Meek (street artist)
Encyclopedia
Meek is a notable street artist
operating out of Melbourne
, Australia
, and specialising in the sub-genre of Stencil graffiti
.
Meek started putting up street art in early 2003 and enjoys the irony of his name in a subject area that is all about bragging and boasting.
He lived in London
for some time and was exposed to the work of Banksy
. As well as stenciling prolifically, Meek has also hijacked billboards, and used wheat paste and stickers.
The book Stencil Graffiti Capital devotes a chapter to Meek. Other books that display his works are Stencil Pirates by Josh McPhee, Conform by Saskia Folk and Street art uncut by Matthew Lunn. Meek is also featured in the film RASH
(2005), which documents the street art scene of Melbourne, Australia. The film received an award as Best Feature Documentary by The Film Critics Circle of Australia, 2005.
Meek is also well known for his 2004 stencil graffito entitled "Begging for Change" he did on the side of a building's wall which portrayed a homeless man on a sidewalk, with a mendicant's cup, holding a sign which read: "KEEP YOUR COINS. I WANT CHANGE." It has appeared around the world on buildings and in other media, and is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Canberra, Australia.
His work has been exhibited in:
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...
, and specialising in the sub-genre of Stencil graffiti
Stencil graffiti
Stencil graffiti makes use of a paper, cardboard, or other media to create an image or text that is easily reproducible. The desired design is cut out of the selected medium and then the image is transferred to a surface through the use of spray paint or roll-on paint.The process of stenciling...
.
Meek started putting up street art in early 2003 and enjoys the irony of his name in a subject area that is all about bragging and boasting.
He lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for some time and was exposed to the work of Banksy
Banksy
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter.His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique...
. As well as stenciling prolifically, Meek has also hijacked billboards, and used wheat paste and stickers.
The book Stencil Graffiti Capital devotes a chapter to Meek. Other books that display his works are Stencil Pirates by Josh McPhee, Conform by Saskia Folk and Street art uncut by Matthew Lunn. Meek is also featured in the film RASH
RASH (film)
Rash, stylized as RASH, is a 2005 Australian documentary film, directed by Nicholas Hansen. Its subject is contemporary urban Australia and the artists who are making it a living host for illegal artwork called street art...
(2005), which documents the street art scene of Melbourne, Australia. The film received an award as Best Feature Documentary by The Film Critics Circle of Australia, 2005.
Meek is also well known for his 2004 stencil graffito entitled "Begging for Change" he did on the side of a building's wall which portrayed a homeless man on a sidewalk, with a mendicant's cup, holding a sign which read: "KEEP YOUR COINS. I WANT CHANGE." It has appeared around the world on buildings and in other media, and is in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Canberra, Australia.
His work has been exhibited in:
- Melbourne Stencil Festival, 2005
- BACKWOODS - An Exhibition of the EVERFRESH STUDIOS, Wooden Shadow Gallery, Richmond (VIC), 21 April 2007
- National Gallery of Art, Canberra, AustraliaNational Gallery of AustraliaThe National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
External links
- Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne
- Stencil revolution (Meek's gallery)
- Remote Control (Video of commissioned mural)
- another Meek site