Having watched Part 2’s work over the years it is always a pleasure to see a graffiti artist delve into different subject matters and not only create some interesting artwork but actually provoke some emotion and garner a response from its viewers. Anyone that follows the traditional graffiti from the UK knows that Part 2 had paid his dues and has been part of the scene for decades. This brings me to his new set of work titled “Project Infinity”. He has already caused a stir with one of the paintings taking place in a UK hall of fame where usually you would see the likes of graffiti legends or other talented graffiti artists. The positioning of the paintings in a setting like this might seem like slap in the face to other graffiti artists, but i think quite the opposite is true from my perspective.
The whole series revolves around the CMYK colors or cyan magenta yellow and K for Black. These are the basic colors as any design artist knows of the printing process and can by themselves make up an infinite amount of colors or any color you could imagine. So Part 2’s choice of these 4 colors is interesting and his use of them in a minimal matter at times just 4 boxes in a street environment is even more intriguing. I dont think Part 2 will spell it out for us, but i do think he wants us to find our own view of what it means and we will all have our own experience when viewing the works. From my point of view to see Part 2 who can paint with the best of them branch into a more conceptual approach to the streets is very important. It is not only a breach from his other work but it is an experiment into a whole new thought process about art on the street. Im not saying every artist should be out there painting conceptual street art, but i do appreciate when an artist that has the tradition behind him as part 2 does is able to leave that behind for a minute and approach something like this series. He is also releasing a 40 page book about Project Infinity that you can buy on the link below.
To be able to view a series like this one must forget about what you think is graffiti, what you think is street art and just appreciate the work for what it is. To me part 2’s play with the basic colors of all color and an infinite palette being placed in streets, corresponds to the same way a newspaper is printed and reflects all of our lives and news yet its basic inception is left at times in the form of 4 colors as a test print to calibrate the printing process. It is a subconscious symbol that most all printed material has. So when Part 2 positions this symbol in the streets it is to a reminder that without those basic colors the rest is impossible. His muting out the rest of the photographs to black and white is also a attempt to make sure you dont miss this fact. I could be all wrong but that’s my story and im sticking to it, and if there where right answers in art then what fun would that be?
I asked Part 2 about the series and he said it would be better if i explained my experience with the series which is what i have done. But here is a quote from his Myspace that i feel sums up what not only part 2 faces but many graffiti/street artists that are attempting to progress or push beyond there current state of Art.
“To be a Renegade in a rebellious culture that’s already divided by it’s own rules, traditions and internal politics is probably the biggest battle I’ll ever fight. it’s a war on all fronts because you’ve got the media & the masses that generally don’t know the real history of this art, never mind it’s fractions, derivatives and their internal aesthetics. People are fighting for acceptance on a huge number of levels from so many divisions just to produce art and then be labeled under one category that barely scratches the surface. Whatever it is that I create, it has to remain ambiguous to have any form of impact in this saturated world, that is quickly becoming desensitized to one of the most powerful art form’s of its time”.
Part2ism – February 2009 Taken from Artillery For pleasure – The Manual
Part 2 Myspace
You can buy the Book here when it is released
