Art Conversations: When Art is Freedom
Do Labels in Graffiti and Street Art
Give Artists a Voice
or Limit Creative Freedom?
Feeling Misunderstood
Some of my greatest insecurities come from being misunderstood.
I worry that people will not see me for who I am or that I am being inauthentic. I question my role in their perception.
How could they not see me and why do I even care?
I think that is why I love talking to strangers so much.
I can be my authentic self without worrying about the future of the relationship.
I can connect in the moment.
The Freedom of Childhood
Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash
Do you remember being a child at the playground?
Someone would come up and ask to play. You could spend hours creating an imaginary world with a new friend and then say goodbye never to see them again.
It was a beautiful connecting experience because there was no history and no promise of the future.
It felt so free.
Life Defined in Labels
Now, as an adult, so few things have that freedom.
Pasts are covered with memories and scars and everyone seems to have a connection with someone. Being completely in the moment seems almost impossible.
Sometimes I try to remember, what did my creativity look like before I was programmed into who I am?
At 45, who am I without all of the labels life has attached?
Art as An Act of Rebellion
Photo by Marc Newberry on Unsplash
If we view all types of creative expression as an extension of the thoughts and feelings of the maker, can we view artwork as the inner workings of the mind of the artist?
Take graffiti and street art; its bold colors and exaggerated shapes rebel against a world that tells us how to think and feel by returning creative freedom to the artist through mark making.
Graffiti vs Street Art
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
So what is the difference between the two?
According to Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Graffiti art is defined by lettering and symbols emphasizing identity and affiliations.
Street art is a broad visual expression focused on engaging the public around social issues.
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash
Is it Even Authentic?
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Even with an art form that challenges society's standards, graffiti and street artists still rely heavily on labels to define themselves through personal style and recognition.
Many will use “tagging” by writing their name or pseudonym, while others consistently adhere to the same techniques or stencils. As they become more recognized, many graffiti and street artists share information around their inspiration and motivation, telling the viewer what they want them to see.
So does becoming well-known take away from the intention of the art form?
Recognition as Power
Photo by Mohammad Mardani on Unsplash
What if artists didn’t sign their work or stick to a similar body of work?
Would their artwork be any less powerful because of our inability to label it?
In the art world, there is a lot of value placed around a cohesive body of work to define the artist. We, as a society, even value the ability to repeat ourselves outside the art world.
The more sales in business equals higher achievement and the more goals in sports equals a higher paid athlete. We are not valued unless we are able to create something unique over and over.
Do we just accept it and move on or is there still a way to push the boundaries of what is expected of us?
Change Makers
Photo by Roger Bradshaw on Unsplash
I think the answer has something to do with embracing change and celebrating it.
If we truly want to grow as individuals and as a group, we have to allow people to experiment with who they are and their ability to change their minds.
Our labels need to be flexible so that our need to categorize people does not stand in the way of what we want and need to express about ourselves.
If we are open to learning, we evolve over time and our creative work will reflect it.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
From My Perspective
In my work, I love playing with bold colors and clean lines. I struggle with anything muddy because I am inspired by bright bold lines and loose cursive.
I like that the meaning behind my work takes time to discover because it feels like it reflects my own life experience.
Colorful and playful on the surface but craving authenticity and connection on the inside.
