Meek
Australian, 1978–
Begging for change, 2004
Spray paint on brick wall using stencils
89.1 (h) x 73.5 (w) cm
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (NGA 2007.59.1)
Australia born street artist Meek spray painted Begging for Change on a brick wall, at ground level in a train station in Melbourne, Australia. The street art is composed of three colors: red, black and white. Life-sized, it portrays the common stereotype of a sitting man dressed in tattered clothing that appears to be begging for money. The darkness of the stenciled man holding the sign draws the audience to the bright red message “Keep your coins, I want Change.” The red alerts the reader about the immediate importance of the issue at hand–the lack of initiative to help the homeless. Meek shows how spare change does not actually help homeless people, but temporarily offers them relief. What individuals of a lower socioeconomic class truly need is for the government to initiate leadership and real change.
Angelica Maria Villanueva
An extended look at Meek’s Begging for Change.