Cultural Controversy

Members of different cultures want to be understood – including those in artistic sub- cultures. During a discussion of graffiti in Portland, it was said, “Graffiti is for the other writers and people in that culture.” That seems to be a mantra that many in the community of graffiti writers repeat. I‟m not sure that it is completely true. I think that the people in the culture and who know the unwritten rules, the stages of graffiti and where different styles come from do have a better understanding. People in the culture, however, recognize that they are doing it for an audience. If it was just for the other artists involved, it wouldn‟t need to be done so publicly.

What happens in many cultures and the graffiti culture is no different, is that those involved complain of not being understood. Often when people from the “outside” try to make an effort to understand, they are pushed away. I do think that for graffiti artists to generate positive public response, they need to be willing to talk to the public and not put down people speaking out in favor of their culture. At the event, it was a good to have well art-educated people speak on behalf of graffiti. More education on this art form is needed – including not only how it is done – the mechanics of the artwork, but also its story and impact around the world and throughout history. I think that those making graffiti need to accept their position in history.

Graffiti has been in and out of the main-stream art world, the fashion world and advertising for centuries. It‟s everywhere - you can‟t avoid it. From small towns to the busiest, largest cities, graffiti is part of the mainstream. That seems to be what frustrates both the academic art world and society at large. It‟s an art form based on the street and will always be on the street and as it has also been co-opted by the pop culture, it will not be able to be controlled. It can, however, be appreciated and understood.

The appreciators and supporters of the graffiti culture also deserve recognition for their efforts from the artists. A building owner who allows the use of their wall often has to contend with neighbors who do not appreciate the art form. This is a problem not only for the graffiti culture, but for public art in general. Monument designs have been argued time and time again - the Vietnam Wall is one of the best known modern instances. Currently, the situation that comes to mind is what should and what should not happen at the World Trade Center location. Locally, „Tracing the Fore‟, in Portland, is an example of the controversies public art can generate.

Public art has moved beyond the dedicated monument to large scale installations, earthworks, and even beyond traditional graffiti to mass productions in flash mobs, planking and yarn bombing. It is time that traditional graffiti artists acknowledge their place in art history. It is time that academics, critics, audiences and the public become aware of the historical and social impact of all public art. For everyone‟s sake, it is time to become involved in more discussions in a proactive way rather than wait for controversial and antagonistic situations to develop.

Originally Posted: July 9, 2011