O
how I love the smell of spray paint in the morning! So began a
two-day visual adventure that was none other than a graffiti scavenger hunt. The venue
was a massive, multi-story, abandoned concrete edifice just off the road going
north to Maejo. The organizer was an international group called '
Meeting of Styles'.
This was their first event in Chiang Mai, but not in Thailand, having
had one last year in Hua Hin. Artists from a long list of countries,
plus lots of Thai artists from Bangkok and Chiang Mai, came for the
two-day romp which had an 'A' list of sponsors who provided free paint,
wet wipes, libations, etc. Corporate sponsors... who knew? I guess graffiti isn't just for rebels anymore...
Upon ascending to the main floor we were greeted by this handsome fellow in
grisaille; a perfect
welcome.
After that things got more colorful - here are some of the amazing works in progress that we witnessed:
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Tones from Geneva |
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Artist from Oz & Friend |
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Thai artist |
Seeing graffiti artists at work is rare: the ability to witness them working allowed us to marvel at their creativity and study their various techniques: spraycan, brush, fingers, masking tape, stencils... all were in use. The outcome was something to behold. Here is a collaborative effort by five artists from five different origins. Below is a composite photo (by Robert) of the final manifestation, followed by the parts in progress.
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OneTruth from Zurich
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Group effort
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Man with cans
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Jean Arp, call your office... |
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Caveman from San Patong |
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Tones (later) with his alter ego |
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CPSDude from Chiang Mai using stencils |
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Gobland (from Bangkok) and his portrait of a northern grandma
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Gobland and giant paint can |
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..."Always High..."
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Labels: Caveman, CPSDude, Gobland, graffiti, Meeting of Styles CNX 2015, MOS, OneTruth, Tones