Capalaba Jam

Last Sunday, I was part of an eight namer on the back of a factory wall in Capalaba. I really enjoyed painting some good old fashioned graff and it was great to see some many different lads from numerous crews all painting alongside each other. 

A massive shout out to Kosie for doing all the hard yards with organising the gig and colour scheme. With so many walls being painted over and shut down, it’s a rare moment to have free range and paint something intrinsically motivated as opposed to a brief. It was even better to see all the lads out, as I’m sure that between us all there is a century of experience. 

I can’t wait to do it all again soon.

How was your Monday?

How was your Monday? At The Sauce Studio, it was a regular, no nonsense Monday. The kind where a little bit of work gets done, some procrastination happens and then it’s lunchtime and the day is nearly done. Monday, was just the regular run of the mill Monday until Sauce made a follow up call to the Manger at Visible Ink. 

For the past six months, at The Sauce Studio we’ve been following the Walls and Colours project. You might have seen the post where we expressed frustration about the project delivery, and, you’re probably wondering why we’re bothering to continue to whinge and whine about a project. Our complaints, might even sound like sour grapes, but…

At The Sauce Studio, we stand up for what we believe in, and we believe aerosol art is a legitimate art form which deserves more recognition than it currently receives. Aerosol and graffiti art is a part of the bigger sub-culture of Hip Hop and has been exploited by marking gurus for too long. We value transparent processes and practices when delivering projects to the public. Paperwork, the necessary evil, provides accountability and ensures agencies and organizations have a tangible justification for service provision.

Which takes me back to the original complaint. This Walls and Colours project, well it’s a pile of shit. The $150,000 project which is funded from the Proceeds of Crime has zero accountability. At no point has The Sauce Studio received or found an Expressions of interest. Even when we specifically requested one. But really, the bigger problem and the most disappointing fact is that young people, aerosol artists and the greater community is missing out when it comes to great public art and activities for aerosol artist enthusiasts. The proof is in the pudding. You can see the artwork and judge it yourself for quality and talent. 

As a business, The Sauce Studio doesn’t require to maintain or hold a monopoly on aerosol art projects or murals, but here’s the thing; out of ten walls, and $150,000 worth of funding, we find it difficult to swallow that The Sauce Studio and Sauce would be so systematically excluded from this project. Here in the studio, we can’t join the dots to find out why this is the case. Sauce has worked with countless other councils and community agencies, all over the East Coast of Australia and we find it hard to believe that his years of experience and artistic talent could not be utilised in come fashion for this ten wall project.

So, our Monday, was a bit overrated. And that phone call with the Manger from Visible Ink, well, it was an hour of talking in circles. In fact, it would have made more sense to play chess with a pigeon.

Why are we ‘airing our dirty linen’ on the blog post? Because traditional media outlets don’t care. We want something positive to come out this mayhem. It it truly disappointing to think this type of mismanagement, incompetence and nepotism is allowed to continue while the community misses out on something which could be the benchmark for public art and community engagement. These types of tokenistic projects do little more than alienate the target audience and they certainly don’t effect cultural change. 

Tadpoles Eatons Hill

It was business as usual this week, which means battling the Brisbane traffic and smashing out another quality mural in suburbia. This was a rejuvenation gig, as I completed a mural on the same site in 2010/11, however a section of the wall was replaced and rebuilt due to cracks. The commuters showed their appreciation with plenty of ‘toots’ and ‘thumbs up’ from the busy roadside at Eatons Crossing Road so I must be doing something right.

Moreton Bay Boys College

Fresh from my week long residency at Calvary Christian College, I headed back to Brisbane and guided the young men at Moreton Bay Boys College through the finer points of aerosol art. This was my second visit to the school and my Senior’s mural was still looking fresh.

I was invited to their Art Show on Friday, the 25th of October, which should have some interesting and exciting works. I also had the pleasure of meeting Christian from CJ Sprayart. Apparently, he was so inspired from last year’s visit, he created his own business. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Arts Fest Week at Calvary Christian College

For the first week back at school of term, four I was Artist in Residence for Calvary College at the Carbrook campus. This marked my fourth year at the school and as always, the school community was great to work with. I did several workshops with the art classes and completed a mural for the sports shed.

Update on 2013-12-02 04:15 by sauce

Local Artist Selected for RAW Showcase.

Local Aerosol Artist, Sauce has been selected as a RAW artist for the Encompass Showcase in Byron Bay on the 13th of November at the Beach Hotel.

RAW:natural born artists, is an international independent arts organization that hand-selects and spotlights independent creatives in visual art, film, fashion, music, hair & makeup artistry, photography, models and performing art.

Sauce is excited to be chosen for the local event. He said “I’m looking forward to Encompass as I enjoy painting in public. Painting in public helps breaks down stereotypes associated with aerosol art”.

Sauce has a studio in the CBD of Murwillumbah which is open to the public. The current exhibition Stains of Modernity is on display until November 22nd. 

Memorial For The Finite

For this mural in Proudfoots Lane, I wanted a mix of concepts and ideas. The design was inspired by Tim White and combines elements of modernity, and consumerism with a palatable image.  

RAW: Byron Bay Encompass

Save the date folks! We’re going to be at ENCOMPASS! Show your support by booking a ticket for the princely sum of $16.65 and get yourself to The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on the 13th of November from 7 pm.  Make sure you wear your party pants and are ready to boogie the night away. There will be all different types of artists so make a night of it and bring all your friends. See you there!

Benowa State Primary

After the Stains of Modernity Exhibition which opened on Saturday, I was back on the road to Benowa State Primary School. 

Stains of Modernity

Stains of Modernity explores the post-industrial and Neo-Liberal agendas where ideas and people become homogenized for aesthetics and convenience. But the people want more; in studios and back alleyways, the people are rebelling. This exhibition uses materials forms and textures which are the epitome of modernity while resisting against the synthetic matrix which is an accumulation of the boom, bust and lust for the forever new. Aerosol is a paradox, making it the perfect tool for resistance, the single biggest weapon against alienation and the stagnation associated with the ever urbanizing environment. One person and a can is all it takes to leave a political statement or a subcultural communication with like minded participants. For too long Hip Hop culture has been exploited by marketing gurus for global profits. Stains of Modernity is paint on walls and sculptural forms emerging from the underground; its a response to the built environment and the bureaucracy which dictates our existence.

 

High Modernity, Post Modernity, Post Modernism, Post-Post Modernism, these are the times we live in. Pontificating about art and high culture will only go so far, it doesn’t address the bigger issues and is inaccessible to the wider population. Art is more than oils on canvas which are hung in well lit and over funded galleries. Graffiti embodies the notion of doing art as an act of expression as opposed to the more palatable and tamed visuals of the gallery market. Graffiti is more than just paint on walls from some young hoodlums. It’s a part of a culture and a way of life. Humans have been making their marks on walls from the beginning of history and the typography scrawled over the urban environment is just an extension of this.

This Hip Hop culture is evolving over time and is a part of the urban identity. It is this identity which creates a new history and a new narrative. Hip Hop grew out of the disquiet of New York and the American streets during the 1970s. It’s often associated with crime and violence, but true Hip Hop is anything but violent. It’s about battling to be the best and earning respect from your peers by honing your craft and perfecting your style. It’s peaceful, respectful and skillful. Flash-forward to now, and Australians have their own take on Hip Hop. It’s more about mates, larrikins and beer. The music talks more about politics and BBQs than bitches and homies, but there’s still a good dose of competition and testosterone. And graffiti is just one of the four elements which is celebrated and elevated by this competition. By eradicating graffiti and aerosol art from our streets, marginalizing it and calling it a crime is sheer ignorance.

 

The beginning of modernity saw immense change and the industrialization of the Western world. This industrial change is responsible for the creation of the aerosol can and the colours which are now accessible and neatly packaged. Modernity also reinforced the bureaucratic and hierarchical social structures which seek to marginalize and denigrate anything with unique thought, thus making graffiti the best weapon against this concrete and urbane landscape. Graffiti is as old as time itself, and now the tools are pre-packaged and readily available.