“AKUZE” by @craigcoleartist Ink on paper 56 x 76cm $500 SOLD “My work celebrates the gritty beauty of the streets, in a fine art realm. By producing highly detailed oil paintings that depict tags and slaps upon the urban environment, I endeavour to blur the boundaries between what is street art or graffiti and what is fine art. I want to facilitate a chance for the audience to challenge their pre-existing views and question their tastes and opinions and perhaps even their prejudices: Do they like this painting because it is an oil painting? Or because it so finely depicts a grungy and romanticised urban narrative. Graffiti is seen as a destructive element in society, often viewed more as a problem than an art form. Such niche urban works however shouldn’t be viewed as destructive but more as a creative abstraction of the letter. The general public have an appreciation and acceptance for street art while most people still frown upon tags. I aim to show the viewer an image that they would not normally stop and take the time to look at. By painstakingly rendering each tag and slap sticker with oil paint I offer an alterna- tive view into the importance of graffiti for those who may be unaware, or uneducated in this particular culture. Each slap and tag fights for a position and level of importance on a small surface; this creates a colourful and textured collage. Using obscure perspectives brings another level of interest, to what would be an other wise ordinary snapshot of an urban scene.” #UndercurrentGroupShow #BSIDEgallery (at BSIDE Gallery)















