Street Art and Graffiti- Is there room for either?

I love living in a City, I’ve never been one for spending too long in the rambling fields of the countryside. I do have to admit though that the constant grey of apartment blocks and the cold glass exterior of modern developments do become dull. I think this is why graffiti and street art have always interested me; a vibrant and unpredictable splash of colour in a concrete jungle.
But through the eyes of some it is a gaudy mark on the grand buildings and ambiance of their home town. Individuals regarded by certain sections of society as budding street artists are chased down by police as vandals.

So is there are a difference between street art and graffiti, is it all distasteful vandalism?

UK street artist Ben Eine had his work resented to Barack Obama by Sam Cameron in 2010. Eine admitted on a C4 documentary that he had been arrested over 25 times in his youth for ‘tagging’ and spraying graffiti in streets. He then found hid stencil based letter trademark, questioned by those who still practice art on the streets and began spraying on canvas and selling his work. He has since painted large sections of London’s streets and has been passed by police without incident. So the transition can be made.

Two notorious feuding street artists, ‘Banksy’ and ‘King Robbo’ have both broken away from their graffiti crews to create solo exhibitions. But the long standing alterations of each other’s work, throughout the Camden area especially, is still ongoing. But work that was previously regarded as vandalism by many is now lining the walls of trending London galleries.
In Limerick the council offer a 24 hour removal of graffiti reported by the public or business owners as offensive or distasteful. However, more creative works are still show cased on the Dock Road and near Limerick city canal. I have a suspicion that if they were in more prominent areas they too would be removed.

In the UK is a piece is regarded as artistic and bringing notoriety to the area, the council will go out of their way to preserve the piece. In some cases plexi glass will be mounted over the piece and any attempts to deface the art will be removed.

Undoubtedly there are streets covered in idiotic and unattractive graffiti and numerous walls and arches informing us “Walshy waz ere” that cannot and should not be defended. However I think street art has a place in all cities, the UK have opened up and where the UK go Ireland is sure to follow…

Emmigartion- Is all our hope leaving?

I am living in what The Examiner dubbed in its latest emigration related series as, ‘Generation Emigration’. Our shores are once again lined with sobbing mammies, hankies in hand, waving off their precious children while many soon to be graduates like me wait in the wings counting coppers for our flight out of here. There was a steep increase in emigration from 27,700 to 40,200 from April 2010 to April 2011 according to the CSO. I don’t think this trend is set to slow down any time soon. We have all read about families being separated and graduates being forced to leave but there must be a positive somewhere.

I think the silver lining, however slim in this dull economic overcast, can be found in the recent growth of Irish eBusinesses. Tens of thousands of us may want to leave Ireland but the Emerald Isle still sells. Siopa.com earned a reported € 10 million profit in 2011 according to Silicon Republic. Trading trinity knots and pedalling Irish made pottery is still an earner in 2012 and doing this online makes it easier and in the case of Siopa.com employs 12,000 Irish people. I am sure too that new expats will be using these channels to get the taste of home as Siopa.com allows one to “shop in Ireland….as if you were there.”

The GAA has also had an internet makeover. GAA merchandise and a number of hurl makers are all online serving the ever interested Irish Americans and presumably the Irish expats who are growing yearly. Even with my severe lack of interest in sport I donned the jersey of my homeland while on Erasmus. This emigration induced patriotism is bound to see county and club jerseys appear on bondi beach at increasing rates and earn a hefty amount for those exporting online from home.

However, I am not so sure it’s financially viable for me to hop on a plane in my cap and gown. With many countries having a minimum financial requirement in the thousands, does this present a catch 22; do I need to find a job in Ireland and earn money so I can emigrate to go and earn money?

One asset we all have in Ireland is the power of being a native English speaker. Countless companies offer flights, accommodation and a reasonable pay check to teach English abroad. Schools and summer camps in Italy, Mexico, Spain, Dubai and Thailand to name a few are an option for the summer after graduation, provided you can work your way through the selection process. In my view however, this is not a starting block to climb the career ladder. I think I will cover all bases and apply for positions at home and abroad.

There are a range of angles one can view this emigration debate from but in my opinion the water will remain murky with no clear answer and many obstacles. As cheesy as it may sound I think a combination of hard work, initiative and luck will see most of us through.