But not. all. graffiti. is. bad. Graffiti comes out of the urgent call for social justice that is hip hop culture's history, and although it has been coopted by some who use violence to assert their power, the medium in and of itself is not "bad."
For example, if I happen to "catch" the student who has a tag like this on their notebook:
I'm not going to think that they should be ashamed of themselves for "vandalizing" this back-door of an apartment building. I'm going to think that the dominant culture should be ashamed of itself for labeling a public reminder to "Think 4 urself" as a crime.
6 comments:
He does not need to be ashamed, no - but he (or she) should 'proudly' take the punishment that comes with vandalizing private property. Art is wonderful, yes, but subjective. All of it. And so, when I pay $500 for a new door and you put your 'art' on it, it is not so wonderful.
On another note, I only know anything about you from your blogs! We need to catch up - SOON!
i see what you're saying, but i disagree mostly. except the let's get together part.
i'm appealing to aesthetics here. if it's aesthetically appealing graffiti, it's not a crime. that's what i say. like on trains. on that door though... i don't know. i can't decide if the door was uglier before or after. i'm glad i am concerned about aesthetics before social justice. is this why i'm in grad school, ellen?
i'm appealing to aesthetics here. if it's aesthetically appealing graffiti, it's not a crime. that's what i say. like on trains. on that door though... i don't know. i can't decide if the door was uglier before or after. i'm glad i am concerned about aesthetics before social justice. is this why i'm in grad school, ellen?
let me be clear. i don't think this is a particularly artful piece of graffiti.
all i'm saying is that i'm not particularly concernes about a kid who's writing "think 4 urself" versus the kid in two of my classes who regularly writes "DG" with a six-point star on his desk. this is not a criminal mind is what i'm saying.
i mean "GD" (gangster disciples) and it might be a five-point star now that i think about it. god, i'd be such a piss-poor gang member.
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