The World: The Ultimate Museum, The Ultimate Canvas or The Ultimate Gallery?

I’ve been concentrating on documenting all kinds of public art projects for just under two years and it has been a blast. I capture work from known and unknown artists - stickers, wheat pasting, graffiti, etc., and also some of my own chalk, yarn-bombings and magnetic work. That has made me wonder how other people doing all forms of street art see the world - Museum vs.Canvas vs Gallery.

The world as Museum makes a lot of sense to me. With world being the Museum, then countries, states, cities and towns are the Galleries. I make two dimensional and three dimensional work that fits into the concept of being in a Gallery. My own work has only had a small corner in a few galleries! I have had work in the Maine, Wisconsin, and the Pennsylvania Gallery. Where one sets the work - drawing with chalk, graffiti on a wall, yarn-bombing a bench, placing a statue or sculpture in a park – I see that as the Canvas.

I’m sure some curators wish they had control of the Ultimate Museum. I think these are truly the museum and galleries where street artists have complete say over what they want the public to see on their canvas.

So what do you think of the world - Museum? Gallery? Canvas?

Please share your opinion.

Originally Posted: January 22, 2013