1. Just because it’s not in a gallery... ...doesn’t mean it’s not art. Just because a man isn’t celebrated... ...doesn’t mean he isn’t an artist.
2. ABOVE ABOVE is an American contemporary street artist who keeps his identity concealed. His artwork is noted for often carrying political or social messages. One of his artistic trademarks is the use of an arrow.
3. THE PURPOSE OF THE ARROWS Above uses the arrows to represent overcoming obstacles, rising “above” (hence the pseudonym) and generally pushing oneself to being the best they can be. Arrows can have multiple purposes, according to Above, it is an inspirational symbol.
4. BIOGRAPHY Limited information is known about Above, due to his anonymous persona. However, it is believed that he was born in 1981, making him either 29 or 30 years old. He has been active as an artist since 1995, beginning with traditional graffiti. He became a more recognised artist in 2001, when he moved to Paris, France and introduced his brand of street art to the French, including his now famous arrow logo.
5. Above has travelled the world to express his various designs to a variety of cultures
10. Above has a very positive reputation within the art community, particularly from the Europeans. He uses a range of materials to construct his arrows, including wood, fabric and textiles. His ability and willingness to place his artwork in such dangerously high places have earnt him much respect from fans and critics alike.
11. The nature of Above’s work has caused some controversy, as while he is a celebrated artist, legally much of his artwork is actually illegal. Above states that he has been arrested 10 times for graffiti of public buildings.
15. Above has visited 26 countries over the past 6 years in what was known as his “sign language” tour. The first below photo is from 2007 in Guatemala, and the second is from 2011 in Brisbane, during the aftermath of the QLD floods.
16. Fanbase While Above remains anonymous, he does stay in contact with fans via his website and travel blog. He does not have a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account, as he designs artwork for the artistic expression and has no desire for fame. The few media interviews he has done have been by e-mail correspondence.
17. Reference List Vortex (2000), http://www.webdesign.org/img_articles/7044/colors.jpg, accessed 22/1/2011 Silhouette (2010), http://www.clker.com/clipart-24011.html, accessed 22/1/2011 Topping, D. (2007), Tall Poppy interview: Above, Toronto newspaper, http://torontoist.com/2007/06/tall_poppy_inte_45.php, accessed 25/1/2011 Above (2011), Arrows, Arrows and More Arrows, http://goabove.com/arrows_arrows_and_more_arrows.html, accessed 25/1/2011 Above (2011), Above Personal Website,http://www.goabove.com/, accessed 25/1/2011 Earth (2010), http://www.opensecrets.org/news/earth.jpg, accessed 25/1/2011
