'This Is Not Art Anymore' is a new feature length from Autralian film maker Selena Miles, renowned for her early graffiti films for Ironlak from the late 2000s, Selena has become one of the most saught after directors and is responsible for some of the biggest graffiti and street art films of the last decade. I took some time out during Nuart Festival in 2019 to catch her career spanning talk at Nuart Plus and was amazed by her career highlights and noted a few parallels with using stop motion to create one of her most well known films 'Limitless'. Where Selena had 4 graffiti artists and an entire warehouse for 'Limitles', I had 3 contemporary artists and Limousine Bull who wouldn't let them paint on the walls so they had to build fake walls from cardboard for 'Little Victories & Free Spoons'. Of course stop motion has been used by many artists to document their work and processes but knowing how much effort it took to make my own short film I was truly blown away by Selena's work.
Part of her visit to Nuart included an exclusive screening of her new film 'Martha: A Picture Story' which chronicles famed new York photographer Martha Cooper, known as one of the first to really document the emerging graffiti scene in NYC and helping to kick start the global movement through her picture book 'Subway Art'. As we sat a few rows behind Martha and Selina, the opening scene's took hold as the duo headed into the Berlin subways to document the world famous 1 Up Crew as they bombed a German subway station. Using fire extinguihers and spray paint, the crew had planned out their intervention in every detail, their entry, the subway car times and where to meet in case thing's go south. Some members of the crew we're also sitting a few rows down in the cinema and had been painting in Stavanger earlier that day. The film showed an insight into Marth Cooper and why she takes photos, looking at her extensive career but also revealing so much more of the woman behind the lens which is unique and could only have come from Selina. The relationships are pivotal to all of Selina's films and the closeness to her subjects come's through with every shot and every cut. The screening proved to be a highlight during a week of special moments.
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| The tunnels in Tou Scene, Stavanger. 2019 |
When you take a closer look at the world of graffiti there's many layers and concepts to unpack. Vanalism, destruction of property and broken window theories are all terms thrown about by city councils and politicians with graffiti and tags often seen as a blight on society. It often makes me laugh to read comments about street art and murals as people say how much they love the big works but don't like the graffiti stuff. Often these artists have learned to hone their skills through doing graffiti so really one often informs the other. It's a paradox and one that divides opinion, both in general and in the graffiti and street art world. Personally I've always been fascinated by graffiti, from the early days in Mastrick seeing 'Gorg & Beef Wiz Ere' on the old Woolies shutter to more elaborate handstyles which appeared on my local bus stop. To see the tags around town is an insight into a secret coded world where you have to decipher the words and try to discern who's been operating in your area. It's also a sign of a healthy youth culture which is willing to rebel, for years Aberdeen has felt really sterile because of the lack of graffiti compared to other cities.
Of course the graffiti world isn't all happy and smiles, I've heard of many horror stories and tradgedies. Many writers have spoken about coming from hard backgrounds full of problems and finding friendships and family through graffiti, a way to escape if only for a short while. The crew mentality is important and the bonds from painting run deep for many writers. Across Europe you'll find pieces with initials like CTK and NSM, accronyms used by artists to show affiliation to a particular crew. The crew mentality is exemplified by One Up (One United Power), from bringing Martha Cooper on one of their subway adventures to paint rollering 'Leave No One Behind' in Berlin in the midst of the pandemic, the crew is rumoured to boast some 80 members and the videos of their adventures are testament to those bonds forged in the cracks of our cities.
'This Is Not Art Anymore' follows the crew's adventures in Napoli, Italy where the crew get together with local graffitos and write on everything in sight including the brutalist mega complex the Vele houses of Scampia. Its at this point that the crew show how their interested in more than just getting up but are seeking to engage with people and communities. As Tiktok users would say, they want to do a 'glow up' using graffiti but also using the collective skills of their friends like Selena to capture these special moments. Selena's films are often built on the friendships formed with her subjects, there's a trust involved that gives her an unprecedented view into the lives of these artists and what feels like a really interesting point in art history. With their canny use of social media and youtube, I'd bet that more 20 year olds have heard of One Up Crew compared to say Gauguin or Matisse. Where the creation of art was often carried out behind doors in private studios, the new masters are on the streets and online. It might not appeal to everyone but it sure gives me a kick!
