Free Art Frees Art is being done in London and New York. I’m doing London, Ron Throop is doing New York. I give away my art on the streets of Camden Market while Ron gives his away to members of the public in New York.

London:

New York:

Free Art Frees Art is a slogan I came up with for The Camden Market Free Art Man. Money keeps my art stuck at home. But I don’t need money directly to get it, so why ask for it when it’s the hardest form of payment to get? People spend money like it’s blood and time like it’s water. So charge time, I’ll be rich and my art can be free. Free Art Frees Art is therefore the platform for Advertism.

London on the streets of Camden Market:

New York at SUNY Osewgo:

Free Art Frees Art and is the future for artists willing and able to harness and ride the internet in favour of the traditional dinosaur gallery route. Like Napster did for the music industry, killing record labels and causing a complete restructuring of the industry. Art’s had it coming a long time and will be massively beneficial to all the good actors when it happens. This all relates to another project Ron Throop and I are working on, called Advertism. Part of the deal for getting one of my free artworks is they have to do a one minute interview for my YouTube channel. They nearly always overrun, sometimes to around ten minutes.

Free Art Frees Art Manifesto:

1. Art doesn’t cost money.
2. Galleries do to adults what computer games do to children.
3. Free Art Frees Art isn’t radical, new, controversial or original. It’s at least 40,000 years old.
4. Galleries face in. The streets face out.
5. Galleries do to artists what bear traps do to bears.
6. Streets are necessary. Galleries are unnecessary.
7. The masses have what the elite want.
8. You can’t be free and cost money.
9. Galleries freeze artists. The street frees artists.
10. The streets are galleries with free materials.
11. The streets hold public views. Galleries hold private views.
12. The streets community. Galleries commodity.
13. The streets independent. Galleries dependent.
14. The streets Edgeworth Johnstone. Galleries Delaine Le Bas.
15. The streets outsiders. Galleries insiders.
16. The streets shit creek. Galleries chique clique.
17. The streets rise. Galleries lie.
18. Advertism is tattoos all over your face.
19. Advertism is designed to look shit in a gallery.
20. The streets free. Galleries fee.
21. The streets give artists a shop. Galleries give artists a shopping list.
22. The streets express oppression. Galleries oppress expression.
23. The streets walk galleries talk.
24. Money is a fish. Free is a fishing rod. Get rich. Get Advertism.
25. I’m the Napster of Art.
26. The pin is mightier than the bubble.
27. Freedom appears when money disappears.
28. Galleries stamp approval. Advertism approves stamps.

Edgeworth Johnstone, 2025