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Street art.
Street art is extraordinary in its ability to draw people’s attention to the mundane aspects of urban life, often turning the banal into the wonderful. This can be seen in the works of artists Banksy in London, Rhoadsworth in Montreal and others around the world.
An artist from Saint-Etienne, France with the name OaKoAk takes a humorous approach to places of urban destruction, adding touches of visual fantasy and insightful narratives for the eyes.
It focuses on ordinary objects such as curved gates, street cracks and peeling paint, giving life to details that are usually consciously ignored. OaKoAk explains how it combines observation with work, what it does on site and at home:
As I come from Saint-Etienne, an old industrial city that is now in reconversion, I have a need to make my city less grey and at the same time more fun. Humor is really important to me. This is by far the most important element in what I do.
For me, it's interesting to give importance to places and objects that people don't want to notice. I walk a lot every day, so I find new attractive places with urban elements, such as broken walls. When I see something interesting during my walks, I measure it and study it, and then I come back later to make a collage. I prefer to prepare drawings and projects at home.
These tiny interventions in the life of the street usually give someone inspiration, although it may seem that they are invisible, but at the same time they are significant, adding to the streets that now seem much more carefree in the atmosphere. Oakoak's work is sometimes equipped with original characteristics; at other times, there are visual references to the popular culture of comic books, and even other street artists.
Oakoak relies on collages, templates, paint and glue to transform these forgotten little things that, despite their seeming insignificance, make the city unique. Oakoak works during the day as a graffiti artist and his lack of any formal education is no obstacle to free activity in his hometown, seeking moments and decorating his city in his own way. Perhaps that is why street art is so appealing: it is accessible to many, and may be the fastest way to convey a message, among all existing.
Source: eco-portal.kz
An artist from Saint-Etienne, France with the name OaKoAk takes a humorous approach to places of urban destruction, adding touches of visual fantasy and insightful narratives for the eyes.
It focuses on ordinary objects such as curved gates, street cracks and peeling paint, giving life to details that are usually consciously ignored. OaKoAk explains how it combines observation with work, what it does on site and at home:
As I come from Saint-Etienne, an old industrial city that is now in reconversion, I have a need to make my city less grey and at the same time more fun. Humor is really important to me. This is by far the most important element in what I do.
For me, it's interesting to give importance to places and objects that people don't want to notice. I walk a lot every day, so I find new attractive places with urban elements, such as broken walls. When I see something interesting during my walks, I measure it and study it, and then I come back later to make a collage. I prefer to prepare drawings and projects at home.
These tiny interventions in the life of the street usually give someone inspiration, although it may seem that they are invisible, but at the same time they are significant, adding to the streets that now seem much more carefree in the atmosphere. Oakoak's work is sometimes equipped with original characteristics; at other times, there are visual references to the popular culture of comic books, and even other street artists.
Oakoak relies on collages, templates, paint and glue to transform these forgotten little things that, despite their seeming insignificance, make the city unique. Oakoak works during the day as a graffiti artist and his lack of any formal education is no obstacle to free activity in his hometown, seeking moments and decorating his city in his own way. Perhaps that is why street art is so appealing: it is accessible to many, and may be the fastest way to convey a message, among all existing.
Source: eco-portal.kz
