Monday, July 26, 2010

Outdoor Advertising Murals; a dying Art?


UP THERE from Jon on Vimeo.

I've always loved looking up in New York and seeing the faded remains of these beautiful murals. Vinyl has really changed the landscape and made it much harder for artists to survive in this field.

This short film is a meditative homage to the Art, and is well worth looking at. I couldn't help but agree when one of the guys in the film said "there's a few of us keeping it going...which is good, because I don't know how to do anything else."

Read more on the official website at uptherefilm.com

7 comments:

  1. I remember doing a job at Warner Bros studios in Burbank about 18 years ago and talking with the guys who did the hand painted movie promos on the billboards in front of the studio entrance. Not quite as large as these, but pretty close, and a lot of figures and detail. they worked the same way- pounced design, a hand held illustration, and oil based house paints. Amazing work- they were really good. Wonder if that's all digital now.

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  2. It's possible to print directly onto pretty much anything these days, as you know. The outdoor handpainted mural scene has a few notable holdouts, but digital printing is creeping into interior work too. Just look at Tattoowall. For me, I like to think that I can embrace the changes and change my working method to incorporate the new technology. I've had a couple of great opportunities to combine digital and traditional media. It just seems like a hybrid approach is the way of the future.

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  3. ...I've no interest in becoming a dinosaur, I need to keep working!

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  4. During my visit to Dubai, I have seen numerous billboards parked on various streets and highways offering visibility to over thousands of people a day. http://www.mobilebillboards.ae Mobile billboards advertising achieve 85% reach and 20X frequency. It offers 90% coverage for all age-groups and target audiences.

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  5. Well that says it all: why hire artists when you can just drive your billboard right up the street!

    Not exactly the point I was trying to make, but thanks for your input!:)

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  6. I love this, thank you. Beautiful blog too.

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  7. Beautiful work.
    ...I've no interest in becoming a dinosaur, I need to keep working! <--- This is totally true, which is kind of sad as everything in life tends to be faster and faster. I have no interest in becoming a dinosaur either, but neither on loosing contact with substance/material. Painting a mural with my own hands/mind/senses would make me undoubtedly ten times more happier and fulfilled than printing and setting a vinyl one. After all, aren´t we here for being happy?

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