I need to learn how to take photos

Every time I'm working on a project I seem to be rushing to get it finished and on the street as soon as possible (mostly because I'm usually behind on posts and there are always stacks of things to get done). Because of this I've noticed how shitty most my photos turn out. Which sucks cause after someone has taken a piece...or torn it down...these pictures are all I ever have to show for it. I need to work on that.

          Today's project is another art drop of my wolf stencil on a nice heavy piece of wood I found the other day. It's kinda high up but if you can't climb you could try reaching though the fire escape stairs! Also, I've (lazily) begun to update my local spotting flickr lately. Caught one project in particular that I thought was pretty rad. Go check it out!

-SKEM3

secrets don't lose weight

This is a first for me in years. I haven't just picked up a can and went at a wall free hand since I was in highschool...

Trying to develop a style with this man that seems be naturally coming out of my hands lately. I've never seen him before but he always seems to be so hollow no matter how he comes out.

Not sure if I'm finished with the bottom one yet. They're both on legal walls so I might go back and finish sometime soon.

-SKEM3

this day is an island

If you didn't spend most the day outside today you messed up, its the last nice one for awhile. Rain and cold will be running the show for at least another week. Today's project is a bird house I found in the garbage and fixed up. I figured since spring seems to never come the birds have been out in the cold and rain for more then their share.

 

I rigged a clipping strap to the back so it can rest on one branch while being held tight in place by the higher one (no nails or anything were put into the tree). The perch was made from a broken chop stick pounded into a smaller hole. Then I filled her with bird seed in hopes that it might entice them more though, I'm not sure how fond they will be of crawling inside of an eyeball ha. Installing was less then easy since its so high up and so far out but it fit great! Now I just hope someone walking through the park will catch a bird living in there some day!

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

CHASE

 

Got the chance to see an amazing street artist, CHASE, at work last week. Super inspiring dude. We ended up doing a kind of impromptu, hand done, sticker trade. Super pumped to have a few originals and in the excitement of free art I decided to share them with everyone and put'm up. Found a few high up places I expect to see a decent life span. Dude's huge and way sick, make sure to check him out!

--SKEM3

Where have I been?

So those of you who follow pretty closely may have noticed I haven't posted in 2 whole weeks... and I guess I dont really have a decent excuse for that besides exhaustion and fucking snow in the middle of April...

Tonight's project is kind of a test for a series I'd like to do. I framed a print of a photo I took and then dropped it in the exact place I took it at. So, the viewer should be able to stand back and compare the dichotomy of the scene that I captured and the scene that exists in their present:

Getting a good photo of it was less then easy but that could just be more excuses.

On another note I recently discovered that FreeStreet was featured (kind of) in an article in the March 31, 2011 publication of the High Plains Reader. I say 'kind of' because they used a photo of the jet ski sign for an article completely about the gay community in Fargo. Confused? Me too. There is not one mention or any relevance to the sign of ANY kind in the article. Nothing at all against the gay community, I just can't help but feel a little cheated! I emailed the writer, Josh Boschee, about it but no light was ever shed on the subject.

--SKEM3

GET SOME!

HELL YEAH! Finally some new shit!

First off, BIG ups to my man STAB for all the help putting this one together and climbing up those freezing beams with me! Dude's SICK!

Went big with it tonight! If you couldnt tell from the photos, this weeks project is a giant (taller than me, seriously!) cardboard cut out of Banksy's Molotov flower rioter guy ( I know I said I was nothing like him before but this is different). I switched out the rioters masked face with that of Marge from the movie "Fargo" and instead of a bu cay of flowers shes grasping a bushel of wheat ( ND's biggest crop).

She's strategically placed right on top of the historic Fargo Theater sign for Monday's showing of "Exit Though The Gift Shop".  Originally I planned on putting her up Sunday night so she'd be up all day before the premiere but since we live in the city with the toughest weather, we had do it a few days early to avoid being up that frigg'n high up in a snow storm (in April? yeah, in April).

Anyway, after hours of planning and taping and cutting and weather proofing and running and climbing we finally got her up and she looks fuckin huge!

--SKEM3

***UPDATE***

That weekend it did end up snowing and being super windy and she survived! But only for a few days longer. After about a week the weather got to her and started looking like shit. So, for the first time ever that I can remember I personally took down my own piece. Gotta keep the city pretty.

Long Week

 

Well I finally failed! Looks familiar right? I Promise I have new things cooking just a victim of circumstance:

The ONE night I had set out to put something new up there was a thunder/hail/snow storm all in one night! Shit is messed. THEN another night I went out to put up a different project and that whole operation completely crumbled on me as well! Even today when I put this drop up I had to run all the way back home before I could take a photo for the blog because my memory card wasnt formatted right. Fuck I wish the warm weather would stick around for more then a few days in a row.

Speaking of, if you haven't heard yet, Fargo is not only in the running for the Toughest Weather City Tournament but we're also about to win!

--SKEM3 

Truckers

This lovely snarling face can be found at a rest stop halfway between Fargo and the Twin Cities. He guards truckers and traveling families while they poop. This sticker/stencil is an old one I tend to use a lot. It's been noted as being "Banksy-esque" which I can't decide humors me or pisses me off due to every college art fuck thinking that any piece of art on the street, that isn't a throwie, "reminds them of Banksyyyy". Yuk.

Also! Just got back from the cities today where I got this sticker cut. It ripped when I put it up but I think it gets the point across just the same.

--SKEM3