If you have recently been around New York’s East village, you’ve probably noticed some type of graffiti with the words Peru Ana, Ana Peru on it (pictured below):
I remember going to soho and seeing these images everywhere. It was sort of a mystery. The only thing I knew was that she/he might be Peruvian or Latina. So who is Peru Ana or Ana Peru?
When I got home, I immediately went to google it and found the artist’s website. On the about us page I read this: PERU ANA ANA PERU originated in bushwick, brooklyn. They are a guy and a girl, or a girl and guy, if you will. Currently they spend the bulk of their time making films and art, not riding bikes, and trying to solve a rubiks cube in under 30 seconds.
I did some more research and found out that they are just a couple who create art, leaving their work around the city for people to find. They are also very passionate about film and stated: FILM DOES NOT EQUAL CINEMA. It’s their belief that film has become an “arena for capitalism”, a multi-million dollar project and NOT art. Their mission statement is to change that.
This was really interesting. I have seen these words written in places and many times have wondered what they meant. I poked around on the website a little bit, and some of the pictures of the couple’s artwork was pretty strange to me. Maybe it’s just not what I’m used to. However, just because I may not take a liking to it does not mean that their work isn’t art. I’m sure many people regard their artwork as amazing. Cool post!
It is very interesting when artists “take to the streets” rather than disseminating their art through the usual channels. This is a bit like the artist’s version of “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound?” Art cannot “slave away in secret.” The audience is an integral part of the artistic equation. Ask me about Schoenberg’s “Society for the Private Musical Performance.”