Post Modern: Street Art - Graffiti

Postmodernism is definable by its attempt to reject abstraction, its quest for non-traditional art, and its efforts to turn against the te Modern era's idealization of humanity. This era shifted the concept of artworks' message by countering the previous idea that artworks either only possess one inherent meaning or one that determined by the artist during its creation. Instead, the idea became that the prime determiner for an artwork's meaning is the viewer, where they can create an assumption themselves of what the piece reflects.  

As postmodernism has existed since around the 1960s, this era represents all the latest definable, and yet to be defined, trends in the art world. With every artist attempting to express themselves in different mediums, creating something against abstractions and question tradition, postmodernism has been introduced and has experienced a diverse range of newer forms of visual art. There is no unifying style in this era, which makes it more interesting how an artist chooses to present their subject matter within their art medium of choice. 

Street Art:

During postmodernism, public art has grown, especially street art, which is independent visual art that is created in open locations for public visibility. 

A major aspect of street art is its ephemerality, as any unsanctioned public murals are at risk of being removed or replaced by others, and the temporariness of such work allows the viewers to see a one-of-a-kind work that may not last. There also are no specific types of street art, as people have created non-traditional works such as sculptures and installations; however, street artists are usually more known for their use of unconventional mediums on public property, such as spray paints, stencils, stickers, and even chalk.  In addition, when it comes to street artists' murals, they are often influenced by the ongoing events during the moments of a work's creation. As a result, we can see all kinds of murals that either reflect or depict topics such as politics, religion, wars, and references to technological advancements. Furthermore, it is possible that this incitement of street art could have stemmed from the belief that art should be accessible to everyone and should function either in opposition or sometimes outside the dominance of laws, property, and ownership.  In their point of view, all people, regardless of their traits, should be able to express themselves and have it be seen by others; however, we then have to think about how far can art go until it is seen negatively. 

For my blog post, I wanted to delve further into the topic of street art, and more specifically graffiti. 

Graffiti Art Exhibition:

Graffiti, which is usually illegal, is considered a controversial form of street art due to its involvement in the unauthorized marking of a public area and is often referred to as vandalism rather than art. As a result, the artists of a graffiti mural could be unknown, not wanting to be associated with the drawing due to potential connection. You could almost say that graffiti artists are uninvited guests to a publically open canvas. But regardless of its negative connotation, graffiti is still an artist's ability to visually self-express and communicate in forms that can range from simple writing to even those most elaborate drawings. 

Banksy

Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based political activist and street artist, well-known for his satirical and sardonic dark-humored graffiti art, and has become one of the most recognized street artists in the world.  His works have captured the world's attention by his now familiar style, and his ability to boldly express an underlying serious message about politics, advertising, capitalism, and humanity within his art. 

  

Girl With Balloon (2002)                                                 The Mild Mild West (1999)

The Girl with Balloon, which is located on Waterloo Bridge in South Bank in London, was the first and original painting of a stencil-work series that depicts a young girl reaching towards a red heart-shaped balloon that is being carried away by the wind. Following the original Girl with Balloon, Banksy created other variants at different cites all around London with this same design to show his support for three different social campaigns; however, these three all have been removed and no longer exist.  And yet, even with such a simplistic concept, this iconic painting will always remain open to interpretation by the viewers and will evoke a range of different emotions for each individual. To me, this painting can symbolize hope, as if the world around the girl is dark and depressing and she is reaching for the bright red source of hope (aka the balloon). As for The Mild Mild West, which is located in Bristol, London, this rectangular mural depicts a teddy bear that is about to throw a Molotov cocktail at three rioting policemen.  The name of this piece is somewhat ironic, as it depicts a showdown-like scene, and is poking fun at events that occurred at Winterstoke Road, where riot policemen began to attack partygoers (the trigger for this work). We can see how Banksy used a silly cartoon approach to illustrate a real-life inspired event, which wouldn't make sense to nonlocal, as this mural may require the context to help the viewer determine its meaning. 

Keith Haring

Keith Haring was an American street artist, who gained popularity during the 1980s for his pop artworks, and the devotion of his time to public works that would often depict a social message. And just like all street artists, he was no stranger to temporary art, as he understood that his works subjected to were subjected to some impermanence.  Haring works were known for being hand-drawn, usually by done painting, but it was using chalk that grew his popularity. 

We the Youth (1987)                                                    Crack is Wack (1986)

We the Youth is a public collaborative mural located in Philadelphia, which Haring did with the CityKids (of NY) group, and depicts outlines of figures that are filled with different colors and patterns.  The purpose of the mural was painted to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S Constitution, where we can see how the title plays on the preamble's "We the people", as well being a pro bono collaboration with Haring and other groups. Haring never intended for this mural to be permanent, as he thought it would only exist until more buildings in the area were added; however, it consistently keeps getting restored throughout the years. On the other hand, Crack is Wack, which is a mural composed of Haring's signature bold lines and figures, is a warning to the public about crack cocaine use.  The creation of this mural demonstrates Haring utilizing his sociopolitical presence as an artist to express his values and thoughts, and publicly participate in his awareness for anti-drug activism through his art.

Blek le Rat

Blek le Rat, born Xavier Prou, is a French graffiti artist who has been active since the 1980s. He is often described as the "Father of stencil graffiti", as his art technique utilizes stenciling rather than stylized letterings. Blek is also well-known for his branding of rat figures because to him they symbolize both freedom, the marginalized members of society, and the propagation of art throughout a city as if it were a plague.

When it comes to Blek's works, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when each mural was created, as his works are often stencil designs that he has created on different mediums before, and then painted in different locations. On the left is a variant of his The Man who Walks Through Walls, originally a 2004 black and white self-portrait that Blek created for a trip to London, and become one of his most traveled characters.  As for the image on the left, although there is no official title, we can see a work of Blek's signature spray-painted stenciled rats that he would recreate throughout the walls around Paris. In the image, all but one rat is painted black, potentially reflecting something about being different in a normal society. He would do this similar stencil throughout the 1980s, when the street painting was not associated with criminal activity, as a subtle symbol of his ideas and to let the public develop their own meaning to the painting. As of more recently though, Blek's works have become more political, focusing on the environment, homelessness, and other major social issues. 

Other Examples:

Some of these locations do not have any specific artists as they are several different murals painted on by different individuals throughout the years. Others are signed by the artist somewhere within the mural.

     

        Graffiti Alley (Ghent, Belgium)                            (Bangkok, Thailand)

                                  

           (Cambodia)                                                           Union Lane (Melbourne, Australia)                        

Works Cited:  

Artrepublic. “The Warrior (Special Edition - Yellow), 2020.” Artrepublic, artrepublic.com/products/the-warrior-special-edition-yellow-2020.

Banksy: Graffiti Is Art, people.southwestern.edu/~bednarb/su_netWorks/projects/jle/rat.html.

“Banksy Street Art, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/banksy/.

“Blek Le Rat.” Blek Le Rat - 199 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/blek-le-rat.

“Blek Le Rat.” Street Art Bio, 6 Aug. 2020, www.streetartbio.com/artists/blek-le-rat-biography/.

BrandywineWorkshop, director. Keith Haring - We the Youth. YouTube, YouTube, 11 July 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aeg0xiceHeM.

“Crack Is Wack.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crack_is_Wack.

Editorial, Artsy, and Karen Chernick. “Why This 30-Year-Old Keith Haring Mural Was Never Meant to Last.” Artsy, 1 Sept. 2017, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-30-year-old-keith-haring-mural-meant.

Envy. “Southeast Asian Street Art.” Lost in Translation, verdwaaldinvertaling.blogspot.com/2017/12/southeast-asian-street-art.html.

“Graffiti.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/graffiti-art.

Guru, Review. “Banksy Girl with Balloon Meaning.” Medium, Medium, 12 Feb. 2020, info-77354.medium.com/banksy-girl-with-balloon-meaning-40880c92c89a.

Guttery, Author Carol. “An Insanely Thorough Guide to Melbourne Street Art and Graffiti.” Wayfaring Views, 31 Dec. 2020, wayfaringviews.com/melbourne-street-art-graffiti-guide/.

“Postmodern Art - Modern Art Terms and Concepts.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/definition/postmodernism/.

“Street and Graffiti Art Movement Overview.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/movement/street-art/.

“The Mild Mild West.” Wikiwand, www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Mild_Mild_West.

Ugc. Keith Haring's Only Surviving in Situ Collaborative Public Mural. 16 July 2019, www.atlasobscura.com/places/we-the-youth.