Graf has always been my go to when connecting & calming the vibes in various youth settings over the years. I remember rolling in to youth club as a youth worker (no smart phones, more BlackBerry’s then), just real physical engagement settings – table tennis, pool table, tuck shop, pat ball & me perched on a table graffin’ up names of all the yoots & them colouring in – some of the best times with the simplest of tools > pens & paper.…
One thing Ai will never mess with is the feeling of seeing an original artwork in the flesh, live & direct, beyond a phone screen. I made the trip to Louisiana, the museum of modern art in Denmark to see the latest exhibition of Basquiat’s ‘Head’ drawings / paintings on paper, most of which he’d kept for himself & had never been shown to the public.…
I was invited to lecture and run a placard making workshop for students at London Metropolitan University, in response to the current political climate, using my previous experience of activating community projects & campaigns through art based mediums as a way to inspire the students. Now, I don’t do politics (If 1+1=5 to you, good luck, do you *that Keanu Reeves meme here*) but there’s a lot going on in the world & all you can do is start where you’re at – making awesome placards expressing how you feel helps!…
