In the context of graffiti and street art, contentious politics is defined as the use of disruptive techniques to make a political point or change government policy. There is a historical intersection of POC (people of colour) and queer cultures, seen in modern graffiti art movements in the USA from the late 1960s. This occurred in a contentious political background as the act of graffitiing public property and spaces is illegal, which adds an affronting depth and immediacy to the statement made by the art. It captures the attention of its viewers, whether it be the local authorities or the public.
Modern graffiti originated in 1967 in Philadelphia by a tagger called Cornbread whose name appeared everywhere in a youth detention centre (History of graffiti and street art: the 1960s and the 1970s, 2021). However, its history lies in New York City where graffiti culture developed and became distinguished from prior forms of graffiti (Masterworks, 2022). This new form of graffiti was a means of expression, resistance, and political relevance by taggers predominantly from Black and Latino neighbourhoods. Early examples of political graffiti were used as an open call to arms from the marginalised communities; their way of reclaiming public spaces after the whitewashing of neighbourhoods (A brief history of Harlem, 2019). For example, the Harlem community of NYC became a centre for Black culture in the early 20th century and the 1960s, it was a centre for mobilization where many were fighting for an end to segregation in schools, improved housing, and an end to police brutality (W. Carroll, 2015). This kind of protest, with political underpinnings, was intertwined with the appearance of graffiti to get attention for the issues they were advocating to change. Later in the 1970s and 80s, New York City was categorised by crime, drug epidemic, high rates of poverty and economic decline which all contributed to the lack of opportunity for artists (Burk, 2015, p. 20).
Graffiti provided a multifaceted purpose beyond the reclamation of POC spaces. In the 1980s, simultaneous with the AIDS epidemic and rising queerphobia, many artists took to the streets to advocate for queer healthcare, their right to exist safely and protest the policies of Ronald Reagan’s government. Notably, the work of artist Keith Haring stands out as particularly influential and offers insight into the experiences of gay men. Haring, a gay man, produced powerful artwork with potent slogans addressing prevailing homophobia (De Souza, 2023). Contemporary graffiti movements still intersect with the social and political climate today. The work of renowned anonymous street artist Banksy, whose work has popped up all over the world, is one artist who characterises this intersection. Banksy’s pieces challenge societal norms and structures, serving as a means of decentralising and highlighting government inefficacy. One note-worthy artwork, ‘Kissing Coppers’ is used to accentuate the hypocrisy of the British establishment and police force. This piece cleverly calls attention to the social order and shows a clear link between the establishment and those marginalised by race, gender, sexuality and more (Laboureau and Laboureau, 2022). From this, the impact of graffiti prompts substantial public discourse. Many argue that artists should uphold the law and refrain from ‘defacing’ public property, others counter this stance by asserting that the laws criminalising these acts are antiquated, indicative of racism, classism, and other displays of societal oppression.
From one perspective, graffiti as a form of contentious politics serves as an initial step towards tackling existing social structures, raising awareness regarding global concerns, dismantling the current social system, and making noise about human rights violations. A modern illustration of this occurrence manifests in graffiti spotted in vibrant and prominent urban areas such as London and Brighton specifically regarding ongoing debates around the importance of trans rights and calling for a stop to the genocide in Palestine. Nonetheless, there are counterarguments regarding the effectiveness of graffiti as a catalyst for initiating social change. Those critical of its effectiveness argue that graffiti may be perceived as vandalism rather than justifiable activism, which these arguments believe discredits the underlying message. There is the general idea that the presence of graffiti in neighbourhoods encourages other forms of crime and/or vandalism (The Sun, 2023). Some thoughts on this standpoint bring into consideration the question of whether graffiti should be considered illegal at all and if it could be more worthwhile to provide spaces for creativity to be explored (for example, increased funding to communities and art schools). I think it is also important to consider looking to the government and establishment to break down systemic issues like racism, classism and more.
‘kissing coppers’ Banksy. @die_goellnerin on Instagram. October 2022. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjn7wiNrrIz/?igsh=MW5jeGFiYjZ0YXVjcQ==
A clear example of the critiques of graffiti shines light again on Banksy. One of the artist’s key themes is criticisms of consumerism and capitalism and creates art using members of the Royal Family, Black Friday, and most notably, a play on Monet’s Water Lilies painting. The repurposing of an iconic artwork tackles modern issues such as the environment/climate crisis and the capitalist landscape, as well as the identity crisis of the art world (Laboureau, 2021).
Furthermore, while graffiti does attract attention, that attention can be short-lived and may not incite change. This form of political statement Is susceptible to removal by authorities, and it raises questions about its long-term impact on societal consciousness and policy reform. In the context of Banksy, in the eyes of the law, the conversation around his work, that it could be liable for criminal damage is unresolved (Nottingham Law School – Banksy: when does graffiti become criminal damage?, 2020). While graffiti undoubtedly serves as a provocative form of expression, its efficacy in effecting lasting social change remains a subject of ongoing debate and scrutiny.
Through the lens of contentious politics, graffiti serves as a powerful means of resistance and activism. By challenging traditional values, structures of power and societal norms and therefore promoting alternative narratives, artists are using their presence to demand recognition of their struggles, experiences, and social issues. The historical intersection of POC and queer perspectives in graffiti and street art reinforces the mode of expression as well as calling attention to complex identities and intersectionality of oppression. it is important to mention that graffiti as contentious politics or its political connections is under-researched in academic spheres, leading to the research in this blog coming from art websites, history pages and news articles to legitimise my points.
Bibliography
A brief history of Harlem (2019). https://www.open.edu/openlearn/society-politics-law/sociology/a-brief-history-harlem.
Burk, T. (2015) ‘Let the record show: Mapping queer art and activism in New York City, 1986–1995,’ City University of New York (CUNY) [Preprint]. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1533&context=gc_etds.
De Souza, I. (2023) ‘Keith Haring’s Art and the emergence of street art in the 1980s,’ MyArtBroker, 24 November. https://www.myartbroker.com/artist-keith-haring/articles/keith-harings-art-emergence-street-art-1980s.
History of graffiti and street art: the 1960s and the 1970s (2021). https://straatmuseum.com/en/blog/history-of-graffiti-and-street-art-1960s-1970s.
Laboureau, S. (2021) Graffiti, consumerism and capitalism – Banksy explained. https://banksyexplained.com/issue/graffiti-consumerism-and-capitalism/.
Laboureau, S. and Laboureau, S. (2022) ‘Kissing Coppers, 2005 – Banksy explained,’ Banksy Explained -, 18 September. https://banksyexplained.com/kissing-coppers-2005/#:~:text=With%20Kissing%20Coppers%2C%20Banksy%20holds,has%20the%20capacity%20to%20shock.
Masterworks (2022) What is graffiti art? https://insights.masterworks.com/art/history/what-is-graffiti-art/.
Nottingham Law School – Banksy: when does graffiti become criminal damage? (2020). https://www.lawcareers.net/Explore/LCNSays/Banksy-when-does-graffiti-become-criminal-damage.
The Sun (2023) ‘Is graffiti illegal in the UK and what happens if you’re caught doing it?…,’ The Sun, 21 November. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6562736/graffiti-illegal-uk-vandalism-law/ (Accessed: March 18, 2024).
W. Carroll, T. (2015) “To help people Learn to fight”: New York City’s mobilization for Youth and the origins of the community action Programs of the War on Poverty — The Gotham Center for New York City History. https://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/to-help-people-learn-to-fight-new-york-citys-mobilization-for-youth-and-the-origins-of-the-community-action-programs-of-the-war-on-poverty.