This photo series is an ongoing project in which a series of public artworks are photographed. These artworks are graffiti removals, mostly painted and colloquially known as 'buffs'. The compositions are researched by Stephen Burke and documented through analogue photography by Dublin based photographer, Fiachra Corcoran.
These images show painterly compositions in urban environments: however, they are created as a by-product of eradicating graffiti. The layering of paint used in these buffs references many traditional painting methods while also creating a new context for itself outside of typical contemporary art boundaries where art is deemed as previous and protected from natural elements. These buffs are open to interjection by the public or nature at any time. The wall can be knocked over or repainted by a maintenance team or disgruntled home owner, a graffiti writer can spray over what is there and often the weather has a contributing factor to the tone of the painting. This project links these public artworks to formalist methods of making and challenges the viewers' perception of who an artist can be and the context in which we appreciate art.