Street ARTcheaology is the study of urban graffiti, street art and murals which exist only in the past and can only be studied through the recovery and analysis of the photographic evidence, salvaged material culture and artistic data which have been left behind. Only through these rare photographic artifacts, visual representations of past architecture (and dated art), imagery depicting detailed glimpses into dated cultural landscapes which have changed ,can we ever preserve the art history and visual integrity of street art. Because Street ARTchaeology employs a wide range of different documentary procedures, artistic analysis and is rooted in applied anthropology, it can be considered to be both a science and a humanity.
For as long as there have been streets and artists, there has been street art. Street artcheaologists photograph and document the art left on the streets, beautifying an otherwise boring city, temporarily. When it goes away, the only thing we have as proof is evidence. As it turns out, the building that once stood here had a badass Banksy wheatpasted mural on the street side, but once the building was torn down, it came down too...I'd bet with a little street artcheaology, we could see what it looked like, using Flickr.
by whalewail March 14, 2011