A question that we're asked all the time is - "Is there one common philosophy that is the single motivating force behind street art?" And while for us the answer is "no" - there isn't one universal motivating factor for all street art, the one thing that does indeed unify all street artists no matter when in the world they are, is that they share a desire to reclaim a portion of the public space. And they're willing to reclaim this space even if it means the risk of being arrested for doing it.

To some, street art can only be viewed as vandalism. But what we can't understand is why it is that a Burger King or FCUK sign or GAP ad is more acceptable to the general public than an original piece of art by Swoon or Banksy or... for that matter... you. Why is advertising appropriate but art isn't?

Street artists share a unifying feeling that too much of the public space is being sold to advertisers and big business. Too much public space is being used to erect "modern" buildings that have no social value whatsoever and add nothing at all to the community. So the street artist decides that the only means available for them to protest against this situation is for them to reclaim that space through placing uncommissioned art in the public space - on walls, on the city streets, on doorways....

The truth is that street art, graffiti, and tagging, all add energy to the city. Take it away and you'd be living on the backlot of Universal Studios or on Main Street at Disneyland.

So this brings us to the photograph above..

From floh in Weimar:

first of all ... this is not my work (i wish it was!)
friends did this and they will add some more to it. they actually used '10 fresh eggs'. after blowing out the eggs, the color was injected and then smashed on the wall. clean walls and new buildings should be a no/no for stencils but in this case everyone in weimar (germany) was annoyed by this dull gray facade of the new bauhaus uni-lecture-hall and library (not in use yet) facing the street and it was just a matter of time to have it 'filled'. i havn't met anyone who doesn't like it ..."

We loved how with a couple of paintfilled eggs and a stencil, a hideous grey wall suddenly becomes a giant piece of art complete with name plaque. The statement is clear - "Fuck you, this shit is ugly and we're gonna reclaim it for ourselves whether you like it or not."