Get Graffiti Into Galleries

Anyone in any city on any continent will be familiar with urban scenery. Common sites include concrete towers, narrow one-way streets, crowds of bustling people and the ever-present scrawl of spray-paint, forming the seemingly illegible identification of countless graffiti writers in alley-ways, on building sides and any other available wall space.

Graffiti is a contentious concept. It's been around since the Ice Age, and always has it conjured thoughts of criminals and hooligans defacing property as an end in itself. But attitudes can, and have, changed. Though born of rebellion on the streets of New York in the 1970's, modern graffiti, and the hip-hop subculture it belongs to, have crossed over into mainstream pop-culture with explosive popularity in the last decade. Hip-hop is considered an art form, but why does graffiti remain outside the galleries?

Calgary has fought numerous campaigns against what city officials think of as vandalism, seemingly unaware that entertainment, fashion and music industries have all embraced and been infused with hiphop influence, separating criminal activity from artistic expression. So why are local art communities hesitant to join the ranks of those who have opened their minds to graffiti as art?

London, Ontario native Darcy Obokata moved to Calgary in the initial stages of the city's most recent economic growth spurt with hopes of pursuing art as a career. It seemed only logical that with a booming population the artistic community had flourished alongside the suits in the oil and gas industry. But he was wrong. Obokata's artwork is grounded in urban hip-hop culture-a culture that has little to do with oil giants-and the 30-year-old has had to advance his career without mainstream support.

"It's been hard trying to grow the culture," Obokata says. "People that are inclined to do art will play off the culture even though they're not a part of it. Part of it might also be the political atmosphere - there's not a lot of funding for the arts." Obokata began his love affair with art over 15 years ago, when he initially submerged himself in the hiphop subculture in high school. "Hip-hop as culture is something that motivates you to not just consume the culture but to give back," he said. "Right away I was thinking about what I could do. I can't rap, I'm not a DJ. But I could draw. I could respond."

His artwork matured with him as he grew into other mediums, namely paint on canvas, which he now sticks to the majority of the time.

For one with such deep loyalty rooted in hip-hop and the art of graffiti, Obokata produces surprisingly varied works. His urban style is not obvious, although he says his first love anchors his work in graffiti inspired lines and palettes, and a bright and punchy mosaic of colours that look like they were robbed from a candy store make themselves at home on each canvas. Taking his cues from architecture, music and his community, Obokata also draws on personal experience to create.

"I'm interested in doing a lot more than just graffiti," Obokata said. "I don't want to re-hash what's been going on. I have something different to say." For the underdog graffiti artists crossing over to create legitimate artwork, the task of moving their work off the street demands artists who are compelled to create and who are committed to their craft. But perhaps most importantly, it requires receptive art galleries. "You really have to up your game," Obokata said. "You have to bring it. I want my stuff to look like it's on par with fine art."

The established gallery scene in Calgary doesn't often lend itself to showcase new artists. No one knows this better than Rob Mabee, gallery director at Axis Contemporary Art. "Galleries are driven by commercial sales and viability," Mabee said. "The doors aren't open for new artists." Since 2002, Mabee has been working with decidedly urban artists, including ACAD grad Tim Okamura, now based in New York, and David Brunning (aka TheKidBelo), a homegrown graffiti artist making a living off his work. This past December, Mabee directed an exhibition of collaborative pieces from the two, entitled Brooklyn Mythology. The unorthodox work Mabee has displayed has been enthusiastically received, and encouraged him to continue to take risks.

"I've always wanted the gallery to reflect the city's urban community," he said. While limited ground is gained in Calgary's art scene, Obokata continues to remain optimistic about the thriving underground population who stand behind it.

 

Written by Liz Field
Photography by Phil Crozier