Street Artist Explains Wooster Snipe
photo: Superk8
After seeing an image of what looked like a disheveled Marc Schiller from Wooster Collective upon seeing a street art rendition of himself standing on a soapbox with the words “FAME GAME” (see image above) from a recent exhibt, we decided to get in touch with artist Gore.b and see if he would share his intentions for the piece. He breaks it down like this:
“Concerning the piece: it is a constructive critique of the New York 'street art' scene and the media promoting it, and should not be misconstrued as a simple 'fuck you' to Marc and Sara. It embodies the paradox of being in this scene. To explain: the fetus is a nod to Sara’s pregnancy. The crown on its head has dual representation. First, to congratulate them on the upcoming birth of their first child and, secondly, to note that they are giving birth to the future kings of street art. The 'FAME GAME' part is a little more complicated. I originally painted Marc on a box without the words. Skewville made the addition and I thought it was perfect. It's just what I wanted to say. First, it ties in a collaborative aspect with another artist. Second, it connects Skewville, Wooster Collective and myself to 11 Spring St. where we all worked on a show together. (Skewville's original ‘FAME GAME’ piece was one of the most notorious pieces on the outside of 11 Spring St.) Lastly, it speak of the hypocrisy of promotion. An artist must lie somewhere in between being nobody and selling out. You must get up– but not so much that it’s a gimmick. Wooster Collective has been the unchallenged voice of 'street art' on the internet. They have the curatorial power to create or dismiss an artist. It has been devastating to some, ignored in a place where your art decays anyway. Graffiti and street art are non authoritative by nature. Everytime the NY Times quotes Wooster Collective their authority on the matter is confirmed. ‘FAME GAME’ brings up the question whether or not the threshold of their legitimacy has been crossed.”
valerie March 7, 2007 at 8:51 pm
…baby. Sara and Paul opened up the door…let’s all celebrate the wonderous of it all. This is true living. What a blessing. Street “Urban” Art has been recognized because of a walk taken one day by two individuals after the aftermath of our country’s hell story…and saw and posted the things they recognized as beautiful. What a wonder. What a life. What a blessing. The painting is warranted, and beautiful. Just show’s that we are all connected. Isn’t that the point of it all?
Kill Yuppies March 8, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Marc & Sara along with the Wooster Collective are fakes & are contributing to the demise of real street art. They are rich people who own an advertising company, live in Chelsea, and have never done graffiti, street art, or any other kind of art in their lives. People like this no nothing about real steet art & the fact they the are steady quoted on the subject is a fuckin joke. Furthmore this whole “street art” thing is getting really played out. You have kids running around the city putting up poorly drawn stickers & posters, & all of a sudden they are artists. Wooster created these idiots.
Torn March 8, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Valerie,
Marc and Sara alone did not cause street art to be recognized. Their site coincided with the rise in the trend and just as the mainstream gallery crowd was catching on. People like Jeffery Deitch and Jonathan Levine have also been integral to this kind of art becoming so prominent. The Schillers certainly helped increase some artist’s profiles, and they have been argent supporters of the ‘movement’ (if you must use that word), but art like this has existed in New York and the world for far longer than the Schillers have been covering it. Maybe the problem is that “we are all connected,” it just means that people who don’t get it just have to check a few websites to get their cultural cheat sheet. I personally say the fact that major art establishments have ignored work like this for so long is a good thing, they don’t deserve it. They just chase whatever’s hot and drop it once it’s out of flavor. That’s the problem with tastemakers like Wooster, at some point tastes change; does that suddenly make them irrelevant? We need to start judging things on their own individual basis, not on who’s hyping them.
BEING HONEST March 8, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Well kill yuppies,
While you think you know Marc and Sara you have no idea what good they’ve done for art or for some of the best artist working in the world today. Marc and Sara could care less about publicity, articles or any of that crap, they spend hours managing the wooster blog only because they love and are inspired by street art. And another thing, they’re also really nice people, some of the nicest I’ve ever met. While they’re in a position in which they could act exclusive, snooty, and just do things for their own gain, they don’t and never would. The painting does ask a legitimate question about the need for many voices (esspecially the artists) in the conversation, but to say that marc and sara king the next street artists, or that the work they do isn’t great and relevant is untruthful. Other artist along with the audience decide what is cutting edge. Van gogh never sold a single piece but every great artist working in that period was inspired and influenced by him, thats something to remember.
Up with the wooster!!!!!
freeplay
Oly WA
wooster what wooster who? March 9, 2007 at 10:53 am
the one thing people get twisted is how what ever comes out marc an sarahs mouth gets noted as what is an how it is, when truth is marc an sarah need a quick note after everything they say. stating.. this is our opinion we truly only glimpse the art scene as so does everyone else and we are goin to be giving our best judgement but by no means does this mean its is or how it is,…. when they do interveiws from newspapers on street art they ask marc sarah when in truth is they dont know jack diddly if u need a xzample look at the wooster walks ther a joke anyone who lives in nyc will note how they are comercial artist jocks and contribute nothing back to the scene but there lame opinions.. AND FOR THE RECORD IM TIRED OF SEEING LITTLE STENCILS IN THE BACK OF MANTUKET MASAPEQUA TENENASE PARKING LOTS BEHIND THE MALL SHOW SOMTHIHNG THAS REALL AN RAW AN ACTUALLY WORTH GETTIN ARRESTED…STREET ART IS FULL OF RAINBOWS ,LADY BUGS. AND BRGHT LIGHTS WHY DONT U COME OUT TO HARLEM OR BUSHWICK OR BX TO PUT SOME OF UR GAY ART SHIT UP AN SEE WHAT HAPPENS…. LAME HIPSTER YUPPIE MOVE TO GREENPOINT WEAR 300$ RIP JEANS WALK BY GROUP OF LOCALS PUT UR HEAD DOWN BIKE RIDING MOTHER FUCKIN COMPLAIN BOUT OTHER YUPPIES MEANWHILE URA YUPPIE GIRL DRESSES LIKE A TRUCKER BOOTS THE STYLE OF OHIO AND UR SAN LOCO EATING LETS HANG OUTSIDE SPRING ST ONA SATURDAY CHEAP PANZY MOTHER FUCKIN POSERS!!!!!
ALEN March 9, 2007 at 11:07 am
I don’t no, i normaly go to ekosystem.org because they cover a wide variety of art forms styles an locations and pretty much update it everyday. Plus they seem to hold less of a opinion as u would say {WOOSTER WHAT WOOSTER WHO} so all in all i dont kno what the problem is dont u guys down there have bigger problems like the splasher hehehe
Jerry March 10, 2007 at 4:05 am
I will say this,marc and sarah, even though ive never met them, i appreciate what they do, they show us art that has a meaning, writing ur name up in gang territory dosnt mean shit, its why this art is illegal. If we get behind them and support the artists who are actually saying somthing worthwile, maybe artists wont be seen as vandals and hoodlums, so instead of hating somthing u dont know, support the people who are doing somthing good for a change. What does all this hate accomplish? all it did for me was solidify the fact that ignorance is running rampant, i say thanks to marc and sarah, they are great.Like freeplay said UP THE WOOSTER!!!!! BIG UPS FROM SEATTLE!!!!!!
Lewis March 10, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Kill Yuppies – “You have kids running around the city putting up poorly drawn stickers & posters, & all of a sudden they are artists. Wooster created these idiots. ”
Oh dear. How tragic, Kill Yuppies. One of the main principles of street art is that it is a response the Elitism of the art world. It is ment to be accessable to everyone so criticizing these “kids”, who obviously represent amateur street arists, making their own response is just a conplete contradicition. fine if you don’t like it, but dont openly criticize people trying to get involved with a great movement. Chill out, read a book, and start again with a refreshed open mind.
And complaining that marc and sara are some rich snooty chelsea couple who dont have a clue is quite a closed mind subject. It irritates me that you have to be “poor” to appriciate street art. I think you could be entitled to call them snobs if they owned some private gallery in chelsea where if you were poor, you wouldnt be allowed to view this elitist art form. STOP COMPLAINING AND SMILE!!! Appriciate whats around and stop the contradictory attitude about street art.
Peace, SafeAsLew xxx
misslightfoot March 16, 2007 at 10:13 am
I do not know anything about you all, or the site … I just stumbled upon it.
But the striking similarity between the the embryo in a crown and “Samo’s Tag” one great street-graffiti artist (John Michael Basquiat)… is very interesting -
todd March 19, 2007 at 10:58 pm
you guys are all gay and stupid and GFTO my internet.
go out and masturbate ty gb
For the record March 27, 2007 at 2:08 pm
To Wooster What Wooter Who?, you say:
“AND FOR THE RECORD IM TIRED OF SEEING LITTLE STENCILS IN THE BACK OF MANTUKET MASAPEQUA TENENASE PARKING LOTS BEHIND THE MALL SHOW SOMTHIHNG THAS REALL AN RAW AN ACTUALLY WORTH GETTIN ARRESTED…STREET ART IS FULL OF RAINBOWS ,LADY BUGS. AND BRGHT LIGHTS WHY DONT U COME OUT TO HARLEM OR BUSHWICK OR BX TO PUT SOME OF UR GAY ART SHIT UP AN SEE WHAT HAPPENS…. ”
I live in Bushwick. There are hearts painted all over the walls and street. There is “gay art shit” here and nothing happens. Maybe you should educate yourself before you choose to contribute to the conversation
anon May 7, 2007 at 5:47 am
Marc and Sara are nice, and do what they do because they have an strong interest in it. However if they meet you and decide you are not important to them or their “interests” they will forget you before you’ve even left the room. I guess that’s pretty normal for NYC ad agency life really. But saints these people are not.
carlsbadcrawl.com January 11, 2008 at 11:39 am
What Sara and Marc are doing with Wooster is valuable for those in NY, as well as outside NY. It seems as if some within the city may be disgruntled with their affluent lifestyle, but that is besides the point. Not only are they exposing artists who desire recognition rather than wealth, they are exposing non-NY residents to continue the street art movement in areas that are less recognized as culture-laden communities. Its all about exposure; their posts are informative and unbiased!
Thanks Marc and Sara