Street Art- Graffiti, Activism, and a Voice
Street art, graffiti, is an artistic expression of people, community, and our times. Visually murals on walls, buildings, underpasses express the fears, hopes, and frustrations of society.
Street art has become a window into the hearts of communities, clearly portraying the struggle to find equality, break free from racism, and proudly loudly proclaim voice, vision, and identity. It is a bright, colorful in-your-face image that challenges us to think differently, be tolerant, and dream. Dream real big!
Street art comes from the street. It’s born of a scene that plays out day in and day out, clearly capturing the struggle to live, thrive, and survive against the backdrop of political upheaval, hatred, and systemic racism. Artists labor high above the streets in dark alleys and within the local business to be people’s voice in pain, repression, or loss within an ever less tolerant society. These Murals’ emote hope cry out loud for those who pay the price of hate or portray fantastical visions of a better place, a kinder, more accepting, and tolerant culture. They are bold statements that we are unable to turn away from or ignore. Street art moves, shames, and inspires; each piece is a reflection of the local mood.
Over time, writers, the artists who used to bomb the subway, have come out of the shadow and gone mainstream. But they keep the scene alive by not selling out to the art establishment; instead, they have changed the art establishment and the way we view art. Mainly where we see art and who gets to see art. They have new ways to create the mood and the messages that shape our view of life, and each work is on public display for all to see. What was once annoying and unsightly vandalism is now highly sought-after pieces that hold value and add value – corporations commission street art for their businesses’ buildings and marketing. Developers incorporate street art into the designs of their communities, and galleries are shrinking the images down to present at openings for sale. It’s a business, but it will always be the voice of the people, a scene that erupted from the street.
Walk the streets of any major city, small town, or trendy neighborhood, and you can’t help but feel the vibe these modern masters have created. Wirth spray and roller perched high above the street these paintings are stating loud and clear the artist’s vision of how things are or should be, or are visual and beautiful statements of love and hope. Requiring enormous amounts of paint, artists lug sacks and boxes containing hundreds of spray cans and dozens of special caps that enable them to lay down layer after layer of color that forms these larger-than-life images. They use scissor lifts, cherry pickers, and sometimes cranes to reach the lofty canvas that will hold their art.
These massive projects sometimes take weeks to paint, often through inclement weather. Each one is created with purpose and intent by artists who work to share their perspectives and freely express messages of hope, love, and progress.
