1.
interventions
aka
street art
guerrilla art

2.
Interventions, or street art, or guerilla art is “any anonymous work
(including but not limited to graffiti, signage, performance, additions,
and decorations) installed, performed, or attached in public spaces,
with the distinct purpose of affecting the world in a creative or
thought-provoking way.”
Keri Smith, The Guerilla Art Kit

3.
Marcus Aurelius
Piazza del Campidoglio
Rome
There have always been public art and statues. These are not
‘street’ art or interventions

4.
THIS is an intervention...

5.
Kwame Monroe aka Bear 167, "Sunday Afternoon," 1984
most interventions are street graffiti...

6.
some graffiti is very clever and
thoughtful
Todd Vanderlin: “Graffiti
Taxonomy is a graffiti-based
study in which characters are
isolated from a collection of
graffiti tags that were
photographed in the same
geographic region.”

7.
some, such as subway
graffiti, can be extremely
ambitious

8.
street art has
been around for
a long time

9.
and has
continued since
the cave
paintings
kilroy, very
popular among
soldiers in
WWII, can be
found all over
the globe and
has come to
represent
graffiti art

10.
legal?
• usually not
so there are some RULES:
• don’t damage property
• use environmentally friendly materials
NO canned spray paint!
NO permanent glues!
chalk is good
removable/washable glues - wheat paste
and suggestions...
• some sites are safer than others:
temporary construction walls
sidewalks
anywhere where damage will not result
• watch out for:
security cameras
signs that say ‘post no bills’
cops
• work quickly and change location

11.
while street graffiti—this from Paris—is what
we usually think of as street art, or guerrilla
art, so-called fine artists have also practiced
forms of interventions

12.
keith haring began his career
making graffiti in subway
stations, using chalk on the black
paper which covered empty ad
space

13.
keith haring subway graffiti , with
audience

14.
kenny scharf, art world star
and entrepreneur, began
with wall graffiti and then
moved to canvas

15.
fab5 freddie
kenny sharf,
andy warhol,
keith haring

16.
jean-michel basquiat, one of the great expressionist painters of the
1980’s, began as SAMO©, leaving thought-provoking tags all over NYC

17.
jean-michel basquiat paintings
Jean-Michel Basquiat_Fallen Angel, 1981
Catharsis 1983 triptych, acrylic on canvas, 72-3/8 x 92-7/8 inches
"Untitled (Angel)"
acrylic on canvas
96 by 169 inches, 1982

18.
many other artists, starting from inside the art
world, wanted to move to the streets in order to
reach a wider audience, escape the tyranny of
commerce, and re-capture the freshness and
excitement of surprise, discovery and delight
daniel buren
permutations: fragment 1-3
1973
daniel buren
the two levels
1986

19.
daniel buren
escalator, 1979
daniel buren
ballets, NY, 1975

20.
daniel buren
title?, 2009 art does not have to be paint on canvas, or bronze

21.
Modern culture with it’s overwhelming advertising, mass media and
endless information teaches us to tune out, to disconnect.
Small, anonymous art gestures can encourage the viewer to take the
world a bit less seriously, to connect with something outside the
predictable.
Keri Smith, The Guerilla Art Kit

22.
eleanor antin, in 1971-73, took
100 boots around the world
and photographed them in
various settings
eleanor antin
100 boots
1971-73

23.
eleanor antin
100 boots
1971-73

24.
niele toroni (swiss, lives in france) has been painting using
a brush on whatever since the 1960s. the strokes are all
carefully measured and applied, always similar but not the
same, and appear in unexpected places
niele toroni
title?, date?
kunsthalle, bern
niele toroni
title?, date?

25.
Guerilla art is for everyone. It engages viewers who might never
step foot in a gallery. It is free and accessible.
Keri Smith, The Guerilla Art Kit

26.
richard artschwager (a fave) has been making extraordinary things since the
early 1960s. blps were (are) small lozenge-shaped drawings/paintings/objects
which appeared all over NY and elsewhere, more or less randomly, over many
years
richard artschwager
blps richard artschwager
hair blp

27.
richard artschwager
blps

28.
art can be done on the street and still maintain respect for the
environment and for property. francesca pirillo lays cut-out drawings
in public places and photographs the results
francesca pirillo

29.
Richard Hambleton
creepy-ass street lurkers

30.
Richard Hambleton
Mary Cate Olson at a Hambleton opening

31.
jr (a very private artist who
won’t reveal his name or give
interviews) travels the world
producing temporary
photographic interventions
jr
salvation
beirut
jr
cambodia

32.
jr
2 pieces from the ‘women’ series
Brussels, Belgium (above)
Paris (right)

33.
jr
kibera, nairobi
2009
jr
on the palestinian side of the
israeli security fence
2007

34.
leo & pipo
printed paper
france

35.
banksy, ubiquitous outdoor art provocateur. banksy is the
pseudonym of a british graffiti artist, political activist and painter whose
identity is unconfirmed

36.
banksy?

37.
banksy
murals on the security fence between Israel and the Palestinians

38.
banksy

39.
sculptural interventions?
why sure!
allan molho, nyc
anonymous
street sculpture
italy
anonymous
street sculpture
altered mailbox

40.
artist unknown
space invader series
paris

41.
jan vormann (sweden) enlisted the aid of
the lego company and several helpers for a series of
street sculptures—repairs—in nyc
jan vormann
us post office

42.
jan vormann

43.
jan vormann

44.
Juliana Santacruz Herrera
began filling Paris’s
potholes with elaborate
knitted plugs back in 2009
as an artful way of
illustrating the problem
she was seeing on the
decaying streets

45.
Juliana Santacruz Herrera
yarn bombs

46.
a pothole art
how-to lesson

47.
On permanence in art:
nothing in life is permanent
here today, gone tomorrow
embrace change

48.
non-destructive graffiti:
moose—a london graffiti artist who uses soap and water to write on walls & sidewalks

49.
which reminded me of chinese street calligraphy practice, done with brush and
water

50.
more non-destructive interventions: knit graffiti

51.
Houston’s most notorious
graffiti crew: Knitta Please

52.
Neozoon (France and
Germany): the project was to take
discarded fur coats and cut them into
animal shapes, which it pasted to city
surfaces.

53.
neozoon
fox
recycled fur, 2009
neozoon
dog
recycled fur coat, 2009

54.
I do not personally attempt to make work with an overt political
message. Instead I let the medium itself be the political act... I become
an integral part of public space instead of feeling like a visitor...
Keri Smith, The Guerilla Art Kit

55.
highly political:
one million bones
a fundraising art installation
designed to recognize the
millions of victims and
survivors who have been killed
or displaced by ongoing
genocides
www.onemillionbones.org

56.
non-political: edgar mueller (england)
www.metanamorph.com/

57.
digression—
anamorphosis
Anamorphosis is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the
viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to
reconstitute the image. "Ana - morphosis" comes from the Greek words
meaning "formed again."
There are two main types: Perspective (oblique) and Mirror (catoptric). Examples of
perspectival anamorphosis date to the early Renaissance (15th Century), whereas examples of
mirror anamorphosis (or catoptric anamorphosis) occurred at the time of the baroque (17th
century).
With mirror anamorphosis, a conical or cylindrical mirror is placed on the drawing or painting to
transform a flat distorted image into a three dimensional picture that can be viewed from many
angles.
Leonardo's Eye (Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1485) is the earliest known example of perspective
anamorphosis.

58.
Andrea Pozzo: ceiling, Church of St. Ignazio, 1685+/- perspectival anamorphosis

59.
Hans Holbein the Younger: ‘The Ambassadors’ (1533) with a memento mori
anamorph skull in the foreground.

60.
artist unknown
angel anamorph

61.
Istvan Orosz: Mirror (catoptric) Anamorphosis with Column

62.
Istvan Orosz: Mirror (catoptric) Anamorphosis with Column

63.
Andrew Compton: catoptric
anamorphosis of scientist John
Dalton
artist unknown: catoptric
anamorphosis of a thumb

64.
Istvan Orosz: stairway anamorphosis—3 views

65.
?: stairway anamorphosis
NYC subway platform

66.
Edgar Mueller of England said he was inspired by the British 'Pavement Picasso' Julian
Beever, whose makes dramatic but more gentle 3D street images

67.
Edgar Mueller

68.
still more non-destructive interventions: moss graffiti
anna garforth

69.
edina tokodi
artists unknown
radical moss graffiti

70.
el&abe (eleanor stevens and anna garforth)
church moss graffiti, england

71.
rice paddy murals
inakadate, japan
koichi hanada, a clerk in the village
hall, came up with the idea in
response to a request from his boss to
find a way of bringing more tourists to
town.
originally rice with dark purplish
and bright green stalks were used.
in recent years, genetically
engineered plants have been added
to produce dark red, yellow and
white.

72.
masanobu fukuoka—not (officially) an
artist, but a Japanese natural-philosopher-
farmer, educator writer, naturalist,
researcher and professional biological
scientist. he also gets credit for invention of
‘the seed bomb’. seed balls (or seed bombs,
earth dumplings) are often used by guerilla
gardeners in reclaiming derelict land in their
neighborhoods.

73.
seed ball
grown
field
seed balling
in brooklyn,
ny
planting
seed balls

74.
Joel Tauber, Tree Baby
Tree Baby is part of an ongoing project which began
when the artist fell in love with a California Sycamore
tree in the middle of a giant parking lot at the Rose
Bowl. After caring for the tree, he cultivated
approximately two hundred “tree babies” (seedlings from
the original tree) to plant in public locales
throughout California. Approximately one hundred and
forty Tree Babies have been planted thus far; the
locations have been mapped and are available at
www.joeltauber.com/treebabymap.html.

75.
Joel Tauber, Tree Baby

76.
Paul Ramírez Jonas
The Keys to the City
Participants get a key that grants access to generally off-limits parts of the city. The key opens
locks at two dozen locations, from the baptistry at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine to
a locker at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.
not quite guerrilla, but definitely alternative and street...
Jaws-At the ice-cream shop, the
key unlocked a box that
contained an assortment of items.

77.
Lauren Burke, used her
key to set up blind dates
at each location and blog
about it. During her date
with Tim Freeman the
couple unlocked a gate to
a secret space under the
floor of the Conference
House Park Pavillion on
Staten Island.

78.
explores the odd, ordinary and ingenious in daily life. AiOP aims to
stretch the boundaries in the public realm by presenting artworks
outside the confines of public space regulations.
Chance Meeting. Linda Hesh hangs doorknob
signs on 14th St in 8 waves beginning with ‘Is
it really you?’ and ending with ‘Let’s meet
again soon’ capturing a desire for connection
and communication.
these projects are from the october, 2010
edition

79.
City Souvenirs. Liene Bosque and Nicole
Seisler, dressed in “official” uniforms, walk
14th St with a cart loaded with clay making
impressions of often-unnoticed details
Hydrophony. Heather Dewey-Hagborg and Thomas
Dexter reveal the sounds of the of the Hudson and East
Rivers by installing underwater microphones and
broadcasting the sounds of fish, boats, etc live and online:
www.hydrophony.com
TXTual Healing. Paul Notzold invites passersby to
respond to a subject via test messages and projects
the resulting dialogue onto urban structure, thereby
encouraging communication, happenstance and
curiosity.

80.
Luck Be a Lady. Maya Suess positions herself
on 14th St with two women holding a sign:
“Luck Be a Lady: Offering Luck, Free.”
Pump 14 is a manual bucket system performed by
the 6 members of the BroLab collaborative. Using
self-constructed yokes and pails they transport
water from the Hudson to the East Rivers by foot,
shedding light on the city’s waterways.
Silent Call. Christopher Dameron and Annika
Newell place calls to 5 pay phones along 14th St
which will emit historic sounds from its heritage—
ad jingles, trolley crossings, etc—collated from the
NY Public Library’s sound archive

81.
some random street interventions...

82.
lucho and quillo
cardboard car
santiago de chile
laser graffiti

83.
manhole covers
japan
does this suggest any possibilities?

84.
sign interventions
guerrilla reprogramming of traffic signs

85.
or make your own dang signs!

86.
a guerrilla art crew made a line
down a block of 5th ave near 23rd
st, designating one lane for locals
and the other for tourists. if
questioned they explained that
tourists walk more slowly

87.
sten, lex & lucamaleonte
calling all angels
printed paper
via nuoro, florence

88.
credits & resources
Keri Smith, The Guerilla Art Kit: Everything You Need to Put Your Message Out Into the World, Princeton
Architectural Press, NY, 2007
www.guerrillagirls.com/ : radical feminist artists fighting discrimination with facts, humor and fake fur
www.artinoddplaces.org/ : stretching the boundaries in the public realm by presenting artworks outside
the confines of public space regulations
www.woostercollective.com/ : dedicated to showcasing and celebrating ephemeral art placed on streets in
cities around the world
www.interestingideas.com/roadside/roadside.htm : America's great art seen from the window of a passing
car
www.flickr.com/groups/951701@N24/pool/ : photos of street sculptures and installations
www.robbieconal.com/ : website of a long-time guerrilla political poster maker
i haven’t seen these...
Eleanor Mathieson, Street Artists: The Complete Guide, Korero Books, 2009
Guerrilla Girls, The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art, Penguin Books, 1998
Cristian Campos, 1,000 Ideas for Graffiti and Street Art: Murals, Tags, and More from Artists Around the
World, Rockport Publishers, 2011

89.
project possibilitiesstencils
leave notes in library or bookstore books
guerilla gardening
poster of your day
paper, pens, markers, photos, copier, paste
make a map of your area
mark “you are here” where you leave the map
mark your favorite sites, trees, whatever
post small notices
‘NOTICE - the tree to the right’
‘NOTICE - woodpeckers nesting 12’ up’
public chalkboard
make and place a chalkboard, with chalk
leave sign inviting people to draw, leave messages, etc
public chalk drawing: leave a bucket of chalk near a sidewalk
notebook: leave a notebook & pen
ask people to make a note or drawing and pass it on
found photos: take a photo of yourself at different locations
post the photos nearby
knitted tags: measure something like a tree or pole
knit a cover for part of it
sew the cover around the object
books: make a book, cover and all
leave it on a library shelf
wall tags: check the local museum for what style of tag they have with the displays
make one with you as the artist and substitute
wall art: create a grid on a wall with multi-colored post-its
make a polka dot wall with post-its cut into dots
leave food bombs—lettuce, chard, etc—in public areas

90.
an exercise:
• you suddenly have the ability to transmit your thoughts to others (individuals,
groups, everyone)
• you can only do it three times
• what would you say...
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
some suggestions:
• look at your environment as if you were a tourist and have never seen it. attend to
details. don’t judge
• observe how people interact with their environment. can you use their habits to
interact?
• note your feelings. angry? teary? disengaged? why?
• humor helps reach people. it’s non-confrontational
• combine/add to/alter/reinvent ideas that already exist. build on others’ ideas
• use your daily life as a source of ideas. how are your perceptions unique. how have
your experiences shaped you
• record your ideas as they occur. keep a journal

91.
masanobu fukuoka—seed ball recipe
materials:
•native seeds
•compost
•clay
instructions:
•combine 2 parts seeds with 3 parts water
•stir in 5 parts powdered clay (more mix seeds into wet clay)
•mold into small balls
•let dry for 1 or 2 days
seed balls do not need to be buried or watered
they will self-germinate when conditions are right
chuck into landfill, empty lots
introduce to cracks in the sidewalk
leave food bombs—lettuce, chard, etc—in public areas

92.
how to make stickers
good for any shape or size of sticker
non-destructive glue which you can lick to moisten
materials:
•1 package (1.4 oz) unflavored gelatin
•1 tbsp cold water
•3 tbsp hot water
•1/2 tsp sugar
• paper
instructions:
•sprinkle gelatin into cold water. let soften for 5 minutes
•pour in hot water until dissolved. add sugar and stir
•use brush to coat back of paper—apply thickly
•let dry
• when ready, lick and stick

93.
how to make wheat paste
one of the most environmentally friendly adhesives
materials:
•3 tbsp cold water
•3 tbsp white flour
•1 cup hot water
• container with lid
instructions:
•boil water in kettle
• mix flour and cold water to make smooth paste
•put hot water in pot
•slowly pour in cold mixture, stirring constantly
•bring to a boil until paste thickens
•add sugar. mix well, allow to cool. keep refrigerated
•when ready, brush on paste. cover front to make weatherproof

94.
recipe for moss graffiti
materials:
• 1 can of beer
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Several clumps garden moss
• container with lid
• a blender and a paintbrush
instructions:
• crumble moss into a blender
• add the beer and sugar
• blend to create a smooth, creamy consistency
• paint your chosen design onto the wall
• keep mixture is moist for a few weeks