Symbolic Creativity“symbolic creativity is not only part

of everyday activity, but also a necessary part” (Willis, 1990)

Recap of Paul Willis

• Produce and reproduce individual identities

• Creative process that getting idea from cultural commodities

• A kind of Resistance

Symbolic Creativity Shown by Grounded Aesthetics

– “the creative element in a process whereby meanings are attributed to symbols and practices and where symbols and practices are selected, reselected, highlighted and recomposed to resonate further appropriated and particularized meanings” (Willis,1990)

Always be found in Youth culture.

Case Study – Street Art

Reasons for us to choose this case:• A kind of subculture of youth• Symbolic Creativity is shown on street art• Act violates the law• Easy for understanding • Open to public• Only can be kept in a short period

Masses Views

What is Street Art?

Graffiti

Stencil art printSticker art

Wheatpasting

• Art works done in public spaces( Street)

What is Street Art?

• Expressing own feelings (Depressed, Sad…)

• Not only art contexts also non-art

• Query the society via art work

• Expressing feeling about social issue ( Disagreement, Resistance…)

Our Target: Start from Zero

Background Information:• A famous local Street Art group• Created by only 2 members - Dom & Katol• Since 2001• Active in Sticker Art & garment field • Earn money for promote and maintain

street art culture• Support social movements

aim of Start from Zero

• Attract people to do Street art

• Encourage unhappy and miserablepeople

• Motivate people to start dreams form zero

Starting Point...Dom

• Enlightened by a ‘OBEY’ poster on the external wall of Time Square

• Start to do researches about street art

Katol

• Guided by a Germany classmate to touch with Street art

Motive of Playing Street Art

• Wants to breakthrough their dull life.– Dom:

• Feel boring in family business (grocery)• Lack of leisure time

• Wants to be different from dominant culture.– Katol:

• Art works is restricted by the school syllabus

• Through street art, it can assert their identity.

How to get inspiration?From ……• popular culture• discontent of the government’s policy• their difficulties• the social issue• their interests

(Usually negative)

All in all, things in their everyday life.

Requirement to be a street artist

Only 3 conditions:• Hard-working–Willing to pay effort

• Passion– Indulged in Street Art

• Skills– Basic drawing, painting skills..

Deviance

Something to say...

DOM : “Street Art is not regarded as an Art in the mainstream. Actually, they don’t understand what we do.”

Katol: “Hong Kong people only attracted by the commercial advertisements. They don’t appreciate Street Art or even ignore it.”

Katol: “The masses think that we have nothing to do.”

Deviance

In Hong Kong , Street Art is…• Not an popular culture • Being stereotyped as vandalism• Not seen as a type of art• Not common as commercial advertisements on street• Not display in a proper place• Illegal

Recognized as a meaningless work

DeviancePast Experiences by DOM:• Field Observation in Causeway Bay

- stick many stickers on a lamp stand - wait for 10 minutes by standing behind- no anybody notice

- Always being ignored by HK citizens

Past Experiences by Katol:• Classmates in College

- only claim himself as a designer- But not street art artist- For his schoolmates : Street Artist = Poverty and Dream chaser

- Street artists are not recognized as “artists”

　 Regulations• They show their art works in the public places.• By stacking stickers or painting • It is illegal in Hong Kong • Judged as vandalism and “damaging” the public places• They have been caught in the past

CRIMES ORDINANCE - SECT 61 Threats to destroy or damage property A person who without lawful excuse makes to another a threat, intending that that other would fear it would be carried out,

(a) to destroy or damage any property belonging to that other or a third person;or (b) to destroy or damage his own property in a way which he knows is likely to endanger the life of that other or a third person, shall be guilty of an offence.

CRIMES ORDINANCE - SECT 61 Threats to destroy or damage property A person who without lawful excuse makes to another a threat, intending that that other would fear it would be carried out,

(a) to destroy or damage any property belonging to that other or a third person;or (b) to destroy or damage his own property in a way which he knows is likely to endanger the life of that other or a third person, shall be guilty of an offence.

　 RegulationsSituation:• Street art is regulated by the law executors• No enough legal opportunities, namely spaces for street

artists in Hong Kong• Not recognized as a type of creative industry by the

government

Results…• Street artists are not able to produce, develop and

display their works of what we believe is fundamentally art and not vandalism.

　 Regulations• Examples: Activation of industrial buildings

• Lots of the industrial buildings are vacant with no industrial purpose

• The Government plans to renovate these buildings for other purpose, such as, commercial , artistic…

• However, this policy cannot contribute to the artistic culture

• the Hong Kong Arts Development Council believes freedom of art will be affected

Regulations

• The ideology involves in the activation of industrial buildings policy:

• The property developers monopolize the industrial buildings and increase the rent of factories.

• Artists( e.g. SFZ) using these factories as studio cannot afford the high rent

• Government actually reducing existing space• HKG only focus on business, not art

Under The Regulations…

• Street artists change the way to show or display the art works.

• Creativity is shown through the changing process

• They tried to resist the law and promote street arts in different ways.

Way to resist IN THE PAST:• Method

– Mainly Sticker art, stencil art print, wheat-pasting– Complete most parts of the work on the street

• Location– Usually on walls– Alleys, Tunnels, External wall of buildings… etc

Easy to be caught by the policeBecause it requires a longer time

Way to resist NOW:• Method

• Making Clothes• Holding exhibitions• Distributing stickers through varies channels–E.g. Facebook groups, foreign artists.

• More effective• Keep for longer time• legal way to continue street art.

Way to resist

For their own selves:• Doing street arts as full-time job• Tattooing the words ‘StartFromZero’ on

his arm(DOM)• Wearing clothing that with their art work

design

Demonstration

Street art as Resistance

• Act against the law• Have a different lifestyle from the masses• Creates works that different from popular

culture• Fight for the street art to be a

fundamentally art• Express disaffections to the governmental

policies through art works

Act against the lawKatol: ‘The street is belonged to all citizens.’• Have rights to use the public places • Law encroach on people’s right• Doing Street Art as fighting for basic rights

DOM: ‘Same as stealing, It’s exciting for pasting stickers or posters on street because it is illegal!’

• Find exciting feeling from Street art• Do not obey the law

Having a different lifestyle

• Doing Street art in both working and leisure time• Not limited by the long working hour• Live in workplace• Do whatever they like

Creates works that different from popular culture

• Ordinary art works limiting creativity • Too standardized

- Katol: “Artworks in school having same style and color. Creativity limited.”

• Unlimited creativity in Street Art – Not printing on the paper

( limiting size and skill used)– Printing on the wall ( less limitation)

Fight for the street art to be a fundamentally art

• Art is difficult to distinguish high or low.• Katol:

– Everyone having different understanding to an artwork

• Street Art seen as vandalism (Not art)• Street Art + Fashion item• Promoting Street Art in

different channels

Express Disaffections to The Governmental Policies

• Citizens cannot involve in policy making.• People can release their dissatisfaction on

Government.• To attract people attention, they present their

ideas through art works• Supporting social movements by distributing T-

shirts with their art work

E.g. E.g. Henry Tang Ying Yen Henry Tang Ying Yen

Supporting social Supporting social movement movement

Identity

From Street Art• Sense of being alive– Leave their sign on the street

• Gain identity from membership– Formed 10 members crew ‘Start’– Feel motivated • Meet friends (Worldwide) – Become a community channel

• Reported by the mass media – Feel successful– Be encouraged

• Start from Zero• 　「由零開始」（ Start from Zero ）是在 9 年前成

立的一個香港街頭藝術組織，最初是由 start from zero 這張貼紙開始，之後伸延到 stencil （用模板或蠟紙印刷的圖案及文字）、 wheatpaste 及其他媒介，以街頭文化的形式將心中的座右銘 start from zero 宣揚開去。 Start from Zero 有兩個含意，一是想告訴街上的朋友自己由零開始做街頭藝術，希望影響到街上看到這句話的人跟他們一樣開始做各類型的街頭藝術，開始不一樣的人生； 第二， Start from Zero 是激勵語句，希望以街頭藝術傳播這句口號，提醒每一個人當情緒低落、覺得失落、失去目標時可以由零開始，世上沒有徹底的失敗，也沒有甚麼大不了。

文匯報 [2010-04-16]

明報 2008 年 3 月 31 日

• 街頭藝術 Start from zero• 香港人無理由不知道何謂街頭藝術。九龍皇帝    曾灶財    由電箱燈柱

天橋走到高級拍賣場，連帶一眾街頭塗鴉後輩，身價都水漲船 高，就像早年的 MC 仁，也像以下這位仁兄：

• 8 年前，還未 30 歲的 Dom 在街上看見人生第一幅 stencil art （模板），決心要走到街頭畫埋一份，自設命題清楚不過﹕ start from zero （由零開始），而 zero ，既可代表街頭藝術在香港的階段，也指自己戶口的結餘，又或勇氣。

• 走過香港不同地方，你或都會看過「 start from zero 」，有時配以一個蒙眼男孩，咧着嘴把錢幣投進豬仔錢箱，和一般塗鴉的分別，是這些圖畫都是黑白色，線條清楚，不似由噴漆隨手噴成，感覺多一點準 備，擺明車馬話你知圖畫背後有主題。

• 不是塗鴉 是 stencil art• Start from Zero搞的不是塗鴉，而是 stencil art ，不是簡單的噴畫，而

是將一副已噴好的製成品直接貼到牆上。「預先在工作室中預備

Symbolic Meaning of Their Artworks

Symbolic Meaning of Their Artworks

Symbolic Meaning of Their Artworks

Symbolic Meaning of Their Artworks

Conclusion

• Symbolic Creativity• Can find the identity• Resist to the society• Subculture should not be degraded