The Big Issue - UK (2020-03-09)

09-15MARCH 2020 BIGISSUE.COM|p 39

“Ijustwasinthenormalswingof,youknow,roamingaround

andstickingupstickersand,youknow,thenextthingI knew

I wasbeingputinthecar.”ThisishowAustralianstreetartist

AnthonyListergotarrestedinTokyoinFebruary,wherehis

initial24-hourstaytocoincidewithhisRudeWordsexhibition

developedinto 12 daysina Japaneseprison.

“Ididgetsomewritingdone.I kindofwrotemaybe10,000

wordsonjusttheinsandoutsofexactlyhowthingshappenedas

theywerehappening.ItwasbrinkingontortureI wouldsay.”

Despite it all,he’ssanguineabouttheexperience.“Idon’t

knowif I stillhavethepassiontoreallybe

dumbfounded,”hetellsme,nowthathe’s

backhomeinBrisbane,Australia.“I'malways

a littlebitshocked.Atthesametime,youget

usedtobeingslappedinthefaceif youget

slappedinthefaceenough,evenif you’re

smilingandnotknowingwhy.”

ThegreatironyofLister’soccasional

brusheswiththelawforwhathedescribesas

“beautifyingdecayingspaces”isthathisfirst

forayintostreetartwascompletelyabove

board.Backin 1999 BrisbaneCityCouncil

commissionedhimtopaintthecity’straffic

signalboxes.

Theinterveningtwodecadesarewell

documentedinEddieMartin’sremarkable

NetflixbiographicaldocumentaryHaveYou

SeenTheListers?, madeuppredominantlyof

homevideoandmobilephonefootage.

Thedocumentaryillustratesthatthefirstexperiencewas

theexceptionratherthantherule.Thoughhispracticehas

developedandexpandedtoincludeinstallationsandstudio

work,heretainsa beliefinthesocialpowerofwritingonwalls.

“It’stheonewaythatsocietycanactuallytalktoeachother

uncensored”hesays.“Ifwehavea righttovote,thenweshould

havea righttovoteeveryday.Theonlywaytovoteeveryday

istowritethatvoteonwalls.I seetagslikeweedsina garden

germinating the soil. Once the soil’s germinated then a garden

cangrow,andwhowouldgoandripoutsomegrandmother’s

garden?I meanwhowouldgetawaywithrippingoutsome

grandmother’sgarden?I feellikehereareallthesepeople

plantingthesegardensallaroundtheworld,andthey’rejust

beingrippedupandthegardenersarebeingpenalisedand

villainisedforit.”

TalkingtoListerisprettyexhilarating;it’slikeracingina

speedingcar,careeringthrougharthistory.He’llping-pong

betweenPicasso,Rembrandt,andthemuralsofDiegoRiverain

NewYork(heseestheseasthegenesisforthedemonisationof

streetart,duetotheirovertlysocialistmessage).

Wheresomeartistscanbecomecomfortabledeepintotheir

career,there’sclearlystillsomethingfuellingLister’sdesire to

getoutandmakework.

“Ibuysomanybooks,andI justlovetoreadabout

who’sgonebeforemeandthingsthatthey'vesaidandthe

breakthroughsthatthey’vehad.Aprettygoodpainter,Chuck

Close,saidonce:“Inspirationisforbeginners,therestofus

justgettowork,”andI thinkwhenyou’rea coupleofdecades

deepinmakinglinesandmakingmarks,I mean,whetherit’s

a pieceofwaxora canvasora pieceofpaper,there'salways

somethingtodo.”

There’sa feeling,maybemoreprevalentamongthose

whoconsumestreetartratherthancreateit,thattheconflict

betweentheartistandtheauthoritiesisparforthecourse,that

thecat-and-mousenatureoftaggingandbombingandgetting

uphelpsimbuethefinishedworkwiththekindofenergythat

canbemissingfroma gallery.

Listerseesitdifferently,andstillhasaflickerofhopethat

thingswillchange:“It’scleartomethatwithmoreactivation

ofthepublicrealmbeingbythepublicthemselves,public

spaceswouldreallybeforpublicpeople.I thinkthatastime

goeson,theworldandsocietiesandgovernmentsand

councils,I’malsocertainthey’lljustgettoobusytoworry

aboutthenature of creativity, and the gardens will be left

togrow.”

@CmonHarris

‘ONE WAY

TO VOTE

EVERY DAY

IS TO WRITE

THAT VOTE

ON WALLS’

THE INCREDIBLE WORLDVIEW OF THE

REMARKABLE ANTHONY LISTER

INTERVIEW

HARRY HARRIS

• ANTHONY LISTER