Art is change; art is never changing

Muggles, Miss Wah, Southsea

One day a couple of years ago I went to the Tate Modern, spent a couple of hours looking around and decided that much of the modern art contained therein suffered from that modern malaise wherein a purpose is replaced with a punchline. A cartoon with a caption, which in a newpaper is worth a  thousand words, but in a gallery is worth doodly squat.

M-One, Southsea

Piece after piece juxtaposed two images or concepts with that juxtaposition being the whole message.  Snow White with a Machine Gun, Hitler reading the Beano.  You know the sort of thing.  You didn't stop to look at the brushwork or consider the style or composition.  You looked for the joke, then you moved on.

Sticker Art, Strong Island, Southsea

I left Tate Modern (a place that I had visited because I like contemporary art) and went to the National Gallery (a place I tended not to visit because I had no interest in classical art - through being bored stupid by it at school).  I was (needless to say) overwhelmed.

Paste-up, Southsea

Standing in front of a painting and realising you are standing in front of the greatest painting in the world is an amazing feeling. Then taking five steps to the right and realising that this one is even better.

Paste-up, Southsea

All this useless beauty.

Stencil art, Southsea

British Art Show 8 is currently in Southampton.  There was one video installation which held my interest start to finish but not much else.  So I went to Southsea looking for paste-ups, stickers an stencils.  Are they great art?  Not really.  Are they an interesting diversion?  Yes. They're the urban equivalent of bright red corn poppies in a field of green.

Paste up, Southsea

Finally.
Have you seen this cat? Or slipper?

clean it up

More from the ugliest shopping centre in France tomorrow.

Today a look at some sticker art just to remind you to keep your eyes peeled when you're out and about. These are by My Dog Sighs. Above is a Quiet Little Voices piece found in Southampton, the others are from Portsmouth.

this is not art (this is)

some big graffiti demands your attention like an annoying child.  

sometimes its nice to have one around that doesn't shout "clap me! clap me!"

this Allen Ginsberg sticker has been watching over Portswood, Southampton for years.

noticed and unnoticed at the same time.

part of the street furniture

and as Ginsberg said "Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture"

so some nameless slap-up guy is controlling the culture of Portswood.

well done, guy

just over the way on Adelaide Road is an-anti-art statement

this is not art

this is

and who am I to disagree

I've said it before and I'll say it again: sometimes simplest is best

here's fake Banksy again - a flipped copy of a real Bnaski by @Bingodisco

and another piece by by @Bingodisco
(thanks to @jipcr2em for the info)