Boundaries in Contemporary Art: Street and Graffiti Art

Published on July 11, 2011 by Discussion Cafe

Every work of art is the child of its age and, in many cases, the mother of our
emotions. It follows that each period of culture produces an art of its own which
can never be repeated. Efforts to revive the art principles of the past will at best
produce an art that is still-born…..The nightmare of materialism, which has
turned the life of the universe into an evil, useless game is not yet past; it holds
the awakening soul still in its grip
-Wassily Kandinsky, “Concerning the Spiritual in Art”

Context:

The nature of our time informs the sort of language and method that is needed
to communicate ideas. Every age is defined by certain questions and problems
that individuals must address. Contemporary art, then, is a method of addressing
questions and problems of our time. So naturally, the face of contemporary art
is constantly changing. Controversy over the validity of new movements in art is
nothing new. What we are facing today, however, is not merely a conflict of
public interest but one of legality too. The street and graffiti art movement has been
growing in popularity and prevalence in the past few decades and has recently
earned the spotlight in a major exhibition at the MoCA Geffen in Los Angeles,
California. Controversy over the exhibition “Art in the Streets” has only heated the
already burning question—Is street art really art?

Video:

Watch this TED talk by Parisian street artist JR to hear his story about how he used
his art to make a difference in communities around the world.
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/1085

Discuss:

1. How do street and graffiti art challenge traditional notions and accessibility of
high art?
2. What is positive about street and graffiti art? What is negative?
3. Should street and graffiti art be taken seriously within the broader art world?
Why or why not?
4. How do street and graffiti art address questions and problems of our day?
5. What might street and graffiti art reflect about the direction of art?