Hello to all of our readers!
Wendy and I are very excited about the crowdfunding effort by one of our very good friends and colleagues in the pavement art world - Philip Battle with his new book 'All My Own Work - A History of Pavement Art'.
The history of our art form whether it is known as street painting, madonnari, screeving, or pavement art is rich, involved, and a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about this art form beyond the emails one sometimes gets from a friend or compliations of current images in social media.
Below are a series of Little Known Facts about Pavement Art (courtesy of Philip Battle):
The story of an art form that is now a world wide movement...
You may be surprised to learn who did pavement art...
This informative, colorful narrative contains many little known facts such as these but the facts and stories are the framework for a brave, enduring history of an art form in which many were on the edge of homelessness, struggling for daily survival at the hands of a public whose coins meant all of difference in the world and could be at the mercy of the police/authorities at any moment.
[In Battle's words:
- The story of an art-form that is now a world-wide modern arts movement
- It's a positive history of people living on the margins of society, many of them homeless, and often only one drawing away from the workhouse.
- It's a story about people, with hope in their hearts...effectively creating something from nothing, in exchange for a few 'browns' (coppers)
- It’s about the story of ordinary folk who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances.
- Where possible, the story is told in their own words.
The FIRST book of its kind to relate the history of pavement art; from its origins in pre-history to the Victorians, Edwardians and the present day
I’ve sub-titled it “A history of Pavement Art” because that’s all it can be. It’s not a definitive account, but rather a start (THE FIRST) that touches on aspects of a forgotten world. To do justice to the entire history of pavement art would take three or four volumes! (something for the future perhaps.)
Also, the personal stories of individual artists plucked from historical obscurity and told here for the very first time; like Alice G Colman (1874-1934), Britain’s first lady pavement artist. Liverpool’s own child pavement artist James William Carling (1857-1887) with the personal stories of many others, and the social context in which they lived.
I bring the history right up to date with a description of modern day pavement art; festivals, events and the popularisation of the art-form across the globe, with examples of 3D anamorphic art, and other modern trends.
There are many ways to publish a book, but crowd-funding seems very appropriate somehow; it’s like the modern day equivalent of throwing a coin into a poor screevers cap.
I firmly believe, if the interest is there, if people wish to celebrate the diversity and common history that all pavement artists share, then this book will happen. If I only receive 50% of my crowd-funding target of £8000 by the 6th October, then we are in business, and the book will be published next Spring 2015.
You can make a pledge from as little as £1
I’m not asking a lot, and for only a £28 pledge, you can bag yourself an advanced sale limited 1st edition copy. It’s important to remember that no money is exchanged unless or until I hit my minimum target of £4000 by October.
- See more at: http://www.sponsume.com/project/all-my-own-work-history-pavement-art]
Again, Wendy and I here at Blog Now on streetpainting.tv as bloggers and fellow artists only, are very much behind Philip's endeavors and strongly believe that this is indeed the collective history of the street painting, pavement art communities worldwide and especially if you are an active artist - you need to appreciate and respect where we came from and the named and nameless who have struggled, endured, and persevered in the years, decades, and even centuries before us. Because of their struggles and experiences, we today can enjoy the world of bringing our art to millions worldwide via social media and popular, positive attention from the most sophisticated global advertising, branding campaigns to huge publicly supported exhibitions of street painting/pavement art in principal cities of the world to local community efforts engaging prominent and promising artists of all talents and abilities.
Readers, please consider contributing to the campaign for 'All My Own Work - A History of Pavement Art' by Philip Battle. We have contributed to the campaign (as we hope you the readers will) - and encourage all to do the same.
Anthony Cappetto and Wendy Stum are Bloggers for Blog Now on streetpainting.tv, Co founders of Innovative Street Painting Group, Inc., a 3D street painting media and entertainment company including Blog Now on streetpainting.tv and streetpainting.tv video channel. Anthony Cappetto is an internationally recognized 3D and 4D street painting artist working with traditional chalk and emerging technologies asuch as animated augmented reality (AR), and virtual spaces as well as the founder of Art for After Hours - the first professional street painting art company founded in 2001.
Neither Anthony Cappetto, Wendy Stum, Art for After Hours, or Innovative Street Painting Group, Inc. have any financial or business involvement nor any kind of financial or business incentives of any kind with the discussed items in this post beyond a simple donation for a book for our own personal enjoyment.