below: showing the Torontonians how to projector bomb
Recently I met Stefan who’s the director of street art showcase a not for profit event promoting street art. The ideals behind the event align quite well with my own digital graffiti practice. So I agreed to help out with projections for the event. We used my big projector to project images of street art whilst I engaged the public in live digital graffiti using my smaller projector.
A quick chat to most people in Toronto reveals that the city council (especially Mayor Rob Ford) declared war on graffiti. Penalising business owners who actually APPROVE of the graffiti art on their buildings with fines. These kind of crazy actions by a city council is not entirely new, but they are based on a lack of respect for artists, property owners and the community at large. Street Art Showcase is in its first year as an event in Toronto and hopes to educate the more sheltered in Toronto’s community.
Very similar to ololo’s ReFace project in Australia which I was also involved in. Street Art Showcase used Projected Photographs of Graffiti and Street Art to get the public to look past the legalities of street art and see the art within it.
above: cruz1 thows up a digital character at street art showcase
Last thursday I invited some local VJs along for some street VJing. VJing is Live Video art which is mixed live to a music, usually in music venues and festivals its a nice change to do this on the street from time to time. This is the first time Ive Street Vj’ed in Toronto but Ive done it a few times already in Perth see this blog post
Big thanks Psyrina Ik, May Spark, Jax A Muse for their VJ sets. Those who got there first would have also seen my AV set.
Stefan from Street Art Showcase suggested we light up Old City Hall in the lead up to their event. Old Town Hall is in the centre of Toronto and also surrounded by some other nice surfaces such as the side of the Sheraton hotel (see below). Stefan invited the media along. see some of their posts below… blogto the star cbc news cast skip to 9:58
above: the mark ofGRLPERTH stating torontos new digital graffiti status
When the Laneway Festival asked us to make something new for there festival we proposed a computer game for the Street. This in an interactive game almost anyone can play, by hacking an xbox Kinect with some custom software you can use your whole body to control the game.
the location is a great little spot in Perths Cultural Centre where a pool has been replaced by its orginal native plants and reeds… what better place to play a game as the digital representation of Perths infamous Black Swans. The aim of the game… be the best dam swan you can (oh and try not to hit the rocks.. you will die)
Below are some photos of the first Collaborative Street Projection Night (live drawing) for Toronto. If you wanna know about the next one add my page on facebook.. facebook.com/jerremlynch
above: random pineapple by Jerrem
below: sheltering from the rain in one of Toronto’s many tram stop shelters
above: drawing by Jaxamuse
below: drawing by Cruz1
Blank shop fronts, usually represent a business so good it doesn’t need signage or no business at all.
Sure for the most part its quite boring, big sterile pieces of colour (a great place for some painted street art) HOWEVER at night these make some great canvases for projection as we can literally transform the shop to be what ever we like (at least momentarily). Here are a few quick ideas…
There is alot of electricity being used to illuminate this advertisment for bluenote jeans. So whats the message that is so important that it needs to be imposed on us night and day? I dont know. Think it was saying something like “nice jeans. girls will like your trouser snake blah blah blah”. So I drew a picture to clarify.
This new building is called the “Bohemian Embassy” it sits in the area of queen street under the flux of some heavy gentrification. Whats a Bohemian these days anyways? sounds like a rich hipster with too much money.
You might have already seen the embryo I Beamed on the other side. Its actually quite a good building to project onto, nice blank walls on both sides facing the street… I wonder how long until they sell the space for advertising… heres hoping someone gets the chance to paint some art there first.
Last night quickly ducked out for some projector bombing. Decided to light up this car quickly. Just as I was packing away I heard someone calling out from their Balcony. It was the owner of the car, he wanted a photo so i shouted my email address to him. Jeff you will be getting an email from me soon. thanks for the canvas.
