The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal (2001)
According to artist Matt McCormick, it is no coincidence that local funding for “anti-graffiti” campaigns often outweighs funding for the arts. This short experimental documentary, narrated by Miranda July, examines the unexpected artistic merits of graffiti removal. It makes a case for this unconscious artform to be granted a prominent place in the history of modern art. Emerging from the human psyche and showing characteristics of abstract expressionism, minimalism and Russian constructivism, graffiti removal has subverted the common obstacles blocking creative expression, and become one of the more intriguing art movements of our time.
In his work McCormick often blurs boundaries to make funny, lyrical observations in his research of forgotten histories and experimental formalist film.