Recycled canvas………

I remember hearing when I was younger how struggling artists in times gone by used to buy other artist paintings at markets or jumble sales and render their art over the existing work.

Yesterday I witnessed the modern equivalent, on a local graffiti wall. The lads had permission to use the wall and turned up on the weekend, painted over the existing work with a base coat and then applied their well conceived  designs on to the wall.

When I approached the guys to ask if I could photograph them I was met with happy, proud artists that were taking genuine care with their work. One of the artists and I struck up a conversation and he told me that these blokes spend weeks thinking thru their next work and mulling over colour choices to emphasise particular aspects of the work.

In the past I have used graffiti walls as backdrops for photo shoots, mainly due to the colour and the underlying emotional currents that these scenes can trigger.

I firmly believe that this form of graffiti is in fact modern art, applied via modern means and relevant to a modern society, and the link to the recycled canvas only confirms this colourful addition to the urban landscape as art !!