Images That Start Wars?

"I Want Change" by Banksy

     When faced with street art or graffiti, many people automatically recognize the consequences behind such an act and the huge risk that the artist took. When I hear about graffiti art from mainstream media and especially from authority groups, it all shines a negative light on this topic. They don't view it as a new art form, or a beautiful image or powerful statement, but as a criminal epidemic that is nothing less than immensely evil. Street and graffiti art to them is no harmless matter and is encouraged to be taken very seriously. So when the public views this type of art or possibly even choose to create some of their own, like myself they see along with artistic expression and freedom the chains of aesthetic norms and the chance of being criminalized. Personally, when I am thinking about an endeavor in this art movement, I realize that there is a much larger risk to act on it today than what there was maybe 10 years ago. This is mainly due to new technologies and tactics used by police officers in stomping this movement out; also the publics new founded awareness of this “vandalism” helps as most, even though gaining slight artistic recognition, are seeing street and graffiti art as pure negative destruction. All of this is very discouraging, and forces artists to have a more military-tactic oriented mind to evade prosecution.

      Ever since the “war on graffiti” was declared in the 1970s there has been an infiltration of military devices and strategies in civilian life and urban areas (Iveson, 2010). These special additions to every day life have continued through the decades and were at first meant to serve a harmless and helpful good. However, this approach to this so called war that has been adopted by the police force has created a marriage between the military and policing(Iveson, 2010). This marriage has grown through the years and now the lines are more blurred than ever between the police and the military. This progression has created more control and even hostility towards civilians; even in some cases has created an occupation-like-state in a few urban areas. Some of the new technologies and strategies that have been incorporated to rid the world of street and graffiti art, are new devices that greatly enhance security, detection, and prevention; new devices that remove graffiti with ease; new fortification of buildings; undercover and psychological operations, and propaganda (Iveson, 2010). Each of these new tactics have been used persistently to criminalize street and graffiti artists. These new detection and prevention ways that are used by the police, have surprisingly been very effective. However street and graffiti art still remains and is actually constantly growing.

Banksy- I want change. (n.d.) Retrieved on April 29, 2011 from http://lsffp.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/banksy-change.jpg

Iveson, K. (2010, Feb). The wars on graffiti and the new military urbanism. City,   14(1/2), 115-134. Retrieved March 22, 2011. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete.