Public Discourse
a film by Brad Downey, Quenell Jones and Tim Hansberry reviewed by Dave Combs
We are the people who make up this city. I’m gonna show my presence. Swoon Entering the stairwell and heading for the roof, rollers and buckets in hand, Public Discourse sets out to take viewers on a bombing tour of the city. Unsteady camera work, occasional night mode filming, and spontaneous dialog all contribute to the feeling of being present on several secret excursions during which some of today’s most prolific artists reveal street tested techniques for “getting over”. Tips like how to get stencils to stay in place for spraying even in adverse conditions, keeping wheatpaste from freezing during winter postering, and temporary fixtures designed for getting extra height to create out-of-reach installations are all included in this diverse 46 minute exposé. In addition to some excellent street footage there are also candid interviews with artists such as Swoon, JJ Veronis, Desa, Shepard Fairey, Verbs, Nato and others. Some of my favorite moments in the film were Nato’s enthusiastic primer on graffiti art from throwups to top-to-bottoms and his theory of choosing a name. “I can’t front, you gotta have a good fuckin’ name”, and ,”Getting bagged sucks”, are some of Nato’s memorable words of wisdom that every fledgling street artist should take to heart.
One of this film’s greatest strengths is that it presents the evolution of street art beginning with its roots of style writing in the 70’s through today’s many various forms of visual expression ranging from the simplest sticker to the most elaborately welded sculpture/installation. Throughout the film, there is conspicuously little heard from street art’s detractors. I was sincerely hoping for at least one interview with a public official or other individual with an outsider’s perspective to express the counterpoint in the Public Discourse. While watching the film, I was reminded of Bernie Jacobs’ immortal line from Style Wars, “Is that an artform? I don’t know, I’m not an art critic, but I can sure as hell tell you it’s a crime.” The absence of counterpoint makes this Discourse a little one-sided. All in all, the film’s strengths far outweigh any criticism I can offer. Public Discourse represents solid documentary filmmaking from cinematography to editing to sound mixing. I highly recommend this film to every street art enthusiast. If you haven’t seen it, don’t wait another minute. Contact Video Data Bank online at www.vdb.org or call 312.345.3550 to rent or purchase your copy. Pz