The Handwriting On The Wall: Toward A Sociology And Psychology Of Graffiti

you have to look to the streets. Because of its omnipresent nature, street and urban art have become a part of the cultural fabric of a city. Om-Rio, a female graffiti artist from Brazil, mentions that she wants to “open people’s minds, make them review their conception, and test their soul” (Ganz, Graffiti Women, 38). Ernest Abel and Barbara Buckley mention in their book “The Handwriting on the Wall: Toward a Sociology and Psychology of Graffiti”, that the examination of graffiti and street art is: To a great extent a cross-cultural investigation of class and ethnic differences whose messages [tend to] reflect shared attitudes and values as well as ethnocentric variations on main cultural themes (144).

Graffiti and street art that is developing

The individuality of the English artist “has long escaped from the media while [somehow] obtaining an international reputation” (Visconti et al. 517) Banksy’s pieces usually bear a meaning that is political or satirical in nature, often controversial. It was stencilling that allowed him to best express his mocking and humorous comments into a powerful means of communication. Banksy’s “Follow Your Dreams” (Figure 1) piece found in Boston is no different. In May 2011, a graffiti image appeared in the low-income area of Chinatown in Boston, Massachusetts. The image features a tired-looking male painter standing next to the outwardly painted words, “FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS” painted in all black, all uppercase letters. Over those words are the words “CANCELLED” in white, all uppercase lettering with a red rectangle background, as if to signify that the notion of following one’s dreams has been cancelled. Street art is meant to be an integrally anonymous way to create and spread art. Unless the artist has signed the piece, it can be assumed that the artist does not want people to know who created it. Some street art is recognizable by style. This piece, distinguished by the use of stencils to create the image, is attributed to Banksy because of his signature style-stencilling. His stencils are both humorous and salient, and often are

His clothing looks back into back to the depression era. Through this image Banksy is drawing parallels between the current economic crisis and the depression; he is pointing out the cruelty of the current political and economic environment. "Follow Your Dreams" is a popular axiom referring to the American Dream. For one to be able to follow a dream, freedom is required. Here the dream is being cancelled. The man from the depression era is the one that posted the cancel sign over the dreams. Though he is only the messenger, the use of him to deliver the message is poignant because he does not appear to be living his dreams and now he is working to cancel others, perhaps just to survive. He is not happy, rather he is resigned and doing what is expected of him, he doesn't seem be able to live out the American Dream. The idea of an American Dream no longer exists according to