CONVERSATIONS WITH STREET ARTISTS (PART 1)

This short documentary explores New York City street art from the perspectives of seven working street artists/performers. These include a member of an acrobatic comedy act, an accordion player from Montreal, a seasoned street painter, a creator of temporary sand paintings, a young woman who makes earrings out of legos, and a psychic.
I met these people in various locations including Union Square, Washington Square, outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in Monsignor McGolrick Park in Brooklyn. I interviewed them regarding both their artistic philosophies and their advice for others looking to approach art making and distribution using a similar grassroots method.
I asked them whether they are or are not able to make a living, how they feel about the state of the art scene in the city and in the world in general, how the city informs and influences their art, what they hope to gain or change by presenting themselves in public, what types of people tend to support and/or engage with them, and most importantly what they have learned from their experiences.
I hope this film will function as a useful and inspirational guide to people curious about what it is like to be a street artist but I also hope it will stand alone as a piece of art unto itself. To me the experience of creating it was a reminder of how unpredictable and rich any venture into the streets of NYC can be, and a chance to communicate with people and hear their stories in a mostly spontaneous manner, which in fact is similar to the experience of street art. Mostly it is just a celebration of interaction.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• street
• art
• katie
• frank
• new
• york
• city
• artist
• performer
• conversation