Look up. You might spot a pair of wooden blocks with bright graphics and stencilled words dangling quirkily from a power line by the short piece of rope that connects them. For those not yet in the know, these suspended pairs of colourful wooden blocks are called chucks. They are the work of two young artists, known simply as Senyol and Lewis, who make up new street art collective World War Won (WWWon).
Senyol and Lewis already have a loyal following in the Mother City. Not limited to the streets, both artists have exhibited numerous times and have worked closely with well-known street art entities The CircusÂninja Collective and The Bin.
They’ve been contemplating evolving the chuck concept since New York street artist collective When Dogs Fly toured the globe with the purpose of documenting the suspension of as many pieces of wood, cut and painted to resemble Converse sneakers, as possible. Both collectives started their chucking careers uniting worn-out sneakers or takkies in holey matrimony by tying their shoelaces together and gleefully donating them to the sky, the intention being to loop the pairs of shoes around any high structure from which they could eternally dangle.
WWWon have left the takkies behind and taken the concept into a new league. They use wood, stencils, spray paint, rope and creativity to make various series of chucks. Each series sports a colourful new message that is portrayed through words and graphics. The New Rugby/New Suburbia series dangles from power lines in the heart of Cape Town and alongside the tarred arteries that lead to it.
Senyol and Lewis have set out to challenge South Africans’ negative perception of street art. “In a way, South Africa is a country defined by sport. Chucking is our sport. Like sportsmen, we spend a couple of hours during the week preparing for the ‘game’ by making up new chucks. Then, on the weekend, we play our game when we go out and put them up,” says Lewis. “Like rugby, chucking is tactile and physical. It has beauty and movement. It’s art in a sport form. Or sport as an art form.”
WWWon are setting out to redefine the urban skyline while stimulating the curiosity of the person in the street. They believe chucking “aesthetically enhances the environment” and sets the example that public spaces are there to be creatively enjoyed, considered from different angles and taken ownership of by the people they’re intended for.
Interestingly, new players are already catching on to the introduction of this new “sport” — the duo is spotting “foreign” chucks around the city. “We like to see them. Then we match them,” says Senyol, smiling.
These Huck Finns are also hoping to milk the cash cow by creating guerilla advertising campaigns for big brands. They may just succeed — not only because of the inherent street cred of their creations, but also because of street art’s intimate relationship with the Internet.
Flickr pages and iconic websites, such as www.woostercollective.com, are the means by which street artists connect. The sites also allow millions of people international access to artworks that may have had a limited lifespan in their hometown.
WWWon have no qualms about using street art for commercial gain. “Ultimately, our campaigns will make street art more accessible,” says Lewis.
“Ad agencies will pay us to do what we love, and with big budgets we can take it to a new level,” adds Senyol.
Walking the tightrope between idealistic and capitalistic objectives is a tricky balancing act, and one I hope they’ll negotiate with care, for there’s something beautiful in the notion that inspiring a community to raise their sights may also raise their spirits. Wherever I go, I spot more chucks. They add something touchingly human, brave even, to our urban skyline. 832 1641 for more information