![]() From him, graffiti has expanded into a self-taught art form that expresses emotion and hidden meaning. Teenagers were inspired by Cornbread because his markings–also known as tagging–on the city were rebellious and original (De Melker). The “graffiti movement,” however, is believed to have begun with Cornbread, a high-school student intent on catching the attention of a girl. The explosion of graffiti began in the 1970s when commercial artists found the streets to be a sufficient canvas for their work. This clash between street artists and graffiti artists sparks tensions in both the artists and the city around them. Street art holds messages that influence the cultural values and diversity in New York City while clashing with an alternate art form: graffiti. Eventually, the artists were unable to stay because their rent gradually rose. Numerous artists have similar stories of how they decorated their neighborhood while simultaneously gentrifying the area, causing the value of the neighborhood to rise. Specifically in New York, gentrification, the process of rapid change and improvement in a district or neighborhood, affects the mutual layers of hatred that street and graffiti artists share. Most inhabitants of large cities don’t even know the difference between street art and graffiti, but these differences cause humongous disputes between the artists–disputes that lead to the destruction of other artists’ work. But if you ask me, it’s all graffiti because that’s what I’ve always been doing with my friends back in my neighborhood” (qtd. Dasic Fernandez, a renowned street artist based in New York, says, “The graffiti and street art communities are totally different and there are lots of differences. The term “street art” is used to define the art found on the streets, but it is often confused with “graffiti,” as the two art forms coexist and blend together to provide neighborhoods with visually pleasing pieces of artwork. Street art and graffiti are hand in hand, two unique art forms found in New York City. ![]() New York has an enormous influx of creativity, considering the levels of diversity and cultural differences. ![]() Why would someone destroy his beautiful mural? The man curls his fists and narrows his eyes. But what has been done is done–there is no saving his message. His smile fades as he catches sight of two words, “Team Robbo.” Only tiny specks of color peek through the black mask, anxiously begging to reveal themselves and breathe in the fresh, New York air. Slashes of black paint and markings cover his masterpiece. He watches the people walk the streets, like him, when his stroll abruptly ends as he finds himself standing in front of his artwork–only it’s not his artwork anymore. He strolls down multiple avenues, stops for coffee, and enjoys the buzz of New York. The following day, the man is curious to see his work in the morning light. The man has an extra skip in his step on his walk home. The man sighs with content, packs up his things, and photographs the mural. Her skin picks up the dull grays of the wall behind her, but her hijab flows with powerful reds, soothing yellows, and beautiful blues, blending in a mixture of color and diversity. The eyes of the woman look lifeless, as if something had destroyed her countless times over. Bobbing his head to his music, he steps back to admire his piece. Pulling out his neatly folded earbuds from his front, left pocket, he quickly pops them into his ears, opens his phone, scrolls through the many songs on his playlist, and randomly chooses one.Ī couple of hours go by and the man has finished his work. ![]() His supplies are removed from the bag and set by his feet. “It’s so much more.” Eying his blank canvas, he gets to work. “It’s not just a wall,” he thinks to himself. The man sets down his worn bag by his feet. To anyone else that may have passed this wall, it’s just a wall. He walks for a while before arriving at his destination: a blank, gray wall. Underneath his hood is a glowing smile, one that shines out of excitement. Perched on his shoulder is a bag filled with various cans of spray paint. By Sofija Ninness, April 24th, 2017 “It’s not just a wall.”Ī man, clad in black, steps out onto the street. ![]()
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