enriching public murals and educating about the importance of murals of city communities, has its headquarters nearby. They are also organizing public guidances for announced groups, aiming to provide the visitors an insight into narratives behind the murals.

Komemorativni 2:
Commemorative 2:

Nekome (poput mene) ko dolazi sa strane, community-based murals čine se i zanimljivim i delimično razumljivim. Iako figuralni, težeći da opišu situacije i ljude realistično, mnogobrojne priče računaju s tim da posmatrači imaju neko predznanje. Odnosno, računa se na određene kulturološke pretpostavke. Tu često može da se dođe do paradoksa u želji da se npr. život i istorija neke zajednice predstave na zidu ulice, a da zapravo komuniciraju ponajviše sa tom istom zajednicom (više o tome sam našao na primeru hispano pokreta Čikano). Čini mi se da sve zavisi od naše percepcije, čitanja i dostupnosti "univerzalnih" simbola, kao i dostupnosti informacija o samom radu.

To someone like me - coming from aside - community-based murals seem both interesting and partially understandable. Although figural/representational, wanting to describe situations and people in a realistic way, many stories count on the fact that the viewers have some kinda of precognition. That is, it counts on specific cultural assumptions. There may be a paradox in a wish to e.g. present life and history on a community on public wall, while at the same time communicating predominantly with those same members (following that thought, a text talking about Chicano muralism in SF). It seems to me that it depends on our perception, reading and availability of "universal" symbols, as well as info on the work itself.

Sekcija razno: 
Various:

Cash ruined everyone around me.

Ispred škole Chavez.

Motiv Huichoi indijanaca / Huichoi Indians motive

Da ne bih pričao apstraktno, evo primera iz prve ruke. U Balmy uličici sam upoznao umetnicu Mirandu Bergman koja je obnavljala mural iz 1984, u saradnji sa O'Brian-om Thiele-om. Mural se zove Kultura sadrži seme otpora koje će iznići kao cvet slobode (Culture Contains the Seed of Resistance that Blossoms into the Flower of Liberation). Naslikan je na zidu niske kućice iza koga se nalazi garaža/studio/ostava.

To stop talking abstract, here's a first-handed example. In Balmy alley I have met an artist Miranda Bergman which was renovating a mural from 1984 which she made with artist O'Brian Thiele. Mural is titles Culture Contains the Seed of Resistance that Blossoms into the Flower of Liberation. It's painted on a wall of a small house behind a garage/studio/shack.

Po njenim rečima, mural ilustruje deo života i istorije hispanske zajednice (inače veoma prisutne u Kaliforniji) u tom delu grada. Pre 30. godina grupa aktivista se okupila da bi kritikovala predsednika Ronalda Regana i "oružane intervencije" SAD u Centralnoj Americi. Istovremeno, oni su izrazili solidarnost i dobrodošlicu izbeglicama iz pogođenih zemalja. Na taj način, mural obeležava jednu akciju, ali i sećanje na događaje za koje Miranda kaže da su jednako važni i aktuelni dan danas.

As she told me, the mural illustrates part of life and history of Hispanic community (btw, very present in CA) in that part of the city. Exactly 30 years ago a group of activists gathered in order to criticize president Ronald Reagan and "armed interventions" of USA in Central America. At the same time, the activists expressed solidarity and welcomed the refugees from affected countries. And that's how the mural illustrates the events, but also preserving memory which is both important and very up-to-date, as she told me.

Iz tog razloga, ona je pokrenula akciju na sajtu Indiegogo da se mural obnovi i tako (privremeno) zaštiti od propadanja (ko može i želi, neka podrži :)

Inače, saznao sam da je ona učestvovala i u timu umetnica koje su naslikale veliki mural na Women's building kome je takođe trenutno potrebna zaštita.

From the same reason, she started a online campaign on Indiegogo to have the mural restored and temporarily protected (support if you can :)

Apart from that, I've found out that Miranda was part of a big team of women artists who painted the great mural on Women's building who also needs protection and restoration.

Nekada je ulična umetnost poput panka - kratka poruka s ciljem da uzdrma i kaže "evo me!", kao glas koji želi da bude čut. Nekada od toliko glasova dolazi do šuma informacija, pogotovo kada na ulicama postoji konkurencija reklama, natpisa i ostalih vizuelnih informacija. Nekada vidimo ukras, ornament. Nekada poruku koju više ili manje razumemo. Možda i umetničko delo. Ili pak priču koju do sada nismo čuli, geg, parodiju, citat, igru reči i slika.

Sometimes street art seems as punk music - a short message with the aim to shake us up and say "here I am!", as a voice which wants to be heard. Sometimes from so much voices we hear a murmur, specially when there is a competition of ads, other signs and visual information. Sometimes we see a decoration, an ornament. Sometimes a message which we more or less understand. Sometimes an artwork. Or a story which we haven't heard before, a gag, parody, quote, word and image play.

Par murala iz Ouklenda:
A few murals from Oakland:

Alice street mural (o ovom i muralu ispod sam pisao u jednom od prethodnih postova / mentioned on the link).

El día de los muertos, Jesse Hernandez, OMCA.

I par iz Berklija:
And few from Berkeley:

Uličnu umetnost ovako uopšteno opisanu čini niz pojava da je teško sve ih strpati pod jedan kišobran. Kvalitet se razlikuje, kao i ko šalje poruku i ko je prima.

I za kraj ovog posta - RHCP: Californication!

Describing it in general, it's hard to have a single umbrella to all meanings of street art. Quality differs, as well as the one sho sends and gets the massage.

And for the end of this post - RHCP and Californication!