Raw, Pink

SEAN CRAWFORD

Raw1 (pink), 

laser-cut mild steel with a powder-coated finish

65 x 65 x 200 mm

$2,250 inc gst 

Graffiti has traveled from the fringe of society to arrive as an accepted art
form. The act of subversively marking territory, or publicly displaying ‘slogans
of discontent’, is synonymous with the humble spray can. In 2015, the
infamous New Zealand tagger/graffiti artist ‘Raw’ (Raw One) was prosecuted
at the Masterton Courts. He was charged with spraying graffiti on local
businesses and private properties during a three-month tagging spree.

A juxtaposition of the postmodern world is that the act of social dissent and
‘attacking the facade’ can become the property of the established order. As
such, the graffiti artist (e.g., Banksy) is born - and embraced by popular
culture. In this accepted style of art, ‘raging against the machine’ can become
a commodity for sale.

This was the starting point for these recent works, where I have used the
graffiti tag ‘RAW’ in an expression of popular art (Pop Art). Referencing
Warhol’s iconic Pop Art imagery blends the act of defiance (the tagging) with
a societal warning (the speed hump sign).

Embodying the act of social and anti-social expression, the spray can now
becomes a tool to subvert narrative. However, it also represents the
expression of graffiti art, which is a valid component of the contemporary art
form. No longer containing (or even capable of containing) their liquid
contents, they are discarded, marking the ‘scene of the crime’. Expelled of its
mischief – the spent can remains a potent symbol of the act of subversive art,
as does the urban canvas.