Street Art: My Constant Distraction

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Bogota has a very interesting relationship with graffiti and street art in that it is EVERYWHERE. Not all of the art is a display of incredible talent and care, but it is really astounding how much art exists and how many different styles are used. When I ride the Transmilenio (public bus system), I am content to stare out the window and see giant murals covering entire walls or random tags in places you'd never expect to see. The random tagging surprised me, although it quickly became obvious that no place in Bogota is safe from spray paint. You will see tags on church doors, public places, and monuments, which apparently is a sore subject for many Bogotanos. You will also see many half-scrubbed out tags or freshly painted walls in a (fruitless?) attempt to get rid of the tags.

Here are a couple murals that are right outside my Transmilenio station and about a 3-minute walk from my house.


and 


Since I enjoy the art so much, I was happy to hear about a graffiti tour through La Candelaria and I jumped on it. The tour was given by an Australian transplant and local artist who had several pieces up around town. He was pretty clever about it too: he kept talking about one artist "Crisp" in the 3rd person and then revealed at the very end that he was in fact Crisp! Well played, sir.





Some cool facts about graffiti in Bogota: There are no laws against street art, which is why so many artists flock to the city. At most, you may get a slight tap on the wrist and told to move on to the next wall as that one is "off limits." I hear bribing is also normal.



Many of the more talented and famous artists have done pieces around the world. For example, Crisp was familiar with the "Living Walls" project in Atlanta and had even been there to work with local artists! The themes of the art range from social commentary about injustices in Colombia to expressive art that depicts anything from bug-eyed fish to sexually suggestive images. I really enjoyed the work of Bastardilla, a Colombian woman whose art shows themes of poverty, violence, and feminism;  Stinkfish, a Bogotano who uses stenciled faces from photographs in his art; and DJ LU, a Bogotano who excels in "socio-polical glyphs."



The 2 hour walking tour centered in La Candelaria (the old part of town where most backpackers go) and around my university. It was really cool to have artwork from my daily commute explained and showcased in such a way that it has strengthened my appreciation for the art. Now that I know a little about the artists, I find myself looking for familiar tags or familiar styles in hopes that I will recognize the artist. It has happened...once...but you never know! 



Hope you enjoyed some of the pictures!

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