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Viewpoint – E.L.K. – The Mouse That Sunk The Boat

Viewpoint – E.L.K. – The Mouse That Sunk The Boat


The following article was submitted to our Viewpoints column by well known artist E.L.K. in response to this article by CDH in the latest issue of contemporary magazine Art monthly.

 

E.L.K. – The Mouse That Sunk The Boat

It’s pretty safe to say that the Melbourne street art scene is quite divided on a few subjects (ie Adrian Doyles Empty Nursery Blue project and those little Land Of Sunshine stickers), but one thing that everybody who matters seem to agree on is that “artist” CDH (who is apparently actually an engineer, mind you), is possibly one of the least talented street artists in Melbourne – conceptually boring, with zero can control.

As a self confessed “exclusively non-commercial artist”, I’m not sure if this is because he doesn’t want sell his work, or that nobody would buy it, or that is he just scared to expose himself to any real critical feedback (success aint fun btw, its fucking scary sometimes).

That aside, I’m writing this in response to an article by CDH in the September issue of Art Monthly bagging out the commodification of street art (and also yours truly, and other street artists), which, I believe, was a little harsh. I must say that I do agree with some of the points he makes, but one significant point that he fails to mention on the reason that street art is losing its edge, are the hoards of mediocre fuckwits latching on to the popularity of street art and subsequently sucking the life out of it.

New rule, can’t paint … fuck off.

CDH_paint

I may not have the vocabulary or the necessary tertiary education to get published in such a reputable magazine, but I do have something that CDH doesn’t – talent. Talent enough to have appeared on the cover of Art Monthly and talent enough that people are willing to pay a lot of money for the art that I make, something that this guy will never be in a position to fully appreciate.

The next person that says to me “you’re so lucky” is getting head-butted – people only see the pretty pictures. They don’t see the ten years of struggle, depression, failed relationships and letters of demand that led to a point where I could comfortably survive doing what I love doing – no luck involved. So to referring to my art as empty, is a little insulting. I get offered a lot of money from advertising agencies and big businesses to use my art in order to sell products, cars, poker machines, soda streams, hats, etc etc etc – but its not for me, I’m not a designer, I’m an artist.

But I’m not angry, just venting. I can handle criticism – but not from this muppet.

Commodification is not the only reason that the ship of street art is sinking, we’re just the privileged few that get to exit on the life rafts – CDH is no voice of authority on this subject, he’s just the mouse that sunk the boat.

elk_bob

You can see articles from CDH here and here with similar themes to the Art Monthly article.

The views in this article do not represent the views of Invurt and are entirely those of the articles author. Invurt has, and always will, try to maintain a neutral editorial attitude – we take no sides, we only report. Invurts Viewpoint column is provided as an avenue for reader to share their opinions on issues that they feel strongly about. If you have a point of view on something in regards to art, street art or graffiti here in Australia, just email us the article and title it “Viewpoint” – if we think its suitable, we’ll put it up at our editorial discretion.

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24 Comments

  • Leigh Cornish
    11 years ago

    right on

    REPLY
  • RJ Rushmore
    11 years ago

    Believe it or not, “New rule, can’t paint … fuck off.” is not the most ridiculous thing I’ve read today. That award go Bucky Turco for conflating public advertising on billboards with advertising on websites or in magazines. But that new rule is pretty close, and on most other days would win the award.

    I’m not entirely in agreement with CDH’s article in Art Monthly Australia, or his critique of E.L.K.’s work, but limiting street art (or meaningful contributions to street art) to those with the ability to paint is extremely narrow-minded. It would not surprise me if E.L.K. also includes drawing, digitally created work, photography, sculpting and other similar skills in a broader interpretation of his new rule. At the very least, E.L.K. seems to be writing off the conceptual side of street art entirely.

    But that’s where street art came from. The Situationists, John Fekner, Gordon Matta-Clark, Shepard Fairey, Ron English… All grounded in conceptual art. Is Situationist graffiti aesthetically brilliant? No. But it’s still pretty amazing. What about contemporary street artists like Brad Downey, Evan Roth, Specter… Even graffiti writers who have excellent painting skills like Barry McGee and KATSU have a conceptual side to what they do. Many of the artists I’ve listed can paint, but I don’t think it’s Brad Downey’s technical abilities as a painter or sculptor that have gained him such wide recognition. For all of those artists (although perhaps not the graffiti writers), conceptual art is at the core of what they do or did and the technical execution is secondary.

    REPLY
    • Bucky Turco@RJ Rushmore
      11 years ago

      RJ you’re so inconsequential I can’t bother arguing with you. It gives you legitimacy and you don’t have any. Great, a couple of new jacks like your new jack blog that your daddy gave you. Also, you’re misrepresenting my position as you’re wont to do. Go away and slither back to that irrelevant gilded crib from which you came. No one cares.

      REPLY
      • I pay for my own hosting and domain costs with a couple of ads. No reason why I need to be telling you this, but I made a point of paying back every cent parents loaned to me for hosting and domain registration before the site had ads. I’ve always been curious, how does Animal stay afloat with such minimal advertising? It’s admirable. Does your Mother help you out?

        REPLY
    • E.L.K@RJ Rushmore
      11 years ago

      Yep, didnt have my usual cooling off period before smashing away at the keyboard and screaming “cunt”, but you’re right, “cant paint fuck off” was a stupid thing to say, i take it back

      REPLY
  • Dave
    11 years ago

    For someone who “can handle criticism”, your response to CDH’s
    piece is a little jaded. Phrases like “everybody who matters seems to agree”&
    “CDH is no voice of authority” reek of the insular back patting and holy-than-thou
    attitude local artists seem to offer when criticism is thrown their way.

    Your response is exactly what CDH describes when you mention
    ‘talent’ in the same way you measure success by magazine covers and big
    business commercial offers.

    I’m sure CDH enjoys stirring the pot and his article was
    probably a deliberate way to illicit a response as seen above. At least his
    artwork is witty, intelligent and though provoking. He shines a mirror to
    society and to the street art scene and I, for one, hope he continues to write
    pieces like this and work the streets.

    REPLY
  • Some Dude
    11 years ago

    It’s pretty rich of ELK to talk up his own talent when all of his latest stencils are carved out of Photoshop.

    REPLY
    • 815k1@Some Dude
      11 years ago

      thats a good point but does that deny it is not arts and craft because it comes from the photoshop this is more a technological dependance we are heading there 2045

      REPLY
  • Mark Holsworth
    11 years ago

    Very glad to see a reply to CDH’s article and all the quality comments that have come in response to it, especially RJ Rushmore’s with whom I am in agreement. I think that CDH’s article would be better attacked on the CDH’s idea that altruism is at the core of true street art, his “street art purists”. Dividing a category into true and false versions has many philosophical problems; the no-true Scotsman move to start with. I don’t think that street art as a commodity is such a big factor in the way that the movement is going and has gone. E.L.K. is right that commodification is not the only reason why street art is sinking. He is also right to point out his ten years of struggle, the money offered for design projects and to be insulted by CDH describing his art as empty. And E.L.K. is also right that he doesn’t have the education to write a proper response to CDH but I’m not going to rule that if you can’t write …fuck off.

    REPLY
    • CDH@Mark Holsworth
      11 years ago

      I don’t entirely agree that street art is sinking. When I think of sinking, I think of things stagnating. In the public gallery in Melbourne we’re being offered really exciting work from people like Robin Rhode and Ian Strange at the moment. On the street we’re getting Empty Blue Nursery. Kyle’s off to court again next Wednesday and I get emails every 2 weeks or so from young artists asking for advice. I think this demonstrates there’s still a deep well of integrity in street practice. What’s starting to sink is the art market for street art. Banksy brought a lot of new people to the art market; people who didn’t really know anything about art; people who hate contemporary art and complain about not ‘getting’ the Turner prize. Those people formed the arbiters of artistic value in the street art market. And those people chose really poorly; they selected familiar motifs and clichés from people like Mr Brainwash or the big eyed advertising girls of Rone or Herakut. In the A-Z of contemporary art Andrew Frost described urban art as “middle class white kids with a knack for advertising” and when we’re talking about street art in the private gallery I think that’s basically true. That’s why I think the art market has been such a dysfunctional tool for selecting culture in street art. It’s not that commodification is inherently bad, it’s that here it’s been
      an agent of stagnation.

      Now mainstream culture is starting to move on and this audience is off to the next superficial fashion trend. As an amateur artist, I’m totally immune to these whims. I’m standing over here on the deck of a separate ship with a martini, watching the private street art market slowing slipping into the ocean. Everybody that wants on board our ship is welcome too; come back to an amateur art practice and just sidestep all the compromises and posers in the art market.

      REPLY
      • steve powers@CDH
        11 years ago

        LUSH renders all of you obsolete

        REPLY
        • 815k1@steve powers
          11 years ago

          render? cunt i dont think he renders much unless he uses a pencil. but he is deconstructing the scene which puts him in a prime place, its wait n see, CDH is more likley to create a built in obsolescence of the street art scene instead of making a point, i mean graffiti is always has and will be amateur art. the difference is training but these types of articles reduce it to only a money value a style. maybe its less functional but new waves come in and out graffiti doesnt change.

          REPLY
      • 815k1@CDH
        11 years ago

        Banksy succeded in bringing people who were bourgeois cause he knew his art history, art museum galleries are founded on this shit to deny him is to deny your white european history of death slavery , colonisation more or less, thats past style new game new rules its about deconstruction now…

        REPLY

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