The Voice of Graffiti

Photo Credit: Business Insider.  http://www.businessinsider.com/bushwick-collective-street-art-2014-1

 

 

Since Hip Hop began it has been considered a resistant movement towards mainstream. Hip Hop within itself has been an act of resistance against authority, against mainstream and social norm. Hip Hop is rebellion, one of the clearest examples of the rebellious natures of hip hop comes from the art form of graffiti. Graffiti which has an Italian origin and is derived from the word graffiare which means "to scratch". Graffiti is one of the many elements of Hip Hop, and just like all the other elements it allows the artist a form of self expression. Throughout time graffiti has significantly been used for artist to get their points and ideas across. An example of how artist have been using graffiti to illustrate their purpose recently brought to the media's attention. On the set of the TV show Homeland. The show features graffiti design of a set where the artist  wrote on the wall "Homeland is Racist" in Arabic.

Graffiti has given a voice to so many who truly desire a platform to be heard. Across the world graffiti has provided many with the option to express political views throughout the usage of this art form. Refugee girl from Syria who uses her street art to inspire others. Where many have also done significant breakthrough within this field. Graffiti most often referred to as "tagging" provided the artist with a sense of pride and identification by being able to say that a piece of work was done by them. These artist were well known within the neighborhood that their pieces was displayed without even needing a fully displaying their names.  

Graffiti as described by Chang in the article It's a Hip Hop World describes the origin of the elements of hip hop and how this culture has developed. Graffiti has become an art form that is broadly used. It helps many with a form of identification.

As many may thing that graffiti is only a local art, but it is used across the world by many as a form of providing a voice. In many places such as Brazil, Syria. In the article Hip Hop as Pedagogy, Pardue mentions the streets of Sao Paulo which many different art forms are used including graffiti to give many a voice.

 

 

Refrences

 Chang, J. (december 2013). Its a HIp Hop World. Foreign Policy, 163. Retrieved March 22, 2016,from http://www.jstor.org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/stable 

Pardue, D. (2007). Hip Hop as Pedagogy: A Look into "Heaven" and "Soul" in São Paulo, Brazil.  Anthropological Quarterly, 80(3), 673-709. Retrieved March 22, 2016.