Tom Murphy
RedwoodAge.com
Imagine creating a great work of art knowing it will be destroyed shortly after you finish.
Such is life for the hundreds of street artists who gathered over the weekend for the 15th Italian Street Painting Festival in San Rafael, Calif., the largest gathering of street artists - or madonnari - in the United States.
On a canvas of new blacktop, beneath a hot sun, artists like Cecelia Linayao of San Diego toiled for two days, pursuing this year's theme of "the spirit of youth" in a medium that became popular in 16th century Italy.
The free festival, which benefits the Youth in Arts program, attracts some 60,000 people who witness art being created, listen to live music and dine on local specialties. The hundreds of work spaces are sponsored by individuals and corporations.
For the artists, there is no pay, no competition, no prize money and - after the festival ends - no lasting work of art. The reward is simply to create art in a blink of the public eye using an arcane medium that is relegated to organized festivals in the United States.
Linayao felt especially welcome at this year's fair. Her masterpiece from last year's festival was chosen to promote the gathering on posters, tee-shirts and brochures - the height of flattery for an artist whose 15-year career has included eight years of street painting.
"I saw a street painting festival and fell in love," she said, recalling how she got started in the medium. "I saw beautiful pieces of art on a street and I was so inspired I knew I wanted to try it, I knew I wanted to do it. And I've been hooked on it since."
Art for Everyone
The art form began in Italy as a way to bring great art to the common people. At
the time, most oil painting was done with the support of wealthy patrons who
also enjoyed the finished pieces. But street artists could share their work in
chalk with the common folks, collecting coins in a hat, then moving on to the
next town. Why chalk? Because paint was expensive; chalk is cheap.
"Now that this tradition has come to the United States, you have to have a festival in order to do this," explained Linayao. "You can't just sit on a street corner and put out your hat. It's against the law."
The pressure of completing the work before it must disappear is part of the attraction for the artists. Linayao said the discipline of working in a time frame has helped her to become a better artist.
"When you get used to working in a time frame - for street painting, it's usually two days - even though it's temporary, you want to do the best you can. So you develop a way of working that is high quality, but also very fast," she said. "When I get back on canvas, I take that feeling with me - a sense of economy and scale, but also a sense of freedom. Because I know the chalk is going to be washed away, I'm brave enough to try new things, to try something different. When I get back on canvas - because I tried it - I have just a little more freedom."
Morning Person
Like Linayao, Amber Long was marking her third San Rafael festival. Long's day
job is art director for the videogame company Toys for Bob in nearby Novato.
But, because she lives just a block from the festival, she found herself
sweltering on the street over the weekend, chatting with friends and other
passers-by about her painting, the art form, the weather and just about anything
else.
"I get most of my work done in the morning before everyone gets here," she said, explaining "you never quite feel finished with it" by the time the festival ends and the works of art are washed away with a fire hose. "I think tonight I'm going to watch them wash it down."
So why do they do it? Linayao said she has made some business contacts, but she pointed to other reasons as the real motivation.
"It's when I talk to fellow artists or the kids who come over, or anyone who wants to know why I do it or how I do it," she said. "It's that kind of thing I can't get in a studio is the payoff, really."
It's gotten easier to walk away from the work at the end of the festival over the years.
"When I'm done, I'm able to walk away knowing I've done my best, that I've met people I wouldn't ordinarily have met. And if one person walks away with a smile or a really good feeling after looking at my art or talking to me, then that's the gift of appreciation," she said. "It's like applause. It creates that internal feeling you can't get from anything else."
