GRAFFITI: Exploitation and resistance of Street Art

Banskyd estroyed his piece « girl with baloon ». After been shred, it price had been multiplied by ten

In the streets, graffitis seems occupied each pieces of walls. Every where in the city, we used to see them, the most of the time without caring about. During longtime tags and graffs where considered as vandalism. But nowadays, with the increasment of street art, Art galeries get more and more interrested by this type of art , considered during longtime as marginal practice.

GRAPH TO EXIST

Let’s begin with a little bit of History. Graffities appeared during 60’s in United states. This period correspond to strong social movements and contestation in USA. Also, the Hip hop culture appeared at the same time, bringing new music, new dance, and new paintings : Graffities .

Doing murral’s and graffities naturally appeared as way of expression for young people from popular districts. Put you’re name ( Blaz) on a wall to signal you’r passage, that you where here...in another way, mentionned you’r existance. During 70’s tags evolved in something more elaborate graffitis where not simply a kind of «signature, but also a painting piece . Nowadays Both sytle still coexisting.

Today, graffitis still in majority signatures. It can be the work of one men/women or a crew of artists. The most of it are hard to read. But with exercised eyes, you will be able to read them without any difficulties.

Traditionaly, street paintings still an illegal activity, because their born in a spirit of contestation and rebellion . Today, a lot of people still thinking that murrals and graffitis are vandalism, and artists risking a large fine or even jail for doing it . A lot of cities clean it, but for the artists it’s fine, because streeet art always be ephemere productions.

STREET ART is no more « street »

Nowadays, graffits and murrals are attractive. Art Galeries, want to invest » in « Street art ». Murrals, but also stickers, collages… All the artistic practiced from street are fashion and send under « street art »appelation without a true distinction.

This « new » type of art attract a large pannel of customers. More and more artists are exposed on galeries walls and make money with it. But a lot of critisisms are made about this new trend.

Firstly, all street art are intially made for free. Street art pinting should be intially exposed on the street, for evry one, in a very universal way. Doing « private exhibition » and Make money with it, does make sens ?

In a second time, Doing « legal street art »is in totally contradiction with street art nature. Does have sens to « command » street art pieces ?