Street Artist Morley

This is an interview with the Los Angeles (California, USA) based artist Morley and some of his street art.

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When, how and why did you become an artist?

The sort of cheesy but true answer is that I believe we’re all born artists but at some point we let the world convince us otherwise.

The more practical answer is that I’ve been passionate my whole life about telling stories and self expression and when I moved from Iowa (where I was raised) to New York as a film student to attend the School of Visual Arts, I was exposed to a whole range of different art forms that I hadn’t explored before, which was a huge inspiration.

New York is of course known for its street art and discovering an art form that didn’t require a ton of money or permission was alluring. I started making stickers at first and then it expanded from there.

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“We’re all just winging it. The good news is you’re feeling stuff, you know? And you’ve got to hold on to that. You get older, and you don’t feel as much, your skin gets tough.”

How do you see your role as an artist today?

I would say that my role as an artist is to offer the relief that comes in discovering that you are not alone in how you feel- the joys and the sadness, the triumph and the tragedy.

Knowing that another person shares in how you feel and can find words, visuals, sound, movements, (etc.) to capture it, explore it and come a little closer to understanding it is a kind of communion between us all.

It can also help us understand perspectives that we are not familiar with, and build empathy. These are pretty vital things in life and being part of that experience is all I’ve ever aspired to.

3.

How would you describe your working method?

I try to find something I think or feel that I’d like to see if I was leaving work after a long day or just trying to keep my chin up- and see if I can express it in as concise a way as possible.

The kind of message you can read if you’re driving past it at 25 miles per hour. If I can pack a big idea into only a few words I’ve succeeded. Then I use those words along a drawing of myself because I want them to be coming from another person- someone as unglamorous and real as they are.

I want to offer words from a friend, a comrade, someone who shares the trenches with them. Then I print these out and look for the best environments to paste them into.

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Can you name some contemporary works of art or projects that inspire you?

There’s a ton of great artists that I love but a few I’m particularly inspired by at the moment are the various public installations by Michael Pederson, the newest album by Lucy Dacus and the cartoons of Ross Bryant.

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5. How can artists be paid for their work and at the same time maintain a critical attitude towards the commercial art market and public funding partners?

I’m not sure I’d be able to answer for anyone but myself. I think the trick is to stay keenly aware of your personal convictions- what matters to you, what feels important- when you don’t have anyone trying to pay you for your work.

If money starts finding its way to you- keep your convictions close and try to only compromise if you’ve given real thought and consideration. To me, the only real way to sell out is if you abandon what matters to you. What that looks like can’t be defined by anyone but you.

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What would you like to change in the street art world?

The backbiting is a real drag. I wish we all supported each other in the scene more. I understand a bit of drama from time to time but it serves no purpose to spend your time fighting with another artist. I make art for people who aren’t familiar with the politics of the street art community and I wish more artists felt the same.

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https://youtu.be/BbiwDHdJB-A

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In the best of times, we must count on those who love us to remind us who we are and where we come from.

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Like an old bike in the garage, take it out for a spin.

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Lego Morley is really proud of his latest wheat paste. At one point, he nearly fell from his ladder while putting it up! Luckily he’s pretty easy to put back together.

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“For a second I was almost jealous of the clouds. Why was he looking to them for an escape when I was right here beside him?” – Kamila Shamsi

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I get the feeling that there are a lot of deep cover optimistic operatives in this world of cynics. But maybe I’m just being optimistic.

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“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” – Frida Kahlo

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Some memories require a bigger hole.

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…and getting tangled with you was the best thing that ever happened to me.

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I saw the window behind this electrical box and thought this slogan was appropriate

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“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly – that is the first law of nature.” – Voltaire

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Living fast and dying young is like writing four chapters of a book and then saying “it’s done!” You’re only ensuring that everyone who reads it will feel cheated.

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“Ghosting” is one of the most infuriating social behaviors of my generation. The notion that simply not responding to someone is an acceptable way to communicate “no thanks” is absurd. C’mon people, we’re all better than that. Let’s respect each other enough to know that we can handle hearing “you seem like a great girl/guy but I don’t really feel a connection” or “hey, thanks for inviting me but I won’t be able to make it” or “sorry, we went in another direction” or even “sorry, I’d help you move but I just really don’t feel like it.” I feel like we all would rather hear NO than silence. Because silence is just NO without common courtesy. You’re not saving anyone the pain of rejection- you’re telling them they’re not even worthy of your rejection. That you would rather simply forget they even exist- which is much more cruel in my mind. Let’s all be big boys and girls and just be honest with people and simply say “no thanks.”

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The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades! …prescription shades because the future is also kinda blurry and I’m not sure if I’m headed in the right direction.

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Distance makes the heart grow crazy.

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I am constantly surprised by life. Good and bad. I’m not sure I’d have it any other way.

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Make the most of every moment. Collect them into jars with little holes in the lid like so many fireflies- and know that one day you will have to let them go.

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“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.” – E. E. Cummings

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“Don’t forget in the darkness what you learned in the light.”- Joseph Bayly

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More: Joyful Street Art (35 Photos)

Which is your favorite?

STREET ART UTOPIA

2025-04-25 05:39:05

Street Art by Happiness Maker David Zinn (21 Photos)

Chalk Artist David Zinn

David Zinn is a street artist known for transforming ordinary urban landscapes into imaginative worlds. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zinn has been creating street art since the 1980s. His medium of choice is chalk, which perfectly capturing the fleeting nature of street art.

Zinn’s creations often feature playful creatures, such as his well-known character Sluggo—a green monster with endearing eyes—and a flying pig named Philomena. These characters are typically placed in unexpected settings, interacting with real-world objects in surprising ways that challenge viewers’ perceptions and bring joy to public spaces.

David Zinn’s work is characterized by its blend of whimsy, humor, and a masterful use of the urban canvas, making everyday scenes magical and inviting passersby to stop and ponder, or smile.

More by David Zinn: Cuteness overload! Chalk Art by David Zinn (6 photos)

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Tragically or luckily, Ethan has lost count of his petals

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Life lessons from augmented pareidolia the first yo is given, but the second yo is earned

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Sibling Pep Talk

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Jeremy’s First Lair

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Nadine Listens to the Grapevine

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Reading is Enflowering

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Bernice is easily the most intimidating dodgeball player for her size

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Chloe is 95% Burmese and 5% Fescue

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Fly-by-night Impossibility

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Fran’s summer hairstyle is 100% natural with very healthy roots

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Lily can’t decide if she’s an understood overachiever or an overstood underachiever; either way, she’s making a lot of progress.

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Looks like another long day of things stubbornly refusing to be impossible

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Low altitude impossibilities at the Sideways Flying R

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Marv learned this look from the puppy next door; he’s hoping your pocket is full of flies

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Nadine and the Hydrophobic Frog

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Nadine and the Silent Standoff

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Philomena is a big fan of escapist literature

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Philomena likes to start her days by watching for the second most impossible thing to happen

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Rosie has an excellent sense of smell, which is why she always carries an olfactory support flower

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Summer mood Angus will concede to flowers on his shirts and umbrellas in his drinks, but that’s where he draws the line

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This message brought to you by the Underfoot Arts Council and a philanthropic hole in the ground

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More!: Whimsical Wonders: 7 Enchanting Chalk Artworks by David Zinn

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What do you think about the chalk art by David Zinn? Do you have a favorite?

Street Art by David Zinn

Online store and information hub for the street art of ephemeral sidewalk chalk artist David Zinn, known for his cheerful 3D (three-dimensional) creatures including the stalk-eyed monster Sluggo, flying pig Philomena, and adventurous mouse Nadine.

^{street art by david zinn}

I was gonna paint some street art on this electrical box, but I realised I could go to jail for longer than a rapist.

Street Artist Plastic Jesus

By Plastic Jesus in Los Angeles, United States.

Plastic Jesus is a Los Angeles based street artist that specializes in bold stencil and installation work, inspired by world news events, society, the urban environment, culture and politics.

Art Teacher by Plastic Jesus in Los Angeles, US“The American Dream”Graffiti is a crime by Plastic Jesus in Los Angeles, US

The Good of the Hive Initiative by art activist Matt Willey

Matt Willey is committed to personally paint 50,000 honeybees – the number necessary for a healthy, thriving hive – on murals around the world.

Through art and imagination, The Good of the Hive raises awareness about the current struggle and population decline of honeybees while celebrating their incredible behaviors.

How is it going for Matt and the 50,000 honeybees? Follow Matt Wiley’s journey on Instagram.

A note from the artist:

Creating The Good of the Hive has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I have endured 10-hour painting days in 100-degree heat, financial hardship, growing pains, creative angst, burnout, disappointment and overwhelm. But I have simultaneously experienced profound levels of beauty, spirituality, genuine human connection, laughter, purpose, and faith throughout. This is life. A bee does not set out to ‘undo’ harm when she forages. She sets out looking for the nectar… the good stuff. She sparks life along the way through pollination by following something inside her that fuels the search.

There are two things that a honey bee symbolizes that every human craves – a sense of purpose about our existence, and the hive, the connectedness to each other. I am no exception. Six years and over 8500 bees into this, I realize I have been painting bees in search of these things for myself.

Every wall I paint is a lesson and a reminder of this truth. Each bee is an echo or ripple effect of the experience I had with one tiny bee in 2008.

I do not know exactly where this is all going. This art project is a vehicle and container to explore. Art is not planned, it unfolds. But I have learned that I am not alone in this experience. Any feeling of separation is an illusion. Like a magic trick, the connectedness often hides in plain sight, but when I look closely enough, it is always there.

Thank you to every person that has supported me in this wild idea to paint bees around the world. It means more than you know. You are helping to shape this piece of art into its perfect form.

About The Good of the Hive Initiative:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa-BCo1fnK8&t=2s

Art activism is about sparking curiosity in order to inspire people to want (and create) change

Matt Willey: To be curious… to look closer because you want to… because it makes you feel good, hopeful and alive. Art activism is about sparking curiosity in order to inspire people to want (and create) change. Simply informing people about what is wrong helps, but it does not move mountains.

To move a mountain, you must first and foremost REALLY want to move that mountain. Then, because it is likely going to take a while, you must embrace the process of becoming who you need to be in order to move it.

Beautiful light glistening on dripping honey comb at Honey and the Hive!

What do you think of the art by Matt Willey?

Chalk Artist David Zinn

David Zinn is a street artist known for transforming ordinary urban landscapes into imaginative worlds. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zinn has been creating street art since the 1980s. His medium of choice is chalk, which perfectly capturing the fleeting nature of street art.

Zinn’s creations often feature playful creatures, such as his well-known character Sluggo—a green monster with endearing eyes—and a flying pig named Philomena. These characters are typically placed in unexpected settings, interacting with real-world objects in surprising ways that challenge viewers’ perceptions and bring joy to public spaces.

David Zinn’s work is characterized by its blend of whimsy, humor, and a masterful use of the urban canvas, making everyday scenes magical and inviting passersby to stop and ponder, or smile.

More by David Zinn: Cuteness overload! Chalk Art by David Zinn (6 photos)

Tragically or luckily, Ethan has lost count of his petals

Life lessons from augmented pareidolia the first yo is given, but the second yo is earned

Sibling Pep Talk

Jeremy’s First Lair

Nadine Listens to the Grapevine

Reading is Enflowering

Bernice is easily the most intimidating dodgeball player for her size

Chloe is 95% Burmese and 5% Fescue

Fly-by-night Impossibility

Fran’s summer hairstyle is 100% natural with very healthy roots

Lily can’t decide if she’s an understood overachiever or an overstood underachiever; either way, she’s making a lot of progress.

Looks like another long day of things stubbornly refusing to be impossible

Low altitude impossibilities at the Sideways Flying R

Marv learned this look from the puppy next door; he’s hoping your pocket is full of flies

Nadine and the Hydrophobic Frog

Nadine and the Silent Standoff

Philomena is a big fan of escapist literature

Philomena likes to start her days by watching for the second most impossible thing to happen

Rosie has an excellent sense of smell, which is why she always carries an olfactory support flower

Summer mood Angus will concede to flowers on his shirts and umbrellas in his drinks, but that’s where he draws the line

This message brought to you by the Underfoot Arts Council and a philanthropic hole in the ground

More!: Whimsical Wonders: 7 Enchanting Chalk Artworks by David Zinn

What do you think about the chalk art by David Zinn? Do you have a favorite?

STREET ART UTOPIA

2024-04-10 08:56:26

Cuteness overload! Chalk Art by David Zinn (6 photos)

Rabbit ballet requires focus and willpower because the tutus are delicious.

Chalk Artist David Zinn

By David Zinn in Ann Arbor, Michigan. More by David Zinn on Street Art Utopia.

David Zinn specializing in small-scale, improvised and (mostly) light-hearted chalk art. Scientists say, people who are creative, have brains that try to make things complete, out of pieces they see. David Zinn bring those thoughts to life in his drawings.

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Val almost immediately regretted choosing the deluxe “realistic engine sounds” option.His Mistress’s Voice.Travel tip always choose a vehicle with well-upholstered seats and a positive attitude.In case of reasonable expectations, break glass.

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https://www.facebook.com/streetartutopia/posts/pfbid0BUr6rA93w7CNdpmT2upkwemtwwzQsPQSq99kLJrGDTboz226KraGDgc2r7848hkhl

Street Art by David Zinn

Online store and information hub for the street art of ephemeral sidewalk chalk artist David Zinn, known for his cheerful 3D (three-dimensional) creatures including the stalk-eyed monster Sluggo, flying pig Philomena, and adventurous mouse Nadine.

^{street art by david zinn}