The streets we travel through, whether urban or rural, are alive with vibrant colours and catchphrases. The evolving arena of graffiti and street art has overtaken cityscapes and ventured into rural settings worldwide. The word graffiti translated to “graphein” in Greek and denotes actions like drawing and writing. The term encompasses various forms of wall inscriptions and artistic expressions.
Graffiti and Street Art movement took root in 1920s and 1930s New York, initially appearing as covert symbols and markings by homeless individuals and street gangs on train and subway walls. However, it wasn’t until the late 1970s and 1980s that this art form truly gained prominence. Street art and graffiti are rooted in a struggle for representation and giving a voice to the underprivileged and minorities. While these art genres share similarities and often intertwine, distinct character traits set them apart.
Graffiti
Graffiti can be seen haphazardly written over cars, subways, rented billboards, and walls as an act of defiance. Graffiti artists utilize public spaces as an outlet for their creativity, social connections, and achievements.
This is often done by society’s ostracised or ‘invisible’ strata. Graffiti arises when there is a lack of public space for minorities or enraged to channel their voice in the community. Most graffiti artists are self-taught, ranging from doing it for leisure to propagating political messages.
Graffiti is a multifaceted art form that defies categorisation. It contains a spectrum of styles that includes murals, slogans, pieces and throw ups, each conveying a specific theme or narrative.
Street Art
Street Art is a potential tool that is used for advancing an artist’s stance on contemporary social issues. City facades provide a platform for artists to express opinions and perspectives on various matters ranging from politics and environmentalism to consumerism and consumption and social inclusion.
The art form evolved from graffiti yet differs in the perception it garners. Street art involves authorised interventions, often within commissioned projects or public spaces, with the permission of the building owners or government officials. Street Art frequently aims to communicate conveyed symbols and messages crafted by skilled and trained practitioners in the arts and painting. The traditional art gallery spaces are challenged by street art since it brings art directly to the streets. Hence, it makes it more inclusive and available to a broader audience.
Cultural significance
Street Art and Graffiti are potent forms of expression, social commentary, and cultural representation. Both art forms aim to preserve a community’s cultural identity and focus on the realignment of cities. Although initially found in the European suburbs and North America, graffiti has moved down to South Asian and African countries as an adapted art expression amongst the younger generation.
This was widely seen during the onset of the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Murals portraying African American citizen George Floyd who was inhumanely suffocated to death by police officer David Chauwin in May 2020, were drawn on city walls worldwide. Floyd was seen painted with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on the walls of Karachi by street artist Haider Ali while in Northern Syria, Floyd emerged among the traces of conflicts.
As Covid started, street artists worldwide took over public spaces. They employed solidarity with the ‘new normal’ by conveying gratitude to the frontline workers, staying in solidarity, or expressing dissatisfaction with government lockdowns or guidelines.
Debates regarding the usage of street art & graffiti as modes of public expression
Graffiti and Street Art as a space for art expression have always generated a division of opinions. Some individuals grasp the underlying intent of the art and view them as inclusive artistic endeavours with benefits for the community, while on the other hand, others hold a negative perspective on these forms of art.
Although street art is acceptable as long as it is authorised intervention, graffiti is perceived as a threat to public order.
Graffiti intervenes directly with the owner or legality of space – whether public buildings, border walls, or privately owned institutes – by creating conversation outside the standard ways of conveying messages. Depending on the context, graffiti artists can be criminalised or charged with a felony. While most of the artists aim to convey political messages, not all art has to have a political meaning behind it. Part of the working unsanctioned is the adrenaline rush that artists gain from doing artwork on public properties without getting caught.
In the modern day, there have been efforts to bridge the gap between street art and graffiti, decriminalising the latter. Street Art Festivals, art districts like the Lodhi Art District in Delhi, and the streets of Fort Kochi in India are examples of the same, making these art forms accessible to the public. Regardless, the controversies persist and reflect the ongoing dialogue on the boundaries of artistic freedom, public space, and community engagement.
References
- Online sources
- news.ucsc.edu (2014). The writing on the wall: exploring the cultural value of graffiti and street art [online]. (Last updated on: 14 September 2014). Available at https://news.ucsc.edu/2021/09/graffiti-street-art.html [Accessed on 08 August 2023]
- Chandni Bhatt (2021) Graffiti and Street Art Around the World [online]. (Last updated on 12 February 2021). Available at https://www.artshelp.com/graffiti-and-street-art-around-the-world/ [Accessed on 08 August 2023]
- Cercleux, A.-L. (2022) Graffiti and Street Art between Ephemerality and Making Visible the Culture and Heritage in Cities: Insight at International Level and in Bucharest, Societies, 12(5), p. 129. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12050129. [Accessed on 09 August 2023]
- Türe, A. & Türe, E. (2021). The Relationship between Street Art and Contemporary Culture. (pp. 50-62) Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED625313.pdf [Accessed on 09 August 2023]
- Alexandra Duncan (2019) Street and Graffiti Art Movement Overview and Analysis. Available at https://www.theartstory.org/movement/street-art/ [Accessed on 10 August 2023]
