Is street art a true art form? Does it provoke the same emotional impact that museum art has? There are many people who disregard street art as a form of vandalism and something that should be subject to punishment. However, after watching the film Exit Through the Gift Shop, I began to question why street art is not considered a true form of art by a large portion of the art community. Street artists convey messages in their work that cause us to think critically so that we can truly understand the meaning, just as fine art in museums do. The temporariness of street art does not necessarily take away from the emotional impact that is intended by the artist. What makes art, art, is not what it looks like, but how the viewer perceives it. I believe that you cannot put a boundary on art, no matter if it is in a museum or on a street corner, as long as the creativity and authenticity is there, and the viewer is challenged to think. Critical thinking is a very important aspect to understanding art. As David Perkins put it in “The Intelligent Eye”, we must avoid “experimental thinking”, a rash, quick way of thinking based on observations and use “reflective intelligence”, a way of thinking in which a viewer takes their time and dissects details and nuances to fully understand a work of art. A majority of viewers will look at a piece of art and come to a quick analysis of it, without much thought. But, according to Perkins, “The more attentive the observation is, the better the opportunity is for deeper learning” (Perkins 14). As Banksy said in Exit Through the Gift Shop, “the reaction to the work of art is the most important thing about it.” Without a reaction or an opinion, the work of art has no meaning. Therefore, in order to trul... ... middle of paper ... ..., but that should not subtract from the overall perception of a piece. This critical delve into thinking about art is a reason why, “experimental intelligence needs reflective intelligence to manage its powers for a fuller perception of art-and more generally for a better thinking about anything" (Perkins 16). Art is not about what is visually there, but the reaction that comes from it. Without a reaction, the piece of art has no purpose and is therefore meaningless. Exit Through the Gift Shop is a true testament to the power that street art holds. The film demonstrates the thought and learning that street art provokes out of its viewers. From Shepard Fairey’s “Andre the Giant” sticker to Banksy’s outlandish piece, Elephant in the Room, there are many forms of street art that provoke deeper thinking just as fine art does.
In existential thought it is often questioned who decides what is right and what is wrong. Our everyday beliefs based on the assumption that not everything we are told may be true. This questioning has given light to the subjective perspective. This means that there is a lack of a singular view that is entirely devoid of predetermined values. These predetermined values are instilled upon society by various sources such as family to the media. On a societal level this has given rise to the philosophy of social hype. The idea of hype lies in society as the valuation of something purely off someone or some group of people valuing it. Hype has become one of the main driving forces behind what society considers to be good art and how successful artists can become while being the main component that leads to a wide spread belief, followed by its integration into subjective views. Its presence in the art world propagates trends, fads, and limits what we find to be good art. Our subjective outlook on art is powered by society’s feedback upon itself. The art world, high and low, is exploited by this social construction. Even when objective critique is the goal subjective remnants can still seep through and influence an opinion. Subjective thought in the art world has been self perpetuated through regulated museums, idolization of the author, and general social construction because of hype.
The rhetorical situation is a fundamental concept that addresses audience, purpose, author, constraints, and exigence. These different aspects help to support credibility, support and build arguments, and explain or provide evidence. Lauren Collins wrote “Banksy Was Here: The Invisible Man of Graffiti Art” in 2007 when Banksy was becoming more of a well-known individual. Collins attempts to convey the mystery of Banksy, the controversy of street art, and the understanding of art to a general audience. She uses rhetorical devices in order to effectively present the controversies of Banksy and the controversies of street art. Within the book The Blugold Guide, edited by Shevaun E. Watson, Carmen Manning, and Micheal Faris, rhetorical analysis is described to be a way to understand how an act of communicating influence certain people at specific times and that the tools of rhetorical analysis help to understand how meaning is made by human creations. In “Banksy Was Here: ...
Art is defined by Oxford’s Dictionary as works produced by human creative skill and imagination. The argument of whether or not graffiti is art has been around for an indeterminable amount of time. Because of many different and valid reasons, graffiti should be considered as art.
Throughout the years many people have argued on whether or not graffiti should be considered a form of art. Graffiti was invented in 1967, and this was not considered art until 1980. Why did it take so long to be noticed? This is because graffiti is not the best fit to be called art; graffiti invades personal space and vandalizes private properties. Street graffiti can also be associated with gang related activities that cause horrific events in some areas of cities; and it can also trouble police departments because, owners of the buildings would constantly call. Should graffiti be considered as a form of art?
Street artists are known to be vandalizers and are considered to have no respect for the outside world. However, there are creative and well thought out artists that put their feelings into their graffiti art. One of them is known as Banksy. Banksy is an unknown artist that roams and does graffiti art around the United Kingdom and also has a few in San Francisco. He became such a sensation around the world because of his unknown identity and as well as his symbolism behind all of his arts. People do not think of his art as stains on a wall, but as a hidden message. There are people that travel around the world just to look at Banksy’s arts to take in the message right in front of them. There is one art in particular that has caught my eye and that is the art that seems to have a boy with a gas mask and
Art, by definition, is the expression of human creative skill and imagination. Graffiti has loomed between the borders of art and many people are debating whether graffiti is considered as an art form. Street art, also better known as graffiti, has been around for as long as people have been creative; as a matter of fact, it is not a contemporary trend, it is known to be one of the oldest known art forms in the world. The earliest type is found at caves in Indonesia and is practiced as well in Roman, Egyptian and Greek cultures. In addition, it follows the essential description of art. Despite its controversies, graffiti is considered art since it has existed since prehistoric times and is considered one of human's ultimate forms of expression.
In Confronting Images, Didi-Huberman considers disadvantages he sees in the academic approach of art history, and offers an alternative method for engaging art. His approach concentrates on that which is ‘visual’ long before coming to conclusive knowledge. Drawing support from the field of psycho analytics (Lacan, Freud, and Kant and Panofsky), Didi-Huberman argues that viewers connect with art through what he might describe as an instance of receptivity, as opposed to a linear, step-by-step analytical process. He underscores the perceptive mode of engaging the imagery of a painting or other work of art, which he argues comes before any rational ‘knowing’, thinking, or discerning. In other words, Didi-Huberman believes one’s mind ‘sees’ well before realizing and processing the object being looked at, let alone before understanding it. Well before the observer can gain any useful insights by scrutinizing and decoding what she sees, she is absorbed by the work of art in an irrational and unpredictable way. What Didi-Huberman is s...
Graffiti art is controversial; however, this form of art communicates a voice for social change, express a certain community’s desire, and is occasionally used as a method of protest. Street art is simply an act of inscribing or painting on walls for the purpose of communicating a message to the general public (Werwath). Graffiti initiated as a form expression and free speech from political activists, gang members, and young adolescents. In the American society, the presence of graffiti contributes to a sense of poverty, uncleanliness, and an extremely heightened fear of crime and gang activity. Conversely, the majority of people in the western hemisphere support street art because it allows individuals who are “not formally trained to [speak
Street art is more than just painting something beautiful or cool on a public wall. It’s about the people who decide what should be shown in public space, the messages that are advertised, and how the messages affect us all. (Croteau, David. Ch.4Pg113). Banksy has made himself known for doing politically inspired pieces of artwork for example, by critiquing entities like capitalism, war, and hypocrisy. Political satire is often used to analyze one’s society and policies. It “interrupts the process of normalization”( Hebdige, Dick. Pg 18) . It is simultaneously humorous and smart while exposing something which the satirist perceives as wrong or ridiculous. Banksy’s is known for using satire in his work. “Exit Through the Giftshop is, in itself, satirical commentary on various aspects of the art world, from the commercialization of contemporary art to the endless subjective debate on what constitutes an
As a “new” art student, I have learned not how to be an artist but how to be a viewer. In the past I did not appreciate art that was not aesthetically beautiful to me. I would judge art in a very narrow type of way. I only enjoyed art that I considered to be pleasing. I now have a different view and as the viewer I have a greater understanding of what is “beautiful”. I keep an open mind and an open interpretation of what an artist is trying to portray. I have never found myself to be the one who enjoys creating art, however, with this class I learned to appreciate art and it has opened up a new lens for me. I have enjoyed learning about different types of art and different artists. For this paper I have decided to research the meaning of Street
Graffiti is defined as writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place. Since around 1980 graffiti and street art has been becoming more popular and common. Banksy, one of the more famous street artists in history, started to become famous around 1990 after a lot of his controversial work started showing up all around London. Banksy’s claim in the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop is, the purpose of street art is to make a statement on society, and that making art for money and fame causes corruption of one's character and self. To show society the true meaning of street art and to strengthen his argument, Banksy uses epithet to emphasize that street art is not about fame it is about leaving a footprint in society, ambiguity, to show that every piece of art is interpreted differently and each piece of work should illustrate a meaning deeper than just the price tag, and allegory; to
For over two thousand years, various philosophers have questioned the influence of art in our society. They have used abstract reasoning, human emotions, and logic to go beyond this world in the search for answers about arts' existence. For philosophers, art was not viewed for its own beauty, but rather for the question of how art and artists can help make our society more stable for the next generation. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived during 420-348 B.C. in Athens, and Aristotle, Plato’s student who argued against his beliefs, have no exceptions to the steps they had to take in order to understand the purpose of art and artists. Though these two philosophers made marvelous discoveries about the existence of art, artists, and aesthetic experience, Plato has made his works more controversial than Aristotle.
Through the invocation of uncertainty, art renders the spaces that separate our individual realities visible. Uncertainty is the mental state that gives rise to internal questions aimed at our own lives and motives, and in turn requires us to either reaffirm or to shift our beliefs. To discuss our uncertainties are to breathe them into reality because our thoughts dwell inside our bodies until they are spoken, and that eviction is irrevocable. Art that rips thoughts from their comfortable hiding place within my subconscious, and either renders me speechless, or removes a cork from a suppressed river of emotion within my psyche is the kind I appreciate the most. Whether the art evokes positive emotion when i first begin to understand it, or if it only creates pleasure in my mind after a period of shrill curses and
Conversely, upon investigating the artwork’s factual information such as the painting’s context, the artist’s background, the genre and the school or movement associated with the painting, it is possible to obtain knowledge that combines objective information and subjective opinion, confirming that some degree of objectivity, albeit with our ‘cultural imprint’, is possible as an art observer.
Street art is a display of an artist’s expression, yet governments are trying to eliminate it. While also giving the artist serious charges or jail time. The punishment for producing graffiti can be around a year in jail time or a fine of up to $10,000 according to Sacramento Press.