June 2009: Hans Around The World

Any e-mail is a good e-mail in my book (well, except the spam variety). Hearing from artists is fabulous, but I especially love hearing from street art appreciators. There’s something so rewarding about finding other people that like snapping photos of street art as much as I do. Today, we’ll hear from Londoner Hans Zinsli as he shares pieces of his collection with us. He writes:

“I've always loved photography but have only relatively recently started taking photos of street art - probably for about 1 & 1/2 years or so. I started in the UK, but I'll visit Australia to suss out the scene in a few weeks time.”
“All of my photos (street art, travel shots, sporting shots etc) are on my Flickr account. I've also framed several for myself, family, and friends. I've had numerous photos used in online magazines and websites, and would like to one day open up my own gallery.”
“I like the edginess of street art: how a lot of it's done under the cover of darkness, the anonymity of the artists, how it's viewed by many as vandalism, and how you really do begin to take notice of it when you keep your eye out for it. (The Space Invaders mosaics around London are a prime example of this last point)."
“To date, the majority of my street art photography has been in London, with some in Germany, Estonia and Italy. I've travelled through 51 countries in the last 6 years and thus have several thousand travel shots - landscapes, architecture, people, sporting events, etc.”
“I'm planning to travel through southeast Asia next and also through more of Australia in the future.”

Thanks so much, Hans! I'd love to see what you find in Australia. Enjoy the trip!

August 2006-Auckland and Wellington

Due to the chaotic nature of my work week, I'm keeping today's post short. Who knew that working two jobs, trying to move, and running a blog could be so time-consuming? Anyway, tomorrow's post will be much meatier (or starchier, for all you veggies). Today's post takes us to to cities in one of my favorite countries: New Zealand. 

Until this fall, I hadn't lived in the same place for more than 6 months since 2002. College and work took me across the globe and to a variety of locations. New Zealand made a big impression on me. First off, the country's landscape is absolutely breathtaking. Mountains, plains, glaciers, and beaches are all packed into this tiny country. I got to hike, run, dive, swim, and row my way around and captured a million breathtaking views. Secondly, Kiwi culture takes good times to another level. Between the rugby matches, hangis (Maori barbeques), and general New Zealand hospitality, I was never at a loss for fun or friends. Finally, New Zealand was the first place where I started to really document street art during my travels. My trips to Auckland and Wellington sparked the impetus that led to my photo collection and, ultimately, to this blog.

The first photo was taken behind a contemporary art museum in Auckland. I found it unusual because while the artist used tiles, the image screamed street art. The old school graffiti style coupled with the rigid structure of the tiles created an interesting look. 

The second photo was taken in an alley in Wellington. Normally, I don't gravitate towards tags. The combination of the tree, the bright wall, and the tags created an interested contrast that appealed to me at the time. I'd love to go back to New Zealand and properly explore for more street art. With its growing hip hop scene, there is a large traditional graffiti scene. I'd like to see if other street artists can infiltrate that scene and put up work of their own. Now all I need is time off and some funds. Anybody want to cut me a check? Leave your name and e-mail in the comments if you'd like to be my patron. Cheers.