“Getting Up”
Craig Cole
6 May → 21 May 2005

Graffiti is seen as a destructive element in society, often viewed more as a problem than an art form. This work, however, should not be viewed as destructive but more as a creative abstraction of the letter/language.

Graffiti has no boundaries – you are free to do what you like – but there are rules to completing a well-finished piece. Successful works require time and planning, have perfect colour coordination, taught lines, balanced designs and images that appear to be in constant movement.

This body of work looks at both the destructive and creative nature of graffiti by incorporating graffiti into paintings of suburban scenes. The placement of graffiti in these contexts allows me to create a tension between the artistic nature of the graffiti and its location, the contrast emphasised by the treatment of the painted surface, manipulated in oil to appear unreal as opposed to prioritising the veracity of the scene.