made a pit-stop at the lana santorelli gallery on my way home this evening. this piece by edina todoki caught my eye. i immediately thought of banksy's "girl & balloon" - a more simplified version, of course. from far away, i judged it. what a cop-out. how does one attempt to imitate banksy? in a gallery, nonetheless. it's claim to challenge the great doesn't even fit into proper context! bah.
i leaned into a side-step to turn and walk away when i noticed its slight discoloration. something about its uneven application made me swirl back and foot forward for closer inspection.
it's moss! ... interesting? pretty cool, but what else? i still found myself reluctant to honor this todoki kid among the ranks of the infamous graffiti repertoire. still, i wanted to learn more about the piece and its artist.
apparently, "wind" was created specifically for this space. apparently, most of her works are actually living pieces that exist in random locations throughout the city, this urban landscape.
living pieces. a few months ago, i read an article on the growing practice of "moss graffiti". more of a recipe than an article, really (of course. we're in a DIY state of... economy). i sort of want to try it, myself.
so, if banksy creates pieces for social commentary on politics, freedom, animals and such... then todoki, in all her eco-conscious guerrilla glory, generates similar dialogue... but even better. in moss! high five, lady. while banksy wields his aerosol, todoki nurtures her green into living, interactive pieces and reminds us [urbanites] of the part of life from which we can be most detached: nature.
it's fascinating, really. not just the fact that the deficiencies in our landscape are highlighted by her work... but also the process as it begins and ends (or lives) in public display. it's a process that takes time. in a city that waits for no one, these pieces are quite an accomplishment. nature, time, and sometimes even reaction are things we tend to disregard. "wind" and the rest of todoki's work addresses all of these issues.
banksy, eat your heart out.
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