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Graffiti artists brush off new look for South Bank
Ellen Widdup08.10.08
When artist Robin Rhode was asked to create a 400-square-foot mural on the graffiti-scrawled walls of a skateboarding park on the South Bank, he decorated the area with a mass of geometric silver and black patterns.
It took the South African and 10 assistants two days to transform the spot beneath the Queen Elizabeth Hall, to coincide with the opening of his new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.
But 24 hours later the work was ruined - daubed over with a new set of slogans and tags. A spokeswoman for the Southbank Centre, which commissioned the project, said it was disappointing Mr Rhode's work had disappeared, but added that he had warned them it would not last long.
"People have always used this space creatively and Robin said that if he was painting over their work it was only right that they would paint back over his," said the spokeswoman.
Mr Rhode said a lot of his paintings, installations and performances were of a transient nature and he liked to use materials such as soap, charcoal and chalk.
"My project was one which exists one day and then disappears another," he said. "It is quite obvious that graffiti artists will bomb my wall drawing."
His exhibition Who Saw Who, which runs until 7 December, includes a film of a bicycle made of soap which gradually dissolves in the rain, and another of a man trying to extinguish a candle. Photographs, animations, sculptures and wall drawings are also on display.
Ralph Rugoff, director of The Hayward, said: "Robin's work presents life as a game, with fantastical scenarios that ask the viewer to trust in their own imaginations to bridge the gaps. But these seemingly light-hearted works often disguise a darker subtext, including issues of urban poverty, freedom and personal space and the commodification of youth cultures."
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Reader views (4)
was this funded with public money or a private venture? if its the first option i think its slightly wasteful(although did inject something new and abit different into southbank)
"andrew"'s comment above does make me chuckle, "nothing better to do" - in a culture of where theres never been less (for free) for the youth of today to do i find it interesting that you paint people who actually commit time and effort to self expression in a negative light.
the comments about the spread of graff are unfortuatley very true, and sad.
but long live graffiti.
- Edmund, london
The wall looks batter with graffiti and it will always look better with graffiti,
graffiti in soutbank cant be stopped lol
- Sergio, London Baby
I don't object to keeping this area for people who have nothing better to do with their time than paint walls-but I have noticed recently that it is spreading outside this specific area, which is a pity and will eventually lead to an (expensive) backlash.
- Andrew, London
what a waste of money! its part of the charm of this area of the southbank that the skating areas are made their own by the people that use them. It was simply pointless to paint over it!
- Ag, The Village of London
