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809 Gallery

Graffiti is a stain. It’s an insult to one’s vision that needs to be removed and

scrubbed; it is an affront to public space. Tags, bombs and various other forms of illegal mark making instill fear and anger in the minds of the general (and typically affluent) public. Graffiti, far from being accepted as valid public artistic expression, is seen to threaten the general feeling of safety and disrupt the natural beauty and design of a community. The notion that illicit marks must be hidden from public view to ensure civil ease is similar to the way most Calgarians interact with those who call the streets of Calgary home. What happens, then, when artists essentially tag homeless people? And what message does that send?

Opening February 6 at the 809 Gallery, Coat Check auspiciously draws a parallel between street art and homelessness in a collaborative project between the Provincial Boom Commission (PBC) collective and local graffiti artists. Organized by Alberta College of Art and Design graduate Mikhail Miller, Coat Check invites artists and non-artists alike to adorn second-hand winter coats with tags or designs and donate them to those less fortunate. The project began when a couple of street artists made a personalized coat for a homeless person, and Miller hopes this project continues to grow beyond the gallery walls. Participants are encouraged to hand out the jackets to the homeless prior to the show and document the exchange if the party is willing. The exhibition will consist of photographs of the recipients wearing their new coats. There will also be jackets up for auction, with proceeds going to the Mustard Seed’s arts program.

The PBC is a collective of artists of various disciplines and backgrounds who are actively engaged in social justice. Founded by Aviva Zimmerman in August 2008, the group acts to stimulate discussion around the sustainability of Calgary’s boom culture during a time of global economic recession. The collective has conducted a series of art and drama workshops at the Mustard Seed over the past few months, including photography and printmaking sessions.

While the ethics of working creatively with disadvantaged people can be questionable (is it exploitation or engagement?), the PBC and the graffiti artists involved in this project are trying to break down stereotypes to reveal that homeless people are still people.

Granting homeless people the right to a creative voice gives them the ability to express a personal identity and challenge the common misconception that homelessness is synonymous with drug addiction and abject behaviour. Although these cards are sometimes at play, there are also complex factors that put people on the streets, and there are often more complex factors that work to keep them there — mental illness, strained relationships and a diminished sense of self-worth.

Coat Check could make it possible for artists to spark a dialogue and create long and lasting relationships with homeless communities through art. However, considering that graffiti, as a medium, has historically been used to mark buildings conquered by Roman soldiers, as well as territory claimed by inner-city gangs, the subversive nature of essentially tagging homeless people is problematic. In the context of a city where the general public views both graffiti and homeless people as derelict, there is the possibility that this project could reinforce the notion that homeless people are visual vandalism that need to be removed.