Paris and I ~ 'Snow On, Street Soldier'

iPhone Photo Chronicles ~ Snow On, Street Soldier ~

Snow On, Street Soldier, originally uploaded by Paris Set Me Free.

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Who needs galleries when you've got the street?

The line between graffiti and street art has blurred, although the two extremes certainly still exist.

There also seems to be a definite distinction between the graffiti which does try to say something however disenchanted and violent that may be, and what are called 'tags', which are people names or street signatures, slapped more or less artistically on a given wall or railway carriage. Some of them are very beautifully done indeed, but they are still just names, which doesn't interest me as much as works with a message. Of course, the people who did them probably don't give a shit what I think, as I'm probably far from their target audience, but that's another story.

What we see here is one of the blurry ones. In all honesty, there is nothing like the skill involved in some of the fancier 'tags' I just mentioned. But then there is a message of peace and love man, without signature at all, which makes us think and even lifts the spirits. It's crudity makes it all the more endearing and it's brightened up a hell of a boring wall.

Those who would argue against the right to exist of even this may say that for a start it's not very 'well done' and that if any old Jean, Ric or Larry were allowed to do this, think what the city would end up looking like. A good point. But not everyone does do this, and there seems to be a natural equilibrium of tolerated 'nice' stuff and rapidly removed unpleasant or political or violent stuff.

I don't know about other cities because I rarely visit anywhere else, but I can say that the street art of Paris is a living, breathing, pulsating thing, which is forever changing and innovating and it's a pretty cool world to be part of.

There's a really great Gregos piece coming up here shortly, and I'll be doing something with him too which I'm excited about so watch this space. Or hit the streets. Or preferably both.

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