Street art influence in politics refers to the intersection of public visual expressions and political discourse. Street art, including graffiti, murals, stencil art, and other forms of unsanctioned public art, has been an instrumental tool in political expression and activism, embodying resistance, social commentary, and a challenge to power structures worldwide.
Street art's political roots can be traced back to the ancient Roman Empire, where graffiti was used to express dissatisfaction with the ruling elite. In modern times, the evolution of street art has been closely intertwined with the political climate. Throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, street art has been used as a tool for protest and political expression, playing significant roles in movements such as in Berlin in the 1980s, Civil Rights in the U.S., the protest culture of the 1968 student revolts, and anti-Apartheid activism in South Africa. [1] [2] [3]
Street art allows political messages to reach wide audiences. Since it is often located in public spaces, it bypasses traditional gatekeepers of information such as the media or political establishment. This democratic aspect of street art makes it a potent platform for political activism and participation. Political street art often tackles issues like social inequality, discrimination, environmental concerns, war, and corruption, among others. [4] [5]
A famous example of political street art is Banksy, an anonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director. His satirical and subversive works combine dark humor with graffiti and have been featured on streets, walls, and bridges in cities throughout the world. Banksy's art often provides commentary on war, capitalism, hypocrisy, and the human condition. [5] [6]
While the immediate impact of street art on policy changes or political decision-making can be hard to measure, the art form's influence in shaping political discourse is undeniable. It offers an unfiltered, grassroots perspective on political issues that often contrast with mainstream narratives. Furthermore, political street art can create a sense of community and solidarity, helping to galvanize social and political movements. [7] [8] [9] [10]
The influence of street art in politics also extends to how politicians and governments react to it. The response varies globally, from punitive measures and censorship to appreciation and encouragement, reflecting the political climate and freedom of expression within each context. [11] [12]
Graffiti is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings, and has existed since ancient times, with examples dating back to ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls, and bridges throughout the world. His work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Banksy says that he was inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist and founding member of the musical group Massive Attack.
A street artist is a person who makes art in public places. Street artists include portrait artists, caricaturists, graffiti artists, muralists and people making crafts. Street artists can also refer to street performers such as musicians, acrobats, jugglers, living statues, and street theatre performers. Street artists can be seen throughout the world.
Protest art is the creative works produced by activists and social movements. It is a traditional means of communication, utilized by a cross section of collectives and the state to inform and persuade citizens. Protest art helps arouse base emotions in their audiences, and in return may increase the climate of tension and create new opportunities to dissent. Since art, unlike other forms of dissent, take few financial resources, less financially able groups and parties can rely more on performance art and street art as an affordable tactic.
Artivism is a portmanteau word combining art and activism, and is sometimes also referred to as Social Artivism.
Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art.
The Bristol underground scene is a cultural movement in Bristol beginning in the early 1980s. The scene was born out of a lack of mainstream clubs catering for the emergence of hip hop music, with street and underground parties a mainstay. Crews formed playing hip hop in disused venues with sound systems borrowed from the reggae scene: City Rockers, 2 Bad, 2 Tuff, KC Rock, UD4, FBI, Dirty Den, Juice Crew, Rene & Bacus, Soul Twins, KC Rock, Fresh 4, and the Wild Bunch were among them. These names were the precursors to the more well known names that came from this scene. It is characterized by musicians and graffiti artists. The scene was influenced by the city's multiculturalism, political activism, and the arts movements of punk, reggae, hip hop, hippies and new age.
Urban art combines street art and graffiti and is often used to summarize all visual art forms arising in urban areas, being inspired by urban architecture or present urban lifestyle. Because the urban arts are characterized by existing in the public space, they are often viewed as vandalism and destruction of private property.
Culture jamming is a form of protest used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert media culture and its mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. It attempts to "expose the methods of domination" of mass society.
Graffiti in Iran consists of different styles. Some are slogans painted by governmental organizations, and some are works of art by regular citizens. During the last few years, Tehran Municipality has been drawing graffiti in order to beautify the city. Much governmental graffiti regards the Iranian Revolution, Islamic Republic of Iran policies and The Politics of Resistance. Pro-democracy activists are also continuing a political graffiti campaign in Tehran. Islamic graffiti can also be seen around the city. Graffiti has long served as a medium of expression through Iran's complicated political history.
The Chicano Art Movement represents groundbreaking movements by Mexican-American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States. Much of the art and the artists creating Chicano Art were heavily influenced by Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s.
Darren Cullen is a London-based professional graffiti artist who is commonly known by the tag name SER. Cullen emerged as an artist from the British graffiti art scene in the early 1980s.
Mohamed Mahmoud Graffiti is a collection of graffiti that was painted on several walls in and surrounding Mohamed Mahmoud street near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt during and after the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
"Daku" is a graffiti artist from Delhi, India. Daku means "bandit" or "dacoit" in Hindi. Active since 2008 in several cities across India, he creates wheat pastes and murals which satirize and protest social and political issues. He is celebrated for his work as "India's Banksy", but he disagrees with the comparison since his art has different styles and message.
The Mild Mild West is a 1999 mural by graffiti artist Banksy, sited on No. 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol. It depicts a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police.
Murad Subay is a Yemeni contemporary artist, street artist and a political activist who has launched several street art campaigns of which society engagement marked one of their important elements. He first started to paint on the streets after the revolution of 2011, in a campaign he called "Color the Walls of Your Street".
West Bank Wall graffiti art is street art on the walled sections of the Israeli West Bank barrier, by a wide range of international and Palestinian artists. The wall is 8 to 10 metres tall, and is easily accessible to artists as it frequently divides urban areas. The graffiti is on the Palestinian side of the wall and primarily expresses anti-wall sentiments.
Loretto is a pseudonymous street artist known for his unconventional and satirical graffiti art, displayed on the streets of London. Operating under a deliberate shroud of anonymity, has gained attention for his unique style, blending humor, social commentary, and political satire.
Mediterranean Sea View 2017 is a set of three reworked oil paintings designed by Banksy. Each portion of the piece depicts the Mediterranean seascape filled with life vests and flotation devices beached on the shores. Originally displayed in the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, it was then donated to ABCD Bethlehem, a nonprofit medical organization. The set of three paintings was then sold in a Sotheby auction in 2020 for £2.2 million, with the proceeds donated to providing medical equipment for the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR) hospital. Two anonymous buyers bought the art, and the piece is currently in a private location.
