Comments on: The Chalk Bandits http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/ Making the Connections Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:09:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Audrey http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-150399 Audrey Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:27:26 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-150399 The follow-up from this: The artists, on their lawyer's advice, decided that if the city wouldn't drop the case, they'd go all out and demand a jury trial. They went to trial yesterday and were all acquitted. http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/031408/loc_local01.shtml This is the second local art case resolved in favor of artists this month - another legal battle has been going on for over 2 years regarding a local artist who painted a 1,100-square-foot mural of Michelangelo's "Creation of Man" on the outside of his own studio, with the word "Love" on it. The city had issues with a bare breast showing (which the artist resolved by painting a gown over it), and with the letters, which apparently violate the city's sign ordnance. The city is deciding whether to appeal to the State Supreme Court to get that pesky word Love removed from our public spaces. The follow-up from this: The artists, on their lawyer’s advice, decided that if the city wouldn’t drop the case, they’d go all out and demand a jury trial. They went to trial yesterday and were all acquitted. http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/031408/loc_local01.shtml

This is the second local art case resolved in favor of artists this month - another legal battle has been going on for over 2 years regarding a local artist who painted a 1,100-square-foot mural of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Man” on the outside of his own studio, with the word “Love” on it. The city had issues with a bare breast showing (which the artist resolved by painting a gown over it), and with the letters, which apparently violate the city’s sign ordnance. The city is deciding whether to appeal to the State Supreme Court to get that pesky word Love removed from our public spaces.

]]> By: k. lang http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-108610 k. lang Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:40:52 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-108610 Does anybody know what happened to the chalk bandits? Where they charged? I am currently fighting with the landlord of my apartment complex. I was charged for drawing a Halloweens mural the wall of my porch. Does anybody know what happened to the chalk bandits? Where they charged? I am currently fighting with the landlord of my apartment complex. I was charged for drawing a Halloweens mural the wall of my porch.

]]> By: Linda c http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-91039 Linda c Fri, 07 Sep 2007 20:59:04 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-91039 My son and I are going to a "chalking" at the Clinton Library in Little Rock next Saturday. Their sidewalks are good for something! It is a fundraiser for The Thea Foundation. It raises money for arts programs around Arkansas. It is called "Thea Paves the Way". She - Thea - was a young lady that was killed in an auto accident. Her father has taken up the fight to keep arts in the schools - because that is what she loved. Pretty Cool I think! And my son loves it. My son and I are going to a “chalking” at the Clinton Library in Little Rock next Saturday. Their sidewalks are good for something!

It is a fundraiser for The Thea Foundation. It raises money for arts programs around Arkansas. It is called “Thea Paves the Way”. She - Thea - was a young lady that was killed in an auto accident. Her father has taken up the fight to keep arts in the schools - because that is what she loved.

Pretty Cool I think! And my son loves it.

]]> By: I'm my own Dog http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-85303 I'm my own Dog Sat, 11 Aug 2007 04:10:59 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-85303 We are sent to school to learn to be good little cogs in the Big Machine. The purpose of the Big Machine is to push wealth upward. If you do not support pushing wealth upward into the hands of the very few, then you are not a good little cog. If you are not a good little cog, then instead of having a little, you will have less than a little. Remember to get up early (unlike the very few) and work until long after you are tired. You are taught these things from the time you are very young. Early bird gets the worm! The good little cog is an early bird. The very few do not want the worm. The very few shall have the best fruits ... free of worms ... and they shall have them from the efforts of the good little cogs. Finding 'your own thing' may not bring the biggest cash rewards, but it sure feels good not eating worms. It feels even better not pushing too much wealth upwards into the hands of the very few. Boycott Walmart, Exxon/Mobile and the Stock Exchanges. Don't be good little cogs! Learn the most important thing ... to THINK FOR YOURSELF! We are sent to school to learn to be good little cogs in the Big Machine. The purpose of the Big Machine is to push wealth upward. If you do not support pushing wealth upward into the hands of the very few, then you are not a good little cog. If you are not a good little cog, then instead of having a little, you will have less than a little. Remember to get up early (unlike the very few) and work until long after you are tired. You are taught these things from the time you are very young. Early bird gets the worm! The good little cog is an early bird. The very few do not want the worm. The very few shall have the best fruits … free of worms … and they shall have them from the efforts of the good little cogs. Finding ‘your own thing’ may not bring the biggest cash rewards, but it sure feels good not eating worms. It feels even better not pushing too much wealth upwards into the hands of the very few. Boycott Walmart, Exxon/Mobile and the Stock Exchanges. Don’t be good little cogs! Learn the most important thing … to THINK FOR YOURSELF!

]]> By: virus http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84995 virus Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:23:32 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84995 In a society that is more and more defined by what we watch on reality TV, these kids made a statement. They did not set out to make a statement, nor were they aware they were making a statement, but they made a statement anyway. It is up to us to define it for them. It is not up to the artist to give the work its meaning, it is up to the ’reviewers’ of the work. The audience ‘tells’ the artist what the work means. The artist invests the time, the energy, the creativity and makes their presentation. The feedback generated by the work creates a context in which to view it. The success of the work can be gauged by how successful it is in the way it prods us, provokes us, how engaged we all become with the dialogue it starts. By the looks of it, they made some great art. They made art in the tradition Jackson Pollack, who threw paint in the face of the art establishment, the same establishment who now prostrate themselves like submissive dogs because of the huge amounts of money to be made; in the tradition of Andy Warhol who took a soup can and dropped it on the toes of an unknowing public; and in the tradition of Tyree Guyton, whose big colorful circles sit in stark contrast to the blighted homes that is his canvas. A community is now engaged in a discussion that would never have taken place without them. The Chalk Bandits? Phooey. A lot more like Robin’s band of merry men. No, strike that. There is no taking involved. A lot more like Santa Claus. Giving without asking anything in return. Giving with no idea of the far reaching effects their gift would have. In the same way a child sits on the sidewalk in front of their house, takes a piece of chalk and makes their mark on the world, they sat in a public place, a commons, and made their mark. So now the city upon which they made their mark is ‘discussing’ it. Only art can create such a debate, only art can generate such emotion. What a cool thing to do. In a society that is more and more defined by what we watch on reality TV, these kids made a statement. They did not set out to make a statement, nor were they aware they were making a statement, but they made a statement anyway. It is up to us to define it for them. It is not up to the artist to give the work its meaning, it is up to the ’reviewers’ of the work. The audience ‘tells’ the artist what the work means. The artist invests the time, the energy, the creativity and makes their presentation. The feedback generated by the work creates a context in which to view it. The success of the work can be gauged by how successful it is in the way it prods us, provokes us, how engaged we all become with the dialogue it starts. By the looks of it, they made some great art. They made art in the tradition Jackson Pollack, who threw paint in the face of the art establishment, the same establishment who now prostrate themselves like submissive dogs because of the huge amounts of money to be made; in the tradition of Andy Warhol who took a soup can and dropped it on the toes of an unknowing public; and in the tradition of Tyree Guyton, whose big colorful circles sit in stark contrast to the blighted homes that is his canvas. A community is now engaged in a discussion that would never have taken place without them. The Chalk Bandits? Phooey. A lot more like Robin’s band of merry men. No, strike that. There is no taking involved. A lot more like Santa Claus. Giving without asking anything in return. Giving with no idea of the far reaching effects their gift would have. In the same way a child sits on the sidewalk in front of their house, takes a piece of chalk and makes their mark on the world, they sat in a public place, a commons, and made their mark. So now the city upon which they made their mark is ‘discussing’ it. Only art can create such a debate, only art can generate such emotion. What a cool thing to do.

]]> By: Audrey http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84678 Audrey Tue, 07 Aug 2007 03:06:40 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84678 I'm posting a better link to the Alfie Kohn piece I referenced above. The original link went to the Nation, which requires a subscription. The full article is available here: http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/supernanny.htm It's worth the read, especially if you interact with children, either as a teacher or as a parent. I’m posting a better link to the Alfie Kohn piece I referenced above. The original link went to the Nation, which requires a subscription. The full article is available here: http://www.alfiekohn.org/parenting/supernanny.htm

It’s worth the read, especially if you interact with children, either as a teacher or as a parent.

]]> By: Audrey http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84496 Audrey Mon, 06 Aug 2007 01:31:10 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84496 buffalo, thanks for the link - that may prove useful. skol, I haven't got a good answer on why you need to be in class ... I teach high school, but I never got a high school diploma or GED. I suppose the proper answer is that you don't need to be there. There are other options, though I would push people considering dropping out to put some thought into how to design an alternative experience that is meaningful. Incidentally, both the soapbox girl and at least one of the bandits have spent extended periods of time outside of a traditional classroom. Coincidence? buffalo, thanks for the link - that may prove useful.

skol, I haven’t got a good answer on why you need to be in class … I teach high school, but I never got a high school diploma or GED. I suppose the proper answer is that you don’t need to be there. There are other options, though I would push people considering dropping out to put some thought into how to design an alternative experience that is meaningful.

Incidentally, both the soapbox girl and at least one of the bandits have spent extended periods of time outside of a traditional classroom. Coincidence?

]]> By: skol http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84463 skol Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:24:21 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84463 That was wonderful, especially for us bitter students like me ;). What I want to know is why are friends so often separated in classrooms, and why do I have to be there at all? All the info that teachers take months to learn can be found on the internet and taken at your own pace anyhow... not that we're taught to look. And teachers haven't been taught to look, and parents haven't been taught to look, and it all gets rolled up in the flimsy excuse that we're being prepared for the adult world (my problem with this as THE purpose is that the adult world is something teachers, parents, and students generally know anyhow (you get a job, it's probably draining*, you make money)... What the heck could we be missing?). OK, thousand-times heard rant over. On a side but related note, maybe authors should have the total freedom of scribbling with their own font and color. Then we can tell them apart more easy :p * And when it ISN'T draining, it seems you need more specific skills not taught in school anyhow. Y'know... yer own thing. That was wonderful, especially for us bitter students like me ;). What I want to know is why are friends so often separated in classrooms, and why do I have to be there at all? All the info that teachers take months to learn can be found on the internet and taken at your own pace anyhow… not that we’re taught to look. And teachers haven’t been taught to look, and parents haven’t been taught to look, and it all gets rolled up in the flimsy excuse that we’re being prepared for the adult world (my problem with this as THE purpose is that the adult world is something teachers, parents, and students generally know anyhow (you get a job, it’s probably draining*, you make money)… What the heck could we be missing?). OK, thousand-times heard rant over.
On a side but related note, maybe authors should have the total freedom of scribbling with their own font and color. Then we can tell them apart more easy :p

* And when it ISN’T draining, it seems you need more specific skills not taught in school anyhow. Y’know… yer own thing.

]]> By: The Buffalo In Da' Midst http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84263 The Buffalo In Da' Midst Sat, 04 Aug 2007 19:26:29 +0000 http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2007/08/04/the-chalk-bandits/#comment-84263 Stan: <blockquote>Such is the case in Mount Clemens, where these three artists are facing misdemeanor charges for defacing public property.</blockquote> It is also the case in Santa Cruz California, where the chalking tends to be more political, with artistic overtones... See: <strong><a href="http://www.counterpunch.org/johnson02222003.html" rel="nofollow">The War on Sidewalk Art The Hopscotch Rebellion By BECKY JOHNSON</a></strong> ...and the laws tend towards authoritarian/unconstitutional with overtones of 'progressive' economic demands (read: gentrification & tourism industry) Leigh Stan:

Such is the case in Mount Clemens, where these three artists are facing misdemeanor charges for defacing public property.

It is also the case in Santa Cruz California, where the chalking tends to be more political, with artistic overtones…

See:
The War on Sidewalk Art
The Hopscotch Rebellion
By BECKY JOHNSON

…and the laws tend towards authoritarian/unconstitutional with overtones of ‘progressive’ economic demands (read: gentrification & tourism industry)

Leigh

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