Greener Pastures

Firstly I want express my respect and gratitude to the Quandamooka people who’s land I have been privileged to live upon for the past sixteen years. I also wish to extend my appreciation to the individuals and organisations such as Rita Ackermann, Courtney Gilliott, Philip Farley, IN-SYNC, Boystown, Mount Cotton State School, Bayside PCYC and many others who have supported me. As a young person I was able to establish networks and make many friends which helped grow my business. From many years of practice and study my skills developed as an artist which gave the confidence to establish Aerograffix in 2000. I am also proud to have contributed to local arts through my committee member roles with RADF, Bedlam and Spontaneity, Community Creative Alliance, my time as youth worker,  gallery volunteer, a Living Library Book  and advocating for many young artists. 

Aerograffix has become synonymous with the youth arts sector by delivering successful projects throughout Queensland and interstate with a grass roots approach. Aerograffix gives example of a Redlands community development success story and I will forever be grateful for opportunities provided which instigated a deeper understanding of the bigger picture. With a heart full of dedication and over many years of persistence I was able to initiate positive changes in my life and hopefully to others. 

Since Redland Council has become a City Council I have witnessed a reluctance to embrace progressive ideas. A top down approach to youth issues and the box ticking mentality towards public art projects has unfortunately severed links to valuable cultural resources. Systemic neglect is evident as council is still in the planning and talking phase about the initial process of creating a purpose built space for the youth of the area. There is currently a reluctance to embrace genuine and progressive ideas despite policy which claims to foster this type of approach and numerous council documents which are brimming with rhetoric about embracing both youth and the local arts community. Facilities and projects for artists remain a pipe-dream whilst spending on graffiti removal has significantly increased. During the past decade I have been lied to by state government, had promises broken by local government and my name has been vilified by local media, despite much support from members of the community. These issues have contributed to my decision to move from the stagnant cesspit of the suburbs in Redland City to greener pastures within the hills of the Tweed Valley.  

The Aerograffix office and studio is now nestled in the hills of Tomewin, Northern New South Wales. Located a few minutes from the thriving yet laid back town of Murwillumbah featuring a legal graffiti wall several hundreds of metres long… Happy days! Aerograffix will continue to work with councils, schools, youth agencies, sporting clubs and businesses to deliver quality projects and artwork across Australia.

Thank you once again for the inspiring support and I look forward to catching up soon,

Christian Griffiths (Sauce)

Aerograffix

PO Box 1262

Murwillumbah

NSW      2484

+61 409 068 980

info@aerograffix.com.au 

www.aerograffix.com 

News Article

A news article published on page 3 in the Bayside Bulletin 26th October 2010. Read the article and feel free to post a comment. 

Update on 2010-11-18 06:53 by sauce

…And the saga continues but nobody wants to consult an artist or publish their opinions. I am a little confused as to graffiti and its listing under news/local/sport/surfing but there are more important issues like a computer to fix the graffiti problem!  Read the page 12 article published on the 16/11/10 via link:

 http://www.baysidebulletin.com.au/news/local/sport/surfing/online-weapon-in-war-on-graffiti/1997799.aspx

The Flipside

After a discussion with Brian Hurst the editor of The Redland Times I am pleased to announce a clarification will be printed which declares Sauce from Aerograffix as a legitimate aerosol artist (but you already knew that). Keep your eyes peeled!

A mural volunteered by Sauce in 2008 at The Rage Cage, Capalaba.

 

Upon completing this mural I also signed the the back…

See the article published: The Redland Times, August 13, 2010, page 6 

 “Laming Promises Graffiti and CCTV Camera Funds” (13/8/10)

 The article written by Jenna Daroczy is grossly incorrect and the picture featuring Dr Laming, Cr Karen Williams, Pauly Gray and Peter Grieve is specifically incorrect as it features art work and not graffiti. The picture shown in the article in dispute is depicted as a representation of graffiti in need of removal. However on the other side of the picture as shown in the article, is a mural by a voluntary artist who has permission from council to apply artwork at the site. It needs to be noted the picture as displayed in the paper is of a signed piece of artwork and not a tag as insinuated in the article. This is an example of what is featured in Stanley Cohen’s Folk Devils and Moral Panic where news papers reporting on crime and specifically youth related crime vilify and incorrectly target petty crimes and misrepresent the truth. None of which is beneficial to the wider community.

Although the funding as reported in the paper is policy driven and based on Liberal party ethics, it could be suggested the money was better directed elsewhere. The article further explained “The council has a lot of good initiatives place, this funding will just help them to roll out more of that faster” (Laming et al Daroczy, 2010). Alongside this, the article further explained how graffiti is removed or in some cases, artists are allowed to participate in “big murals that allow people to express their aerosol art publically without vandalising property” (Greive et al Daroczy 2010). It is possible to rebut this as on many occasions local aerosol artist, Christian Griffiths from Aerograffix has volunteered his skills, expertise and equipment when it comes to large scale murals without adequate support from local council. He is also a qualified youth worker and has been prepared on many occasions to facilitate workshops involving young people focusing recidivist offenders and linking them into community projects which engage them in interpersonal skills. All of this has been ignored in the article and further ignored by organisers within local council. Aerograffix has been involved with countless rural and regional councils with a high level of success, however in comparison the Redland City council has been obstinate and stagnate when it comes to youth issues and more specifically the subject of graffiti.
 
It is important to note Aerograffix understands the need for the media and journalists to publish articles of public interests to its readership. Furthermore, Aerograffix understands the need for politicians to campaign on issues which the majority of constituents of an electorate are concerned about and in this case Liberal candidate Dr. Andrew Laming has chosen to publicise the issue of illegal graffiti. This instance proves how The Redland Times has misrepresented the facts and avoided use of the Media Entertainment and Arts Code of Conduct (current) by failing to uphold section one which describes the importance of accuracy of facts and nine which states “Present pictures and sound which are true and correct. Any manipulation likely to mislead should be disclosed[1] <#_ftn1> .”  As a picture of an artwork associated with Aerograffix has been used in the instance of dispute it is possible to argue The Redland Times has publicly defamed the name of a local business. This instance of gross manipulation of facts has been overlooked by both the journalist and editor of the local paper and is indicative of poor journalism and does not aid the campaign of Liberal candidate Dr. Andrew Laming as it shows a lack of regard for local business. It also shows how The Cage, a local youth initiative driven by the  Christian faith ideals  is tokenistic by using the artwork of a local individual, without asking for comment of the artist in question and attempting to justify this by claiming the group is involved with aerosol art murals.  If the journalist had researched for the article or looked at the other side of the artwork in question, it is possible to find www.aerograffix.com </> which has further information and contact details of the artist Sauce.

Ainslie Meiklejohn- Griffiths,
Publications Manager, Aerograffix.

---

[1] <#_ftnref1>  www.alliance.org.au/code-of-ethics.html <http://www.alliance.org.au/code-of-ethics.html>  

Update on 2010-10-08 04:19 by sauce

As seen on CCTV

“As seen on CCTV” questions where beauty belongs and challenges the notions of normality. The concept in contention is the aesthetics of the natural environment as juxtaposed with the human made concrete cities and sprawling suburbs. A creative response to the dull urban areas challenges the status quo and begins to create ideas of art within a contextual challenge. An askew horizon which compliments the three dimensional abstract suggests a hyper reality and the theme of challenge within an oppressive hegemony. This piece also questions the concept of self-expression in the suburbs as this is increasingly being threatened by the limitations of privacy as dictated by an authoritarian style of surveillance. Big Brother closes in on progressive free thought and dominates ownership of place to ensure conformity.

Update on 2010-08-25 04:33 by sauce

After a discussion with Brian Hurst, the editor of The Redland Times, I am pleased to announce the paper will be printing a clarification concerning the article which lables Aerograffix’s artwork as graffiti. A big YAY!

TAG

Blackall

Just had a mammoth ten days in Blackall.

I facilitated workshops to paint banners with Blackall Pony Club and visitor information signs.

Then we did fifteen canvasses with community members along with a few canvas demos at the Blackall Show.

Thanks again to my friends, the wonderful people of Blackall for the ongoing and genuine support to engage community in public art projects.

International Mural Fest 2010

I was selected as one of nine finalists in the Sheffield International Mural Fest paint-off 2010. Artists from Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Tasmania and New Zealand competed for prize money and prestige at Mural Park set beneath the inspiring Mt Roland, Tasmania.

Each artist was selected based on a miniature. This years theme poem was "Home" By Cindy Bennett.

From dark cave to seaside,

Under stars when nights are warm,

Home is where you wander-

Where your truth and essence are born.

There was a constant stream of viewers over the six days and the kids were lapping up the chance to create a  mini mural.

Artists accommodation was great!  (Tasmazia & The Village of Lower Crackpot).

 

The competition so so tight the judges came to a tied decision. Congratulations to Marc Spijkerbosch & Julian Bale who were awarded first place.

Thanks to all the artists, volunteers, local community, sponsors and supporters. To view all artists murals and progress pics click here. 

Wreckers Yard

Welcome to the New Aerograffix Website

Welcome to the New Aerograffix Website. I've been working long and hard to bring you this, the latest incarnation of Aerograffix's online folio. There's plenty of new works and hopefully a good taste to show a variety styles and mediums.

I've been keeping busy with murals, regional projects and putting some serious time into new works on canvas. From the Underground is one of a new body of works using acrylics on smaller sized canvas. It combines my love of urban art and landscapes, maybe they can co-exist? This is a theme I have been exploring over the past couple of years, a new direction for me....Enjoy Sauce!