Graffitti and Islamic calligraphy – match made in Heaven?
This image is taken from:
http://www.aerosolarabic.com/v2/about.php?page=9
Recently, I stumbled upon this innovative group called AersolArabic, which fuses graffiti art and Islamic calligraphy. Having looked at their website, I am really drawn to the idea of weaving modern urban-art of graffiti together with the grace and eloquence of Islamic Arabic calligraphy.
I thought that this website would be of interest to all media students, as the founder Muhammad Ali is using two unique art styles and fusing them together. To me, it seems he is transforming an aggressive art form (graffiti) by fusing it with Arabic calligraphy. However, I cannot be certain of the ideology behind his work, only my interpretation!
Have a look at his works – http://www.aerosolarabic.com/v2/index.php
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initally i was thinking of northern Ireland (the sectarian murals) but then realised they were being sprayed in High Wickham, not sure, there’ good some of them but isn’t it all a bit post-banksy, not the content but the interest i.e Dubai… why’s it being picked up?
It’s a good look, but seems to be a bit simplistic in its approach. An art form has been taken as-is only replacing latin characters with arabic ones.
Graffiti has been around for a long time and plenty of people have experimented with ways to use it in highly imaginative ways, Banksy being one of the most famous examples in the UK.
Check out this group called Blu (http://www.blublu.org/). They have taken graffiti to another level by capturing the creative process and bringing their characters to live. You can watch it here: http://www.vimeo.com/993998
I’d like to see more daring work along these lines. Anyone?
I think it is somewhat unfair to call any graffiti that comes along today ‘post-Banksy’ (though we are all amazed by and proud of the work coming out of Bristol
). I think the idea here is in the medium of the work. mixing words of ‘resistance’ and forms of calligraphy is, essentially, what graffiti is. Merging Arabic and graffiti is not a new thing, it’s been done before many times. (See: http://29letters.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/lebanese-graffiti-02/, http://www.dripbook.com/a1one/book/arabic-graffiti/, )
The art ‘scene’ in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can be considered to be quite young, and in that sense a bit experimental, sometimes inviting art/artists merely for being a novel producer or something of a cultural encouragement. Fusion arts that associate with various formats but having Arabic or Islamic cores are quite popular in the Middle East, that’s not to say that everything picked up by them is great work, it isn’t quite like that anywhere.
I personally like this guy’s stuff, a different style from Nekane’s Blu (which are great! – i checked that site too) but his message is there. I hope he continues his work and develops more. I definitely like what was on the wall rather than the canvases (my personal preference.)
You might like to look into this project:
The Swiss-Libyan Art Project is an attempt by Jörg Mollet (visual artist, Solothurn) and Aurel Schmidt (writer, Basel) to make a connection between stone-age rock paintings in the Messak Desert and modern-age Libya.
We are impressed by Rock Art at which we’re looking with an artistic, and not with a paleontological eye. Our aiming at networking of prehistoric works of art with works by contemporary Lybian artists and graffiti in the Medina of Tripolis also offers an opportunity to use the potentialities of the Internet.
http://www.swiss-libyan-art-project.info/english/?m=mm1
Why are britons so excited by Banksy?
He has always struck me as a kitchy. I mean, what kinda street artist puts plastic sheilds over his work to protect it from taggers? He is very good at marketing himself, has succeeded in transforming himself into a pop sensation, made a lot of money, and as a painter he’s alright, but he is a commercialized version of angsty hipsterdom. I mean, you can buy his cheesy work, (or replications of it) at the Spittlefeilds market, next to (figuratively) miniature big ben statues. It’s unfortunate that this guy has high-jacked conversation on graffiti. Check out the documentary Style Wars, or many others, for the social and political importance of this artform in the US.
I hesitate to compliment the works above as I don’t know what they say. But, yes, Arabic is a pretty looking language.
to revive an old conversation, here is an update on “aerosol arabic” and his work in dubai. for the region, it is a good thing to see that public art/murals are being encouraged. http://aerosolarabic.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/giant-mural-in-dubai/