By showing the raw and dirty side of graffiti once it's buffed, Thierry manages to transfer the graffiti from the streets onto the walls of a gallery without it loosing it's authenticity and its emotional power. Like this he further immortalises the usually very short lifespan of graffiti.
"Fame for a Day - Buffed Painting" this is the title Thierry Furger choose for his first solo show at the Speerstra Gallery. It is the perfect slogan to express what graffiti is all about when caught on a whole-car passing by.
This show is about the ephemerality of graffiti and the technique of buffing*. By showing the raw and dirty side of graffiti once it's buffed, Thierry manages to transfer the graffiti from the streets onto the walls of a gallery without it loosing it's authenticity and its emotional power. Like this he further immortalises the usually very short lifespan of graffiti. The show will also include a new body of work called "Clouds", a reflection on buffed tag's on the inside of a train.
*Buff: any means employed by the transit authority to remove graffiti from trains. The more modern usage is when any graffiti is gone over or removed from any surface, not necessarily just from trains.
© Speerstra Gallery