I wasnt really commenting on any one particular piece but since you asked, I dont feel that this particular piece says anything to me at all other than a basic gesture about pulling back something behind the concrete. The collaboration is just decorative in nature, there is no back and forth that I personally appreciate when artists collaborate. This collaboration feels like the artists used the color and other artists as more of a prop then an actual conversation aesthetically or conceptually. The gesture of pulling the facade as it can be said and revealing some unauthentic version of graffiti seems pedestrian to me.

Contrast this from Tilts installation where you have real graffiti being contrasted against the white of the bathroom. This aesthetic version of graffiti in the piece you mention comes no way near the real authenticity of Tilts. Then you are left with the actual stencil work of the mural which represents more of a mimicry of a photograph which I guess is ok if their is some conceptual allusion to the use of photography in urban art, yet I don't think that was what the artist was going for.

I think again compare this stencil to Icy and Sot's installation and you are left with the feeling that it is just not adequate in being even in the same conversation. The feel, the authenticity in the hand of the artists is prevalent in the work of Icy and Sot, you can appreciate the work and feel the work through their technique. Also add that they went a step beyond just a stencil and are progressively pushing not only the image but also the architecture of the wall by expanding its borders.

 Personally I would rather see artists take these opportunities at festivals to create progressive and relevant work not just further their comfort zone and the status quo. Also the topic isnt really what is that interesting, its how the artist is able to take a basic topic and really further the conversation instead of just illustrating it. I am not really a street art critic, but this is what I see personally from my own view as an artist.

I guess that is up for debate, but I would much rather have curators like yourself and critics like RJ having more of say than Art institutions who have no clue yet about what it is we are doing. And you may not want to have a role in the overall aspect of the artform but you do when you curate an event as big as Nuart. Then again if you dont care then that is ok as well, I guess? But for some reason I dont think that is the case.

Do you understand that you've just spent more time explaining why you don't think, than the time to actually think I feel this about it because ....?

And actually that process may help you appreciate it or realise how vacuous you were being?

Ps. Do you realise how utterly dull it is to read ' I just like it'

I'd take a 1000 ploppi posts over 5 empty meaningless like it posts

You are correct it may not be the goal all the time of street art and there definitely is no right or wrong way to do things, yet you have to think about context. You mention Banksy and driving past something quickly and appreciating it. I love street pieces from Banksy but what Whatson has done in the piece you mentioned isnt even on the same breadth as a 15 min stencil in the street by Banksy or any other street artist. This new festival Mural is not regular street art and should be looked at differently. Regular street art you drive by isn't monumental is size and take days to produce. Maybe they are related but they are definitely different animals.

If you're connecting a slice of pizza to an artwork then I rest my case.

(I'm not asking for an essay just simply more than an utterly pointless exclamation ... I honestly think pushed some of you wouldn't have had a reason other than consumerist greed and then in turn will sell it rapidly - hey and that as an explanation is fine too!)

Sometime I wonder why my points are lost on people and it's actually because they're children and then I think jesus is this what I've become? A don quixote of this bland little corner of the world .

I'm curious, what don't you like about the piece, a stencil artist collaborating with two Asian writers in a significant way is an interesting event no ? That behind the walls, under the concrete, within the material already lays the form of tagging and graffiti. It's an interesting topic right ? Like marble already containing the form of the sculpture to be revealed by the artisan. This would seem to propose that particularly dull buildings and cities already contain the seeds of their own evolution/destruction ?. Like grey pupae into colourful butterflies. They just have to be pollinated by tags. A philosophy that if embraced would logically lead to the end of the buff as we'd be curious to see our walls evolve :-).

Nonsense of course, but possibly a better worldview than "he doesn't belong.. he's not good enough... in such esteemed company..etc etc " , which is a job for art institutions, not something for a street art event to aspire to. We're back to that David Foster Wallace " This is Water " moment.

Peace

Is the Totem Pole carving workshop still next door to the concrete factory?

... the base that you paint onto makes a difference to the line and texture and 'luminance' of the painted piece.  The black of my ER is stark and solid when compared to the black on a paper piece. I am not sure that you can see from a photo - but it just is.

Bast and Faile take paper and more often than not paint over the paper completely before painting/screen printing a piece on top. It changes the medium and what you see as the final piece.