ArtistsAsActivists

A street artist painted this life-size image "Keep your coins, I want change" on a wall in a busy train station in Australia. MEEK, who was inspired by Banksy, uses socially controversial images in the hopes of increasing awareness and government involvement. They "thought a long time about this one because I didn't want to put something out that was mocking homelessness in any way.” It has been used in campaigns in Australia, the US, and the UK. This type of street art is referred to as Stencil Graffiti. Meek says “It probably took 10 hours to cut out, three to five minutes to put up." (Tagging, by comparison, can take 10 seconds or less.) Standing in one place spray painting for three minutes is risky. "I'm s**tting myself most of the time I'm putting something up…getting caught isn't that bad; I'm more worried about a vigilante or overly aggressive cop." Below find links to an article called Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne and an insightful essay by a student at the University of North Carolina.