Historically, certain sectors of art have built an isolating tomb around itself with white wine and white walls. Outside of those stark walls, there is gallery that cannot be contained or conquered by no one – that gallery is the streets.
Nonconformist artist, JR, transforms the urban landscape with his colossal images. Growing up in Paris as a teen, art sort of fell into his lap by accident from scribbling his name on the sides of buildings to beginning his journey of “in your face” portraits. He created a sidewalk gallery and the audience quickly drew closer transitioning from the spectator to the subject to becoming artists themselves.
In this video, JR, reveals his passage to becoming the artist he is today. Once the camera infiltrated his palms, JR’s life-sized close-up portraits of his subject’s faces soon sprung up all over Paris. JR took this project one step further and asked the public to shoot their own portraits and to put them on display in their neighborhoods. The project went from being local to global to local to local. He made his subjects become their own artists thus ushering one of the world’s largest and wide spread art exhibitions. In JR’s own words, “ the street is the biggest gallery that exists”. Take your canvas to the streets and create your own gallery space.
For more on JR check out Video Curator Allan Persson’s previous write-up here.
Reflections – JR (2013)
Directed and Produced: Matt Black
Ft. JR → visit: https://www.jr-art.net/
Edited by: Max Nova
Director of Photography: Shane Sigler
Sound: David Pruger
Shot for Max Black’s Reflection Series and Nowness.com
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Follow on Twitter: @JR_Art @JRart @NOWNESS
