I recently
had the opportunity to interview Emma Arnold, founder of the Institute for Art
and Environment. The I-AE is an organisation which focuses on the role of art within an environmental discourse. Quite simply, it's "part art project, part geographical study." I’ve followed Arnold’s website and Instagram for some time, and
have been impressed with her documentation of Montreal’s urban art community. Keep
reading to discover what led this Environmental Studies Graduate to pursue her
passion for mapping Montreal’s street art.
Tags and the
Guarantee Pure Milk Bottle
In 2009, you founded the Institute for Art and
Environment. What motivated you to do so?
The I-AE was born out of a mix of love and frustration: a love of art and a
frustration that in the environmental field more attention is not paid to arts
and culture. In the environmental sector, there is a very strong art/science
divide and I wanted to try and bridge that divide through my research.
What is your passion?
Professionally,
I consider myself a cultural geographer and at times an environmental
philosopher. But I am also an artist – an illustrator – and I bring my passion
for art to everything I do. I believe that my mixed background in the arts and
sciences is part of what makes this research innovative and interesting. In
some ways, I take a very scientific approach to my research but I also
understand art and the techniques and skill involved in graffiti and street
art.
In your opinion, what defines street art?
I try not to define street art. Instead, I take
a pretty broad approach in my research. I take photographs of anything that was
left there by someone else. These might be tags, stickers, paintings, drawings,
wheatpastes, sculptures, messages, anything really.
Mural by
Cryote and Waxhead
What is a typical day like?
Because of
the nature of my field research – walking outside and taking photographs – it
often depends on the weather and the light. A typical day of fieldwork involves
randomly picking a neighbourhood and walking around with my camera. Part of my
research involves trying to get lost in neighbourhoods so I do not usually have
much of a plan in mind when I go out. On a good day, I’ll cover 10-15km on foot
and take about 100-500 photographs. So far, I have walked over 500 km and taken
thousands of photographs. The rest of my time is usually spent at my laptop. I
map my routes, edit photographs, and upload images to my website and to
Instagram (@artandenvironment). I also spend time doing research, writing
papers, and lecturing or presenting at conferences. And with what time is left
in the day, I draw and paint and make my own art.
How does Montreal’s geographical environment affect
its art community?
Montréal is a relatively small city whose
streets are grid-like. It is therefore fairly easy to navigate. Because Montréal
is an island, it is also physically constrained. While some artists tend to
concentrate on one neighbourhood, it is not unusual to find an artist’s work in
many different areas of the city. In terms of the way the city is planned, some
neighbourhoods are more conducive to graffiti and street art. Some have a lot
of abandoned buildings which are prime targets while others have great
alleyways that quickly become densely populated with art.
Hand
drawn and painted wheatpastes by Stela, 52hz, Futur Lasor Now, and QbNyc
Should one assume that all street artists share an environmental
consciousness?
No, I think that
street artists share an environmental or geographical awareness that is very
unique. Graffiti and street artists have a very intimate knowledge of the city.
To be a street artist, you really need to understand and appreciate the city
and urban space. Graffiti and street artists are great geographers.
You have walked across all of Montreal in the search
for that perfect picture or unexpected finding? Do you have a favourite area to
visit?
I am not sure
that I am looking for that perfect picture. My photographs are not just
documentation but also the data for my research. I suppose I have a bit of a
soft-spot for the Sud-Ouest, close to where I grew up. It is an area that is
changing quite rapidly and it has been interesting to observe. The other day,
it was -26C. I was freezing and my camera battery kept dying because of the
cold but I followed a series of hand drawn stickers throughout Pointe
St-Charles. I had never seen them before and it was so exciting.
Hand drawn
sticker by MNO XI
How would you compare Montreal’s street art community
in comparison to Los Angeles or London?
Both Los
Angeles and London are megacities with much larger, sprawling populations. Of
course, they have a rich street art culture but they are also much bigger.
Montréal is small and the art community seems to be rather tight-knit. A lot of
street artists know one another and collaborate with each other. There are also
a few dedicated street art bloggers who document the movement very well (e.g.
Aline Mairet).
There are also many devoted people who document the scene on flickr and
Instagram.
What’s next for the I-AE?
I will be
starting my PhD at the University of Oslo in 2013, continuing my research in
Montréal but broadening the scope to other European cities as well. In the
meantime, I am working on several papers to present at conferences. One paper
will be looking at the subversive birds of artists Futur Lasor Now and Listen
Bird. I am also working on a piece about female street artists in the city,
looking at how women work in a male dominated subculture and urban space.
Good
morning St-Henri by Listen Bird
Protesting
Lasor Bird by Futur Lasor Now
