Public art + Newtown

I occasionally get this feeling that with the rise of technological reliance and birth of a global community that the arts are often considered to be at the periphery of the community. Despite increasing globalization Public art is ultimate way promote local residents within a micro community to recognize their own identity, culture, traditional art forms and the value of working together at a local level. Art works at times can feel like they have been arbitrarily placed in an environment. Instead site specific/Community Art promotes acts as an intermediary that promotes social bonds of solidarity and collective identity resulting in bringing neighborhood residents together by drawing and building on the collective knowledge of the local community.

This is typified, for me, by the series of large scale mural / graffiti street art on King st. Newtown. In particularly the Martin Luther mural which was painted over two nights in 1991 by a collective of Newtown artists calling they Unmitigated Audacity Productions. In 2003 there were calls to save this illicitly created iconic work as it embodies the community and it’s spirit/ ideas so well (please see SMH article http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/25/1050777406954.html) .

I know it mashes up and references of biblical, political, global and local civil right issues but it has become iconic to embodies the local community spirit, so much to which local residents protect it against vandalism, bill-posting and renovation.