It has been quite a while since graffiti was only considered as vandalism and something that should be discouraged. There are still some politicians that will still use these outdated tropes to court votes but, generally, street art is seen as something positive. But it is much more than that - it can transform entire communities.
Places like Las Vegas may be more well known for its
casinos and betting sites, but there has been an increase in street art transforming areas of the city to provide a different – and unknown – side to ‘Sin City’. It is this kind of street art that can really make a difference, for the people who live in a community and for those visiting.
The benefits of street art are endless and it does feel as if there are more places encouraging artists to express themselves in this way.
A Splash of Color
The street art of the 1970s in places like New York City was regarded as vandalism and an eyesore for the people who lived there. But young artists were attempting to bring some color to a drab and dull environment that seemed to offer them little. This was their way of brightening up a place that had been left to rot by the authorities.
In more recent years there have been countless more examples of cities and regions being transformed simply by bringing color to the gray concrete. The favelas of Rio de Janeiro are an excellent example. With a reputation for violence, these man-made structures seemed soulless to the outsider, until local artists started brightening them up with large-scale projects that showed a different side to those communities.
Changing Perceptions
But it is not just in the favelas that art has the power to challenge the perception of a place. We mentioned Las Vegas at the beginning of this article and the art there is showing a hitherto undiscovered cultural side to a city that is not always associated with that word. The Arts District, just north of the gaudy neon lights of The Strip, has been transformed into a center for street art.
Las Vegas is only following the example of countless other cities across the US. Old manufacturing areas of town in places like Los Angeles and New York City may have been discovered by artists decades ago now. But there are newer developments like the Wynwood Walls in Miami, and downtown Detroit that have experienced an artistic makeover in more recent years.
From Eyesore to Art
Once an area of a city starts becoming unloved – and unfunded – the beauty of the designer’s ideas can soon crumble away and leave only dark, concrete jungles that begin a spiral into disuse and neglect. But the artists who then take over these blank canvases can utterly transform the place.
Street art may have once been considered an eyesore but it is the dilapidated buildings that are the real eyesore. A disused warehouse may be good for a filming location but it is not offering much else of cultural and aesthetic joy. Street artists can change the whole look and feel of a place by covering it with their creations.
Banksy (and Banksy-Inspired Artists)
Banksy is now one of the most famous street artists. Starting off as a mysterious stencil artist making statements with his creations in his native Bristol (according to some reports), he has now graced cities around the world. His work has even been seen on a dividing wall in Palestine.
Banksy wasn’t the first person to make a political statement with his art but there have been countless others inspired by his work. They are able to comment on the situation in their own location and spread the use of stencil art even further. Now Banksy originals are
sold for huge amounts at auctions.
Figure 2 Sometimes the smallest addition can make all the difference
Art Programs
If you asked many street artists (including Banksy) what makes them create, it would not be the chance of selling their pieces to high-class galleries though. The rise in popularity of this form of expression has also meant artists able to give back even more to the communities they have come from.
With proper funding, these artists can help the younger generations pursue careers and lives that may otherwise be closed to them. Just being able to express themselves without constraint is an alien idea to many – and art programs can transform these communities as much as the art itself.
Tourism and Visitors
Street artists can do more than just simply transform the lives of the people who live in their communities though. The murals and the pieces painted on the walls where they live are now a bona fide tourist attraction in many places. People will travel to see this art and that brings with it an economic aspect.
The money brought into a community by these visitors can transform local businesses. Not only has the perception of a district or area of town been changed by the art – there is a benefit to everyone who lives there. In this way, the art could change what might be considered a ‘no-go’ area into a tourist hot spot.
Art as Protest
There is no doubt that street art can change a place entirely. Whether it is for the people who live there, or for those who then visit. But there will always be the worry that a line will be crossed from artistic integrity to selling out. This may be a very subjective divide, but it is important that the art remains cultural.
As we have seen in recent years on a global scale, art is still a powerful tool as a protest and street art will always be the most obvious display of this. Street art was born out of protest at its most basic, whether it was the tags on New York subway trains or the murals on the concrete buildings of the Rio favelas.
Street art has come from a place of protest – or a need to express. Our cities have been transformed by it and we are all living in a much better place because of it.
