Racism Street Art

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Recommended: Is graffiti art,or is it just vandalism

Maria Shah
Ms. Young
Art History
June 2016
Racism and Street Art When it comes to making a statement, art has always been a way to show it. Graffiti art is the way for artists to spread their viewpoints to the people who are being affected by them. However, graffiti has not always been treated with respect, and even today many people consider it as nothing more than “vandalism” however, it is much more than that. With the rise of street artists such as Shepard Fairey and Banksy, graffiti and street art is slowly becoming more popular and “mainstream.” But while this may seem like a good thing, it also shows the sexism, classism, and therefore racism, that is embedded into the way people view art, and how the culture that surrounds graffiti …show more content…

While some form of “graffiti” has always been present, the graffiti that is known today can be traced back to New York City in the late 1960s. This New York City is much different from the New York City known today. As the population increased, the middle-class and the upper-class started to move out into the surrounding suburbs. The city was now filled with lower-class people working low-wage jobs. Crime rates had increased, and New York was truly a terrifying place. Central Park was jokingly referred to as a “death trap” at the time. (Pinker) As people watched the upper class relocate to the safety of the suburbs, they often felt abandoned in the dangerous roads of New York that they were not able to …show more content…

The first documented case of “tagging” was done by a Puerto-rican boy known as “Julio 204.” However, the tag “TAKI 183” received much more attention due to the fact that Julio kept his tag within his neighborhood while Taki put his tag all over the city. (Werwath) Taki, short for “Demetaki” which was a different version of his name, “Demetrius” is known as one of the most influential graffiti artists in history. Tagging was a way for people to show their individuality in a place where they felt they were just another piece in the machine that made up New York. Young artists used tagging as a way to show that they were in fact, living. (Walsh) The way the graffiti culture was able to spread so easily was in part due to New York’s expansive subway system. By “tagging” the cars, young artists were able to spread their name around the city and communicate with other artists.

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