Civilian (street artist)
Encyclopedia
Civilian is a street artist
operating out of Melbourne
, Australia
, who has been profiled as a 'leading player' of "the city's vibrant stencil art scene". Civilian started painting stencils around the end of 2001.
He has had several art works exhibited in gallery shows, but says he’s not entirely comfortable in those settings; preferring to do work in “Empty Shows” - illegal exhibitions held in derelict buildings. In 2003 police caught Civilian at the Canterbury
“Empty Show”. No criminal charges were laid by police. Civilian feels that “street art is an important and necessary part of society”.
Despite Civilian's past discomfort with gallery settings, the National Gallery of Australia( NGA) acknowledges Civilians contribution to the Australian Urban Art Movement. He is currently included in "Space Invaders", an exhibition of Australian street artists which opened October 2010 and will travel nationally over the next two years.
Street artist
A street artist is someone who creates and/or sells their art or craft in public for the pleasure of passers-by.Some people use the term 'street artist' more broadly and also refer to people involved in busking, such as musicians who sing and/or play instruments, acrobats, jugglers, living statues,...
operating out of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, who has been profiled as a 'leading player' of "the city's vibrant stencil art scene". Civilian started painting stencils around the end of 2001.
He has had several art works exhibited in gallery shows, but says he’s not entirely comfortable in those settings; preferring to do work in “Empty Shows” - illegal exhibitions held in derelict buildings. In 2003 police caught Civilian at the Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
“Empty Show”. No criminal charges were laid by police. Civilian feels that “street art is an important and necessary part of society”.
Despite Civilian's past discomfort with gallery settings, the National Gallery of Australia( NGA) acknowledges Civilians contribution to the Australian Urban Art Movement. He is currently included in "Space Invaders", an exhibition of Australian street artists which opened October 2010 and will travel nationally over the next two years.
Further reading
- Stencil Art, In: The Deep End, ABC Radio National. Sian Prior and Donna Mclachlan. 14 December, 2005. (Co-interviewed with author Jake Smallman).