Public Expressions of Art and their Impact copy-2 (1)

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1 Public Expressions of Art and their Impact Brea Taylor Chamberlain university ENGL148: Advanced English Composition Professor Sieglaff

2 Public Expressions of Art and their Impact Many pieces of art and graffiti in urban communities have a much deeper significance and meaning to the people of those communities, and therefore could be used to learn from instead of covering up or banning those artistic expressions. These pieces of art range from graffiti, mural paintings, painted signs and pictures and many other art displays using a variety of colors, tools, and canvas that may frequently be seen while in urban communities. Different cultures use art to pay homage to historical figures and commemorate points in history and significant people who impact those communities. Some areas and cultures may use statues or name buildings after historical figures and significant points in history. Public art displays in many urban communities can be used in the same way and have the same impact in these communities. A lack of understanding can contribute to the destruction of these pieces of art and a negative narrative surrounding them. Researching public art displays and their meanings has helped residents from other communities understand how these urban communities are impacted by these expressions of culture through art. It is agreed that not all public art has had a cultural impact, and some may need to be removed, but many of these pieces represent the culture, people, and points in history for certain communities and may even add value. Cultural representation can look different for each community and can be accomplished with various displays. In many urban community's public art like graffiti and wall murals have been commonly observed for many years and can have a historical, political, or cultural significance. These pieces of art can commonly be seen on buildings, walls, public transportation stations, and other public areas in urban communities. According to Molina (2022), graffiti was documented as early as the 1960’s and was used as a form of activism brining the community together against political injustices and other social issues. To many of these urban community's

3 graffiti was a way to show solidarity and express their feelings about many issues in a way that represented their culture. However, the appearance of this art has not always appealed to everyone and has been deemed vandalism and associated with the presence of crime in a community (Molina, 2022). Graffiti uses images to capture feeling and with it provokes other feelings. The use of graffiti in urban cultures to represent historical significance can be compared to the use of statues and naming buildings after historical leaders in other communities. The impact this art leaves behind can affect generations for years to come because it’s always going to tell a story about a point in time, or a possible political or historical event. The cultural impact of street art or graffiti has been obscured by the negative narrative that associates it with vandalism, crime, and poor communities. While not all graffiti offers an addition to the community's historical culture, over time there has been a shift in the tone surrounding graffiti. As time has changed so has the interpretation and usefulness of graffiti and street art. In more recent times graffiti artist have been commissioned for wall murals and other pieces of art and graffiti art pieces can be found in museums and on other art displays. The evolvement of graffiti and street art has proven to have great economic value and thus further solidifies graffiti as a form or art and not vandalism (Goncalves & Milani 2022). Being that graffiti is a form of art its necessary to protect this art and the spaces that are designated for it as it provides more then a visual appeal and it has held the story and feelings that connect the residents in many urban communities. In many large cities like New York City, Detroit, Los Angelos, Miami and many others graffiti and street art has been admired by tourist and residents of those communities for many years telling political, community, and triumphant stories for decades. Molina describes graffiti as “Power and purpose encapsulated within a flurry of colors and symbolism made visible for all to reflect upon their dissatisfaction with the social and

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4 political climate on full display” and this form of art deserves to be respected in such a way (2022). Graffiti’s historical impact spans as far back as ancient history with connections to art using tools to carve into the sides of rocks and trees (Fleming 2020). While the definition of graffiti according to the dictionary is “markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray- painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom” it has a much broader definition. The meaning of graffiti has been defined by its association to politics, art, and crime. However, the meaning is not as narrow as defined and changes as history does. With a possible history as far back as 40,000 CE, using Paleolithic hand stencils, graffiti may be all around with many people unaware (Fleming 2020). According to Zanetto (2022), the term was coined when archaeologists shined light on thousands of scribbles on the Pompei walls which were considered to be produced by the young, poor, and uneducated. As graffiti has evolved so should the definition. This art has gone from being associated with carvings in walls to images painted on signs and buildings alike. In urban communities this art can be defined as crime and vandalism because its negative appeal to some is associated with the negativity surrounding those communities. To fully appreciate its value and significance the term graffiti should be disassociated with the negative aspects of the community its home to. As artist responsible for grafiti and other street art continue to make a place for themselves in the art community they have also had to overcome legal barriers. Many pieces of graffiti are in public locations and therefore make it more difficult for artist to claim ownership of their work. With this field of work expanding and the demand rising for this style of art, there is a need to ensure artist can take credit for their work. Mendelssohn-Shwartz, Shwartz, & Mualam (2023) propose using a non-fungible token or NFT system to help artist keep up with

5 their work and manage the demand for their work while using technology. This allows artist to be contacted in the event that someone is interested in a. Commissioned piece and reduces the occurrence of another artist claiming their work. The barrier for some artist lies in that some artwork may be unsanctioned or done without consent and the artist still wants to be given credit. Incorporating the use of a technology system as a form of tracking and a means to contact the artist for other work and ownership (Mendelssohn-Shwartz, Shwartz, & Mualam, 2023). Although in the past street art was done in relation to political and other highly controversial topics and related to crime, over time the legal tone has shifted, and this art isn’t always deemed a crime. Creating a lane that allows graffiti to be viewed, commissioned, and admired helps the artist who created it become viewed admired, and respected in their craft. Different cultures choose a variety of expressions to tell their stories and works of art to represent their history. No matter the use of graffiti and wall murals, wether its politically motivated, historically related, or just a cultural representation, the story matters to the community it represents. Urban communities for many years have displayed colorful, vibrant images that encapsulate the feelings of a moment in time or of people who have united the community in a way that will forever be remembered. As the tone around the use of graffiti in urban communities becomes more accepted, there are still barriers that challenge this artistic expression. To change the tone surrounding graffiti, outside communities can make an effort to learn from these cultures and collaborate to minimize the unappealing art and designate areas for public art displays. Graffiti like many other art forms has expanded beyond its origin and will continue to represent the culture for many years to come.

6 References Fleming, J. (2020) Graffiti Futures. Jems 9: pp. 29-36. doi: http://dx.doi. org/10.13128/JEMS- 2279-7149-11188 Gonçalves, K., & Milani, T. M. (2022). Street art/art in the street – semiotics, politics, economy. Social Semiotics , 32 (4), 425–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2022.2114724 Mendelson-Shwartz, E., Shwartz, O., & Mualam, N. (2023). Protecting street art rights using an NFT-based system. Journal of Urban Technology , 30 (3), 81–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2023.2180983 Zanetto, S. (2022). Chloé ragazzoli, ömür Harmanşah, Chiara Salvador and Elisabeth Frood, eds. scribbling through history: Graffiti, places, and people from antiquity to modernity (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018, XIV and 250PP., 43 b/W illustr., HBK, ISBN 978- 1-4742-8883-5). European Journal of Archaeology , 25 (2), 273–276. https://doi.org/10.1017/eaa.2022.11

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