By Zhihong Li

Somerville residents walk by public art every day, from murals and painted switchboxes to sculptures and memorials. But, unless they were looking, a passerby might not even notice one particular creator’s art, or “not art,” as he calls it. That Somerville resident, who asked to remain anonymous, has been an artist since he was born, he says. But for the past eight years, he’s been spreading his message on the streets of Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston through a stencil that reads “NOT ART,” which he spray-paints onto surfaces and found objects.

“What makes it art or not art is up to the viewer,” he told Somerville Neighborhood News. “It’s almost just asking that question: ‘Is this art? Is it not art? Where does it come from? What is it for?’”

In the past, creating ‘not art’ was something he did for fun. But this year, after he lost two food service jobs in three months, he decided it was a sign that he should pursue art full-time.

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