If you could create an entirely new, hip and anonymous persona, would you?
As a highly secretive subculture, street artists are able to create new identities for themselves that are solely reflected in their style of art. Nancy MacDonald calls this new identity the “virtual self” (325) in her essay, “The Graffiti Subculture: Making a world of difference”: “When you step into this subculture, you are expected to leave all traces of ‘real life’ on its doorstep. This includes your background, your identities and the baggage that may come with that” (312).
MacDonald gives praise to this subculture as an outlet for self-expression that means much more than just scribbles of nonsense on a wall: “Individuals who are shy and unconfident find a voice through graffiti because they do not have to speak” (325). In other words, the art speaks for the artist.
Image courtesy of: static.panoramio.com
Of course, not all street art you are likely to encounter will have a profound message about life and the universe, but “as with any other art form, graffiti art has its masters and its hacks” (Lovell). It can be said that recreational, profane vandalism spoils the appreciation and credibility that some street art should receive. However, if street art were to receive too much recognition as a legitimate art form, would the subculture survive as a subculture?
“It can’t be denied that part of the attraction of the art form (for some at least) must be the unlawfulness” (Lovell). In knowing that their art is going to attract attention for being against the law and in knowing that their art will likely disappear in the blink of an eye, street artists continue to thrive on this buzz. As each piece is erased, the artist must think of something bigger and better to replace it. However, if street artists were provided the opportunity to legally present their work, the unexpectedness of the art would be gone and, with it, the message.
Art by: Banksy / Image courtesy of: glorycharles.blogspot.com
In the documentary film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, the aspiring street artist known as “Mr. Brainwash” got so carried away with the mass production of his art that he seemed to lose sight of the message. He had spent so long observing the work of best street artists in the world, yet, in the end, he did not see the true value of unexpectedness within his own work. Street art that is presented in a predictable (and profitable) gallery setting is no longer street art as is does not negotiate the use of public space.
Another subculture that is known to negotiate public and urban space is the subculture of skateboarding. As a “pleasure-driven activity of its own” (Borden 257), skateboarding redefines the use-value of everyday architecture. Just as street art relies on specialized skill as well as risk, skateboarding does this in a more physical way. In both cases, however, the gratification one receives for their craft is relatively short-lived. In skateboarding, the thrill could last “no more than a second” (260). It is in this way that skateboarding is “rhythmically out-of-step with the dominant routines of the city” (263). Therefore, skateboarding also thrives on the unexpectedness of the sport in such a mundane, urban setting.
Simply by painting a image on a wall or by riding through the city on a hunk of wood with four wheels, these two subcultures work in a similar fashion to make the everyday lives of the dominant culture more interesting and unexpected.
Works Cited
Borden, Iain. “Performing the City.”The Subcultures Reader. 2nd ed. Ken Gelder.
London: Routledge, 2005. 257-267. Print.
Lovell, Jessica. “Graffiti’s shades of grey.” The Guelph Tribune 29 March 2012: 6.
Print.
MacDonald, Nancy. “The Graffiti Subculture: Making a world of difference.” The
Subcultures Reader. 2nd ed. Ken Gelder. London: Routledge, 2005. 312-325.
Print.
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