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Introduction
Graffiti/ Street Art -
Description 1/2
Graffiti and street art are forms of artistic expression found in urban environments, where they may interfere with public surfaces such as walls, buildings, and sidewalks, surfacing from marginalized communities. -
Description 2/2
Street art and graffiti serve as a means of self-expression, social commentary, and cultural identity. Reflecting diverse perspectives and voices in societies. Graffiti and street art express powerful messages through their vibrant colours, engaging viewers and contributing to the visual landscape around the world. -
About
Guiding Question:
How have street art and graffiti changed over time, and what impact does it have on society? -
38,000 BCE
Prehistoric humans were scratching the cave walls and ceilings, which was how they expressed themselves in their world. -
1980s
- New York mayor declared war on graffiti
- Increased law enforcement to take action of those "vandalizing"
- Harder to write on subways without getting caught, and people began tagging on roofs of buildings or canvases
- Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism theory
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1940s
Edward Seymour invented Spray Paint, unknowingly. -
Early 1960s
Darryl McCray:
- Nickname is Cornbread
- Story that he fell in love with a girl and started graffitiing his and her name together, which was only the start. He then started tagging his name in the rest of Philadelphia
- Graffiti then reached New York in the late 1960s -
Successfull Artists
- Jean-Michel Basquiat: spraying on the streets in the 70s, and becoming a respected artist in the 80s
- Blek le Rat and Banksy: achieved fame by working with stencils
- Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto: revolutionalized urban art
- Lady Bank: Influential female graffiti artist, emerged in the late 1970s. Work featured strong female characters diving into feminism.
- Keith Haring: Characterized by bold lines and vibrant colours. The art tackled social and political issues, being a great influence.
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More About Banksy
- Famed masked satirical street artist
- “Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked; where every street was awash with a million colors and little phrases; where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall — it’s wet.”
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1970s
- People began writing their names or tags on buildings throughout the city
- Mid 1970s, spray paintings were covering subway car windows, covered with letters and/ or masterpieces
- Taggers apart of street gangs marked their territory calling themselves “crews”
- The term “Graffiti” was first used in The New York Times article written by Norman Mailer
- New York galleries started buying graffitis
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Impact: Society 2
- Enhancing Urban Landscapes: Transforming dull, boring buildings into vibrant works of art. Graffiti artists were/are contributing to “revitalizing” neighbourhoods creating creative, unique spaces.
- Inspiring New Art Forms: Graphic design, fashion and streetwear, pin badges, etc all created/ designed by graffiti artists.
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Impact: Community
- General public views graffiti as either legitimate and permissible or illegal based on the type of graffiti, location and context
- An action done by graffiti artists contributes to the social, poltiical and well-being of the community
- Examples of graffiti with purpose: memorial displays, youth art projects, etc
- Negatively impacts local communities, making public spaces unsafe. Gangs mark their territory, meaning the area is more dangerous which results in more crime and turd wars
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Function
“Namely as a tool for identity negotiation and visual subversion”
- Highlighting that graffiti is more than an artistic expression but a means for individuals, to negotiate their identities and disrupt the “proper/accepted” ways things are shown/ represented visually in society
- Most graffiti artists use their work to disrupt the flow of society: challenging social injustices, raising awareness -
Impact: Individuals
- Individuals become self-aware, decide what they want/ who they are, and their impact on the community
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Impact: Businesses
- Graffiti tends to tarnish neighbourhoods by damaging infrastructure and sending financial losses to both individuals and businesses. But at the same time, some individuals believe that graffiti is a creative expression.
- Innaopropratie things written on advertisements and/or signs, affecting whether or not customers would visit
- Negatively impacting businesses financially, having sales reduced, boycotting customers, etc
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Impact: Government
- Views graffiti as vandalism only because graffiti has a notorious label
- Tagging is least acceptable since its “meaningless”
- Graffiti contributes to monetary losses, more than £1 billion per year to clean up
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Impact: Society 1
- Challenging Authority: Graffiti artists use their work to question authority and create public art critiquing government policies, social injustices, etc.
- Empowering Marginalized Voices: Raising awareness about challenges faced by communities advocating for change.
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2015 (Article)
Graffiti: Viewed From the Eyes of Society by Alexa Nicole- Perceived negatively since gangs and deviant subculture behaviour
- Gangs reason for graffiti is usually since it is “a powerful alternative process for shaping personal identity and gaining social status”
- Art is a form of cultural resistance and how it provides “free space” for developing ideas/practices
- Graffiti can be considered a form of resistance, giving people a chance to engage in their community's political activities
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Factors Contributing to Change: 2
- Education: Appreciation towards this type of art specifically in an art school
- Media: The way graffiti is portrayed influences how the public views graffiti
- Climate Change: Environmental Factors like weather patterns can impact outdoor graffiti
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Factors Contributing to Change: 1
- Technological Change: graffiti artists with new tools, examples are social media platforms and design software
- Economic Development: urban gentrification impacts spaces where graffiti is done
- Epidemics: The COVID-19 pandemic affected the production of graffiti and street art
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Transforming Events: 1960
- As stated in the 1960 timeline the story of Darryl McCray. Nickname is Cornbread, the story is that he fell in love with a girl and started graffitiing his and her name together, which was the start. He then started tagging his name in the rest of Philadelphia. (Social and Historical)
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Transforming Events: 1960-1970s
- Taki 183 & Tagging: A New York Times article written about Taki 183 and how he engraved his name in graffiti history. Is a regular tagger in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Kids found inspiration and followed his footsteps, copying him and tagging their names around the city. (Social and Historical)
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Transforming Events: 1977-1980
- Jean-Michel Basquiat & SAMO: Jean-Michel Basquiat came to the world's attention about SAMO graffiti on the streets, from 1977-1980. SAMO stands for “calling their marijuana the same old shit”., this term was formed with Basquiat and his high school friends. (Social and Cultural)
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Transforming Events: 1980s
- Phase 2 & Bubble Writing: a man who started a popular type of graffiti style. They were first called “softies”, becoming a great influence on pop culture. A graffiti artist in that area was quite interested and submerged into this type of graffiti style during the 1980s. (Social and Cultural)
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Transforming Events: 1981
- Bleak le Rat & Stencils: Xavier Prou is known due to the graffiti he started in Paris in 1981. French graffiti artist Blek le Rat was known as the father of stencil graffiti. He started as someone who drew street rats, and then homeless people to raise awareness of global problems. (Social and Cultural)
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Transforming Events: 1983
- Style Wars Graffiti Documentary: Style Wars, a documentary released in 1983. It was about hip-hop focusing on heavy graffiti. Captures the intentions of graffiti artists and opposing views. (Social and Political)
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Perspectives Affecting Current Day Interpretation
Historical:
- How Graffiti used to be considered vandalism and got to the point where the mayor brought war against it
- Now, it's recognized as a legitimate art
Social/ Political:
- Graffiti artists use their work to raise awareness about certain issues
- How the art reflects values, culture, and identity -
Transforming Events: 1988
- Shepard Fairey & OBEY: Shepard Fairey created a sticker called Andre the Giant has a Possee in 1988, which was morphed into a recognizable image turning Fairey's graffiti career into a hit. OBEY giant, a global brand enabled Fairey to take his skills to other places. (Social and Cultural)
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Transforming Events: 1900s-2000s
- Banksy & Graffiti: Banksy turned graffiti art to a new level in the 21st century. Underground graffiti artist in Bristol during the early 1900s, then turned to stencil art by the 2000s where he was successfully infiltrating the art world. (Social and Cultural)
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Transforming Events: 2009
- Graffiti Wars, King Robbo Vs. Banksy: A well-known feud between King Robbo an underground graffiti legend with works in London and Banksy. There was one of Robbo's pieces which was only accessible underwater, and Banksy decided to transform the art piece. Which then turned into a painting where they both painted over it, leading to online arguments that turned into an online documentary called Graffiti Wars. (Social and Cultural)
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Reflection
- Origin: New York City and Philadelphia, 1960s- 1970s
- Captured the thoughts, emotions, and issues that were important to the people at the given time
- Considered self-expression, rights to express ourselves as long as we don't harm others
- Graffiti was often used for religious, political, or personal purposes. Evolving its way of communication and artistic expression
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Conclusion
Regarding graffiti and street art, it changed from vandalism into an artistic expression. As there may be challenges regarding this it still shapes urban landscapes and enhances artistic abilities to be shown. The future of graffiti art is evolving as new artists emerge and technology advances. Unique creations are made, and boundaries within artistic abilities are pushed, inspiring future generations to evolve based on the past.