Essay On Street Art Subculture

Street art is an increasingly popular and prevalent movement in modern culture. Though the subculture started from underground, most people are now often familiar with at least distinguished artists such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey, and Space Invader, among many others. Street artists create and present unsanctioned art on public surfaces, usually pushing the government to penalize them and prohibit such activity. In daytime, these street artists are virtually undetectable, dressed in non-descript clothing, often to avoid confrontations with the law (Ganz 15). But during nighttime, or in deserted places, they define themselves as strictly divergent from mainstream culture, and especially from the government and the laws that preside over this larger culture. The subculture stands mainly in opposition to this body of authority, which is perceived as over-dominant. Their resistance takes the form of subversive messages within artwork displayed in the streets, where it is both illegal and most visible. It is a new form of expression for the youth or members of the newer generation, against beliefs, lifestyles, or traditions held today by the mainstream society and the policies of the government. Through public art, street artists are able to reclaim the space over which the law and the government have taken control. The street art subculture presents a subversion of cultural hegemony through resistance against the law and controversial sociopolitical artwork in opposition to what it perceives as the government’s attempt at complete regulation of society.

The street art subculture is steadily growing popularity and entrance into mainstream, and some argue—how far can this subculture exist within its larger culture? The movement started ...

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...change one’s attitude toward the other, and to what effect? After all, what was once considered vandalism is now validated as art, showing society’s eventual acceptance of the subculture. Previously deemed as visual detritus, urban art is now seen as possible vehicles of thought, forging relationships between artist and audience. It provokes thought and arouses consciousness within viewers in the most unconventional and unexpected places. But what would happen if the mainstream culture finally caves in to street art? Or what if the street art movement eventually succumbs to the laws set out by the government? These possibilities underlie not only the street art subculture, but other existing subcultures as well. One could then assume that subcultures and the mainstream culture are essential to each other, a push and a pull, the necessary rebellion within the order.