How graffiti can open our minds to valuing art and each other | Elicser Elliott | TEDxToronto

Whether encased in galleries or painted on city walls, art is key to opening our hearts and minds. Elicser Elliott provides lessons through graffiti to value art and each other. Elicser Elliott is a well-known Toronto graffiti artist who was born in Montreal and grew up on the West Indian island of Saint Vincent. His work has been featured in the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Institute for Contemporary Culture and publications like Mix Magazine and Spacing. His distinctive artwork is created by using aerosol spray paint and often depicts different characters or collages. The work of Elicser is highly visible in major cities from Canada to South America to South Africa. Elicser leads the change in the character-based movement in Toronto. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@dododan27]

This should have way more views :\

[@margaritamolina9605]

the way he words the way how we can view art is insane, definitely eye opening, being able to use the surroundings and see and image that not many people can see. The example in the beginning is very like wow I didn't see it at first.

[@urielmartinez2161]

Had to watch for homework

[@ewboss2124]

Same

[@randomanimations5885]

same

[@natalieperalta]

Awesome way to see life in a different light and to normalize the beauty in the natural everyday world. We need that these days. Seems like a cool guy to get to know.

[@dannydchain]

Enjoyed this speech. His mum sounds like a amazing women to be raised by. I love this dudes art style and his philosophy is exactly how we should be training our minds. 👍✌️

[@lisadeeyoung]

So good dude - thank you.

[@namzugaidu5197]

Amazing how a bit of imagination can change one's perspective of the world.

[@nuhaalayleh825]

This is truly a mind opening video! To be honest I hadn’t thought about art in those different ways, and now i hope that when I go outside, I notice more things that identify as art, things I hadn’t noticed before.

[@wiktorman]

Cool

[@JedediahTombstone]

As an architect, I feel that graffiti writers are the only ones who truly appreciate the city they live in. They should be on council for every new development that goes up. Writers and muralists breathe so much life into the city and say, “I am me, I was here.”

[@sammyk4195]

I was surprised by how artistic the examples of worn down buildings were. I think I'm gonna start looking out for that

[@hardinzepaint1002]

Amazing 🤩 talk only Ten comments

[@jackieenglishproductionsin7639]

I guessed #3 immediately.

[@martindownespaints5516]

Interesting i recognize the style as symbolic gesturing, a form of abribulism abstract. It's not graffiti, that just means the artist is outside to the government. Theirs a lot of us out there in Toronto. And you still have to create the art, the artist on a fixed income during the work week has to make a living as well. Where did it really come from this new modern every thing big and small stuff. Maybe it was always right there in front of you. Strange the things people do, Unbelievable to. Queen st. since: 1996/2016

[@mikezeppieri8312]

wow man

[@rakeemjohnsonwilliams]

🔥🔥🔥

[@cyrusgraham292]

My babysitter (nana) 🎨inspired me to draw

[@terrencerooney6926]

Graffiti is a desperate attempt by the powerless to make a statement, however it defaces the work of millions of stone masons, architects, carpenters, brick layers, trade union workers and craftspeople of past ages. Graffiti is the untrained etching of millions of frustrated kids with paint cans. In a better world these kids would be trained in color, perspective, dimension, draughting, preparing a ground, choosing a subject, etc and their "tags" would be brilliant objects worth looking at. As it is now they copy one another for the most part, as witnessed by the fact that you see the same tags from Buenos Aires to Montreal, from Quito to Madrid and it's visually boring.

[@PreciseBryce]

Seen your comment on another graffiti video. It’s the same thing lol, you’re just copying and pasting. You don’t really know the culture. Educate yourself. Peace