Photos by Sydney Cromwell.
shane b. street art
Graffiti artist Shane B. demonstrates spray-painting techniques to workshop attendees at the Forstall Art Center.
In a warehouse next to Forstall Art Center, Shane B. explains his art over the rattling of spray paint cans.
Shane B. is a graffiti artist whose work has appeared in art shows and on buildings from California to New York, including a mural at El Barrio restaurant in downtown Birmingham. At the Forstall Art Center, he hosts regular workshops teaching Homewood residents about the techniques and culture of street art.
Shane got started as a street artist when he was a teenager living in New Orleans. While his early work may not have been legal, Shane said his passion for graffiti made him realize he could do something big with his life.
“Through doing something illegally, it kept me out of other trouble,” Shane said. “It got me away from a ton of stuff.”
Now, Shane gets paid to create murals and paint signs, and he has traveled the world making art “probably with every big-name artist you’ve heard of.” His work in Birmingham also includes the “Writer’s Block,” a project sponsored by Red Bull that brought street artists together to make art at Sloss Furnaces from 2003 to 2008.
At his most recent workshop in April, Shane described the highly secretive community of street artists, who want recognition for their work yet go to great lengths to hide their real identities. While the artists themselves remain hidden, graffiti is becoming more accessible to the public through the Internet and the popularity of artists like Banksy.
“It’s an awkward form of art, but it’s getting more accepted through the years,” Shane said.
After a short demonstration on spray painting techniques, the workshop attendees also got to try their hand at making their own graffiti. Although most of the participants had no experience with graffiti, they were enthusiastic about trying this niche art form.
“It’s just fun,” said Wayne Richardson, who attended the workshop with his wife, Lisa, and son. “We had no idea that you actually get to do the stuff, so that’s really cool.”
Shane’s graffiti workshops are part of a larger series of monthly workshops hosted by the Forstall Art Center. These workshops range from familiar topics, such as watercolor painting and pastels, to more unique arts, such as Japanese bookbinding and clay printmaking. To learn more, visit forstallartcenter.com.
Editor’s Note: Shane B. asked that we use his graffiti art name and not his legal name.
